Updated: 23.04.2023
© Monclerworld 2014, online since 29.01.2007
Fakes
Spotting Moncler Fakes - A
Guideline
When Moncler transformed in early 2000 from an outfitter to a
designer brand, it got more and more on the radar of
counterfeiters. An easy way to sell faked Moncler items is mainly
via eBay, iOffer and other phony webshops, normally including the
Moncler name in their web address, meant to fool unsuspecting
buyers into thinking that it is a legitimate site. The market became
flooded with cheap jackets at a fraction of the price it would
normally cost at an official Moncler store, but when the awareness
increased that a $ 1000 jacket sold at $ 100 must be a fake,
counterfeiters simply began to price them higher so to make it less
obvious. Of course, counterfeits have also increased in quality over
the years, and it has become quite difficult to distinguish the
original from the fake. Many people seek for help because they are
not sure whether the item they just bought or intend to buy is an
original or not. Therefore, I have compiled some useful information
that might help you to make a decision whether or not to buy an
item.
Certilogo
As from the Autumn/Winter 2008 collection, a Certilogo tag with a
12 digit identification code was added to the material/care labels,
as well as a label that showed the model name. The Certiglogo
label is a white 2x2cm label with red and blue lettering with the
Moncler logo up front, and a serial number and an internet address
on the back. However, Moncler decided to change the easy to use
and effective Certilogo system in late 2013 with a more basic and
less powerful solution in terms of brand protection, developed in-
house. The Certilogo number when checked on the Certilogo
homepage will redirect you to the Code Moncler site instead.
Go to http://code.moncler.com and follow the instructions. You will
find a detailed guide how to proceed in the following video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xiqn2KOhdtk&feature=youtu.be
MonclerWorld.ch
Labels
The Moncler label is normally located at the center top on the
inside of the jacket (except for reversible jackets). Known
exceptions are early Karakorum models that have the label on
the inside of the left pocket (!), as well as some of the K2 models,
which have them on the lower right side of the jacket. On some
models, the label is located above the cartoon. The latest jackets
of the summer collection do have them on the lower left side.
Below is a link of an Italian fellow who’s made a lot of detail shots
of his collection which is all original which might help to identify
fakes: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dinodino66/
The Moncler size label is normally in the same color/material like
the Moncler label. There were seen Moncler's on eBay with a
blue or brown brand label and a white size label, which is wrong.
The size label was located directly under the brand label on the
left hand side on most models with a few exceptions, however, as
from 2007, it has been moved to the upper end of the left side
seam, and the color has always been white since then. If you see
the size label located where the material/care labels are, beware.
The Moncler material/care labels are always located on the left
side on the inside of the jacket (at the side). If you see them
anywhere else, beware! There also was a request from a person
regarding the "NORME AFNOR" label which is located at the
inner left together with the material/care labels. I was asked
whether a jacket was faked because the wording in German was
"NUE DAUNE". Apparently, this is a typo, and a spot check on 5
of my jackets revealed that 4 of them said "NUE" instead of
"NEU". Only one jacket showed "NEU DAUNE" which is
grammatically incorrect too, but no typo. All jackets I checked
came from Moncler boutiques, therefore no fakes for sure. Since
approximately 2009, all womens jackets do have a little pouch for
the tags, none of the men’s jackets do have this pouch.
Not all Moncler jackets have the cartoon logo on the inside of the
jacket, mainly those of the very early 2000s do not have a
cartoon logo. But if there is one, it is always located on the lower
left hand side on the inside of the jacket with one exception: the
Bulgarie model. Apparently there was a series that had this label
on the right hand side. This label has a slightly faded look.
If you want to buy from an eBay seller, always ask for pictures
that also show the location of these labels, not just close ups.
Moncler labels just say “MONCLER”, nothing else. Models for the
US market normally also do have a “Made in....” tag sewn to the
collar seam, it’s mostly countries such as Hungary, Romania,
Bulgaria, Moldova, but they are NOT made in France, and neither
in Italy!
Below is a comparison between a faked an an original label:
Code Moncler
Since 2013, Moncler uses their own secure code system. First of
all, there is a QR code label in the jacket where information can be
read out with your cell phone or entered manually. Then, you can
register your jacket at http://code.moncler.com, you will have to
enter your personal data and the system will confirm the model
name the code is associated with. The model/style name will be
written on the tag that has the word “INDUSTRIES” at the top. If
the jacket is a match, the system will thank you for registering,
otherwise it will request you to contact their customer support via
e-mail. Since it is quite a quite new system, I don’ t have no
feedback currently how it works exactly, but will update it here
continually as soon as more information is available.
Buttons, Zippers, Pockets
The vast majority of zippers and buttons (except for hidden
zippers), toggles - everything - on these jackets have either the
word "MONCLER" engraved or the Moncler logo on them. If
you see a silver snap button with no engraving on it, beware!
Only very early models back in the late 90s or early 2000 did
not have a logo on the zippers, so if you are buying a new
model and the hardware doesn't have the logo - beware!
Most buttons on authentic Moncler say FIOCCHI ITALY,
however, all models as from 2011 on may also have buttons
that just say “Moncler” on them, these are 100% authentic too.
Older jackets may also have buttons that say ORIGINAL
together with numbers or characters (all on the inside).
Moncler never uses nylon zip pulls or those silver circular
zippers. The vast majority of late model Monclers have LAMPO
zippers (referring to main zipper on the front of the jacket,
excluding zippers on pockets),but since there have been found
faked LAMPO zippers too, Moncler started to use Vislon (e.g.
Alpes models) and Riri zippers also. The latter ones are used
for womens jackets only.
There are Moncler fakes where the pocket is on the wrong side.
Single pockets are always on the left sleeve or on the the upper
left for men’s jackets, or upper right for women’s jackets. Only
exception found sofar is the “Chene” model that has the pocket
also on the left. If you are in doubt, go find the paticular model
in the “Collection” section on this homepage and check out the
pictures. The same goes for fur, there were seen fakes where
the hood had a fur trim while the real thing did not!
Embroidery
First of all, see where the Moncler embroidery is located. As a rule
of thumb, the Moncler embroidery is normally on the left sleeve of
the jacket, when there is a sleeve pocket, it is on the pocket. Vests
or jackets with removable sleeves have the embroidery on the
front left, with the exception of some “Karakorum” models which
do not have an embroidery at all. The “K2” model, although not
with removable sleeves, has the embroidery on the pocket at the
front left. Models that are pre 2002 do not have an embroidery.
Between 2005 and 2010, the embroidery was in larger size than
before, hoever, small embroideries can still be found also during
this period. As from 2011, it went back to the small size again. The
Moncer embroidery has a lot of texture on it. If an embroidery
looks "flat" or like it's printed on - beware! All of the embroidered
logo patches are identical from one Moncler to the next. Fakes all
look different.
In 2018, Moncler has launched a new line called Moncler Genius,
which was made in cooperation with other famous designers. In
particualar the lines 1952, Fragment and Craig Green show a
variation of the embroidery patch. Please also refer to the labels
page.
Tags
There are fake Monclers with the plastic triangular tag, booklet
and small bag for extra buttons. So just because the jacket
comes with all these things doesn't automatically mean that it is
an original. There is also always a heavy cardboard tag, along
with a thin plastic tag. That plastic tag mentions either certilogo
or QR code depending on which one the jacket has. The tag that
comes with a certilogo jacket is a clear plastic one with dark blue
writing, while the one that comes with a QR code jacket is white
plastic with black print.
Cartoon
The cartoon should look like the one on the right side. The colors
are usually not bright and always look a bit "faded" rather than as
bright as shown in the left cartoon.
Fabric
Below you can find an example how to distinguish the fake from
the real one. The fabric of the fake on the right looks kind of
"grainy", where the real one on the left looks much smoother.
However, the nylon used does vary from year to year or even
model to model, the fabric of the latest jackets from 2018 are a lot
softer than those made the years before. It is really hard to
distinguish the fake from a genuine jacket as there have been
made so many variations. .
eBay
Some general buying hints...
Ask sellers for close-ups of labels, zippers and the Moncler
embroidery. Ensure that you can also see a part of the jacket in
the picture so that you can see the location of labels and also the
the color matches the jacket that is for sale. Do not buy based on
ONE photo of the product. Check sellers feedback and try to find
out what has been sold in the past. If many such jackets have
been sold at ridiculessly low prices, there is a risk that these are
counterfeits. If it is the first jacket from that particular seller,
chances are much higher that it is an original. Research before
you buy an item (in particular when it comes from China, Hong
Kong or Thailand). Watch out for stolen pictures - pictures that
look familiar, taken from other auctions and meshed together.
Authenticity cards, receipts and “100% authentic” remarks do not
guarantee authenticity, and neither does the existence of a
Certilogo tag. Counterfeits are known to come with all of the
above. Do your research on sellers - “fake” sellers have been
known to use pictures of genuine products in their listings.
Here is a good link with tips for buying a Moncler on eBay:
http://www.ebay.com/gds/Tips-for-buying-a-Moncler-
/10000000205682163/g.html
If you are not sure, ask for more pictures. Consider that Moncler
is a high end fashion product, and average prices for a jacket are
in the EUR 750/$1000 range. These jackets are only sold at the
best stores, and their distribution is very exclusive. Ask yourself
why any seller would sell a $ 1000 jacket (new or recent model,
brand new) for less than $ 500? A seller might want to list an item
at a lower start price to generate interest, and of course there are
always great deals to be found on eBay. But if it’s too good to be
true, then it probably is. Do your research and make sure you
have a good understanding of the product.
Webshops
Beware of websites whose name might make them appear to be
legitimate retailers (those that have the brandname in their web
address but are selling Monclers for under $300. Moncler’s official
website (www.moncler.com) is the ONLY legitimate website
containing the brand name, no exceptions. These sites are easy to
spot because their prices are far below retail and they sell the
winter collection year round. Moncler had published a list on their
website of Internet retailers whose items have been identified as
fakes, unfortunately, that list ain’t available anymore.
Below is an interesting link to a a Photobucket album containing
many photos and references to Moncler jackets being sold on
eBay:
http://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Moncler_Jacket/library/Fake%2
0And%20Authentic%20Moncler%20Photos?sort=2&evt=email_sha
re&page=1
Please also watch the following videos on Youtube from a
contributor:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7CJrtZyMCA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYEtkwvSWrk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CY6Y9IZhNw&feature=youtu.b
e
Many of the information contained in the above videos are
available for download in a PDF for easy reference.
Additional information can be found on the following link on
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Moncler-Expert-
958005284229423/
If you are in doubt whether your Moncler is genuine or not, please
contact Moncler directly. You will find their contact form under
http://store.moncler.com/system/selfservice.controller?CONFIGUR
ATION=1538&PARTITION_ID=1&CMD=ESCALATION_REQUEST
&USERTYPE=1 or mail to customer.service@moncler.com
They will ask you to provide the following, so ensure to have this
ready when sending your request:
- Proof of purchase (invoice, bank statement,…)
- Entire model (front)
- Moncler logo (on the sleeve)
- Buttons (front / back)
- Zip pullers
- Internal labels (label of the collar, comic label if present, anti-
counterfeiting label located inside)
Furthermore, the following statement has been added by Moncler
themselves on their homepage regarding the battle of counterfeit
products:
http://www.monclergroup.com/en/media/press-
releases/MONCLER-AND-THE-BATTLE-AGAINST-
COUNTERFEITING-ENG/
Disclaimer
The above mentioned comments reflect only Moncler styles
beginning in 1999, and are only to be understood as a guidance.
As far as I have seen in the past, Moncler sometimes changes
styles or details, or even brought out models that weren't even
published on their website at all (such as the Bosco model). I
cannot claim that I have seen every single Moncler model that has
been manufactured since 1999, however, all of the above
information can be broadly applied to most Moncler jackets. The
comments are meant to be a guideline rather than the absolute.