I am so sorry to hear that happened! I am a regular eBay shopper, and I notice a lot of fakes and replicas come out of Asia - particularly China and Hong Kong. Lots of mid-level stuff gets faked - especially Anthropologie. Of course, it may be closer to 'real' than you or I know, because it may be that the same factory or mill has woven or sewn the garment as for the high-end label. But generally the quality looks poorer or the photos look reeeeeally retouched (unless they are using print-type photos, in which case, avoid avoid avoid!)
Fortunately, I haven't received any fakes (well... to my knowledge)...
In general,though, some things I watch for (and avoid) on eBay:
1. Auctions that aren't in 'good' English - i.e., it reads like someone's second language. Use of the word "Lady" instead of "ladies" in the title is often a giveaway. "Banana Republic Lady T-shirt" would tell me to look at where the item came from.
2. A size chart which features what I generally consider Asian sizing, i.e., they say a size 6-8 has a 24 or 25 inch waist. I realize this is British sizing as well, but when a company is selling out of Asia or the United States and it says this, for a non-British clothing company, there's a good chance you're getting something that won't be as pictured.
Things I do look for:
1. At least 75 ratings, with an overall 97% or higher
2. If the seller is selling high-end shoes or a high-end garment, and doesn't have over 100 or 150 ratings, I look at what else they are selling. If they are selling a variety of shoes that are all around the same size (say, 6, 6.5 and an occasional 7), and fairly uniform clothing sizes, and there seems to be a consistency to the type of shoes and clothing being sold, I usually feel this is a real person emptying out their overstuffed closet, and if the price is good, I will bid.
Unless I am specifically shopping a British or European brand, I will set my eBay search results to U.S. Only (if I were in Canada I would choose North America).
I hope this helps other eBay shoppers - but I am so sorry you had to go through this, Rita!
