# Updated: How to Spot Fake Ergo's



## Leids

*UPDATED: How to spot a fake ergo (links)*

https://thehumbledoula.wordpress.com/2012/06/02/how-to-spot-a-fake-ergo-baby-carrier/

https://reviews.ebay.com/How-to-Spot-a-Counterfeit-Ergo-Baby-Carrier?ugid=10000000065082150

https://www.exeterbabyactivities.co.uk/how-to-spot-a-fake-ergo/

https://www.borndirect.com/blog/2011/10/04/help-i-think-ive-bought-a-fake-ergo/

*Authorized Retailer List*
https://store.ergobaby.com/Content/Retailers

NOTE: Amazon.com is NOT an authorized retailer of Ergo's. Many people have received fake Ergo baby carriers from amazon, so beware. Purchase from an authorized retailer listed on the official ergo baby website.

Original Post

Hi ladies!

So a poster on here gave me information regarding fake ergos a month or two ago. I checked everything and my ergo seemed to be legit. Well.. I went to my ebay page for the first time in awhile because I was trying to find a rare book for LO. Anyways, I noticed someone had left a comment on the seller's feedback page saying that their ergo was fake.

I went and did more research, and found that fakers are getting MUCH better at it. The only thing off on mine is the buckle, and when my DH read the warning label, it was in engrish! :dohh:

I was so upset that I started crying. :nope: I had used it a lot, and I felt absolutely awful thinking I had put him in any kind of danger. My DH kept telling me it was okay and even went and bought me another one! I still feel so bad, and am contacting everyone else who had bought an ergo from that seller to let them know. I don't want anyone's babies to get hurt.

https://thehumbledoula.wordpress.com/2012/06/02/how-to-spot-a-fake-ergo-baby-carrier/ This is where I got the bulk of my info, you can see just how good of a fake it is!

If you've bought an ergo, definitely double check. I'm so glad that I did. I usually still support his bottom while I'm carrying him, but I did plan on carrying him on my back eventually. I would have been devastated if he had been hurt. My DH contacted ebay, and we've been told that if the seller won't offer us a refund we can get a reversal through our credit card company if we explain the situation.


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## bananaz

Wow, that's awful! I would be livid too, you should definitely get your money back. I have a Beco, and I'm guessing that they're not faked as often since they're not as popular, but who knows...


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## Leids

bananaz said:


> Wow, that's awful! I would be livid too, you should definitely get your money back. I have a Beco, and I'm guessing that they're not faked as often since they're not as popular, but who knows...

I was looking at beco carriers, they look really nice. :) I hope we get our money back! It's been longer than 45 days, but ebay was really helpful and told us we should still be able to get our money back. It's up to the guy who sold it at this point.

I use both the stroller and a carrier. I love my carrier and use it a lot because we go to a lot of farmer's markets where strollers won't work. We were going to go to Belize next winter too and I was planning on carrying him on my back to get to the Mayan ruins. I can't imagine my toddler falling out because of faulty stitching in the middle of a jungle! :dohh: I'm so angry that this person thought it was okay to put a child at risk. It's not like it's a purse that you fake, this is supposed to be safe for little people.


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## swood9

omg... I think I have a fake!


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## Leids

swood9 said:


> omg... I think I have a fake!

Oh no, I hope not. :nope: What is wrong with these people selling these?! Ugh. I guess they may not realize that what they're selling could hurt someone's baby. :(


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## swood9

:cry: I've been wearing lo in it since he was a month old! I have the insert and all! I don't have it with me to check...but I think my warning label is on the body, not the waist band.


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## Leids

I think all of the warning tags are on the waist bit. :( Mine is on the waist, but the grammar/spelling is all wrong on it. The buckle is wrong too. I can post pics when I get a minute just in case someone else has a really good fake.

I posted this hoping I could help people. I don't know if the fake ergos will hurt the baby.. but I don't want to take the risk. Since the stitching isn't well done I'm not going to use it anymore, but I am saving it in case I need it to get my money back.

Maybe you could contact the person you bought it from too? I bought mine 3 months ago but they told me I can still take action, so hopefully you can too!


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## swood9

Yeah I bought mine from a store while visiting in NY. I'm in MN but I think they would care. I hope! Hopefully I am wrong, I'm going to compare it when I am out of work.


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## swood9

thank you for posting this.


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## ashiozz

oy :( I Got mine from target and it is legit but I feel for you :( Thats really a bummer, however I know someone else that has a fake and she seems okay with it.


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## Leids

ashiozz said:


> oy :( I Got mine from target and it is legit but I feel for you :( Thats really a bummer, however I know someone else that has a fake and she seems okay with it.

Thank you. :hugs: The fake seems sturdy enough, if it hadn't I wouldn't have used it in the first place. I mean I really did believe it was a real ergo! Mine is a great fake. My biggest concern is the buckle. Although the buckle seems sturdy, there are reports of the buckle on the fakes coming undone. My LO is a big boy, and will likely be a large toddler as well. There's no way to tell how much weight the fake ergo can handle, and I'm not willing to test its limits to find out.

I usually do amazon/target/babiesrus for everything. This is the only baby item that I've gotten off of ebay, and of course it had to be a fake. Will probably be the last time I buy anything off of there. :(


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## ashiozz

yeah that's why mine is from Target, with Tyler being in the 90th percentile in weight, I wanted to be sure mine was real just so I KNEW it could hold the weight =/ 

it is at least good that for now it seems sturdy, maybe you can find a good deal on a real one on some classified ads? Of course ask to see a ton of photos first.. 0.o Thats so crazy that there is SO MANY of those fakes floating around =/


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## Leids

ashiozz said:


> yeah that's why mine is from Target, with Tyler being in the 90th percentile in weight, I wanted to be sure mine was real just so I KNEW it could hold the weight =/
> 
> it is at least good that for now it seems sturdy, maybe you can find a good deal on a real one on some classified ads? Of course ask to see a ton of photos first.. 0.o Thats so crazy that there is SO MANY of those fakes floating around =/

My DH just ordered one from amazon. Since it wasn't in the authorized dealer list though I'm either going to go to target or babiesrus tomorrow to pick one up, so I cancelled the one from amazon. I'm not going to risk getting another fake. Apparently there are some fakes floating around amazon even. :(

I feel a little guilty since I just bought another stroller too. :blush:


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## swood9

I checked and mine is for sure a fake. Obvious since knowing what to look for. I can't believe it!! I had him in there so small! I can't believe it. I use it ALL the time! I'm going to call the store tomorrow and ask for a replacement or refund. It's a new and used kids store but very nice and they have this whole huge baby wearing section. They're supposed to be the baby wearing experts there! They helped me put it on and everything! I'm so glad you posted this.


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## x Michelle x

Definitely use the official ergo website and they will point you in the right direction for authorised retailers... When I bought mine I almost bought from a fake website, I thought I was buying the real thing at a good price but the ladies on here posted all about fakes etc and I'm glad they did or I would've been stuck with a fake!


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## dgirllamius

How on earth are you supposed to know if you got a fake or not? I've looked at other sites before that help you work it out but they all say different things. I bought mine from Amazon (not a third party seller, from actual Amazon).


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## Ozzieshunni

x Michelle x said:


> Definitely use the official ergo website and they will point you in the right direction for authorised retailers... When I bought mine I almost bought from a fake website, I thought I was buying the real thing at a good price but the ladies on here posted all about fakes etc and I'm glad they did or I would've been stuck with a fake!

This. There is a website that sells them really cheap, but they are all fakes. The link on the first page is very helpful to anyone that thinks they may have bought a fake ergo. :)


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## bumblebeexo

Ugh, I don't know why anybody would make a fake! Why would you risk putting a child at danger?? :shrug: Must be so frustrating for you too, hope you get your money back!!


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## _jellybean_

Might be a stupid question...but can't anyone do anything about the people selling fakes? I mean, can't it be reported to the internet police (ha ha...not sure what type of agency deals with these issues) or something? I find this really upsetting.


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## jd83

_jellybean_ said:


> Might be a stupid question...but can't anyone do anything about the people selling fakes? I mean, can't it be reported to the internet police (ha ha...not sure what type of agency deals with these issues) or something? I find this really upsetting.

That's what I would think too, especially since they are advertising and misleadingly selling it as the real thing. Should be some kind of a major fraud case I would think.


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## Samiam03

Oh my gosh! Thank you for posting this! I am planning to buyu an ergo and was contemplating going to eBay to save money. I'd rather spend more than risk a fake!


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## Leids

Thanks for the replies! :hugs: I just bought the one I wanted off of the ergo website, babiesrus has a limited selection apparently.

If we don't hear back from the seller within 48 hours we were told to file an internet crime complaint. The website is https://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx - we may end up filing a criminal complaint anyway. I really don't want other babies getting hurt, but it sounds like a lot of people have used them. I'm amazed I haven't heard more about potential injuries and whatnot.


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## Ozzieshunni

Ergo website? There's a fake ergo website out there too.

It's this one: https://www.ergobabyscarrier.eu/


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## Leids

I'm from the US, but it was https://store.ergobaby.com/ - it's the only official ergo store that popped up online. There isn't an ergobabycarrier.com either.

I'm about to just order a beco. :rofl: Too much hassle.

ETA: I checked around, looked on wikipedia and a few other places that listed the official ergo US website and it's the correct one. :)


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## _dreamer_

The site that leids listed is the official site and you can find authorised retailers on there in the eu and UK as well as the US. This link is the list theyve put together of known or suspected counterfeit websites. I was going to buy through amazon as it was a good price but at the time the third party was one of these! i think that's awful of amazon. I used the store locator and found one local to me in the UK, they actually delivered so if you don't have a local one, worth searching anywhere in the UK and seeing if they deliver. Or you can use the official eu link which does show prices in euro and obviously delivery is longer. Definitely check out the website before buying

https://store.ergobaby.com/Content/AboutUs_Counterfeits#Counterfeit_List


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## rebeccalouise

wow, that's awful! don't feel bad though hun, you weren't to know. :hugs: x


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## swood9

I contacted the store this am. The woman seemed sympathetic. She is talking to the owner and should be calling me back anytime. I hope they replace it for me!!


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## Leids

swood9 said:


> I contacted the store this am. The woman seemed sympathetic. She is talking to the owner and should be calling me back anytime. I hope they replace it for me!!

I hope so too. I'm surprised they wouldn't know if they deal with a lot of baby carriers. Maybe they just weren't aware of the fakes. :hugs: It seems like there are really way too many of them around, it's surprising. 

Actual ergo's, or beco, or boba carriers are rigorously tested to ensure that they're safe for little one's. Who knows what could happen with a fake? There's no guarantee that they'll carry up to 45lbs like a regular ergo, or that they won't fall apart while you're wearing them. These fakes are touted as being ergo's, and therefore giving false information. I think I'm going to file a complaint today anyway because this could potentially put a lot of babies at risk. This should really be illegal. :(


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## swood9

Thanks, Leids. They called and said they were very sorry about the whole things and they are sending me a replacement today or tomorrow. I just had to help them track to transaction, thankfully I used a credit card to purchase it! I'm really glad they were so cool about it. I'm glad you're getting your real ergo as well! Safe baby wearing!


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## ashiozz

It's really good they're replacing yours too!! WOOHOO! Real ergos for all!

I would be so down. I sympathize ladies, but it is so good it's getting sorted out for you both =)


I think it IS illegal, esp since the fakes look so damn close...

That's ok, when I got mine, I almost bought the same one but a different box and i noticed it had been opened, someone stuck a much cheaper infantino carrier in the ergo box (and Im sure then put the ergo in the infantino box) ... I was so pissed off to see that..>< and here I am, spending what little money I DO have on an extremely expensive carrier, and I Almost got stuck with a cheapy. WTF?


People these days ><


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## Leids

ashiozz said:


> It's really good they're replacing yours too!! WOOHOO! Real ergos for all!
> 
> I would be so down. I sympathize ladies, but it is so good it's getting sorted out for you both =)
> 
> 
> I think it IS illegal, esp since the fakes look so damn close...
> 
> That's ok, when I got mine, I almost bought the same one but a different box and i noticed it had been opened, someone stuck a much cheaper infantino carrier in the ergo box (and Im sure then put the ergo in the infantino box) ... I was so pissed off to see that..>< and here I am, spending what little money I DO have on an extremely expensive carrier, and I Almost got stuck with a cheapy. WTF?
> 
> 
> People these days ><

People are ridiculous. I first bought a bjorn carrier from babiesrus. I took it home, and it was an infantino carrier that was obviously used. So, someone returned it, and the AWESOME staff at babiesrus couldn't even be bothered to open it up to check the product! Really!? I took it in and was like are you serious? I worked at toys r us as seasonal awhile ago too, so I knew general practices.

swood9 I am SO glad you're getting another one! :happydance: Yay!

I took pictures of my ergo! Sorry if they're not that great.

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v635/nakeli/2012-11-09201144.jpg

*This is what stood out to me. The buckle looks nothing like regular ergo buckles and has no stealth logo.*
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v635/nakeli/2012-11-09201217.jpg

*These are the typical ergo logos, no signs of a fake*
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v635/nakeli/2012-11-09201152.jpg
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v635/nakeli/2012-11-09201228.jpg
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v635/nakeli/2012-11-09201420.jpg

*If you're able to see it, there are grammatical and spelling errors on the warning label. "Orgaic" and lack of punctuation. ETA: Sorry it's upside down.  I had rotated it in photobucket's editor but apparently it never took affect.*
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v635/nakeli/2012-11-09201316.jpg

*Weird stitching*
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v635/nakeli/2012-11-09201332.jpg
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v635/nakeli/2012-11-09201341.jpg

*Serial code tag. I don't know if this tag is abnormal looking or not. I'll compare it to the other ergo I get when it comes in the mail.*
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v635/nakeli/2012-11-09201248.jpg

When looking at websites with guides showing how to spot a fake ergo, my ergo passed all of the tests except for the buckle.


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## swood9

Bummer!! That is CUTE!! I should take pictures of mine as well.


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## swood9

My buckle is all wrong.

No warning label on the waist. 

Label says "ergo baby carrier" instead of "Ergo Baby.: :dohh:

I would have known if it wasn't the first one I've ever owned!!
 



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## ashiozz

thats so odd, Your serial number looks similar to mine, but my buckles and all that are correct ... and mine came from Target and is def real, from what I found online MOST fakes have no serial numbers? 0.o so odd


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## ashiozz

My model number is shorter, but when looking it up, that model number in the serial number is consistent with that model 0.o thats really odd.


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## My_First

It's so shitty when stuff like this happens. A piece of advice re fake websites always look at the about us or terms and conditions, normally they ate badly translated ( like the one oz posted). Oh and if it looks too cheap and too good to be true, it normally is!


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## dgirllamius

I'm starting to wonder if mine is genuine. I was looking at the serial number tag and mine says made in china and some sites say that's a fake. can anyone verify?


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## Leids

dgirllamius said:


> I'm starting to wonder if mine is genuine. I was looking at the serial number tag and mine says made in china and some sites say that's a fake. can anyone verify?

Apparently they can be made in China or India. :)


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## Leids

ashiozz said:


> thats so odd, Your serial number looks similar to mine, but my buckles and all that are correct ... and mine came from Target and is def real, from what I found online MOST fakes have no serial numbers? 0.o so odd

It is really weird, but the guy was definitely selling fakes. Apparently fakers are just getting better at it. :( Mine could EASILY fool anyone!


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## jessicatunnel

This is why i bought mine from Target! Glad you're getting a new one.


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## aliss

Ouch. And yes, the French is also very incorrect - it is not genuine. Sorry :(


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## Leids

aliss said:


> Ouch. And yes, the French is also very incorrect - it is not genuine. Sorry :(

Thank you! I was actually wondering if the other languages were messed up as well.


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## Menelly

Leids said:


> swood9 said:
> 
> 
> omg... I think I have a fake!
> 
> Oh no, I hope not. :nope: What is wrong with these people selling these?! Ugh. I guess they may not realize that what they're selling could hurt someone's baby. :(Click to expand...

Not to be mean, but... how can it hurt my baby? (I have a fake one too.)

The stitching is incredibly well done. (I sew. I'm familiar.) According to every site I've looked at, they're using the exact same buckles. Which are rated to 350 lbs. We've pulled, we've tugged, we've tried really hard to make that thing not take weight, and it does it fine.

I have no intentions of getting rid of it, although I probably won't try to sell it on. (I too found out it was a fake after getting it, which is why I tried putting it through so many tests.)

The fabric is sturdy. The stitching is sturdy. The buckles are sturdy. 

Just because someone got a fake Timex doesn't mean it doesn't tell time properly. It just means Timex didn't get their proper take of the money.

I can't see any reason I'm putting my child in danger when it's quality is good enough to fool people into thinking its the real thing. The stuff they're mentioning on it being fake is things like "the logo stitching isn't as small" and "there's diagonal lines behind the logo" and "the box is in Engrish" and "the color of green on the box is a different shade." If you have to go THAT FAR to figure out it's not real, and the fabric is good, the stitching is good (I really did check all stitching. At least mine is fine.) and the buckles are from the same company... I don't think that makes it unsafe. Sorry.

Kesslie's been on my back in it loads of times. She's been fine.

ETA: Read the rest of the thread. Yeah, you guys have different buckles, that would bother me. Mine look like the Ergo buckles.


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## BigAl

Ozzieshunni said:


> Ergo website? There's a fake ergo website out there too.
> 
> It's this one: ergobabyscarrier.eu

Urgh I just bought mine from here.


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## swood9

Menelly said:


> Leids said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> swood9 said:
> 
> 
> omg... I think I have a fake!
> 
> Oh no, I hope not. :nope: What is wrong with these people selling these?! Ugh. I guess they may not realize that what they're selling could hurt someone's baby. :(Click to expand...
> 
> Not to be mean, but... how can it hurt my baby? (I have a fake one too.)
> 
> The stitching is incredibly well done. (I sew. I'm familiar.) According to every site I've looked at, they're using the exact same buckles. Which are rated to 350 lbs. We've pulled, we've tugged, we've tried really hard to make that thing not take weight, and it does it fine.
> 
> I have no intentions of getting rid of it, although I probably won't try to sell it on. (I too found out it was a fake after getting it, which is why I tried putting it through so many tests.)
> 
> The fabric is sturdy. The stitching is sturdy. The buckles are sturdy.
> 
> Just because someone got a fake Timex doesn't mean it doesn't tell time properly. It just means Timex didn't get their proper take of the money.
> 
> I can't see any reason I'm putting my child in danger when it's quality is good enough to fool people into thinking its the real thing. The stuff they're mentioning on it being fake is things like "the logo stitching isn't as small" and "there's diagonal lines behind the logo" and "the box is in Engrish" and "the color of green on the box is a different shade." If you have to go THAT FAR to figure out it's not real, and the fabric is good, the stitching is good (I really did check all stitching. At least mine is fine.) and the buckles are from the same company... I don't think that makes it unsafe. Sorry.
> 
> Kesslie's been on my back in it loads of times. She's been fine.
> 
> ETA: Read the rest of the thread. Yeah, you guys have different buckles, that would bother me. Mine look like the Ergo buckles.Click to expand...

There are reports of the buckles breaking and straps ripping. Who knows if their tested?


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## Leids

The stitching is shoddy and it's coming apart in some areas. The buckles aren't the same as the buckles on a normal ergo. I've pulled and tugged on it and it seems sturdy enough, but I'm not going to rely on my pulling and tugging. With time, I have no idea if the stitching will start to give even more. Since he's large and very bouncy, I'm not going to risk it. The straps themselves are already frayed and coming apart, and that's after occasional use over 3 months.

They falsely advertise that it's an ergo carrier. There are things all over the box guaranteeing the safety of it. I spent $75 on it because of I thought it was a real ergo, a trustworthy brand. I can't say the same for a fake, and had I known it was a fake, I wouldn't have even paid $20 for it let alone $75. Especially since a real, verified ergo is only $20-25 more. 

A fake watch can't potentially seriously harm a child. Neither can a fake designer purse. It's completely different.


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## bookreader

This is something that really got me so mad. 
I have posted about this here before.
About 6 weeks or so ago i bought one from Amazon. I also bought the insert ( a further £25).
When it arrived i noticed the buckle had a little bit of plastic sticking out and i thought that was odd given how great these were supposed to be.
A quick google check and i realised that there were loads of fakes, and basically if you pay under the actual price, the chances of gettign a fake is quite high.

I contacted the seller who was going to give me £15 as compensation, or send it back to them (me to pay the postage) and i would recieve a full refund.

I refused both as i was not sending it back for some other unassuming parent to receive it.
I contacted Amazon who fully refunded me. It worries me, these wont have necessarly had the safety checks that Ergo carry out.

I have my real one now which i love. And i still have the fake. To be honest i dont know what to do with it. I will have to burn it or something.


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## swood9

I saw a site that did stress tests on fakes and they tore. My LO is nearly 20 lbs now, I wouldn't risk it.


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## aliss

Leids said:


> aliss said:
> 
> 
> Ouch. And yes, the French is also very incorrect - it is not genuine. Sorry :(
> 
> Thank you! I was actually wondering if the other languages were messed up as well.Click to expand...

Yes, it's quite bad actually, even worse than the English one :wacko:


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## LJM

Do you have the equivalent of trading standards in the USA? (its basically a place you go to if something isn't as you expect and you can't get a refund another way)

Try and find out and contact them and let the seller know you have. They will poop themselves because they can go to court over it and face hefty fines. 

Why do people do this :growlmad:

It is people like this that make me not buy from eBay- I use it for selling and that is that. 

Is there a thread on here about how to spot a fake? Would be interested to know as we used one and will use one again with our next baby.


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## LJM

I have read everything on this thread but maybe name and shame too? You might find someone else here has brought from that seller and has no idea. :nope:


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## Leids

I can post his ebay information. He ONLY sold ergo's though, and as soon as someone called him out on the fake he stopped putting anything up for sale.

We have filed a criminal complaint. My husband is going to try to contact our bank to see if we can get a refund (apparently some banks will reverse it). We'll see though. I don't know about the trading standards, I'll have to look into it.

I can add some links on how to spot a fake in the original post for those interested. It is upsetting. It irritates me when I buy something under the assumption that it's a real product that's been tested and is verified to be safe. I'm not saying that _all_ fake ergo's are unsafe, but I feel that the majority of them probably are.

His ebay username was jowhit2012. He had 4 or 5 100% positive reviews before I bought - I wouldn't have purchased if he had none, but since no one commented on fakes I thought it should be okay, silly me!

Ebay page: https://myworld.ebay.com/jowhit2012/?_trksid=p4340.l2559


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## HellBunny

I reported numerous ebay sellers last year for this, it is utterly ridiculous, trying to make a profit on things like this. It took weeks for them to be removed too, yet a pair of fake Nike trainers get removed instantly, how is that fair?


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## summer rain

This is why I only buy WAHM carriers that I know for sure are made in the US or UK. Getting your carriers made in a factory in China or India is like a big invitation to try and copy the product, as there are virtually no copyright laws there. Same goes for India, India even have a big problem with counterfeit books, I got a big boxed set of reference books from an Indian-run Islamic store in the US, they were offering it at a knock down price but when I got it home I noticed odd things like the dust jacket looked like it had been scanned and reprinted, there were big white uneven gaps between the different blocks of colour on the front cover (original cover has no gaps), the design on the cover didn't even go all the way to the edges of the dust jacket, the leather effect cover under the dust jacket was smooth textured as opposed to having a grain like the original, but it was applied very lumpily to the cardboard cover as well. Pages inside were all wavy and of poor quality also they don't turn easily and the book doesn't stay open easily, the originals do. Printing seems ok but isn't as clear as in the originals and there are typos though not sure if these were in the original books and corrected in later editions as they seem to have copied the set off the first edition. Was a bit annoying as I would have rather have paid that bit extra for the genuine article. India is known for counterfeit fabrics as well, I'd go to a fabric store in the Middle East and top shelf of fabrics and bottom shelf of fabrics would look identical but the bottom shelf would be Indian knock offs of the fabrics on the top shelf which were Japanese or Korean, the guy in the shop would warn me saying yes the bottom fabrics are a lot cheaper but they shrink and snag easily and fade in the wash xx


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## SadieMaria

Wow, thanks for posting this! I nearly brought one from a local baby store but looking at this, I don't think it was a legit ergo!


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## Menelly

Leids said:


> I can post his ebay information. He ONLY sold ergo's though, and as soon as someone called him out on the fake he stopped putting anything up for sale.
> 
> We have filed a criminal complaint. My husband is going to try to contact our bank to see if we can get a refund (apparently some banks will reverse it). We'll see though. I don't know about the trading standards, I'll have to look into it.
> 
> I can add some links on how to spot a fake in the original post for those interested. It is upsetting. It irritates me when I buy something under the assumption that it's a real product that's been tested and is verified to be safe. I'm not saying that _all_ fake ergo's are unsafe, but I feel that the majority of them probably are.
> 
> His ebay username was jowhit2012. He had 4 or 5 100% positive reviews before I bought - I wouldn't have purchased if he had none, but since no one commented on fakes I thought it should be okay, silly me!
> 
> Ebay page: https://myworld.ebay.com/jowhit2012/?_trksid=p4340.l2559

Oh, I agree with you though. It's infuriating to spend that much money and think you're getting a deal when in fact it's a fake and you can't sell it on. 

I'm glad yours at least isn't selling on ebay anymore. I'd post the seller I got mine from, but I found out it was a fake by someone else reporting them and they don't sell anymore. They had 97 positives. :(


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## Leids

summer rain said:


> This is why I only buy WAHM carriers that I know for sure are made in the US or UK. Getting your carriers made in a factory in China or India is like a big invitation to try and copy the product, as there are virtually no copyright laws there. Same goes for India, India even have a big problem with counterfeit books, I got a big boxed set of reference books from an Indian-run Islamic store in the US, they were offering it at a knock down price but when I got it home I noticed odd things like the dust jacket looked like it had been scanned and reprinted, there were big white uneven gaps between the different blocks of colour on the front cover (original cover has no gaps), the design on the cover didn't even go all the way to the edges of the dust jacket, the leather effect cover under the dust jacket was smooth textured as opposed to having a grain like the original, but it was applied very lumpily to the cardboard cover as well. Pages inside were all wavy and of poor quality also they don't turn easily and the book doesn't stay open easily, the originals do. Printing seems ok but isn't as clear as in the originals and there are typos though not sure if these were in the original books and corrected in later editions as they seem to have copied the set off the first edition. Was a bit annoying as I would have rather have paid that bit extra for the genuine article. India is known for counterfeit fabrics as well, I'd go to a fabric store in the Middle East and top shelf of fabrics and bottom shelf of fabrics would look identical but the bottom shelf would be Indian knock offs of the fabrics on the top shelf which were Japanese or Korean, the guy in the shop would warn me saying yes the bottom fabrics are a lot cheaper but they shrink and snag easily and fade in the wash xx

I really didn't think that carriers would be so commonly faked. I should have known though and done more research prior to buying it. My family is Chinese (well, all of them are but me :haha: ) and when I talked to them about this they told me to just toss the carrier. They were telling me that there are so many things there that are faked and when they go over there every year there are so many people that just try to scam like crazy. They really dislike shopping there because they don't know what they're getting and they can't trust anyone. Book shops that they went to to buy LO baby books at even tried getting a one up on them. They don't seem to have any shame.



Menelly said:


> Leids said:
> 
> 
> I can post his ebay information. He ONLY sold ergo's though, and as soon as someone called him out on the fake he stopped putting anything up for sale.
> 
> We have filed a criminal complaint. My husband is going to try to contact our bank to see if we can get a refund (apparently some banks will reverse it). We'll see though. I don't know about the trading standards, I'll have to look into it.
> 
> I can add some links on how to spot a fake in the original post for those interested. It is upsetting. It irritates me when I buy something under the assumption that it's a real product that's been tested and is verified to be safe. I'm not saying that _all_ fake ergo's are unsafe, but I feel that the majority of them probably are.
> 
> His ebay username was jowhit2012. He had 4 or 5 100% positive reviews before I bought - I wouldn't have purchased if he had none, but since no one commented on fakes I thought it should be okay, silly me!
> 
> Ebay page: https://myworld.ebay.com/jowhit2012/?_trksid=p4340.l2559
> 
> Oh, I agree with you though. It's infuriating to spend that much money and think you're getting a deal when in fact it's a fake and you can't sell it on.
> 
> I'm glad yours at least isn't selling on ebay anymore. I'd post the seller I got mine from, but I found out it was a fake by someone else reporting them and they don't sell anymore. They had 97 positives. :(Click to expand...


That's how I found out too! At this point it's too late to go through ebay to get my refund. I really wish I would have given it more attention as I knew that the buckle was a bit off but I attributed it to it maybe being an older version. One of the 'how to spot a fake' websites that I followed really had me believe that I had a REAL ergo because everything was right on mine aside from the buckle, which even looked similar to the stealth buckle just without the logo (slight differences, so I have no idea how safe the buckle actually is).

Honestly the fact that I bought it under false pretenses is what irritates me most. I can see there being decent knock-off's but I wish they would sell it as such, rather than claiming it's something else. It sells more because of the name though, so I guess they'll do what they have to. I don't believe my little guy was ever in any real danger because I always put my hands under his butt to support him, and had I felt anything odd I would have taken him out, but he really did feel secure in the carrier.


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## dgirllamius

Leids said:


> dgirllamius said:
> 
> 
> I'm starting to wonder if mine is genuine. I was looking at the serial number tag and mine says made in china and some sites say that's a fake. can anyone verify?
> 
> Apparently they can be made in China or India. :)Click to expand...

do you mean fakes or real ones? will be peeved off if I have a fake >.<


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## pink_rulez

Iv just bought one from the list off ergo,
Born to be exact, but my warning label looks like the one pictured fake and the buckle dosnt say stealth but everything else looks like the real one, stitching ect now I'm confused, gosh I hope it's not a fake I payed full price for it! 
It says made in china on the label dose that mean its a fake? 
X


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## Leids

Real ergo carriers are made in China or India. Mine says it's made in India, but is fake. If you purchased one from an authorized seller then you probably have the real deal.

When I get my new ergo from the official store I'll post pictures so you can compare. Hopefully you have a real ergo. :\ From what I gather, the warning label on the belt portion can look a bit different depending on how old the ergo is.

https://distilleryimage0.s3.amazonaws.com/224ac7acb9f011e1a39b1231381b7ba1_6.jpg

That's a genuine label. I've seen one other type of genuine label though that's similar to my fake label. And I've seen fake labels that are identical to the real label, so hard to say. :dohh: It's a shady business. :( If I buy another ergo type of carrier with the next baby I'll probably get a beco or a boba.


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## pink_rulez

Cool pictures would be great! Im struggaling with getting them off the internet becuse of new/old styles, mine has the new logo on and as i bought it new it should be brand new. I really want to believe its real but it seems a much bigger problem than I first thought, I thought I was doing the right thing buy getting it for the seller list but these two things are putting dought into my mind. 
Will be stalking for pictures :) xx


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## dgirllamius

Here's the warning label to mine. It's in the middle of the waist strap. All the English is correct, as is the German. I'd imagine there'd be some spelling error or grammatical error there if mine was a fake, seeing as a lot of fakes do have errors (even more errors in ther German, too...I'd imagine).

I've checked other things like the stitching which is really well done. The logo is the colour it should be and the material appears to be very durable. I'm going to take it to an authorised shop when I get back home and have them have a look at it. I got mine from amazon.de and it was sent by them, not a third party seller. If they're selling fakes then I'll be sure to let them know.
 



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## aliss

dgirllamius said:


> Here's the warning label to mine. It's in the middle of the waist strap. All the English is correct, as is the German. I'd imagine there'd be some spelling error or grammatical error there if mine was a fake, seeing as a lot of fakes do have errors (even more errors in ther German, too...I'd imagine).
> 
> I've checked other things like the stitching which is really well done. The logo is the colour it should be and the material appears to be very durable. I'm going to take it to an authorised shop when I get back home and have them have a look at it. I got mine from amazon.de and it was sent by them, not a third party seller. If they're selling fakes then I'll be sure to let them know.

The French is correct as well. Mind you, that is a sign it is actually made in Germany lol since the Germans know their French a lot better than the googletranslatecrap from China/India.


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## pink_rulez

dgirllamius said:


> Here's the warning label to mine. It's in the middle of the waist strap. All the English is correct, as is the German. I'd imagine there'd be some spelling error or grammatical error there if mine was a fake, seeing as a lot of fakes do have errors (even more errors in ther German, too...I'd imagine).
> 
> I've checked other things like the stitching which is really well done. The logo is the colour it should be and the material appears to be very durable. I'm going to take it to an authorised shop when I get back home and have them have a look at it. I got mine from amazon.de and it was sent by them, not a third party seller. If they're selling fakes then I'll be sure to let them know.


That's the same as my warning lable so I hold out more hope mines real, now it's just the buckle, to me it dosnt look as sturdy as the ones in the pictures of real ones but I suppose they could have changes the type on newer carriers, I'd be very surprised if mines fake if it came from an authorised seller but looks like you can never be to careful, I didn't realise somthing a simple as a carrier could be so stressful, sorta makes me wish I would have just gone for a beco, I looked into it so much as there so pricey but went with all of the great reviews, thanks for the pics :) xx


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## ashiozz

my warning label looks like the one pictured on page 6 with the bold FALL HAZARD and the french under the english, exactly, and my buckles also say stealth, I Got mine a few mos ago.. So Im not sure if the buckles have changed or not :)


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## BigAl

Mine looks exactly like the real ones, passes all the tests posted, buckles, stitching, zip, serial number, warning label etc, there were just a couple of spelling mistakes on the box. Ergo have told me it's a fake just from who I bought it from.

Just thought I would mention it, it seems the only way you can be sure is by buying from an authorised retailer.

And don't I feel stupid!:growlmad:


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## swood9

Don't feel stupid! Mine could hardly have been faker but it was the first ive owned! How are we supposed to know?


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## Leids

Alright! I promised I would post pictures of my new ergo! :) This was shipped from the official website. If it looks different than yours, don't freak out. There are older/newer versions and things do change.

Sorry for the size!

Notes: The stealth logo was on every single buckle, both female and male buckles. There was no 'ergobaby' logo on any buckles, which goes against what some of the guides have said. The buckles themselves were larger than the buckles on my fake (will show). The buckles were actually much more difficult to open and felt very secure.

*There was a business reply mail card attached to the carrier. The carrier did not come in a bag. My fake came in a bag and did not have the card attached.

*My fake ergo was 'organic' - the ergo I ordered from the official site was not. This doesn't matter to me, but there may be slight differences in the appearance and construction of an organic ergo versus non-organic. Due to that, this may not be the best comparison.




Spoiler
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v635/nakeli/IMG_0587.jpg
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v635/nakeli/IMG_0589.jpg
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v635/nakeli/IMG_0590.jpg
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v635/nakeli/IMG_0591.jpg
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v635/nakeli/IMG_0592.jpg
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v635/nakeli/IMG_0594.jpg

*Red ergo is real. Blue ergo is fake. (So real is left, fake is right)
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v635/nakeli/IMG_0595.jpg

*A little difficult to tell in the photo, but the real ergo has much thicker straps than the fake ergo. Feels MUCH sturdier overall.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v635/nakeli/IMG_0596.jpg

*Main belt male buckle. Fake is on the LEFT. Real is on the RIGHT. (You can see stealth written on the real(
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v635/nakeli/IMG_0597.jpg

*On the opposite side of the (real) buckles, it had this written. It's UTX (symbol)- Flex. This was on every single buckle as well.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v635/nakeli/IMG_0588.jpg


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## dgirllamius

Ah, mine looks very much like yours except for the warning label. Thanks for those. Still going to get it checked by an authorized shop though.


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