[+] Avoid sites that use the word 'ugg' in the website address
This is the easiest way to determine if a site
sells imitation UGG Australia products. Sites selling the true UGG Australia
brand are unable to legally use of the name 'ugg' in their website addresses
or in their company name.
- Many counterfeit websites exist with the
word 'ugg' in their website address and sprout up faster than the
lawyers can take them down. These sites illegally use official UGG
Australia product and marketing photos to sell their own imitation
products.
- You'll also find Australian companies
using the word 'ugg' in their website address too. The Australian
government determined in a case years back that the word 'ugg' is
considered a generic term in Australia and therefore cannot be
trademarked. These companies typically do not sell counterfeit products,
and are legally using the ugg name in their website addresses. However,
they do not sell the true UGG Australia brand as trademarked in the US
and other countries.
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[+] Beware companies that don't sell UGG slippers
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Suspect sites are those that have incomplete
product lines; that is, they sell only the most popular boot styles and
don't carry any slippers, men's products, water and stain repellent, etc.
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[+] Check for the 's' in 'https:' on the checkout page
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Legitimate sites use secure socket layer (SSL) technology to encrypt and accept orders. If you go to a site, start the checkout process and do not see the URL in the address bar turn from http: to https: and a small lock icon next to the address bar in the browser window (Internet Explorer 7.0 and higher), the site is suspect.
Many sites now get around this issue by redirecting a customer to a checkout
process on a third party server altogether, which indeed may be secure.
Never order from a site that does not have it's own SSL security
certificate, as you'll receive an order of fakes (if anything at all).
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[+] Look out for sales on current, non discontinued styles before Christmas
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If the larger online companies such as Zappos and Nordstroms have similar prices and you see heavily discounted prices on other sites, just remember, if the price sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
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[+] Verify the shipping company and shipping time for an order to arrive
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If they use shipping carriers you've never heard of or have excessive delivery times to the USA, then they do not sell the true UGG Australia brand.
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[+] Scrutinize their contact information
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If no phone numbers or addresses are listed or if they are located in China, for example, that should raise a red flag.
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[+] Avoid companies asking for payment by cashiers check/money
orders or accept payment by Paypal only
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These companies may scam you and essentially you have no recourse.
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[+] Stay away from sites that claim to be members of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and you cannot click the logo for verifcation
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Also check for other clues such as Verisign images, Paypal images or other security claims that are not clickable and therefore not verifiable.
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[+] Steer clear of sites that tend to use paid ads exclusively
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The paid ads appear on the right hand column of Google, Yahoo and Bing when you do a search. Generally you won’t find these companies listed in the main search results.
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[+] Watch for poor
grammar
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Imitation sites are hastily put up and written using poor English.
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[+] Shun sites that put the UGG style numbers directly before the
style name
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Typical tactic to trick customers into thinking
that they're looking at the real deal. .
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[+] Avoid sites that show pictures of
footwear with 'hangtags' or with boxes in the background
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The true UGG Australia brand does not clip
hangtags to their products. Pictures with shoe boxes in the background are
used by counterfeit sites trying to convince unsuspecting customers that
their products are legitimate.
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[+] Be cautious of sites that offer to
sell wholesale
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Imitation sites often try to sell wholesale. There's only one way to get the
true UGG Australia brand wholesale, and that's direct from the manufacturer.
They do not use middlemen.
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