Pwera Pirata

Speaking of the real Vuittons and replicas in Greenhills…

I was working on a presentation last Sunday evening (yes, working. On a Sunday!) when I came across a feature on TV about buying fakes or pirated items from China.

It’s really very tempting to just buy the pirated stuff --- especially when the difference in price points is enormous.

Consider this – the real Louis Vuitton monogram Speedy 35 will cost you a whopping P34k.

You can get a quadruple A replica in Greenhills at P1,000 – P1,500.

The same thing is true for Burberry and Gucci.

However, what we don’t see are the repercussions of buying the fakeys:

1. They use child labor.

2. The “sweat shops” and factories for these items are not laborer-friendly. The workers get paid below their minimum wage.

3. The real artisans who hand-make the original products lose their jobs to these sweat shops. Burberry factories in London have already closed down.

4. They use the money to further fund the manufacturing of fake medicines, fake health products and fake food – which are deadly. Heck, China can now even fake eggs. Yes, people. Eggs! I saw how it was done on TV.

The fourth effect of buying fake merchandise is the most alarming.

Fake eggs have been found in several restaurants in China. These fake eggs were contaminated with chemicals that can cause dementia and paralysis.

Anuveeeeeeeer.

I urge you to buy the real deal.

If we can’t afford the luxury brands, it’s better to buy other budget-friendly brands rather than resort to buying replicas.

My friends would always cajole and dare me to buy local brands. Honestly, I don’t see anything wrong with it. If the bag is of good quality, then why the hell not?

It’s better than buying a quadruple A from Greenhills.