There are several things you can do to ensure your Ray-ban sunglasses are
authentic and not a fake. Hear it from an Expert and not just writing it for the fun of it.
1. I think the first thing we should clear up is that
not all Ray-bans are made in Italy. What a shocker right? I think it's been put in peoples head that they are, but the fact is they are not,
Luxottica is the manufacturer for Ray-bans and they have
factories both in China and Italy, In Italy, they have 6 factories and 2 factories in China, most of the Ray-bans are made in Italy, but a few models are made in both countries, as it seems if the Italian factory is overwhelmed, they have the Chinese factories help.
Here is Luxottica's site that proves they have factories in China
Click Here
Check out a New York Times Article that proves this
An Italian Rivalry of Expertise in Glass
Some models such as the
RB 3293, RB 3211, RB 3267, RB 3386, RB 3387, RB 3183, RB 3379, RB 3466 and so on are manufactured in both Italy and China. It really is a
50/50 chance what you'll get, but there are no difference, just one is made by the Chinese and the other Italian.
2. Of course, if you aren't sure, you may take them to a Ray-ban retailer to check if they are authentic and not a fake, but should you trust their word?
It's a definite
NO, why would you ask? because they either have no clue or they are trying to get you to buy the one in their store. Like Nordstrom, I decided to take my authentic RB 3344 to see what they thought, they looked at it for a bit, and decided to tell me
"it's a high quality fake", it's exactly the same as the one in their store, nothing that was unusual, in a fake, you would be able to tell at least one thing that was off, but it being authentic, they were nothing and the only answer they wanted to give me was that they were high quality fakes, but obviously they are only telling me that because they get paid commission if they sell a frame, I don't think it's the right thing to do, but they do that to make a sell.
So unfortunately you cannot trust retailers to tell you the right answer.
3. Your Ray-ban case should have a
round golden seal on it, either printed or engraved onto the case. It should read
"100% UV Protection - Rayban - Sunglasses By Luxottica"
4. The lenses should have an etching that reads "RB", sometimes this is located on the inside or the outside of the lenses, sometimes on the right or left lens. Lot's of fakes do not have this and is a very easy way to tell if they are fakes.
But not all of them have the RB etched on the lens, the ones that don't are shields (one piece lens) such as the RB 3211, RB 3321, RB 3268 and so on, not sure why to be honest, but the only ones that have the RB etched on the lens is the ones that have pair of lenses and not a shield.
5. What should you get with your Rayban? It should come with a Rayban Box, Rayban cloth, Rayban case and a Rayban info booklet.
6. Where is the Authenticity Card? I've seen quite a few guides on spotting a fake Ray-ban and I've read they come with an authenticity card, don't listen to them, as Ray-bans has never come with any sought of authenticity card and it does not exist, so don't expect one! The closest thing would be the Black info booklet, but just shows you how to care for your shades.
7. Where is the Warranty Card? It's the same thing as the authenticity card, Ray-ban has never provided any sought of Warranty Card. If you have an issue with warranty, all you do is contact Ray-ban and if it's an authentic Ray-ban, they won't care that you have a warranty card, if you do have a warranty issue, you can find out what to do by
clicking here.
8. If your sunglasses has nose pads, check them and in the middle, the metal piece should have an "RB" engraved on them, all Ray-ban nose pads have this, if it does not, you have yourself a fake Ray-ban.
Of course, if it's like a plastic frame such as the RB 2132 Wayfarers, which does not have nose pads, there would be nothing.
9. If it's too good to be true, it sure is! If you see like a Ray-ban RB 3293 selling for $15 on ebay and it retails for $129.99, just be smart and realize this just doesn't add up. Most Ray-bans frames online are selling for a little over half the price of the retail price, so you may find an RB 3293 for around $85 online, so I always suggest checking the retail price first, and if it's lower than half the retail cost, it's a chance it's a fake.
Keep rockin' those shades,
Sunglass Nerd
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