Avoid Counterfeit UGGs, Fake Bags and All the Top 10 Online Shopping Scams

Counterfeit UGGs and fake bags top the list of fraudulent goods reported by SiteJabber. These are the top 10 fakes and ways to protect yourself while shopping online.

Consumer Protection from Fake UGGs and Other Online Shopping Scams: SiteJabber is a consumer protection service to help people avoid fraudulent websites. It's made possible by a grant from the National Science Foundation. I'm not sure what it's got to do with science, but you can research businesses and read tips for spotting and reporting scams. ResellerRatings is another great site with over half a million reviews of over 25,000 online stores.

Top 10 list of Counterfeit Goods: Be extra cautious if you see a deal too good to be true on these 10 commonly pirated items.

UGGs: Counterfeit UGGs head the list. Personally, I think a shearling boot by any other name is usually a better deal. I'll get bothered if they start pirating Love From Australia.

Coach: The handbags and other leather items are the main targets. I can spot most fake bags so my worst handbag story was the eBay seller who claimed she was auctioning a new Chloe bag. When I told her it looked very worn, she claimed that the blank piece of cardboard she tied with a string around the handle proved she just bought it at Nordstrom. Yeah, right.

Tiffany & Co. Jewelry: Don't trust every little blue box.

Athletic Jerseys: I never knew how expensive they were until I saw co-workers shopping for them on eBay. Now I can really sneer if anyone complains about couture being marked up.

Perfume: Years before Internet shopping, I was surprised to see street vendors selling perfume. My favorites were the ones who didn't bother to spell the names right on the boxes.

Nike Sneakers: Inspect those Air Jordans and Air Yeezy's very carefully.

Ed Hardy and Juicy Couture: If I was much younger I might wear Juicy Couture, but the appeal of Ed Hardy eludes me.

Luxury Watches: Maybe the finest replica Rolexes are made by a better class of sweat shop. Maybe not.

The North Face: I don't care what ski pants are called as long as they're warm, but I suspect the cheap fakes never match the performance of expensive brands.

DVDs: Box sets of popular TV shows are the worst offenders.

If you shop online, stay tuned to SiteJabber for updates on protecting yourself from fake UGGs and more.