Christian Louboutin, Manolo Blahnik... Caveat Emptor!

"Let the buyer beware..."

I was just over at one of my fav sites -- The Shoe Goddess -- reading about a website that is scamming people by saying they have Christian Louboutin and Manolo Blahnik shoes for sale at very deep discounts. The name of the site is High Heel Home and you can read what happened over at the Shoe Goddess here.

They are intentionally misleading people into thinking they are getting the real deal by using the brand names, styles, as well as stolen pictures from legitimate sellers sites such as Neiman Marcus (I'd spot those pics anywhere, I've drooled over them!) I'm always bargain hunting for high-end shoes, and I know my brands, their styles and prices inside out as well as who the legitimate retailers are. Just a glance at this site told me something was fishy, but others desperate to own beautiful shoes at a discount price may not be as savvy. Most of us are on very tight budgets, and saving for months to buy the perfect pair of shoes is common, so use your common sense and don't purchase from an unknown internet seller!

What I find even more insulting is that the prices quoted are approximately the sale price that Louboutin's and Manolo's sell for in legitimate retail stores when they go on sale! If you hunt you can even find them cheaper at the designer outlets like Neiman Marcus' "Last Call", or Saks' "Off Fifth"! In addition, you can often find barely worn or sometimes brand new high-end shoes at consignment shops. I've seen them go for under $100 a pair, depending on the style. Most consignment shops will only accept current styles not more than two years old so your chances of getting something that's up to date are very good. Even better -- when you tire of them, you can bring them back to re-sell, and make some of your investment back!

Now that Louboutin HQ have been alerted, I hope the site will be down and out of business asap, but I'm sure there are other sites like this and that they pop up all the time. So please -- if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Make sure you investigate before handing over any of your hard-earned cash!

I'll leave you with some eye candy... my newest and most prized Louboutin's! My husband went all over Manhattan trying to find them in my size, and gave them to me as a Xmas gift this year. It's finally staring to warm up so I can wear them without freezing my toes off!

Cheers!
Punk Glam Queen