Independent verification

Any branded item. We ask the seller for proof.

Watch, bag, sneakers, jewellery: send us your purchase and we take it from there. We formally ask the seller for the documents that trace where the item came from, follow a documented procedure, and report exactly what we receive, including when nothing comes back.

Submit a case How it works

Documentary traceability, on any brand. We are tied to none of them.

AUT-2026-000148

Leather bag, seller asked for proof · Example retailer

4/4

Case submitted
Invoice, photos and seller name received from the buyer.
Seller formally asked
We request the supply documents tracing the item, in writing.
Reminder after 7 days
Sent if nothing came back, with the same request.
Finding published
We report what the seller provided, or that nothing arrived.

Illustration. The reference and retailer are fictional; the deadlines are those of our written procedure.

retailer profiles: 397retailer profiles
sellers we can contact: Worldwidesellers we can contact
languages: 5languages

Brands we can verify

Rolex
Omega
Seiko
TAG Heuer
Cartier
Breitling
Tissot
Longines
Nike
Adidas
Hugo Boss
Ralph Lauren
Lacoste
Ray-Ban
Oakley
Persol
Michael Kors
Calvin Klein
Tommy Hilfiger
New Balance

Authentifia is independent. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of any brand listed here. These names illustrate the categories we cover.

Distributor profiles

Profiles built from company registers and published legal notices. They are listed in no particular order, this is not a ranking.

These businesses have not been contacted and no verification case has been opened about them. Their profiles compile public records only. Nothing here is an assessment of their conduct, their products, or their reliability.

Browse the full directory

Counterfeiting is no longer a street-corner problem

It moved online, and it got good. Packaging, serial numbers, holograms and even certificates are now reproduced well enough that a buyer holding the product cannot tell.

2.3%

of world trade is counterfeit goods

OECD / EUIPO, Global Trade in Fakes, 2021

€412bn

estimated annual value of the trade

OECD / EUIPO, 2021

1 in 3

consumers unknowingly bought a fake online

EUIPO, IP Perception Study, 2023

The weak point is no longer the object. It is the paperwork behind it. A convincing fake can be photographed, described and sold with a plausible invoice, while the one thing a legitimate seller can always produce, evidence of where the goods came from, is precisely what a counterfeit seller cannot.

That is the gap this service works in. We do not judge the object from photographs, which is unreliable. We ask the seller to demonstrate the supply chain, and we record what happens next.

Four ways to check an item. They do not answer the same question.

Most checks look at the object. We look at where it came from, because a convincing object and a documented supply chain are two different things.

Photo authentication
Whether the visible details match what the brand produces: stitching, engraving, typography, finish.
Where it stops
Judges the object, not its origin. A good copy passes; a genuine item bought outside the official network fails to explain where it came from.
Serial number lookup
That the number exists in the brand's records, when the brand offers such a service.
Where it stops
A number can be copied onto another item. Most brands do not open their records to buyers at all.
Customer reviews
How other buyers experienced the seller: delivery, service, handling of disputes.
Where it stops
Reflects opinions, not supply. A seller can be well rated and still be unable to document where its stock comes from.

Our method

Asking the seller for supply documents

Whether the seller can produce the invoices and documents tracing the item back through the chain, and what they answer when formally asked.

Where it stops

Depends on the seller replying. When no reply comes after the full procedure, we publish that fact, dated. That silence is itself an answer.

None of these methods is useless: they simply answer different questions. A photo check tells you about the object in front of you; a supply document tells you where it came from. Only the second establishes traceability, which is why it is the one we pursue.

What actually indicates a problem

Most advice online focuses on the product. In practice, the seller's behaviour is a far better signal.

No supplier invoice

A legitimate reseller keeps purchase records for accounting and warranty reasons. Being unable to produce one for a specific item is unusual.

Not on the brand's distributor list

Most brands publish their authorised retailers. Absence is not proof of anything on its own, but combined with silence it matters.

Serial number that cannot be traced

Serial numbers are reproduced on counterfeits. What matters is whether the seller can link that specific number to a documented purchase.

Silence after a formal request

A seller with nothing to hide answers a documented request. Persistent silence, after a reminder and a formal notice, is the most telling signal of all.

How it works

You submit your case

The product, the seller, your invoice and a few photos. Five minutes is enough.

We contact the seller

We request their supply evidence: supplier invoice, proof of authorised distribution. They have seven days, then a reminder.

You receive our findings

Traceability confirmed, inconclusive, or seller unresponsive. Every finding is reasoned and dated.

Seller statuses

Every status is factual and dated. None of them is an opinion about the seller.

Official
Verified official distributor
Listed among the brand's authorised distributors.
Traced
Traceability demonstrated
Provided valid supply evidence on at least one case.
Unverified
No case handled yet
The default. Never presented as negative.
In progress
Verification under way
A case is open and the response window is still running.
No answer
Did not respond to our requests
Published only after a full documented process, with a permanent right of reply.

Why independence matters here

A verification service that sells the products it verifies has an obvious conflict of interest. So does one paid by the seller under review. Authentifia is funded by the people requesting verification, and its findings are published in the same wording whether the seller cooperates or not.

We publish our method, our deadlines and our exact wording in advance. A seller who does not answer is described factually, with dates, alongside a permanent right of reply. We never call a product fake, because a documentary check cannot establish that. We report what could and could not be demonstrated.

What we check, and what we don't

We examine the documentary supply chain: where the product comes from, and whether the seller can demonstrate it. We do not carry out a physical appraisal of the item, which is the work of a watchmaker or a certified expert.

When a seller does not answer our requests, we say so on their page, factually and with dates, alongside a permanent right of reply. Such a statement does not imply anything about the authenticity of the products sold.

Frequently asked questions

Can you tell me if my watch is fake?

Not from the object itself. We verify whether the seller can document where it came from. If they produce a supplier invoice and proof of authorised distribution that match your purchase, that is strong evidence in your favour. If they cannot, that is a finding worth having, but it is not proof of a counterfeit.

What if the seller ignores you?

We send a request, a reminder after seven days, and a formal notice after fourteen. If there is still no answer, the case closes and their public page states, factually and with dates, that they did not respond. They can reply at any time afterwards and the status will change.

Do you work with the brands?

No. We are independent of every brand mentioned on this site. Some brands publish lists of authorised distributors, which we use as a public source, but no brand funds, controls or endorses our findings.

Is a physical appraisal included?

No. Assessing the object itself is the work of a watchmaker, gemmologist or certified expert. We check the documentary chain, which is a different and complementary question. We will tell you when a physical appraisal is the better route.

What happens to my invoice and photos?

They are stored encrypted in the European Union, used only to handle your case, and never published. The seller receives only what is necessary to identify the purchase.

Have a purchase you are unsure about?

Submit the details and your invoice. We handle the request to the seller, and you receive a reasoned finding.

Submit a case