Portobello Road trader busted with £10K worth of fake designer bags
By Alicia Curry, Local Democracy Reporter
A Portobello Road shop owner has been caught selling £10,000 of fake designer bags.
Aydin Vysel, the director of Peppertree Vintage Ltd., situated at Unit 1, 253 Portobello Road, was taken to court after an investigation, carried out by Kensington and Chelsea’s trading standards team.
They were initially tipped off by a Chanel employee who noticed the fakes, which led to the seizure of bags, belts, and scarves, which were cleverly disguised as luxury brands and estimated to be worth £10,000.
Veysel received a three-year conditional discharge following the verdict delivered by Westminster Magistrates Court on August 2.
The operation, which took place in October 2021, brought to light the illegal sales of counterfeit products, affecting renowned brands like Chanel, Hermes, Gucci, Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, Alexander McQueen, and Dolce & Gabbana.
The approximate value of the goods, had they been authentic, is believed to be around £77,935.
As part of his sentence, Aydin Veysel was ordered to pay costs of £2,000 and a victim surcharge of £22.
Additionally, Peppertree Vintage Ltd. was fined £5,000 and required to cover costs amounting to £3,059.00, along with an additional Victim Surcharge of £500.
Kensington and Chelsea councillor Josh Rendall said: “Counterfeit activities have severe negative impacts on communities, businesses, and consumers alike. They lead to loss of revenue for legitimate businesses, potential safety risks for consumers, and contribute to various criminal activities.
“The prosecution is a great result for our trading standards officers who continue to work hard by protecting genuine customers”.
District Judge Pilling highlighted the importance of imposing penalties that serve as a deterrent to both the convicted parties and others engaged in similar illicit activities. As a result, all seized counterfeit items were ordered to be forfeited and destroyed.
A trading officer for the council said that if someone is concerned they’ve purchased a fake product in the borough they should contact them right away.
They added: “We deal with things very proactively and reactively as well. We can deal with complaints that come in from trademark representatives that are assessing the products in the borough.
“Equally we carry out inspections of markets and shops so we know where the counterfeits are being sold and then deploy a seizure of the items.”
Pictured top: The counterfeit goods in Peppertree Vintage Ltd. in Portobello Road (Picture: RBKC)
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