TikToker discovers Prada shoes bought for $300 at Goodwill are fake

Mindoro showcased the black loafers adorned with the iconic Prada triangle logo in a TikTok post. However, comments soon flooded in, suggesting that the shoes appeared to be knockoffs reminiscent of those found on websites like DHgate, reported Business Insider on Feb. 22.

Black loafers by Prada capture attention of many women. Photo from Official Victoria Barbara/Instagram

Acknowledging her oversight, Mindoro admitted, "Obviously, I knew there was a high chance of them not being real because I got them from Goodwill. This is totally my fault, not the store's fault. They never claimed that they were authentic." The store was in Denver, the largest city of the state of Colorado in the U.S.

Mindoro eventually returned the shoes to the Déjà Blue Boutique, a curated secondhand shop operated by Goodwill of Colorado, and received a full refund. She stated that store associates assured her the counterfeit shoes would not be resold.

Stephanie Bell, a spokesperson for Goodwill of Colorado, emphasized the organization's commitment to customer satisfaction, saying, "If that were to ever happen, where someone is buying an item that might have a designer label on it, and then upon further investigation, it turns out to not be a legitimate piece, of course, we'll take it back."

While finding valuable items at thrift stores and secondhand shops is not uncommon, the prevalence of counterfeit designer items remains a challenge. Goodwill, recognizing this issue, implemented artificial intelligence in 2019 to identify counterfeit luxury items sold through its online shop.