Regarding the Armani Reportage Jackets... This just happened to me, yesterday, June 11th '08. I am pissed at myself for not trusting my instincts, having been conned twenty years ago and have avoided such things ever since...
He stopped me while driving his big, white, expensive SUV on 6th Avenue and 19th Street in Manhattan... Wanting directions to the Lincoln Tunnel. He asked if I spoke Italian, which I do a little bit... (My downfall, his gain). I noticed that when he shook my hand, he held onto it longer than usual... Like in a familiar fashion, but it felt like a red flag which I ignored.
Then, he said he just finished a month at the Jacob Javitz Center and was heading to the Airport and didn't want to pay the 20% taxes on the flight home. I told him I had no money, that all my money was going to my creative projects... But I still ended up going to my ATM (he came with me, which was another red flag, along with other things like... To get in the car to try them on "I don't need the advertising"). He even took a lighter to the leather (if it is even leather or perhaps fire retardant material — good for getting out of fires, at least!:) to demonstrate the quality of the leather.
He did the same 2 free, one for $500 (I ended up giving him $100)... But after he left I discovered there were only 2 not 3 in the Armani Reportage bag.
Before he we parted I asked him for his contact info, he gave me an Italian phone number (which I thought it was odd he had to copy it from his cell phone... I almost asked him "how long have you lived at your place in Italy?!" but I didn't).
I am really pissed, as I figured that at least I could sell them and make my money back or even a small profit, for my troubles... But then I ran into these sites and have discovered I have been had on some level. It still seems that the jackets are jackets and can be used... I do want to find out if they are real or not, etc... How do you know???
The bottom line is to keep it simple... Trust Your Instincts!
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