After a bit of online "window shopping" I happened across Pret a Voir, an online (they also have a physical location if you live in Glasgow, Scotland) sunglasses and glasses seller that had them for cheaper! The catch? I had never heard of Pret a Voir and it is a UK-based business--it would be very difficult if there were problems with my order and I wasn't sure if they were selling legitimate Chanel sunglasses. However, I did my research and there were several sites with good reviews of Pret a Voir, which coupled with their fantastically (relatively) low price, ultimately led me to purchase from them. I bought them for about $230 USD after shipping and currency conversion, whereas in store and after tax it would have cost me around $305.
That being said, and without further ado, here are my Chanel 5171 sunnies!
They came in a Chanel cardboard box filled with a lens cleaning cloth, cloth bag, hard case, warranty information, and authenticity card.
They also had properly spelled lettering and coding on the inside of the arms which tells the manufacturing location (Italy), product number (5171), and product color (C5013C).
According to my research on fake Chanel 5171 sunglasses, the Chanel logo on the case is glued on and there is no indentation so that the logo lies more flush with the surface of the case. Also, although I didn't take a picture of it, authentic Chanel sunglasses have writing etched onto the lenses themselves. I believe they etch Chanel onto the lenses, but I don't have my sunglasses on hand to verify it. :x
Cute little white ribbons! This style comes in a variety of colors, including one with a black frame with black bows, but the most popular is the black frame with white bows.
The Chanel logo is on both of the white ribbons in authentic pairs.
In any case, after tons of research (kudos to this forum), I'm confident that my sunglasses aren't fake and I am very pleased with my purchase. I will definitely consider buying my next pair of sunglasses from Pret a Voir! Oh and a few things I forgot to mention, customer service was very friendly and helpful, and international shipping (~12.95 GBP) was rather quick. The only caveat was that I had to call to place my order since Chanel (and I believe one other brand) does not allow online selling of their sunglasses. Other than that, the service and convenience was terrific! One final consideration, if you decide to buy from Pret a Voir, consider going into a store to try on the sunglasses to see how they look and decide on frame colors. Happy shopping!!
