Associated Press
Publication
date: 06-17-2006
Paducah,
Ky.
It took a shipment halfway across the world
for a Western Kentucky man to question the authenticity of the
Prada handbags he bought at a Sam's Club.
When a Prada factory in Italy said one of the
high-end fashion bags was fake, Joseph Mayo began wondering
about the others, according a federal lawsuit he filed this
week.
The Paducah doctor filed suit against Wal-Mart
Stores Inc., the parent company of Sam's Club, alleging that
the store in Paducah sold him phony Prada handbags.
Mayo's attorney, Mark Bryant, said this week
that his client bought three handbags in December 2004
thinking they were real and sent one to his sister-in-law, Pia
Sandonato, in Italy.
"The purse started falling apart, so she took
it to the factory," Bryant said. "Then the company called her
back and said, 'This is fake.' "
Wal-Mart spokesman John Simley would not
comment directly about the lawsuit, but said the nation's
largest retailer doesn't sell forgeries. "We are prepared to
show that the products we sell are authentic because it's our
company policy to sell only authentic brands," he said.
Prada handbags are made of Italian leather,
snakeskin or other expensive material. They are known for
their durability and can cost anywhere from $800 to $1,800.
Bryant said he doesn't know how much his
clients paid for their handbags.
Mayo declined to comment and referred
questions to Bryant.
Prada officials in Italy said Wal-Mart is not
a client. The closest authorized Prada carrier near Paducah is
a Saks Fifth Avenue in suburban St. Louis, while the closest
Prada store is in Miami.
Mayo's wife, Rita, shipped the remaining two
bags to Italy last month to see if they were fake, too, Bryant
said. She hasn't heard back.
This was the second lawsuit within a week
alleging that Wal-Mart has sold fake designer handbags.
Italian fashion designer Fendi filed suit against the retailer
on June 9 alleging that Sam's Club was selling fake handbags,
shoulder bags, purses, wallets and key chains.
