As someone who is traveling constantly, I always love to have my headphones with me wherever I'm going . Whether I'm on an airplane trying to calm my nerves by listening to some bubbly music or trying to work out, my Beats headphones have become a necessity when traveling. So when I saw that stores in Europe were selling Beats by Dre headphones for only 12 euros I couldn't help but buy a pair. 

*Side note, my pair that I've had (which are legitimate seeing that they came with my laptop) have started to wear out. The leather is begging to shed and though this is a minor detail a part of me is really debating about buying the latest rose gold pair. *

I'm usually one to be cautious about buying products that seem too good to be true, especially when traveling. When it comes to tourists traps, most products being sold are cheap, inauthentic, and have a short shelf life. Naturally I inspected the outside of the box before I bought the headphones. The packaging looked legitimate and had the same verbiage as my package did from the States. So I opened up my wallet, crossed my fingers, and hoped for the best. 

You're probably all thinking by now that I'm about to learn a lesson, and you're right. Though what I purchased was (what I assumed) were Beat headphones, what I got where very well crafted off-brand headphones. Sure they work as headphones but there are qualities that are lacking in these off-brand headphones compared to its competitors. Examples include surround sound, leather interior, adjustable head set, and volume control. At first glance, the headphones look pretty similar to the real deal, but after quick comparison it was evident that these weren't the real deal. 

Beware that within Europe it isn't just this luxury product that is being sold falsely. Though it was only 12 euros lost, I would have preferred to have kept that money and spent it on something else (like a drink or two maybe?). Many other popular items such as perfume have the same exact packaging as the authentic pieces, but what lies inside of it are phony products. Understand that you as a customer have rights (such as asking about where the product was produced) and that sometimes there are some deals that actually are too good to be true. 

Until next time,