I always ask for a sanitized invoice. The reason for doing so is that it proves several things. First it proves that the seller is confident about their bags being authentic. Second it allows you to prove that the bags were purchased from a licensed or authorized dealer..It also allows you to be able to show your customers that the bags are authentic...Most sanitized invoices will have the contact info from whomever they were purchased from. This allows you to do two things. One, you can contact them directly and try to purchase from them and cut out one middleman..It also gives you the oppertunity to place a photo of the invoice showing that the bags are authentic and purchased leagally from an authorized source..
A valid 'sanitized invoice' will have all the correct serial and model numbers, item codes, store number code, ect. Normally the purchase amount is blacked out so that the invoice does not show what the purchaser paid for the bags by item or lot...All the other important info will be shown...
If you have purchased a bag or bags from an authorized source, that is, someone who has either a master license or sub-license (that would someone like a dept store, factory store, or brand boutique) then you have the legal right to resell the bag and are protected under the 'first right of sale' law...Most brand parent companies only license certain types of businesses to sell their brands..Mostly these will be major dept stores like macy's, dillards, factory stores, and of course the brands boutiques. When the have old stock, which is normally left over when the new styles and models come out, they are allowed 3 options by the parent company to get rid of the old bags..First they can return them to the parent company who will then distribute them to their factory store. Second they can sell them at a discounted price from within their store. Third, they can sell them to a liquidator...
They are very protective of their brands and aggressive in protecting the copyright/trademarks..The contract to sell 'Tommy Bahama' is 27 pages long.
Most all of the time, when you find someone selling authentic bags, it will be from either someone who is licensed or a liquidator, or someone who has a contract to purchase a particular dept stores end of season/style stock...Since they have legally aquired the bags they normally are willing to give you a sanitized invoice since they have nothing to hide....