UGG! Real or fake? How to avoid ending up with counterfeits

Everyone wants a deal. And if you're going to want one on a pair of UGG Australia brand boots (actually a U.S. company called Deckers Outdoor) you better be pretty careful about where you buy them.

UGG announced this week that they are suing 15 alleged purveyors of counterfeit UGGs. Some of the sites selling fake UGGs actually ship from China. That they actually ship is a victory by itself. But what you get is an obvious knock-off that scarcely resembles something from the trendy line of boots, some of which can set you back a couple of hundred bucks if you buy them legitimately.

Even though some of the sites are particularly sketchy -- with prices in foreign currencies and descriptions in some strange English variant -- bargain hunters still send their money to them.

UGG has a site dedicated to helping people sort out fake from real. A limited group of retailers and an even more limited group of online sellers legitimately carry the pricey UGG brand, making them a prime target for counterfeiters.

If you really need a pair of UGGs this year, and you don't want to get stuck with a phony, make sure you're buying from a legitimate seller.