is Coach for real?

we've all become aware of the powerful impact EBay has had on many "markets". one only has to do a quick search on our favourite childrens clothing brand, oilily, out there to understand it.

i saw this article today on BPM today about people reselling luxury clothing/jewelery out on ebay - not surprising or new (i know). but I was interested in this quote from Coach in the article...

"Luxury leather goods maker Coach sends letters telling people that they can't shop at its stores if they are found selling Coach products on eBay. "Unauthorized distributors lack the proper commitment to the Coach product," says Andrea Resnick, the company's spokeswoman. "

are they serious? no doubt, we'd love to see brands become more aggressive on their approach to EBay. I think it's impact (and harm to the brand, etc) is way underestimated. But back to Coach, how does this work in practice? do their cashiers have a "black list" that they check on every transaction? according to their website, they have 500 stores, not to mention the various department stores that also carries their stuff. And i would think, at some point, it's their own shortsightedness (eg Rafe selling to Target) that creates the arbitrage opportunity in the first place.

we'd love to hear from anyone at Coach (or a Coach letter recipient) on the realities related to this program.