Shop to Save Lives

Dallas-Fort Worth shoppers rejoice at the return of Partners Card

Save money and save lives.

Photo courtesy of Partners Card

It's time once again for Dallas-Fort Worth's favorite shopping and dining event: Partners Card. This is not only an excuse to visit some of your favorite stores and restaurants, but a way to make a tangible difference for The Family Place, a local nonprofit that empowers victims of family violence by providing safe housing, counseling, and skills that create independence.

Whether you're a devoted buyer (it's been around for 27 years!) or this is your first year to get a Partners Card, here's what you need to know:

How it works
Purchase the Partners Card for $70, and save 20 percent at more than 750 participating retailers (think everywhere from Abi Ferrin to ZO Skin Centre, Anthropologie to West Elm, DryBar to Tom Thumb and Albertsons) and 10 percent at participating restaurants from October 25-November 3. You can view the complete list here.

You can also shop online
Register your Partners Card online, and you'll be entered to win raffle prizes from Starpower and The Container Store. When you're all shopped out, sit down on the couch and browse through e-commerce brands also offering the Partners Card discount: Leatherology, Saint Bernard, Urban Spikes, and Sam Edelman, just to name a few.

A few of the best deals
There are endless ways to use your Partners Card, here are some of our favorites:

Now's the time to pounce on furniture and home goods that rarely go on sale. Scott + Cooner in the Design District is home to unique, modern finds.
Interior designer favorite Bungalow 5 is filled with beautiful pieces perfect for a Partners Card splurge.
Get a head start on holiday gift shopping at Sample House, Talulah + Hess, and Lawrence's Gifts in Fort Worth (stock up on candles — everyone's go-to gift!).
Treat yourself to something sparkly at Bachendorf's, which is donating 10 percent of sales on October 26 to The Family Place.
Those with wedding bells in their future will want to stop by Bell'Invito Stationery & Home, The Ivy House, P.S. The Letter, and Warren Barron Bridal.
Guys will love Mizzen + Main, Stag Provisions, and Luke's Locker.
National brands and local gems alike participate in Partners Card. Stock up on staples from J.Crew and Chico's, then visit Favor the Kind and Elizabeth W.
Visit natural beauty boutique Follain, book an appointment at EnlightenMD, or bask in the glow at Cos Bar.
Fitness fiends should check out StudioHop, a membership program that gives access to dozens of fitness studios all over town. Partners Card holders save 20 percent on their first month.

What it benefits
The entire cost of the card gets donated to The Family Place, Dallas' largest family violence agency. Since its debut in 1993, Partners Card has raised over $18 million to help break the cycle of family violence in the community. Last year alone, Partners Card raised over $1 million and provided more than 14,000 nights of shelter for victims of family violence.

However you intend to shop or dine, remember that the purchase of a Partners Card saves money and lives.

For more information, visit www.partnerscard.org, contact the Partners Card hotline at 214-443-7754, or email partnerscard@familyplace.org.

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Busted

Counterfeit Richard Mille watches worth $2.6M seized at DFW Airport

Photo courtesy of U.S. Customs and Border Protection

A counterfeit Richard Mille watch seized at DFW Airport.

Eleven counterfeit Richard Mille watches with a potential retail value of $2.6 million have been seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.

According to a release from the agency, the watches, shipped from China and bound for destinations across the southeastern United States, were found to bear fake trademarks belonging to the Swiss luxury watchmaker. CBP trade experts determined the watches were inauthentic and intercepted the shipment, the agency says.

To be clear: The $2.6 million figure represents what the watches would have been worth at the manufacturer's suggested retail price had they been genuine, not the value of the knock-off pieces.

“The sale of fake goods often funds criminal organizations involved in money laundering, drug trafficking, and other illicit trade,” CBP Area Port Director Jayson Ahern says in the release. “Our CBP officers are on the front lines every day guarding against defrauders, while protecting legitimate American businesses who are often harmed by these criminal organizations.”

Counterfeit watches are among a range of products targeted by CBP, which says handbags, wallets, apparel, footwear, jewelry, and consumer electronics are also frequently faked.

"Illegitimate sales are some of the most profitable transnational crimes," the agency says in the release. "Counterfeiters sell inauthentic versions of popular products in response to trends, often through online sources, which adversely impacts legitimate U.S. businesses.

These items include fake medications, perfumes, cosmetics, children’s toys and costumes, fashion, jewelry, and luxury products, and unsafe electronics and automotive parts, which can pose serious health and safety risks as they are often made with substandard or harmful materials."

Counterfeit goods can often be spotted by their inferior quality, they say: "Peeling labels, low-quality ink or printing errors on the packaging, and the quality of the packaging can be signs that the product you purchased may not be legitimate. Counterfeit apparel and handbags may feature poor or uneven stitching, be improperly sized, or not exist as a product the designer brand produces at all. The performance of counterfeit electronics is often marked by short battery life and regular overheating."

CBP recommends buying directly from brand owners or authorized retailers and checking online sellers' reviews and contact information before making a purchase. Its Truth Behind Counterfeits campaign offers more information about spotting fake merchandise and understanding the risks.

"Remember that if the price of a product seems too good to be true, it probably is," they say.

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