ROCKY HILL, Conn. -- A Connecticut shopper said he was shocked when he went to Burlington Coat Factory in Meriden and found labels for high-end name brands glued onto less-expensive coats.

Christian Bryant said he went to the Burlington Coat Factory hoping to find a good deal on a high-quality jacket.

I-Team Investigates Report Of Double-Labeling

"I don't really have the money to buy, to just hand out $180 for a coat, so I was looking for the same coat for cheaper, which is what Burlington Coat Factory offers," Bryant said.

During that shopping trip, Bryant said he found jackets with designer labels such as Perry Ellis Portfolio and Joseph Abboud, but when he tugged on one of the labels it came off, revealing that the jacket wasn't what it appeared to be.

"The Perry Ellis Portfolio label looked like it was glued," Bryant said.

When he peeled it back, he said he found a label underneath for George, a private Wal-Mart brand. He said it looked similar to the jacket he bought at Wal-Mart a couple of years ago for about $30.

Bryant called the Channel 3 I-Team, which began an investigation into all Connecticut branches of Burlington Coat Factory, starting with the Meriden store.

Searching in the men's outerwear section, the I-Team found several coats with Perry Ellis Portfolio and Joseph Abboud labels with different labels underneath, including George and Alfani, a private Macy's brand.

The coats, valued at up to $200, were being sold at Burlington Coat Factory for less than half that price.

The I-Team investigation uncovered double-labeled jackets at every Connecticut location except East Windsor. About 115 double-labeled jackets were found in the eight store locations.

The I-Team purchased a jacket with a Perry Ellis Portfolio label at Burlington Coat Factory for $69.99 plus tax. The jacket has Perry Ellis tags on the sleeve as well as labels higher up on the jacket and on the inside coat pocket.

However, on closer inspection, the I-Team noticed labels were stitched on. They found that when they peeled the corner of this edge back, there was a George label underneath.

I-Team Reporter Hallie Jackson took the jacket to the store and the store manager said, "I don't have an answer for you." He said that in 30 years in retail, he had never seen anything like it.

When the I-Team contacted Burlington Coat Factory's corporate office in New Jersey, a company executive said the company didn't know it was selling double-labeled coats until the I-Team alerted it to the problem.

As a result of the I-Team's investigation, Burlington Coat Factory began its own investigation, ultimately pulling the entire shipment of coats off the racks in stores nationwide.

According to a statement released by Burlington Coat Factory, "... Unbeknownst to us, the manufacturer, the Levy Group, which has the rights to both Perry Ellis and Joseph Abboud labels, had ironed on Perry Ellis and Joseph Abboud labels over the top of other labels in a group of men's wool topcoats and wool jackets."

Since Burlington Coat Factory pointed the finger at the Levy Group, the I-Team turned to that company for answers.

"The Levy Group regrets that an employee at a newly acquired division of our company, which manufactures men's topcoats and raincoats, appears to have taken it upon himself to iron designer labels on top of other labels that were then shipped to our customer," company President Donald Levy said in a statement. "This action was taken without the approval or knowledge of the management of the Levy Group."

Fashion industry expert Irina Simeonova, who works on the World Fashion Council in Norwalk, said she doesn't know if ironing on designer labels is legal, but that it doesn’t seem moral.

"This is double-labeling, so you're selling a fake product," she said.

A Perry Ellis spokesman said the company "is obviously a victim in this unfortunate episode. We zealeously (sic) guard the integrity and reputation of our brand."

The makers of Joseph Abboud jackets said they're "dismayed to learn of the apparent counterfeiting of our products" and plans to look at its legal options.

Burlington Coat Factory said the coats in question represent less than 1 percent of the company's jacket inventory.

Company officials said the company is offering a store credit or refund to anyone who purchased one of the double-labeled coats. The deadline for requesting the credit or refund is March 31. They said those who return the coats will also receive a 20 percent off coupon good toward a future purchase.