When I buy from a third-party, I already am budgeting in sending the knife for Benchmade's lifesharp warranty. They will only sharpen knives that are authentic.
I've done this for both my Crooked River and my Mini Grip. *sigh of relief* they got returned sharped and decent maintenance.
Tbf, I did a lot of research on pictures and youtube videos of fakes and clones to see what those look like, and have made a list of things to check for. I hope you get good news with yours!