PheroTalk

Mia Culpa · October 5th, 2007, 07:39 AM

Search amazon US for cologne and search ALL the listings as there are often multiple listings for the same product from various retailers. I bought my 3.3oz EDP Burberry London for $41 from amazon.com vs $45-72 (Sephora/Macy's/Bloomies etc.) incl. shipping elsewhere.

Also check FragranceShop.com. they have really good prices.

And your shady mall sounds like my local wholesale/fake knock off center, Santee Alley, downtown L.A. . The frags tend to be real, but at near wholesale prices...still couldn't beat Amazon in my case, though, and you have to pay for parking to get there.

edit: ok, those suggestions are not that great in price. I read somewhere that Creed and Chanel are the most faked frags on ebay, so maybe you are ok. as they said, check seller feedback, read the listing carefully, and ASK QUESTIONS! maybe it's used or an aftershave? Make sure it is as described before you bid.

and here's a guide on the subject!

eBay Guides - Tips to avoid buying fake perfume fragrance cologne

and a thread on the topic

eBay Forums: Fake perfume? ...

Mia Culpa · October 7th, 2007, 04:37 AM

Ok after some reading up on basenotes about fake fragrance on eBay. I can add another possibility for low ebay/swap meet prices.

One scam is not so much a scam as economics. Many fragrance houses sell the old unsalable juice cluttering up their warehouse, in huge quantity at deep discount, to wholesale outfits in areas of the world like the Middle East and Asia. These then sell to distributors who then sell to local distributors who sell to retailers, often the ebay, online deep discount outfits, swap meet vendors, and the like. They may not be aware of the age and quality issue, and the stuff is technically legit, though the original perfume house will call it off age and unusable (fragrances often spoil after a certain time). A telltale giveaway? A common tactic for those earlier in the wholesale chain is to file off the identification number etched into the glass bottle.

Example: Someone bought a Chanel frag from a reputable online seller, and noticed that it had an etched out area on the bottle. They got the serial number off the box (!) and called Chanel, who told him it was made in the late 90's and not usable or salable any more. The retailer didn't know what was up, just passed along their savings to the buyer, and it was real product from Chanel...just OLD!

The lesson from this is to:

1. ONLY use PayPal on eBay, as they have buyer protection controls and you can cancel the charge if the seller won't resolve the problem.

2. check the packaging and bottle for any misspellings or irregularities, especially on the back and the fine print. Look for etched out or marked out areas on the bottle and box.

3. Sniff against a sample from a department store, Sephora or other local retail outlets if possible. See if it's at all stale, off, weak, or otherwise different.

Hey, if it is old but genuine, sometimes old juice can be in perfectly good condition if stored correctly, in which case you got yourself a great deal!

SplashBlogger · November 5th, 2008, 03:22 PM

We authored an article addressing this issue on our blog. Have a look...

How to Stay Away from Fake Perfumes | Dollars and Scents

October 5th, 2007, 07:39 AM	#11 (permalink)
Mia Culpa Pheromone Experienced Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: So. California Posts: 135 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTW/F/M Award(s): 0 Rep Power: 3	Re: How to distinguish between an authentic and a fake fragrance?? Search amazon US for cologne and search ALL the listings as there are often multiple listings for the same product from various retailers. I bought my 3.3oz EDP Burberry London for $41 from amazon.com vs $45-72 (Sephora/Macy's/Bloomies etc.) incl. shipping elsewhere. Also check FragranceShop.com. they have really good prices. And your shady mall sounds like my local wholesale/fake knock off center, Santee Alley, downtown L.A. . The frags tend to be real, but at near wholesale prices...still couldn't beat Amazon in my case, though, and you have to pay for parking to get there. edit: ok, those suggestions are not that great in price. I read somewhere that Creed and Chanel are the most faked frags on ebay, so maybe you are ok. as they said, check seller feedback, read the listing carefully, and ASK QUESTIONS! maybe it's used or an aftershave? Make sure it is as described before you bid. and here's a guide on the subject! eBay Guides - Tips to avoid buying fake perfume fragrance cologne and a thread on the topic eBay Forums: Fake perfume? ... __________________ My Blog Wardrobe: (To Go - 2.5mcg - Neroli) Instant: Sexiness, Shine, Openness, Honesty, Female Magic Mixes: 134, 135, Turn Up the Heat Experimones: TAL (30ml), TAH (12.5mcg) Other: EW Cover Scents Wishlist: (30 ml - 25mcg - UNscented) Total: $1060.95 Instant: Shine 2x, Sexiness A&B, Honesty 4x, Openness Mixes: 134, 135, CTTM2, Spaceland, Dirty, Lust After Me Experimones: TAL, TAH, TAK, TAF, Est, P74, P79 Cover Scents: Wishlist

October 7th, 2007, 04:37 AM	#12 (permalink)
Mia Culpa Pheromone Experienced Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: So. California Posts: 135 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTW/F/M Award(s): 0 Rep Power: 3	Re: How to distinguish between an authentic and a fake fragrance?? Ok after some reading up on basenotes about fake fragrance on eBay. I can add another possibility for low ebay/swap meet prices. One scam is not so much a scam as economics. Many fragrance houses sell the old unsalable juice cluttering up their warehouse, in huge quantity at deep discount, to wholesale outfits in areas of the world like the Middle East and Asia. These then sell to distributors who then sell to local distributors who sell to retailers, often the ebay, online deep discount outfits, swap meet vendors, and the like. They may not be aware of the age and quality issue, and the stuff is technically legit, though the original perfume house will call it off age and unusable (fragrances often spoil after a certain time). A telltale giveaway? A common tactic for those earlier in the wholesale chain is to file off the identification number etched into the glass bottle. Example: Someone bought a Chanel frag from a reputable online seller, and noticed that it had an etched out area on the bottle. They got the serial number off the box (!) and called Chanel, who told him it was made in the late 90's and not usable or salable any more. The retailer didn't know what was up, just passed along their savings to the buyer, and it was real product from Chanel...just OLD! The lesson from this is to: 1. ONLY use PayPal on eBay, as they have buyer protection controls and you can cancel the charge if the seller won't resolve the problem. 2. check the packaging and bottle for any misspellings or irregularities, especially on the back and the fine print. Look for etched out or marked out areas on the bottle and box. 3. Sniff against a sample from a department store, Sephora or other local retail outlets if possible. See if it's at all stale, off, weak, or otherwise different. Hey, if it is old but genuine, sometimes old juice can be in perfectly good condition if stored correctly, in which case you got yourself a great deal! __________________ My Blog Wardrobe: (To Go - 2.5mcg - Neroli) Instant: Sexiness, Shine, Openness, Honesty, Female Magic Mixes: 134, 135, Turn Up the Heat Experimones: TAL (30ml), TAH (12.5mcg) Other: EW Cover Scents Wishlist: (30 ml - 25mcg - UNscented) Total: $1060.95 Instant: Shine 2x, Sexiness A&B, Honesty 4x, Openness Mixes: 134, 135, CTTM2, Spaceland, Dirty, Lust After Me Experimones: TAL, TAH, TAK, TAF, Est, P74, P79 Cover Scents: Wishlist Last edited by Mia Culpa; October 7th, 2007 at 05:00 AM.

November 5th, 2008, 03:22 PM	#13 (permalink)
SplashBlogger Pheromone Cadet Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 1 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTW/F/M Award(s): 0 Rep Power: 0	Re: How to distinguish between an authentic and a fake fragrance?? We authored an article addressing this issue on our blog. Have a look... How to Stay Away from Fake Perfumes \| Dollars and Scents

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How to distinguish between an authentic and a fake fragrance??

How to distinguish between an authentic and a fake fragrance??

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