FAKE FRAGRANCES RUN RAMPANT ON EBAY!

I AM GOING TO TELL YOU MY EXPERIENCE AND WHAT NOT TO DO TO END UP WITH A FAKE FRAGRANCE.

I BOUGHT ONE BOTTLE OF A CERTAIN FRAGRANCE AND WAS EXTREMELY PLEASED, EVEN THOUGH I HAD NEVER SMELLED IT BEFORE.  Well, I was very pleased with that first purchase.  Then, I decided I would like to buy another bottle to keep on hand as I had loved the first bottle and knew I would be wearing it frequently.

Needless to say, I looked to save a few dollars from the price I paid for the first bottle, so I bought one from another seller.  Well, that second bottle was awful!!  The color of the fragrance was rather orangy, not the sparkling pink of the first bottle.  Also, the top did not have the proper company's emblem, like my first purchase.  To make matters even worse, inside the second bottle's box, there was Chinese writing!  NOW, keep in mind that BOTH bottles, from different seller's were both "New and Sealed in box".

Luckily, the second bottle which I was quite upset about, I plan to return to the seller for a full refund, then I will go back, pay a few dollars more and buy it from my first seller whom I was very happy with.  With over 1660  transactions on eBay, I have never had to return anything, and this is since I started on ebay in January of 2001!  So, I assumed if it was "new and sealed", I would have no problem.  Therefore, I did not check if the seller accepted returns.  VERY luckily, the second seller did offer full refunds as well as very promptly answered all my emails regarding this item.  So, I learned a very valuable lesson.........ALWAYS check if a seller accepts returns!!! This seller gave me a refund + shipping.  THIS IS RARE!  Check to see if they even offer refunds and if they also refund the shipping charge you paid, otherwise, you will not only lose that first shipping charge when you bought the item....BUT you will also have to pay shipping AGAIN to return it.......IF they accept returns at all!!

Now, I am going to try to help my fellow eBayers from making the same mistake as myself!!

1.)  Just because something is listed as "NEW IN BOX", does not mean it is authentic.  Don't you often wonder how sellers obtain such LARGE amounts of bottles of fragrances?  Did they fall off the back of a truck??  Are they stolen?  OR, worse yet, are they fake imitations which are sold in boxes which appear the same as you would find in a department store?  I am sure if they are fake, it would be quite easy to have boxes printed up if they have a large quantity they plan to sell.  BEWARE of fragrances because CHINA is one of, if not THE major producer of these fake items.  This can ALSO apply to many other items listed on ebay.

2.)  These "FAKE" fragrances often do not smell as nice, last as long on you or could possibly contain something you may have an allergic reaction to.  I am sorry, but with the constant influx of dangerous food, children's toys, etc. from China, a person becomes confused as to what is safe and what is not.  I know that I no longer buy items labled "made in China".

3.)  HOW TO AVOID THIS PROBLEM ON EBAY or other auction sites.  I realize these tips may seem a bit of a pain to do, but you do NOT want to end up with any of the potential problems I have mentioned.  First, check your local department store and find the particular fragrance you would like to try to find a bit cheaper on eBay.  Look at the box, take a few quick notes as to what the box has printed on it.  With sellers having "FAKE" boxes made up, I realize this step is not a guarantee, but will help.

4.)  Next, department stores usually have a tester on hand for you to try.  DO take these notes...color of fragrance, be specific, instead of "pink", write it well.  If it is "bright pink", note that.  This is an area that will be of great help, should you end up with a junky bottle such as I did.  Immediately after opening mine, I set it next to my first bottle and the color was close, but in NO WAY the same!

5.)  Another thing that proved mine to be a fake....the tube that comes out of the bottle to spray the fragrance was cheap, black plastic.  My first bottle was silver tone metal.  A CLEAR difference!  CHECK this on the tester at the department store as well.

6.)  Now, I do realize that the testers in stores usually have no top cover.  My second, fake one was much different.  The fraudulent maker tried, but cheaply made a variation on the emblem imbedded in the top.  This, I noticed immediately which led me to find all the other differences.  It never hurts to ask a salesperson at a store if they have the top, so you can see it.  I know a lot of testers come in a plain white box with no top.  (I managed the cosmetic department in a large chain of stores in the mid-90's.).  If the salesperson says the tester did not come with a cap/top, ask if they possibly have a customer return that is open so you may check out the top/cap.

7.)  PLEASE, do not tell the saleperson you are just investigating this info so you can buy it on ebay!!!!  You will surely get NO help as they realize you are not there to buy.  REALIZE you have every right to check out any item before you plan on buying it.

8.)  Doing the above steps will also allow you to try new scents.  One, you can find what you like.  Two, you will know exactly how it smells and ALSO, how long it lasts on you.  I would have to assume that the "FAKES" are cheaply made and may not smell the same as the REAL ones as well as NOT lasting as long on your skin.  You may even find a new scent you like!

9.)  Above all.............Be certain when you read a seller's listing on ebay that they DO accept returns!!!  In my case, I really lucked out as my seller was very nice in the emails and DID give full refunds!!!  I see many who do NOT!  ALSO, check a seller's feedback.  Just because you see in their listing they have a few thousand feedbacks means NOTHING!  You have to READ their feedbacks.  Check if they have NEGATIVE feedbacks and WHY.  Often, I find an item, but when I go in to read the negative feedbacks, I have seen many, if not all of them, that say, "FAKE, or NOT AUTHENTIC or other comments meaning the same.  When I see this, there is NO WAY I buy from this seller, no matter how much I may want their item.  Being on eBay for 7 years, I have come to realize a few very important things.  Such as, even if you have to wait a few months, the item you wish to buy always can be found again.  Honestly, I am quite a shopper and usually buy most of my items on eBay.  When I see a listing that is overpriced OR VERY, VERY cheap in comparison to department stores, unsure of it's authenticity, seller having too many negatives, especially for comments that say "fake", dirty, not as described, different from photo, seller does not communicate well, "currently VERY popular", etc., I wait until I see a listing that makes me comfortable and safe I am getting exactly what I want. Often, a good choice is to buy from a seller who DOES NOT only sell fragrances.  Try to find a seller who has a variety of items in their listing, if they only have a few fragrances, chances are they were gifts the seller did not care for or they are just trying to sell things they have had and never used.

10.)  Lastly, DO RESEARCH whenever possible to avoid these traps of someone selling you a "FAKE" item.  ALSO, never be afraid to ask ANY question to a seller whose item you are interested in!!!!!  Ask for more photos sent to you, ask detailed questions about the item.  Any seller who wants to make a sale will answer any request by a potential buyer.  STAY clear of a seller who will not answer your requests.  Some come up with such strange reasons why they can't answer.  I have heard everything from "my child is sick, I do not have time", "MY DOG BROKE MY CAMERA" to "everything is stated in the listing." I even had one that I asked if they would guarantee me in writing in an email if it was REAL, and the reply I received was "The manufacturer I buy from guarantees their products."  THIS means nothing!  My question was NOT answered...I wanted to have written proof from the seller that THEY would guarantee me it was real, not push the question off on telling me about their supplier.  As much as I wanted their item, I DID NOT buy it.  These type of sellers either do not care that much about making a sale or are trying to avoid questions that will alllow the buyer to realize it may be a FAKE item.

11.)  I hope I have helped you NOT to get stuck with a FAKE!  My opinion can be made in 3 words.....RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH.

12.)  Because of my BAD experience, I took the time to write this guide for my fellow eBayers so they do not make the same mistake as I did.  The best thing, if you have a real bottle of the fragrance you want which was bought from a store, not ebay, is to have it right in front of you so if you are unsure of any seller's listing, you can ask the above mentioned questions.

13.)  To recap here are the things to check before you buy....the COLOR of the fragrance, the EMBLEM/LOGO on the bottle's cap/top, the COLOR of the sprayer tube and the WRITING on the box. (Though, I will say, the writing on the box is EASILY made to read exactly as an ORIGINAL box.)  If you already have the item there, from eBay, and know the particular fragrance, SMELL it and see how LONG it lasts on your skin! You will surely realize if it authentic or not.

14.) Ohhh, can't forget this tip.  ALWAYS check the price of the fragrance on ebay and ADD in the shipping.  Sometimes, it may be actually cheaper to buy it at a reputable store for the same amount when you add in the shipping charges.  ALSO, usually when a fragrance first comes out, everyone and their sister wants it.  If you wait a while, prices usually come down.  PLEASE, though, don't make the same naive mistake I did.  Do your research and ASK questions from the seller.

15.)  TO MY FELLOW EBAYERS, GOOD LUCK IN YOUR SEARCHES FOR AUTHENTIC, NOT "FAKE" FRAGRANCES!  Oh, and be sure the seller ACCEPTS full refund returns!!!!  This is your protection.  And..........try to pay with PAYPAL, they have a "dispute resolution" that is easy to file and you are protected from unsavory sellers.  If you only pay with money order or check, you really have no protection.  I also found out the hard way, sellers who do NOT take Paypal are to be wary of, you barely have ANY chance of getting a refund and I have since decided I will NEVER buy from a seller who does not accept Papal--which is my protection for my money against unsavory sellers.  This takes away any chance of you getting your money back.  PAYPAL is free for buyers and sellers only pay a very small amount for each sale.  I use it and it and think it is wonderful.

THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO READ MY GUIDE AND BEST OF LUCK TO YOU ALL IN FINDING AND BUYING REAL, AUTHENTIC FRAGRANCES.

UPDATE, OCTOBER 28TH, 2007.!!!!!!!

I FOUND YOUR VERY BEST PLACE TO BUY AUTHENTIC FRAGRANCES MUCH LESS EXPENSIVE AS WELL AS REAL, NOT "FAKE!"

I have seen a limited amount of choices at Kohl's and Walmart, with good prices (but often they do not have the high-end types such as Prada, Chanel, etc.).................but, the best place is TARGET!!!  I will tell you that the STORES DO NOT carry ALL the kinds you may want, BUT........Target's website has 18 online pages of women's fragrances.  I did not check the men's, but am certain this also applies to them, too.  They have brands ranging from Britney Spears to Givenchy! 

I am UPDATING this to give you a much less expensive option than "department stores."  I saw many fragrance types I use for up to $40.00 LESS than other stores.  I will get ALL of my fragrance needs at Target stores, if they carry it in-store or at their website, which has a large selection  I will even check Walmart and Kohl's.  Want to hear even more good news?  Target's online website has FREE shipping!  But be sure when you buy from Target's website, and you see the fragrance you want.......be sure it says free shipping.  For FREE shipping, you must spend a minimun of  $50.00.  And as you would expect, you also pay your state sales tax.  If you wish to get a certain fragrance from online at Target, and it does not cost at least $50.00.....they also have free shipping on clothing.  Using the Targetwebsite site is very easy.  If you want to get more "bang for your buck", check on their clearance clothing.  They have such a huge selection for the whole family and if you keep looking, you can find many items go on sale/clearance quite often as they have a high amount of sales.  I usually visit my local Target store once a week and they get sooo many new items.  They receive trucks daily, so they are always adding new items!  Ohhh, and if you can't find your size in a certain item in-store.......I have always been able to get it online!

YES.........eBay is great to find excellent buys on many items, and I certainly do a lot of buying on eBay but have learned my lessons on a few categories, such as this one, FRAGRANCES!! 

You may also wish to check Walmart, Meijer, Kohl's etc.  Perhaps, if they do carry fragrances, they, too, may have a larger selection online!

SORRY TO SAY AFTER MY EXPERIENCES ON EBAY WITH FRAGRANCES.....I WILL NEVER BUY THEM AGAIN.

Good Grief!!!  I have to say this again.....where do all of these "fragrance only" eBay stores get so many items???  I see so many of them listed starting as low as .99.  NO WAY are you going to get a guaranteed "AUTHENTIC" fragrance for such a low price???  I hate to say it, but people DO lie, especially when they want easy money!  Just because they say it is authentic, does NOT mean it IS! 

Most of these sellers DO NOT accept returns, so there you are, stuck with junk.  PLEASE, if you DO buy one on eBay, take it to a department store and verify it is real.  If it is NOT, go back to the eBay listing page where you bought your item, ....at the very bottom of each listing page there is a place to click on to report it to eBay.  If you pay by Paypal, which I HIGHLY recommend for ALL purchases (free for buyers), you can make a claim, "item not as described" or you can even go to Paypal.com and get their phone number and information how to handle such problems.

AGAIN, GOOD LUCK IN YOUR SEARCH FOR A REAL FRAGRANCE ITEM!:)

HAVE A LOVELY DAY:)

IF you have found this guide useful, please vote "YES" at the bottom of this page.  I hope I have helped you!!!