There are many different places where you can buy a fragrance, both offline and online. eBay is a popular online place to purchase fragrances, thanks to the large selection of fragrances you can choose from.
Should you buy fragrances on eBay? Purchasing fragrances from eBay is a great idea if you know what you’re doing. There are many legit sellers on eBay, but there are also quite a few that sell counterfeit fragrances. If you know how to spot a fake seller and know you’re way around authenticating a fragrance, purchasing on eBay would be a good idea.
But how do you authenticate a fragrance? And how can you spot fake sellers? In this post, I’ll be covering everything you need to know when purchasing fragrnces on eBay.
The Benefits Of Purchasing Fragrances On eBay
eBay is a great online marketplace. Anyone can sell their stuff on this platform. This gives you such a wide variety of fragrances to purchase. If anyone can sell anything they like, what are the chances you find what you’re looking for? Pretty large.
Because anyone can sell on this platform, there is a good chance you can easily find a full bottle of whatever fragrance you’re looking for. Especially the more popular fragrances. You probably have the option to choose between different bottle sizes as well.
But full bottles aren’t the only thing you can purchase on eBay. You can also purchase samples or decants. This way, you can purchase smaller bottles to test out a fragrance before committing to a full bottle.
What You Should Avoid When Purchasing On eBay
Because everyone is able to sell their things on eBay, there are a bunch of fake sellers. These sellers can sell you fake fragrances, watered down versions of fragrances, or just straight up scam you.
The first thing you can do is check out the seller. Check out the feedback that they have gotten from others. If you purchase from a large seller, then usually, there isn’t much to worry about. But if you purchase from a smaller seller, make sure to check out what others have said about this person. If you see a few negative comments on this seller, it might be better to look for the fragrance somewhere else.
But sometimes, the seller has a whole list of positive responses. This could just mean that the seller is actually legit. But sometimes, the seller made sure that there are a bunch of positive reviews to make it look like he or she is the real deal. Just take a look at the reviews and use your common sense.
These fake sellers usually sell the more popular stuff. Fragrances from houses like Creed, Dior, Chanel, or the Tom Ford Private Blend collection are prime candidates for counterfeit fragrances. For example, some sellers sell a Tom Ford Private Blend tester fragrance is a white box. You immediately know that that is a fake, as Tom Ford Private Blend fragrances don’t have a white tester box.
You have to be extra careful when purchasing these kinds of fragrances. Familiarize yourself with the fragrance. Check out the seller. Make sure you purchase the real fragrance and not some counterfeit version.
Make Sure You Can Identify Fake Sellers Or Fake Fragrances
Purchasing a counterfeit fragrance can be pretty devastating. Especially if you just bought a 100ml bottle of something like Creed Aventus or a Tom Ford Private Blend fragrance. That’s why you should always check a few things before purchasing a fragrance from eBay.
Know Your Product
Knowing your product is the first step to avoid purchasing a counterfeit fragrance. So before you purchase, get familiar with the fragrance you want to purchase. Know what box it comes in and how it looks. Know how the bottle and cap look and know where the batch code is. Just familiarize yourself with the fragrance. This way, you can spot if it is a fake one before purchase, or if you’ve already purchased the fragrance, you can authenticate it after purchase.
Preferably, go to a store and ask for a sample. Or purchase a sample or decant of the fragrance online. If you’ve already bought the fragrance from eBay, you can then compare the fragrance you bought with the tester or decant. Most counterfeit fragrances smell way off from the original. This way, you can identify a fake fragrance and try to get your money back.
You can also Google if your fragrance is real. For example, if you bought a bottle of Dior Sauvage, you can Google ‘fake Dior Sauvage’. This usually brings up a bunch of forums where people ask if their bottle is authentic. You can compare the results you find there with your own bottle.
Know Your Seller
Knowing your seller is just as important as knowing your product. If you’re purchasing from large, well-established companies, then there is nothing to worry about. But if you want to purchase from smaller companies or individual sellers, than you should do some research on the seller.
The most important thing to check is the seller’s feedback. If you see a seller with tons of negative feedback, you should know enough. Just walk away from that person and find another seller.
But if you see a seller with lots of positive feedback, I’d recommend you read through it a bit. Sometimes, you’ll notice a lot of feedback that sounds a bit off. If it doesn’t feel right, I’d just go to a different seller.
But keep in mind, not all negative feedback means that the seller is selling fake fragrances. Even large, well-established companies get lots of negative reviews by people who aren’t happy with the product.
You should also check the other listings of the seller. If the seller is only selling the often counterfeited brands, this might be a bad sign.
There are also a few countries that are well-known for selling fakes. Mainly these are Eastern European countries or countries like China. They make up most of the counterfeit fragrances and it is just best to avoid these sellers.
Take Every Fragrance Through This Process
Nowadays, it is best to just take every fragrance you purchase on eBay through this process. Every year, there are more and more counterfeit sellers. Back in the day, you could purchase tester bottles, as they were always legit. Nowadays, there are even counterfeited tester bottles. Taking every fragrance you purchase on eBay through this process will prevent you from purchasing fake fragrances. However, there is always the chance that someone does manage to sell you a counterfeited fragrance. Then, you should try to get your money back and report the seller to eBay.
Is Purchasing Fragrances On eBay Worth It
Overall, purchasing fragrances from eBay can be a good idea. It is a great way to purchase used bottles or samples and decants. You usually end up saving a little money as well.
Purchasing these decants or samples is just an overall great way to test out a fragrance. Samples are almost never counterfeited, making them a safe purchase pretty much every time. Since you can’t purchase a decant from a physical store, you have to purchase them online anyway. There are many online webshops that sell these decants. However, eBay might be a better solution for you if you don’t really trust these other websites.
The only downside is that you do have to do a little research on the seller and the fragrance you’re interested in. In the end, this shouldn’t really be a problem, but if you purchase on eBay often, it might become a little annoying.
However, when you often purchase your fragrances from eBay, you probably end up with a seller that you trust and make your purchases only from him. eBay is a great place to purchase your fragrances when you know what you’re doing. And with this guide, even people who don’t really know what they’re doing should have at least some idea on how to spot fakes.
In the end, I would recommend people who are a little anxious about purchasing from eBay sellers to just go to official stores or website and purchase your fragrance there. The extra money you’ll end up spending might be worth the peace of mind, as you’re now assured to get the real deal. However, if you don’t really mind purchasing online, I’d say eBay is a great place to purchase some fragrances or some decants. The wide variety of different ones will assure you find what you’re looking for!