Fake Perfume – Buyers Beware
January 21, 2009 1 Comment
I was recently contacted by someone who suspected that the Chanel No 5 perfume they had bought online (at an unnamed website) was a fake. Unfortunately this kind of thing happens more often than you think and even the most cautious buyers can be caught out.
The fact is that fake perfume is big business. In October last year Birmingham Trading Standards officers seized 40 000 bottles of fake Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana and Versace perfume. According to their report the also found “paraphernalia needed to produce counterfeit branded perfume on an industrial scale, including bottle labelling and wrapping equipment.”
It’s becoming increasingly difficult to spot fake perfumes on packaging alone and often you only realise you’ve been ripped off when you try the actual perfume itself (not ideal if you bought it as a gift for someone else). My advice would be to always buy from reputable dealers that offer full money back guarantees and if the price sounds too good to be true, it most probably is. Sometimes it’s worth paying that little bit extra for piece of mind.
i have recently fallen victim to this scam.i bought what was meant to be coco chanel from a well known auction site.when it arrived,it sure looked the part,but when i went to open it,the stopper was loose,and not original to the bottle,so i immediatly knew id been conned.the scent bore no resemblance to coco.i am furious that this has happened to me,and in the process of claiming my money back via paypal,but,in a way,im lucky because many people would not have realised,my advice to anyone is this….if its cheap,theres a reason,,buy from an authorised retailer for your peace of mind,traders need a licence to sell chanel,so pay that bit extra and gain peace of mind