Monday, September 25, 2023

The bitter reality of the discontinued perfume market

Are you a first-time buyer of a discontinued perfume with no previous experience of buying such stuff online? Then this article would be of great use to you.

discontinued, perfumes

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The most recurring issue with buying discontinued perfume online is the epidemic of counterfeiting. According to a report in 2019 by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), counterfeiting accounts for up to 10% of the global perfume market, and it is estimated that over 50% of perfumes sold online are counterfeit. discontinued perfumes are particularly vulnerable to counterfeiting. First, there is a high demand for these perfumes, as they are often no longer available through traditional retail channels. Second, it can be difficult to verify the authenticity of discontinued perfumes, as there may be fewer legitimate sellers available. Finally, counterfeiters may be able to sell their products at a premium, as consumers are willing to pay more for a discontinued perfume that they love. Many customers have reported receiving counterfeit perfumes when they have ordered them from online retailers. These customers have complained about a variety of issues, including:

  • The perfume does not smell like a genuine product.
  • The perfume does not last as long as the genuine product.
  • The perfume irritates the skin or causes allergic reactions.
  • The packaging is of poor quality.
  • The perfume is not properly sealed.

So, if your favourite perfume has recently been discontinued and you have decided to buy a reserved bottle of the same from a third-party seller, you would do better if you buy it through offline channels like some reputed physical stores or retail shops. There you have the option to check the packaging and seal of the item and match the bar code of the packet with the one on the inside bottle. In any case, if the perfume is unavailable in any nearby store or shop, then always put your trust in the big players of online retailing, like Amazon, eBay, or Etsy. Most of us have some sort of previous experience of buying stuffs from these online marketplaces and we already know how to select the right item through reviews and ratings. Amazon, eBay, and Etsy – all these online market places have their anti-counterfeiting policy in operation and you can always ask for a return or refund if you feel that you have received the “wrong” item.

The following table may help you pick the right marketplace as per your convenience. The ratings have been given based on the reviews by the customers who have purchased discontinued fragrances from these websites.


P.S. We do not promote  or endorse any of these websites mentioned in this blog. This blog is written solely for helping the perfume loves pick their right perfume. The ratings in the above table has been given by AI after scrapping a vast number of customer reviews available online. These ratings are subjective and do not necessarily reflect the actual realities. Readers are always advised to make their own research before picking any online retail.

If in any case your favourite perfume is not available on these marketplaces, then we have another four websites for your reference. These websites have good track record in online perfume retailing for quite long time and all of them are having anti-counterfeit policies in operation as well. The following table would be helpful for you for this purpose.

One observed problem with some of these websites have been their shipping time which may bother some customers. For their reference, we have compiled the average, fastest, and slowest shipping time of these websites based on their customers reviews on trustpilot.com.

The shipping time may vary based on your address location and in case of international shipping. Some more relevant details about these websites have been discussed below.

 

FragranceNat.com and FragranceX.com

Both these websites are owned by the same company, i.e., FragranceNet Holdings, Inc., a privately held company based in Hauppauge, New York. It was founded in 1997 and is one of the largest online retailers of perfumes and fragrances in the world. The company sells a wide variety of perfumes and fragrances from designer brands, including Chanel, Dior, Gucci, and Yves Saint Laurent. So the two websites are very similar in terms of their selection, prices, and shipping times.

Pros:

  • Wide selection of perfumes and fragrances at discounted prices.
  • Easy-to-use website.
  • Secure checkout process.
  •  Free shipping on orders over $35.

Cons:

  • Slow shipping times.
  • Customer service issues.
Here are some tips for shopping:

  • Be prepared to wait for your order to ship. These websites are known for its slow shipping times.
  • If you have any problems with your order, be patient and persistent when contacting customer service.

 

FragranceOutlet.com

FragranceOutlet.com is owned by The Fragrance Outlet, Inc., a privately held company headquartered in Miami, Florida. The company was founded in 1990 and operates over 100 brick-and-mortar stores in addition to its online presence. The Fragrance Outlet, Inc. is a leading retailer of fragrances, perfumes, gift sets, beauty and cosmetic products. The company offers a wide selection of products at discounted prices.

Pros:

  • Wide selection of fragrances.
  • Competitive prices.
  • Fast shipping.
  • Easy to use website.
  • Good customer service.

Cons:

  • Some customers had reported difficulties in returning unwanted items.
  • Shipping prices can be high for international orders.

We recommend reading customer reviews carefully before making a purchase.

 

FragranceBuy.ca

FragranceBuy.ca is a privately owned Canadian company. The company was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Montreal, Quebec.

Pros:

  • Wide selection of perfumes and fragrances.
  • Competitive prices.
  • Fast shipping times.

Cons:

  • Customer service issues.

Here are some tips for shopping on FragranceBuy.ca:

  • If you have any problems with your order, be patient and persistent when contacting customer service.

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