How to Prevent Being Scammed

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Hello, ladies and gentlemen! I hope everyone is having a wonderful morning.  I was just sitting here sipping on my cardamom tea and I suddenly became inspired to write an article. I have seen a lot of people post about fakes, scams, and such in the groups lately, so I thought I would give some advice to prevent this. This isn't a complete list, but only a few simple things you can do to prevent it. Let's get into it!


Trusted Retailers

If you are going to buy online at a store, then it's best to know that they are a store that is known to carry real fragrances. You can check with people in the groups to see if they know about them. If the price is too good to be true, then 98% of the time it is going to be fake.

Fragrancex, Fragrancenet, Notino, Foreverlux, Perfume.com, and Fragrancebuy.ca are all trusted discounters. I see these questions asked every day, which I am well aware that new people join the group and such, but there are hundreds of posts and videos from other reviewers confirming their legitimacy. A simple search function in most groups will allow you to see what people say about them. Rack stores like TJ/TK Maxx, Ross, Burlington, and Marshall's carry legitimate fragrance, just as those discounters do.

If you are paranoid about getting a fake from these sites, then just go with an official retailer like Saks, Sephora, Belk, Macy's, or any of the department stores. Is your peace of mind worth a few bucks? Don't be cheap if it's going to ruin your day and enjoyment of a fragrance.

I know Demi said something about buying from discounters is bad or something. I didn't watch the video because I don't like Demi's content. However, I can assure you that buying from discounters is safe and legal. Fragrancenet has been around for around two decades. Surely if they were doing illegal stuff, then they would have been shut down by now.

Avoid buying anything from China or Russia, unless the house you are seeking comes from that country. Your best bet is to only buy from the US, Canada, Middle East, and Europe. Again, if the house is from another country, such as Dixit & Zak being from India, then feel safe buying from that country. Not all of these countries are producing fakes. China and Russia are just the most notorious for it.


eBay

If you wish to take the eBay route, then check the seller's ratings. It's not definitively safe if they have 10k positive ratings though. There is always a risk with eBay.

If you aren't sure you will get a 100% authentic product, then just don't use eBay. Again, your peace of mind isn't worth a few bucks in savings. Unless you are buying vintage fragrances, then you can pretty much avoid eBay if you don't feel comfortable with it. They also offer protection if you get scammed, so don't fret if you do happen to get a fake.

Also, don't be that guy or gal that falsely claims something is fake or watered down. Make sure you know what you are talking about before you mess up a legitimate seller's rating. If you ask in the groups, a lot of people will just claim what the majority does and don't really know if it's fake or not. Look for the people who actually give reasons as to why it's fake, not just the guys and gals who say only "fake".


Facebook Groups


This is probably where most fragheads get scammed. Do legit checks on people. If the seller opposes you doing a legit check on them, then it's probably best not to do business with them.

If they are a new seller, then you can just say you will only pay with goods and services in order to protect yourself. The extra tax on it is worth it in case the deal goes south.

Look for red flags. If they aren't willing to show you a picture of the product you are getting, then walk away. If they seem to make up tons of excuses, ask for a refund. Sometimes people do run into a lot of things in life. It happens. Don't expect them to ship the package the next day. Some people have to work. If it's been a week without any tracking number, then ask for a refund. Yes, sometimes you won't get it and it's sad, but you always run that risk when dealing with new people in the groups.

If they are a legitimate seller and you did a legit check and they had a bunch of responses, then you can buy with friends and family. Many of the legit sellers do this to protect themselves from people getting products and saying they are fake and getting a refund. Some of these guys move a lot of product, so they would be taking big losses if people did this to them, so try to understand their stance. Only do this for people who have made a lot of sales though.

Also, do not call someone out automatically because they didn't ship fast enough for you. Contact the admins of the group you saw their post in. Ask them about it and see if they can find anything out before you blast someone who could have just run into something. If you are that paranoid about people scamming you, then just use online retailers like I mentioned above.

Also, one way to build a bad reputation and have sellers not sell to you is to lowball them. Most of the sellers have more than reasonable pricing. if you don't like the price, then just look elsewhere. These guys need to make money too. They aren't charity organizations.


Don't Be Cheap

If you really want Bleu de Chanel EDT, then you will just pay retail for it and save yourself some worry. Trying to save 10 bucks by going to alternate sources can end up costing you a lot more than just buying it retail.

Again I will say it, if the price is too good to be true, then it probably is. Don't put more strain on yourself than you need to.

If you are trying to lowball a seller on the premise of you needing food for your family, then you shouldn't be buying fragrances period. You have a problem and need to seek counseling. I am not saying that to be funny. I am serious. Fragrances are a luxury, not an essential item.


Probability of Fakes

If the fragrance is one that is counterfeited very often, such as Bleu de Chanel, BR540 Extrait, and Aventus, then just buy it from a discounter or at retail. These are not fragrances you want to buy from eBay. You can still purchase them from trusted sellers in the groups. However, the more popular a fragrance is within the non-fraghead crowd, the higher likelihood you will get a fake. Be cognizant of things like this.


Conclusion

Your money is in your hands. it's up to you to decide the best course of action. Don't be impulsive and try to hop on a good deal automatically. If the seller wants to sell quick, then they might be trying to scam you. Look for the red flags and you will be fine. Use common sense.


I am sure there are many more things I could cover in this article, but I can't think of anything else right now. I hope everyone has a wonderful day. Be a blessing to someone and say a kind word. It's free and you never know how much it could help them. They could be on the edge of breaking down and one kind word could make their day better.

Let's pray for our black brothers and sisters in their fight to be treated equally. the changes start with us. Let us also pray that the rest of us can see where we can help them accomplish this. We are all in this together. Racism sucks.


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