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Buyers Guide to Spotting Counterfeit Discount Perfumes

In today's modern age of internet sales and auctioning, it can be difficult to tell if you are getting what you pay for. On eBay, for instance, one may notice that some vendors may be selling what they claim to be the same discount fragrance for substantially different prices.

A perfume Industry Expert, Michael Rares went Shopping on eBay. With his 30 Years of experience in the discount perfume industry, spotted the fake item right away. A item from Chanel that is normally sells at very high price, was dirt cheap.

The item Rares noticed was Coco Mademoiselle Eau de Parfum Spray. A 3.4oz bottle usually retails for $110.00. This one was priced on eBay for $39.95. The same item, when it is available, sells in the discount fragrance market for around $85.00. As a consumer, this low of a price should immediately put up a red flag, as it did for Rares, that the product is either counterfeit or stolen. The reason being is that there is no need to cut the price of discount perfumes to this extreme of a low. Realistically, most discount perfumes can sell close to or at market price.

The first clue in determining if a product is real is the pricing. In this case, the old adage applies; if it's too good to be true, it probably is. Rares took his research a step further by purchasing the Coco Mademoiselle. Having also purchased a certified bottle of the fine perfume, Rares was able to make a direct comparison of the two. At first glance it seemed legitimate. However, a closer examination of the packaging revealed that there were obvious differences between the two products.

Rares offers the following suggestions for what to look for in spotting a fake discount fragrance. If you are not able to purchase multiple items, you can compare the item in question against one from a department store. Start by examine the outside packaging. Check to see that the font type and size matches and that the lettering is in the same place. Check to see if the box is folded and glued in the same manner. Boxes for counterfeits often fall apart if handled too much.

Check out the UPC Bar code on the box. Is it located in the same place. You can also check the numbers and font and see if they all match up. Check all of the trade marks, are they in the correct places? Do they look the same. Is there an inner lining inside the box and does it fit in the box correctly. Is the construction consistent with the perfume box you are comparing it with.Check out the detail bordering. In the Coco Perfume case there is a gold trim around the outside of the box and the inside flaps are gold.

The bottle construction is very difficult to copy. Are the angles of the glass smooth and even? Quality bottles are seamless. There should not be lines in the middle of the bottle. Look at the details, angles and coloring of the cap and its construction. Does it fit properly on the bottle? Does it slide on and off easily. Examine the sprayer detail outside and inside the bottle. In the fake Coco the gold sprayer and the stem inside the bottle were completely different from the real one.

And one of the most important things to check out. Does it smell the same. See if the coloring of the juice and the smell are consistent with the department store product. The smell test is always the first test for consumers, but it can be hard to tell the difference unless you wear it for a period of time.

Sites that allow anyone to sell fake or counterfeit will always pose these risks to the consumer. If you are unable to obtain any information on a product to see if it real , judge it by the price. Look for legitimate websites to buy from. And remember, if it seems too good to be true, that's because it is.

Article Source: http://www.uberarticles.com/articles

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