Yesterday, an Indian salesman by the name of Yoga, came up to the clinic I'm working at; said that he invested in a perfume company called Luca Bossi which went bankrupt and left him with lots of designer perfumes as compensation for his investment. He also said that he used to sell them to departmental stores like Parkson and Jusco but now, can't do so as he has no right due to the bankruptcy of his company. So, he resort in direct selling, going from door to door and selling them DARN cheap! What kind of perfume he has? You name it, he has it! From Poison Midnight by Dior to Pure by Hugo Boss and even Summer by Calvin Klein. Everything selling from a quarter of its market price! Which means only RM30 - RM40! (Original price range from RM190 - RM300).
Now....at first, I was sceptical. This is just too good to be true. And so I consulted my mom which also said the same thing and asked me not to buy any. But the thing is....I am stubborn. I know it's fake, or at least i had the thought that it can't be possibly genuine. Still....there's this little part of me that says, "What if it's real? It would be a great deal! Besides, it's only RM40. Even if it's fake, it won't hurt that much."
"But then, you can't get RM40 just like that. You need to work and earn it. Every penny needs your blood, sweat and tears. What more is RM40?! It doesn't come out of thin air you know!"
Sigh....I was in such a dilemma yesterday. The salesman keep bugging me to buy even after countless "Can you come back later" but he kept on coming back. (I think I should work on my hinting skill). Maybe it was greed or maybe I was just too innocent. Maybe I've got to be cheated or hurt once, so I'll be wiser the next time and will say "NO!" to all these too good to be true offers. Maybe....just maybe.....
My mom knew I wanted to buy by hearing the tone of my voice. Haha....mother knows best what her children are thinking! And she gave up trying to brainwash me.
I looked into the Net to search for help and got this article [ http://make-homemade-fragrances.blogspot.com/2008/12/how-to-know-if-your-designers-perfume.html ]:
"These days imitation perfumes have exactly the same designer’s name, almost identical labels, boxes, bottles and very similar scents! So how would you tell that the designer’s perfume that you’re about to purchase is genuine? It’s really not that easy since counterfeiters have become masters of their crime with the aid of modern digital imaging and printing techniques. They are capable of producing almost identical replicas of all the major leading perfume brands on the market today. As a consumer you may never really know, until you experience the actual fragrance which may be close to but not exactly as it should. You'll discover that the perfume does NOT last as long, perhaps as little as one hour instead of half a day or longer as is the case with original designer perfume.
Things you should know if the perfume your are going to purchase is genuine or fake
1. Fragrance Consistency should be transparent and clear and color should be consistent. The Fragrance should not be overly oily.
2. Ensure that the seller guarantees the fragrance is 100% original and has return policy.
3. Fragrance smell should not be bitter or sour and should smell fresh.
4. On Ebay, check if the seller is Paypal verified. Sellers of counterfeit products are afraid to disclose their contact information to Paypal. If the seller is Paypal verified paypal has completed the necessary steps to ensure that the seller provided the right address.
5. The perfume that you are going to purchase should not have any skin reactions It should not make your skin itchy or create rashes.
6. Be suspicious about bargains. If a fragrance or cosmetic is too cheap, it may be a fake or old.
7. Check the box. The color should be identical and the cardboard good quality.
8. Buy from a reputable seller that has been in business for some time and has an ABN number.
9. Check the printing. It should have correct information, including spelling, logo and print style.
10. The color should match the color of sample bottles in department stores or boutiques. Color quality doesn't always show up well in photos, so ask the seller to photograph all the bottles of that kind of perfume in that concentration with a white background. If there is relative variation, start getting suspicious.Fakes often get the color slightly too dark or too light and are inconsistent.
11. Fake bottles are often badly made. There should be no air bubbles in the glass and the moulding marks should be even. Fake perfume bottles are generally poor quality compared to the genuine bottles.
12. Bottle labels should be positioned correctly and contain correct spelling, print style, logo and trademark.
13. Fakes print the information onto the glass with a paint-like ink. If you can scrape the ink off with a fingernail, it is likely to be faked.
14. On Ebay, check the seller’s feedback, if the seller has bad feedback this could mean problems with your purchase.
15. Look for a bubble in the spray tube. The bubble indicates that it has never been sprayed. Some sellers will take a large bottle of perfume and pour it into smaller bottles this is called decanting. You can often distinguish decanted perfume-the spray tube does not have air bubbles inside.
Take time to compare prices of products before deciding to buy. You have better chance of finding the best deal if you can spend time comparing prices and offers. When purchasing online, Consumers should look for reputable websites that have good ratings and guarantee their Discount Perfume products.Considering all these tips would help you know if your designer's perfume is genuine or fake."
Amazingly, the counterfeit perfume passed ALL of the bold tips......except the very 1st one; AFTER I bought it and tried it on myself today, I realised it only lasted less than an hour! :'(
True enough...I felt so stupid after that. Well....as I said, smart people does stupid things sometimes.
Sigh...thank goodness I bargained with him for RM30. I told him I am suspicious of his perfume but I'll give it a try to test if it's real. I asked for a cheaper price and said that if it's real, I'll recommend more friends to him. He was excited of course. He even gave me his contact number. (And now, he won't be getting any!) So, I managed to save RM10. I guess the damage is not too bad.....right??? Please say yes..... Sigh...with RM30, I can go for a round of good, expensive food! But then again, lesson learnt. People learn from mistakes, so do I. So do I.....
Picture of the perfume I bought (left). SEE! It looks SOOOO real (right).
So guys, BEWARE!!! With today's technology, even fake looks like twins of the original product. I've been cheated and I'm telling you now so you won't be the next victim!
