Why ebay?

There are great deals on eBay, but one must stay with sellers with a very high feedback percentage like 98% +.

I've purchased nearly all my fragrances on ebay, partly for great deals and partly for availability, and I've been scammed only once, and that was by the very first person I dealt with. I'm glad that I didn't get turned off right away, because it's been great. I agree that you must go with sellers that have at least 98% positive feedback. Also, read their feedback to see what any of the problems were and that they normally deal in perfumes or cosmetics. It's also a good idea to ask a question or two before you buy, so you can kind of get a feel for who the seller is. Always ask all important questions (ie. shipping) before bidding or purchasing.
There are a few ebayers who are known to the Basenotes community as being trustworthy. I believe there's a thread somewhere in here about reliable ebay vendors. I can recommend Serendipity Scents and Dragonflyscentme. I think it's great for samples, in particular. A cheap way to try lots of new stuff.

time to recommend again toolhaus.org which will give all negative feedback for a seller (and a buyer) from that you can get a very good idea of whom you are thinking about transacting with!

Why Ebay?
For me, 2 things... no selection in my area (well, enough for a regular person, but not BN'ers!). And half-price or less compared to other sources!

Like Pellen, I've built much of my collection from it. Fragrance is an expensive hobby, and though I buy stuff, I'd bet that I've spent less per frag than almost anyone else.

It seems that many people don't grasp that if you cut some corners, you take on some risk. I put what I do to minimize risk in the Ebay thread over in City Shopping Guides, and I won't repeat it here. In any case, cheapest isn't always the way to go.

If you still feel uncomfortable, I agree that Scentiments.com is probably the way to go. If that seems risky, than brick and mortar stores are for you.

Yeah, toolhaus.org is really cool. It makes finding/reading the negative feedback MUCH easier... thanks, supermarky!

Without ebay I'd be in the poorhouse, this way I'm only broke . Honestly, since there are no online discounters for fragrance in Germany it's basically either full retail or ebay, with a few cheap UK sellers on the side. I have never had a bad experience there except once with a US seller (fake GIT). Much of what I bought came from private owners or people dealing in testers, and I've saved anywhere from 25 to 98% percent, as well as getting a few rarities unavailable otherwise. 95% of my frags are ebay bought! and will be in the future. The only time you really have to watch out is when someone offers a very popular or sought after fragrance for a very low price - that smells fishy. With the GIT I should have known better. I have gotten great scents most people have never heard of for 1 Euro though - bogart ph, Berdoues EdC. In trhose cases the law of supply & demand works in your favor.

Yeah, dragonflyscentme is a great operation for sure, but you can get an even better service if you contact Buffalo_Gals directly via Basenotes PM. Then she knows you're one of us, and will handle your order with extra care.

For me I go there only for availability and decants. Sometimes it seems to be the only place you can get what you want. The rarities are often bought up from BandM retailers in bulk and sold on Ebay. Ebay seems to make some things more expensive it seems.

If I want to get my sons the newest craze in Elmo or whatever, Wal-Mart will already have been sold out on opening day.
"Look honey, that grizzled looking gentleman in the extended cube van seems to have gotten the last 20!, better luck next time".
"Hey if he has 20 mouths to feed he deserves it".
I can always get them at super inflated prices on the worlds online marketplace


I won't be part of the retail mob's nor will I be a slave to hysteria. Lets go hiking kiddies!

I buy quite frequently (3 x per month) on ebay and rely strictly on feedback, repeat business, and longevity of the user. I've been using it for about 18 months and have only encountered three minor problems, none of which resulted in my being scammed or otherwise hustled. I don't hesitate to buy from sellers who are new to me, especially if I see familiar names in the feedback section (the perfume community is a small world).

What I DO watch out for is the following, and keep in mind this is MY perspective and is open to interpretation:

Auctions that are being bid on by two or more members with minimal feedback (oftentimes you will see a "war" going on between someone with 0 feedback and someone with feedback of 1). This is why esnipe is a good program. You can cancel your pending bid if this situation arises before auction close.

Brand new sellers who suddenly have in-demand items and have minimal feedback themselves. I have found that occasionally they do not have the product they are selling.

MEGASELLERS with hundreds of bottles of perfume whose inventory looks like the shelves of Sephora. I am not talking about someone like Meidy, who is a gem. I mean those who have giant stashes of similar items (check the listing; if it says something like 10 available this is a clue). These also may not have the item in stock.

Read all feedback. Run the software for negative feedback and see how often someone has complained that an item wasn't available.

Watch the seller's language on NEGATIVE feedback. Many are downright hostile or else appear to have difficulty communicating in English. Do not bid on an auction where a seller has insulted a buyer.

On the plus side, I disregard negative feedback that is specious, as in the case of buyers who bid on a decant and then complain about the size of the bottle, or bitch about receiving a tester when such a thing was clearly marked, or (and I have to take ebay to task on this one, loudly) kvetch that the item doesn't fit, isn't to his liking, or that he could have bought it cheaper at Macy's.

Generally I use ebay as a source for items that are not worth (to me) buying at retail or are ridiculously priced at retail. That would include the entire Bond No. 9 catalogue and those things that I kind of semi-like and might be better termed impulse purchases. I have done well on there from time to time. I have managed to get some vintage parfums in smaller sizes for around ten dollars each, I have scooped up Bonds for $100 LESS than retail for the large size, and I've done well buying ancillary products also, often saving thirty or more dollars per item.