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The Perfumed Court

post #1 of 708
Thread Starter 
I received a mail from this new company and was initially very excited about the idea of a company specialising in decants, but when I saw their prices it left me cold. Eg. for a 1ml sample of Gin Fizz, ( Lubin ) they wanted $18. I recently bought a 100ml bottle on ebay for $12.
Does anyone have good opinions on their prices ?
post #2 of 708
Maybe it is pure parfum opposed to an EdT?
post #3 of 708
I looked around on there and found the same thing. Some are astronomical.. some of the larger decants cost more than buying a new bottle retail.
post #4 of 708
I like their concept and I'm glad their service is available, but I agree, their prices are "out of wack".
post #5 of 708
The LVMH of decants ..
post #6 of 708
Plus we have the added benefit of knowing the stuff on ebay is not counterfeit. They said so.
post #7 of 708
Well, I suppose they want to make money. You can't blame them for trying to make a buck. I won't be using their services either but they do have some great fragrances for sale. My collection is so large that cost can really be a factor when shopping. Personally, I love Ebay for that very reason.
post #8 of 708
They are charging $10 per 1ml of some things. At that rate, the flacon of Feuille Verte I wanted to buy from them would have cost $8,500. (compared to $400 retail)
post #9 of 708
Whatever happened to the carefully worded ads of b94new and oh gosh the Basenotes name escapes me of Fateh (which I also am probably spelling wrong) whose ad used to say "decants at unbelievable prices"? You know he had an old fashioned bicycle as his avatar.

It's be nice to see them doing their thing again!
post #10 of 708
Sounds like Perfumed Court is just trying to capitalize on the recent clampdown on decant sales over the net. Are the parties who complained to sites such as ebay going to do the same thing with this company or is there some sinister connection?
post #11 of 708
Hmm.. I have ordered from them twice already and been very satisfied.

I use to order from one of the ladies for the past 2 years, and she's supper fast and the product is genuine.

Also, if find the prices ok...18$ ones is usually for pure Parfums..so it not that bad.

I find it way better than spending money on ebay and I may not like it

I wanted to try Mouchoir de Monsieur cause I like Jicky. There were two options buy from Amazon at 100 and risk not liking it or pay 4$ at the perfume court for a vial and try it......Turns out I did not like it.
post #12 of 708
There was a thread started in the Fragrance Industry Discussion Board. I purchased an ounce decant from a basenoter in the past. Nice glass bottle, properly labeled and the scent itself was fresh and authentic. Recently finishing it, I decided to purchase another. What cost me 28 USD shipped before, I would have to purchase from them at 116.00 USD without shipping. The Creed 30 ml bottles BNIB here cost 90 dollars. I purchased decants in the past because they were cheaper then bottles, now its the other way around. Not only this, but various other items are extremely over priced. I understand about profits, but this is just greedy.

I wrote a brief comment asking why their prices are so high and suggested lowering them to gain more customers, but I received a very brief "Thank you for your suggestions" comment back.

I will also not be doing business with them.
post #13 of 708
I've bought a lot from Diane in the past, but y'all are right. These prices are way too high. i went there to get a decant of TauerL'Air du desert marocain and an 8 ml decant was $32.50. A full bottle is just $80 at Luckyscent and Luckyscent is expensive too. Using their math, the bottle would have cost $203! Same thing with L'Artisan Safran Troublant. I love decants for the same reason ManlyScent stated, but damn!
post #14 of 708
ok Phantagrow, that's who it is, I got 10 ml of l'air for something like $9-12 from him....

and b94new always sold for way way less than the 1/6 oz price decants of fragrant frips etc, but for nearly double the size at 1/4 oz

try them, I'm sure they're still willing to help and b94new's selection is pretty extensive.
post #15 of 708
Let me start out by saying that I have purchased in the past from all three women involved with Perfumed Court and was very satisified with each and every order. I think the idea was wonderful and I wish the ladies success ... HOWEVER, I am extremely disappointed in the way the prices have skyrocketed. I guess there is just not enough competition to keep the prices reasonable. Two weeks before the Perfumed Court opened, I bought a 5ml decant of Cuir Mauresque from one of the sellers for $15, that same 5ml decant is now $30. Every decant that I had been thinking about buying was increased by similar pricing, across the board. The tiny 1ml samples are all increased, and we're not talking small percentages either ...

Oh, and they no longer give free samples with an order. You have to buy $100 worth to get a 5% discount on a future purchase.

I really had high hopes for the Perfumed Court but I'm afraid that they have priced me out.
post #16 of 708
Looks like its not named "The Perfumed Court" for nothing .. only royals need apply !
post #17 of 708
A. that website cost a fortune

B. If you operate a business on the web, payments handled by Yahoo etc. How much insurance should you buy? How much do you need?

3. Vote with your feet. We Americans hold our heads up proudly and declare, I cannot afford these French Juices, a big screen TV, Johnny Walker Blue Label and a pair of Borzoi hounds on what my wifes making.

D. If you have to ask, you can't afford it.
post #18 of 708
...
post #19 of 708
Totally agree with all the negative comments regarding their pricing. They do have an awesome selection but I ended up ordering from First-In-Fragrance. I received my samples in less than a week and I only paid 5EURO for shipping to US.
post #20 of 708
Eat the fuckin rich
--------------------------------------
BTW: TPC is practically giving away Patou Pour Homme. Homey
I still wanna hear the song though. What's it set to? That ole Civil War ditty?
post #21 of 708
One of the ladies from the Perfumed Court handed out free decants of some of her stuff at the Chicago B-notes gathering a few months ago. I picked Guerlain's Cologne du 68 and fell in love with it. Mindblowing indeed! Of course, I can not find it anywhere but for decants on her site. How dare she hook me like this? Have I made a purchase from her? Not yet, not yet...
post #22 of 708
I recently ordered from Perfumed Court, and I was really pleased with the service. Yes, the prices seem a bit much, but I look at it this way: I am extremely picky in what I wear, and I am confident I save myself a bit of $$$ by getting the decants of the high-end stuff I want to try.

After getting burned by L'Artisan's Ananas Fizz, I've made it a personal policy to get decants when possible. No more impulse buys after sampling once.
post #23 of 708
Quote:
Originally Posted by BlueDevilSF View Post

I recently ordered from Perfumed Court, and I was really pleased with the service. Yes, the prices seem a bit much, but I look at it this way: I am extremely picky in what I wear, and I am confident I save myself a bit of $$$ by getting the decants of the high-end stuff I want to try.

After getting burned by L'Artisan's Ananas Fizz, I've made it a personal policy to get decants when possible. No more impulse buys after sampling once.

I agree with you. In my case I'm absolutely new to the world of fragrances, so now I want to try as many of them as possible - and the choice in The Perfumed Court is really great. Surely I'll order from First in Fragrance as well, from Luckyscent, but they do not have all fragrances i want to test. So I think The Perfumed Court is strong in their variety of fragrances
post #24 of 708
I completely tore apart aedes.com, lusciouscargo.com, beautycafe.com, beautyhabit.com, theperfumeshoppe.com, and luckyscent.com

This is one of the last sites (along with firstinfragrance) that I am gathering samples from.

I stumbled upon an incredible website a month ago that had so many samples. It had everything from the third man, to m7, to le dandy, etc. yet I lost the link and have been hopelessly searching for the website every since.

I never buy a fragrance blind. I'm a very stingy person and although samples can cost a lot of money after the prices start stacking up, it's a lot more worth it than having a bottle to just collect dust.
post #25 of 708
Quote:
Originally Posted by matreal View Post

I completely tore apart aedes.com, lusciouscargo.com, beautycafe.com, beautyhabit.com, theperfumeshoppe.com, and luckyscent.com

but do they ship internationally?
post #26 of 708
Quote:
Originally Posted by laim View Post

but do they ship internationally?

Aedes only ships in the US

I'm not sure about www.lusciouscargo.com They don't say whether they do or don't. Might have to just try to have them deliver and if it's not an option then that solves that question.

www.beautycafe.com ships to Canada, Mexico, and Western Europe

Ships International
www.beautyhabit.com
www.Theperfumeshoppe.com
www.Luckyscent.com

And http://ausliebezumduft.de/index.php is based out of Germany and they ship international.
post #27 of 708
matreal, thank you so much
post #28 of 708
Quote:
Originally Posted by laim View Post

matreal, thank you so much

you're very welcome!

I also forgot to mention

http://www.lacremebeauty.com/product...roducts_id=748

They also ship international. On some of the websites the link to the sample program can be hard to find. If you have any trouble finding them, just let me know and I'll point you in the right direction.
post #29 of 708
Quote:
Originally Posted by matreal View Post

you're very welcome!
I also forgot to mention
http://www.lacremebeauty.com/product...roducts_id=748
They also ship international. On some of the websites the link to the sample program can be hard to find. If you have any trouble finding them, just let me know and I'll point you in the right direction.

that's great! You're very kind, thanks especially I liked this sentence here: "All Serge Lutens fragrances are available for sampling as well.":bounce:Yeah! Actually I ordered only from Luckyscent, First in Fragrance (or so called 'Aus Liebe zum Duft') and The Perfumed Court. But you helped me a lot - now I see there are some other great places
post #30 of 708
Well, the cost of the website won't matter if:
A.) They offered the decants at a lower price, and sold more of them, or
2.) (Winking at you fredericktoo) They offer the decants at the prices they have now, don't sell enough to stay in business, and have to shut down the website, netting losses.
- Rich
post #31 of 708
Today I receivd 5 SL samples of non-export fragrances I've wanted to try for ages (one of them I already had, but I wanted a bit more..). The ones I got were: Un Lys, Chergui, Muscs Kublai Khan, Iris Silver Mist and Rose de Nuit. The ones currently blowing me away are Un Lys and Muscs Kublai Khan. Rose de Nuit is OK, Chergui is lovely, and I don't like Iris Silver Mist at all. But I just wanted to say what a great service The Perfumed Court is to us perfume addicts. Give it a try if you haven't already.
post #32 of 708
All hail TPC! Today I received a batch of vials from Nancy; a decant of L'Eau de Navigateur will be arriving from Lisa in the mail by Saturday. I don't want to live in a world without knowledgeable, reputable, well-stocked decantresses.

I hope the ladies of the court make a butt-load of profit, have all their e-commerce go swimmingly, and bask in the adoration of the many who appreciate their products and services.
post #33 of 708
Well, I hadn't really noticed that the prices have gone up that much there, but I'm sure it's not easy co-ordinating this between 4 decanters in 4 states. I doubt they are getting rich on this, but if they are, good for them. They are nice women who were pretty much treated like criminals by eBay (I used to buy from all of them).

I like to use them for things I can't get just to try them or to try things like SL exclusives to see if I really want to jump through hoops to buy them.
post #34 of 708
it 's nice to test their 1ml samples for those who don 't live in Paris or New York but their larger decants used to half priced when they used to compete with each other on ebay, as soon as they merged, everything doubled pricewise.
post #35 of 708
I think they may have had some costs in the setting up of TPC, and not having known their prices before, I haven't noticed a change (if that makes sense?!). I think it's an excellent service, particularly for the unattainable fragrances. Now I know what Un Lys smells like on my skin, I won't be afraid of stumping up for a bottle of it should I ever find myself in Paris!
post #36 of 708
Thread Starter 
Yes, but when a 1ml sample costs more than a big bottle on ebay, I´d rather have the ebay option. If you end up not liking the fragrance you can always sell it on or swap it.
post #37 of 708
To me, buying 1 ml edt samples does not make much sense unless the item is very rare or precious. Small samples give me hardly more than an idea about a fragrance. If I am seriously interested I need more to really test it for wearing. The postage on such small orders can be particularly painful.

Somebody suggested to consider this group (...mostly basenoters) in the recent Arabian Perfume Oil thread, so I looked at their offers in detail. I think their prices are far from being compatible in that sector also. The post and respective links were interesting but seem to have silenced that thread. Quel domage!
post #38 of 708
Quote:
Originally Posted by tmp00 View Post

They are nice women who were pretty much treated like criminals by eBay (I used to buy from all of them).
I like to use them for things I can't get just to try them or to try things like SL exclusives to see if I really want to jump through hoops to buy them.

I absolutely agee with you - the girls are very nice and their service is fabulous and they have those fragrances which are difficult to get somewhere else. So I'm using the Perfumed Court for these things as well. But as I live in Europe I still have to consider shipping costs and etc.
post #39 of 708
Quote:
Originally Posted by _R$_ View Post

Well, the cost of the website won't matter if:
A.) They offered the decants at a lower price, and sold more of them, or
2.) (Winking at you fredericktoo) They offer the decants at the prices they have now, don't sell enough to stay in business, and have to shut down the website, netting losses.
- Rich

duh
post #40 of 708
Remember, too, they're sticking out their collective necks with this venture. If decanting were a get-rich-quick scheme, there would be similar sites popping up all over. I know Lisa travels to France and carts back many of these precious goodies since this is the only way to import them.

The gals aren't making a bundle on a per-hours basis, I'm sure, so I can't begrudge them any success. For bargains, there's always swapping here or at MUA, but then you have to play the waiting game--that's if the scent you want is even available.

Don't think I'm picking on your valid comment, Aline. Welcome, welcome, welcome to this smelly, chatty place. Never hesitate to share your thoughts and feelings. I just try to put myself in these women's shoes and, having met lovely Lisa, I know there are more profitable things she could be doing with her time, and she probably couldn't have pursued this interest to this point without the emotional and financial support of her dear husband.
post #41 of 708
Quote:
Originally Posted by BlueDevilSF View Post

I recently ordered from Perfumed Court, and I was really pleased with the service. Yes, the prices seem a bit much, but I look at it this way: I am extremely picky in what I wear, and I am confident I save myself a bit of $$$ by getting the decants of the high-end stuff I want to try.

After getting burned by L'Artisan's Ananas Fizz, I've made it a personal policy to get decants when possible. No more impulse buys after sampling once.

Likewise, I recently purchased some non-export Lutens samples and I'm very pleased with both the price and the service. It helps me to decide on future purchases, and ultimately saves me money on the ones I might have mistakenly bought unsniffed.
post #42 of 708
I understand them too, it 's just that for me and my pocket only three months ago I could find on ebay 5ML of Rose de Nuit or another niche exclusive half of what it is now.
post #43 of 708
Quote:
Originally Posted by Aline et Valcour View Post

I understand them too, it 's just that for me and my pocket only three months ago I could find on ebay 5ML of Rose de Nuit or another niche exclusive half of what it is now.

I feel your pain, having finally coughed up a fistful of dollars for 8ml of L'Artisan. This is a lesson to me to buy a bottle of something I like when it's a sale and not suffer later when it's discontinued and pricey.
post #44 of 708
At the most I will be purchasing samples from them. The Decant prices are ridiculous. Upon further investigation, a 8ml spray decant of Le Dandy Pour Homme is 12.75. Essentially you are paying $272 for 100 ml that you can buy for $95. That's a $177 profit. I can buy 3 bottles of Le Dandy for a total of their 1 bottle. Why not just buy a bottle, decant out 8 ml yourself, and then swap/sell the bottle? You wouldn't be losing anywhere near as much money. Not to mention a $236 profit off of 100 ml of Musc Ravageur. It'd be $406 to get an entire bottles worth where as it's $170 for a 100 ml of Musc Ravageur
post #45 of 708
Where's Buffalo_Gals? I would think she at least would care to answer her critics here.
post #46 of 708
I'll keep this one short:

1) Maybe the Basenoters behind Perfumed Court could pitch in this thread and justify their prices. Remaining silent would surely do more harm than good.

2) They could be the loveliest people in the world but that's not a good enough excuse to be 'ripped-off'.

3) As for those who mentioned that buying from them is still a great alternative to buying blind, well why the hell do you think most Basenoters buy decants in the first place?
post #47 of 708
Quote:
Originally Posted by Trebor View Post

Maybe the Basenoters behind Perfumed Court could pitch in this thread and justify their prices. Remaining silent would surely do more harm than good.

Exactly.

Ladies...??
post #48 of 708
Remember, these two decanters are great, they still take paypal and their prices haven't gone up:

http://www.yousmellmarvelous.com/

http://scentphoria.blogspot.com/

Not affiliated
post #49 of 708
Thanks for the reminder, fiori. I bought from yousmellmarvelous repeatedly when she (Linda) was on ebay. Love the frags she carried.
post #50 of 708
I made my first order with them last month and was impressed by the service and by the variety of perfumes. I'm new at this (and HATE e-bay) so I was not familiar with any of their services before they combined. These ladies obviously thought their service through carefully.

In terms of price...$3-$10 samples of hard-to-find stuff you don't know you'll like beats paying full price ($25 - $$$$$) for a bottle you wind up hating.
post #51 of 708
Quote:
Originally Posted by sakecat22 View Post

.....In terms of price...$3-$10 samples of hard-to-find stuff you don't know you'll like beats paying full price ($25 - $$$$$) for a bottle you wind up hating.

Amen and welcomewelcome Sakecat!! You're sure in the right place!!
post #52 of 708
Oh, you poor, poor victims...is this basenotes or whinenotes?

TNMA
post #53 of 708
I wanted to purchase all 12 Tom Ford scents in their Private Collection. Each 1ml would have cost me 10 dollars. I think 120 USD before shipping charges for 10ml is very high. I'm also thinking they buy the 250ml bottles for 450.00 USD.

So 450.00 USD for 250ml..and they sell each ml for roughly 10 dollars. That's slightly over 2000.00 USD profit for every bottle. I don't think that's fair, would it hurt if they brought down their prices a little.

I ended up calling the store in NY and they are helping me by sending out some carded samples.

I'm sorry, but even if their service is good, I can't afford the prices, and I'm sure there's places out there that provide just as good service with lower prices.
post #54 of 708
Quote:
Originally Posted by matreal View Post

At the most I will be purchasing samples from them. The Decant prices are ridiculous. Upon further investigation, a 8ml spray decant of Le Dandy Pour Homme is 12.75. Essentially you are paying $272 for 100 ml that you can buy for $95. That's a $177 profit. I can buy 3 bottles of Le Dandy for a total of their 1 bottle. Why not just buy a bottle, decant out 8 ml yourself, and then swap/sell the bottle? You wouldn't be losing anywhere near as much money. Not to mention a $236 profit off of 100 ml of Musc Ravageur. It'd be $406 to get an entire bottles worth where as it's $170 for a 100 ml of Musc Ravageur

If I buy le Dandy PH for $95 and I end up thinking it smells like the inside of a rendering removal truck. I lose $95.00. At $12.75 for 8ml they make lovely little stocking stuffers. Why is that so hard to understand?

Raise your hands if you just keep buying the same thing over and over from a decanter.

Would you be happier if they sold it at cost? Then you could just buy what you need. That would be handy.

on another thing altogether. why does Bentley let me rent the sporty model at a bit over a grand a day? at these rates I could buy my own in 5 or 6 months.
post #55 of 708
I like how some of the Perfumed Court founders who are also members here have chosen not to respond to this thread and end the controversy ... its free publicity for them !

We are smarter than that aren't we fellow Basenoters ?
post #56 of 708
Quote:
Originally Posted by matreal View Post

At the most I will be purchasing samples from them. The Decant prices are ridiculous. Upon further investigation, a 8ml spray decant of Le Dandy Pour Homme is 12.75. Essentially you are paying $272 for 100 ml that you can buy for $95. That's a $177 profit. I can buy 3 bottles of Le Dandy for a total of their 1 bottle. Why not just buy a bottle, decant out 8 ml yourself, and then swap/sell the bottle? You wouldn't be losing anywhere near as much money. Not to mention a $236 profit off of 100 ml of Musc Ravageur. It'd be $406 to get an entire bottles worth where as it's $170 for a 100 ml of Musc Ravageur

Also I just wanted to add, they make over a 2000.00 USD profit for every Tom Ford Private Collection bottle they sell, considering they sell each ml for 10.00 dollars and they buy the larger 250 ml bottle for 450.00 dollars.

I guess just don't buy from them if you don't like the prices, that's what I'm doing. I would suggest though contacting various niche perfume houses by email. Some are more then willing to send free samples (ie. L'artisan, Frederic Malle, SL Wax Sample Book, etc..) as well as try finding local stores, and swapping on Makeupalley.
post #57 of 708
post #58 of 708
I figured it would be an unpopular opinion to say anything about the pricing on the Perfumed Court. I almost didn't ...

I have bought decants from all four ladies in the past, I have NOTHING but good things to say about their service, their friendliness, their selection. I think it's great that they provide the services that they do. I wish them nothing but success. I love buying decants, I must have close to 50. I hear all the arguments that you are making, I think it stinks that people can't sell them here or on ebay any longer ...

But my complaint is that once the ladies combined, there isn't really any competition to keep the prices down. I bought a 5ml decant of Cuir Mauresque for $15 two weeks before the Perfumed Court opened from one of the sellers. That same 5ml decant is now $30. Every other decant that I had been looking at and thinking about buying increased by similar amounts.

I understand about wanting to make a profit. Otherwise, why do it? But what I don't understand is why the big increase in prices.

I'm not making threats by saying I will not shop there ... I'm sure that I will sometime in the future. Nor am I telling others what to do. I'm just uncomfortable paying the prices they are asking right now ... If others feel the way I do, the prices will adjust.
post #59 of 708
Quote:
Originally Posted by zztopp View Post

I like how some of the Perfumed Court founders who are also members here have chosen not to respond to this thread and end the controversy ... its free publicity for them !

We are smarter than that aren't we fellow Basenoters ?

What exactly is the controversy?
post #60 of 708
Here's one more decanter still in the biz, although I think she's winding down. Does anyone know of others?
http://www.thebodyperfumery.com/decants.html
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