Basenotes › Basenotes Forums › Fragrance Discussion › Male Fragrance Discussion › MFD Archive › Serial numbers cut off, removed, and/or scratched?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Serial numbers cut off, removed, and/or scratched?

post #1 of 5
6/14/08 at 10:52pm
Thread Starter 
I have long been wondering as to why some bottles come with the serial numbers being cut off or scratched?

I went to one Thai web site where a customer asked the same question, and the seller replied like this:

"It was cut off from America, the source where I buy it from. There each shop has quota and in case of buying more than the quota given, the serial numbers have to be removed, which is a way to protect themselves from having a problem with the manufacturer. This happens with the ones ordered in large amount, not with the less popular items."

Personally, I have no idea at all. I bought Bvlgari BLV from a shop here where the seller has lots of connections with airline stewards. The scent is real, but the serial numbers were removed. My B Men's serial numbers, bought from America, were scratched too.

Can anyone explain? I'm quite curious.
Reply
Reply

Features on Basenotes

Basenotes Reader Awards 2013 - Finalists Announced.
Petals Falling From The Sky - A Report From The Cote d'Azur's Bataille De Fleurs
Greatest Hits: Annick Menardo
post #2 of 5
6/14/08 at 11:34pm
Wadee kub,

Most scratched off bottles are that way because they are "grey-market" goods. If it's cut off/scratched off -- then its 99% most likely grey market. It is common for online retailers. They are scratched off so that you can not trace back to the source of the product of where it had come from (so the over-quota reason may be valid too) before going to a discounter -- or any other place it wasn't meant to in the first place (e.g. most "discount" Creeds are from the Middle East-Asia region with their serial numbers scratched off before getting loaded with thousand other bottles in a cargo container) They are real and authentic, but do so in order to hide some shady business practice of some kind from the buyer. Nevertheless, this way, everyone makes a profit -- the manufacturers in Europe, the department stores, the discounters, and even the buyer gets it for less!

Also -- with the serial code -- you can check with some nice manufacturers for the actual age of the bottle. My other hypothesis is that it may be scratched off because it is way beyond shelf life.

They are supposedly illegal in the EU, but "okay" in the US -- and Thailand probably doesn't care at all.
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 5
6/15/08 at 7:07am
In my other hobby (photography) gear with the serial number removed was grey-market, meaning you got what you got, don't expect the manufacturer to stand behind it. I was discussing this with a Thierry Mugler rep yesterday, about how I'd bought a 50mL bottle of B*Men at TJ Maxx for $15. She informed me that it was 100% grey market, as TM has never sold to TJ Maxx. She'd been with the company for some 14-odd years so I was inclined to believe her.
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 5
6/15/08 at 10:33pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for your opinions on this. At least the lost serial numbers show that the juice is real.
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 5
6/16/08 at 12:08am
Quote:
Originally Posted by bluesoul View Post

She informed me that it was 100% grey market, as TM has never sold to TJ Maxx. She'd been with the company for some 14-odd years so I was inclined to believe her.

Well, that may be partially true. While TM may have never sold any products themselves to TJX, retailers who carry their products such as Macy's and the like may have sold their overstock to TJX or other liquidators.
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: MFD Archive

Features on Basenotes

Basenotes Reader Awards 2013 - Finalists Announced.
Petals Falling From The Sky - A Report From The Cote d'Azur's Bataille De Fleurs
Greatest Hits: Annick Menardo
Basenotes › Basenotes Forums › Fragrance Discussion › Male Fragrance Discussion › MFD Archive › Serial numbers cut off, removed, and/or scratched?