When my bottle of Creed Original Vetiver (OV) ran out a couple of weeks ago, I decided to order a replacement bottle online. I'd always had good experiences ordering frags online, and I certainly didn't want to pay retail prices here in Europe.
So I ordered the big 125 ml bottle from a very reputable online frag shop in the U.S. When it got here (after ransoming it out from customs), I sprayed it on and immediately noticed that something was off. The tart top notes were certainly OV-like, but there was something missing. What I find truly exceptional in OV are its creamy sandalwood and ambergris (and whatever else) underpinnings that carry through so beautifully into the drydown and last for well over 12 hours. That was entirely missing. I then noticed that the lot/year numbers had been cut out of the box and removed (via abrasion) from the bottle.
I contacted the company and was told to return the product for a refund. They were very nice about it I haven't seen the credit on my Mastercard account yet, but I'm fully confident I'll get the refund. When I asked whether this issue (removed lot numbers) came up frequently, she said no, it was new to her.
Ok, let's try again, I thought. The second bottle I ordered, also the 125 ml size, was from a company in the U.K. with a good reputation and with whom I'd had only positive experiences.
Guess what? Right, same story. Exactly. Same topnotes with nothing behind them. Only difference is that this time the year is on the box, 2005, but everything else is gone, i.e. cut or scratched off. I called the company they were very friendly and eager to help. They checked their stock, called me back and said that all of the bottles were the same. They referred to this phenomenon as "decoding", and said that they would not have accepted the consignment had they noticed the missing lot numbers. That bottle is going back, too, for a full refund.
So what did I do this morning? I went into the city and bought a 75 ml bottle at full retail 120, ouch!
I'm just amazed that there can be such differences. It must be more than just age it must be due to really, really poor storage. Or maybe a bad lot that wasn't supposed to go out? I don't know. But I would bet that those who complain about poor longevity with OV have also had the misfortune of trying the bad stuff. There's a world of difference.
Interested in hearing your thoughts.
So I ordered the big 125 ml bottle from a very reputable online frag shop in the U.S. When it got here (after ransoming it out from customs), I sprayed it on and immediately noticed that something was off. The tart top notes were certainly OV-like, but there was something missing. What I find truly exceptional in OV are its creamy sandalwood and ambergris (and whatever else) underpinnings that carry through so beautifully into the drydown and last for well over 12 hours. That was entirely missing. I then noticed that the lot/year numbers had been cut out of the box and removed (via abrasion) from the bottle.
I contacted the company and was told to return the product for a refund. They were very nice about it I haven't seen the credit on my Mastercard account yet, but I'm fully confident I'll get the refund. When I asked whether this issue (removed lot numbers) came up frequently, she said no, it was new to her.
Ok, let's try again, I thought. The second bottle I ordered, also the 125 ml size, was from a company in the U.K. with a good reputation and with whom I'd had only positive experiences.
Guess what? Right, same story. Exactly. Same topnotes with nothing behind them. Only difference is that this time the year is on the box, 2005, but everything else is gone, i.e. cut or scratched off. I called the company they were very friendly and eager to help. They checked their stock, called me back and said that all of the bottles were the same. They referred to this phenomenon as "decoding", and said that they would not have accepted the consignment had they noticed the missing lot numbers. That bottle is going back, too, for a full refund.
So what did I do this morning? I went into the city and bought a 75 ml bottle at full retail 120, ouch!
I'm just amazed that there can be such differences. It must be more than just age it must be due to really, really poor storage. Or maybe a bad lot that wasn't supposed to go out? I don't know. But I would bet that those who complain about poor longevity with OV have also had the misfortune of trying the bad stuff. There's a world of difference.
Interested in hearing your thoughts.
Yeah, I've been suspecting the same thing.
Got another one to spare?
