Basenotes › Basenotes Forums › Fragrance Discussion › Fragrance Industry and General Fragrance Discussion › ScentMatchers claims to match any scent for $60
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

ScentMatchers claims to match any scent for $60

post #1 of 76
Thread Starter 
ScentMatchers--spotted this outfit in Google's "sponsored links" column.

I don't think anyone here would dare to give this service a try (especially given the no-returns policy), but thought you'd be entertained by SM's assertions. A number of companies claim to be able to match designer fragrances. ScentMatchers strangely doesn't post a list of recreations available the way most other fragrance mixers do.
post #2 of 76
The technology doesn't exist to copy a fragrance formula exactly, and no one has access to every ingredient in the world. I see nothing horribly wrong with the idea in general, as long as you're willing to accept you're getting the poster version of a fine art painting.
post #3 of 76
this service will probably work well for perfumes that have been recently discontinued (past 25 years) and especially those using very standard industry inputs (especially synthetics). The differences will be more apparent trying to reproduce vintage perfumes that for example were using a very high percentage of (compared to today) ultra high quality sandalwood or resins that are simply no longer available in the same form
post #4 of 76
The website is very simplistic, and no effort is made to describe any of the technology involved (e.g. GC/MS, etc) at even the most basic scientific level. The "Testimonials" link is meaningless, since a fraudulent service would obviously fabricate that content anyway. There is also a chance that the service might only duplicate top notes in a fragrance, which is a favorite scam employed by some other companies which make fragrance knock-offs.

If anyone here on BN with more than 500 posts employs this company to duplicate a fragrance, please post your evaluation of the service to this thread so we can all know the quality of your results.
post #5 of 76
Or maybe we take up a collection and do a poll to see what scent we try to duplicate. Sounds like fun. I'd donate a few $.
post #6 of 76
I'd donate a few $ toward a dupe of Anne Klein II
post #7 of 76
In a "press release" - http://www.pr.com/press-release/118469 - they say the have recently matched some fragrances including HL Cuiron.

Has anyone tried this - I never tried the original yet.
post #8 of 76
LOL.

i still can't figure out if that site is real or not......read the testimonials...."smell of my exhaust"?? that's right down my alley!

Cuiron...hmm
post #9 of 76
If you Google the address shown in the FAQ tab of the website, the only links that come up are ones that show the location was recently for sale:

Yahoo! real estate listing
owners.com real estate listing

The links associated with the company Scentmatchers LLC are public relations articles about Scentcrafters.com (the parent company):

scentcrafters.com PR listing

The Scentcrafters.com PR article is dated November 24, and the real estate listing is dated September 2, so it's possible the owner just bought the property and has set up shop there. The property is out in the middle of nowhere. It's so remote, Google doesn't even have a satellite image for it. And isn't it odd that a separate mailing address (e.g. P O Box or PMB) is not being used as the contact address?

Here are some complaints against the parent company:

Complaint #1
Complaint #2
Complaint #3

I haven't found any positive recommendations for either company on the web. The two home pages look very similar, and there is no link from the sister site to the parent. So, the owner might have spawned a new company in order to avoid his past reputation.
post #10 of 76
Wow, I was one who was duped. I paid for the scent of Hollister August to be duplicated. Its my 17 year old daughters favorite. I just received the scent on Thursday Dec 18, 08 it truely smells like dime store perfume. When I email "Lance" he emailed me back and said I was being disrespectful and they tried to match the scent. All I told him was I was disappointed and it did not even smell remotely like Hollister August, he said if you hate it throw away, you cant send it back we will not accept it and you will have to pay for return postage. I then emailed him and said you should change you website not to say we will match any discontinued scent perfectly because its false advertising. So I am out $80 for the perfume and the lotion and will be filing with the BBB. The bottle is not even a nice as the website says it is. The writing was really small the the picture I had them put on the bottle was about 1/2" tall. Buyer beware.
post #11 of 76
wow.. what poor customer service and their attitude was just plain hostile. Incredible

So sorry you had to find out first hand ladypilot2
post #12 of 76
someone order a feuille verte and tell us what's good.
post #13 of 76
I'd like to say I'm surprised, but I'm not. The whole thing smelled like a scam. The fact that there are no direct links from the sister company to the parent company is a clear indication that the proprietor was trying to avoid the bad reputation he acquired during operation of the parent company by spawning another one. I hate people who do things like this.
post #14 of 76
Very disappointing. Anybody have views on whether such a business could be economically viable? Is access to a state-of-the-art spectrascope something that only an enormous company could afford? And if one were able to get the 1919 formula for Tabac Blonde, would it be possible to get the materials and legal to distribute it?
post #15 of 76
Quote:
Originally Posted by Strollyourlobster View Post

Very disappointing. Anybody have views on whether such a business could be economically viable? Is access to a state-of-the-art spectrascope something that only an enormous company could afford? And if one were able to get the 1919 formula for Tabac Blonde, would it be possible to get the materials and legal to distribute it?

One could pay an analytical services company to deconstruct a perfume but it would be expensive to do so. Many people seem to think that all it requires is a GC/MS and "wham bam thank you ma'am" there is the formula... It is not that simple, especially with anything that has a large amount of natural essences. I used to analyse environmental samples for a living with the most complex GC/MS analysis a 217 component asphalt fume characterisation. It was very time consuming and I knew exactly which 217 compounds I was looking for. Throw in problems like chiral compounds (the only technique I know of to resolve chiral compounds is multidimensional GC or LC analysis which in and of itself is difficult and time consuming, and requires special hardware) , compounds of wildly differing polarities (requiring different stationary phases to resolve them) and I could see that a complex perfume would require several different types of analyses to fully characterize and deconstruct. I could see it being cheaper to go to and get a bespoke perfume made.
post #16 of 76
That puts things in perspective very nicely, Surreality, thanks.
post #17 of 76
surreality is right. Duplication is a much more difficult problem than just having a bespoke fragrance made. One of my undergraduate degrees is in chemistry, and as part of my analytical lab training I used to have to use GC/MS spectrometers to identify compounds. This was hard enough with samples containing only a few compounds, but the difficulty would go up tremendously with natural materials containing hundreds of chemicals. Identifying all the compounds corresponding to each of the retention time peaks would be a nightmare.

And the problem would be made even worse if there were enantiomers in the mixture (molecules which are non-superposable mirror images of each other). If the stationary phase of the GC column were not also a chiral material, such molecules would exhibit identical retention times and yet might smell completely differently. For example, one of the most common components in fragrances is linalool, and it comes in two mirror image forms --- R-linalool (a more woody form) and S-linalool (a more sweet form). An ordinary GC spectrometer with a non-chiral stationary phase cannot even separate these two compounds.

I knew that guy's website was a fake when he didn't even bother to describe at any level of detail his fragrance reconstruction procedure. The amount of science involved is just too extensive to not make even passing mention of it.
post #18 of 76
I would gladly pay someone $60 to match the scent of Axe Body Spray. It will be the best 60 dollars I have spent all year!
post #19 of 76
Honestly, bad fragrance duplication spawns not so much from technology and science after the GC/MS analysis but from many other factors. That's all that I can say .
post #20 of 76
Quote:
Originally Posted by scentophile View Post

Honestly, bad fragrance duplication spawns not so much from technology and science after the GC/MS analysis but from many other factors. That's all that I can say .

You're probably right. I'm sure laziness, fraud, and an obnoxiously overt desire to cheat the customer out of their hard-earned cash are all equally important factors in the particular case of ScentMatchers.com.
post #21 of 76
Aren't there reputable places that dupe the more popular frags? I have heard of people getting dupes, but never paid attention to where they came from.
post #22 of 76
Yes, Asha. I had to look around for this because I also don't want to lose track of this company. 30 Roses once said that Martecci's does a great job of duplicating Laura Ashley No. 1. (Fortunately, I remembered the name of the fragrance if not of the company, so a BN search retrieved it easily). I'm itching to try and compare their Anne Klein II, but their edp prices aren't too far behind the real thing-- with shipping $18.90 for a 2ml sample, and a 1 oz bottle is $160!
post #23 of 76
The parent company of ScentMatchers (which is called ScentCrafters) has earned an impressive F rating from the Western Michigan Better Business Bureau. See the link here. I think that's pretty much all anyone needs to see before making a decision about whether to send them any money.
post #24 of 76
Nice find Astaroth makes you wonder how these companys can stay in business
post #25 of 76
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigdogsleeping View Post

Nice find Astaroth makes you wonder how these companys can stay in business

... because most people are very forgiving, and the gambler running the business hasn't managed to roll snake eyes yet and piss off the wrong person. Pity, that.
post #26 of 76
Quote:
Originally Posted by an_oud_girl View Post

Yes, Asha. I had to look around for this because I also don't want to lose track of this company. 30 Roses once said that Martecci's does a great job of duplicating Laura Ashley No. 1. (Fortunately, I remembered the name of the fragrance if not of the company, so a BN search retrieved it easily). I'm itching to try and compare their Anne Klein II, but their edp prices aren't too far behind the real thing-- with shipping $18.90 for a 2ml sample, and a 1 oz bottle is $160!

Just to differentiate them, Martecci's isn't the same as ScentMatchers, and is located in Oklahoma, not Michigan.

I was happy with their Laura Ashley No. 1 version but I can see where the website prices-- and sample prices-- would be very off-putting. I bought my bottle at a promotional price on eBay and a sample was included so I could try it before opening the full bottle (in case I chose to return it unused.)
post #27 of 76
If anyone has the money to buy 5 kilos of the concentrate (which you can make approximately 400 100 ml EDT bottles ) as that is the minimum for the smallest perfumery companies, I can point you in the right direction. Less than that, it is not worth it for a company to do this work and produce something of quality.
post #28 of 76
Quote:
Originally Posted by scentophile View Post

If anyone has the money to buy 5 kilos of the concentrate (which you can make approximately 400 100 ml EDT bottles ) as that is the minimum for the smallest perfumery companies, I can point you in the right direction. Less than that, it is not worth it for a company to do this work and produce something of quality.

I feel a bit like a dope for not having even considered the cost of labor in all this. $60 could only buy you about half an hour of time from a decent analytical chemist, and this is assuming all other expenses in the endeavor cost nothing (e.g. raw materials, bottles, shipping, etc). The owner of ScentMatchers apparently never even had a workable business model for accomplishing anything but fraud!
post #29 of 76
Scent Matchers appears to be a scam. I gave Scent Matchers a try, wanted to see if they could re-create Love's Musky Jasmine as it was a favorite of mine and several friends, and I thought it would make a fun gift for everyone if they were successful. I was taken, do not bother with Scentmatchers, they take your money immediately and then it took nearly 8 weeks to receive a bottle of what could at best be described as a mild Jasmine oil scent. I am still in the process of trying to return the bottle for a refund as they did not match or even come close to the scent I wanted. They are now trying to say they don't accept returns past 30 days from date of the order, this is laughable as they did not even start the order until after the 30 days was past. I think it is a scam, they deliberately postpone production past the return date and then relinquish all responsibility. Save your money! Don't be taken by Scent Matchers!
post #30 of 76
Sorry to hear you got ripped off ruthmikos. Tom Ford is coming out with a scent in September called Jasmine Musk that might be worth investigating, but expect it to be $$$! I otherwise can't think of anything that's both prominently jasmine and musk, but perhaps others will have more suggestions.
post #31 of 76
Thread Starter 
Thanks for posting, Ruth. Feel free to point out this thread to the folks at Scent Matchers and let us know the final outcome. Some of us may chose to add our voices to yours if this company does not respond honorably. News can spread fast through the online fragrance communities, and this could work for or against Scent Matchers depending on their follow-through.
post #32 of 76
Interesting how most (not all)

can be found in the 50ml form

for under 60$ why pay for the

hamburger when you can have

the steak for the same price?
post #33 of 76
...

(Wrong post, sorry)
post #34 of 76
I did some experiments that website.

I tried typing Creed as the house and Habit Rouge as the fragrance. They found a match in their database.

Then Mazzolari and Apricot. Same result.

Then Sewage and Barf. Same result.

Then blank and gerbils. Same result.

Then blank and blank. Yes, they can match that too!

Then I said I wanted to make a fragrance from scratch that smelled like spinach and Martians. Again a match! They can do it!

Something seems fishy! HAHAHAHAHA
post #35 of 76
I just typed scentmatchers into google and this thread was the top return, over scentmatchers.com.

Hopefully anyone considering this company will stop by here first.
post #36 of 76
They are definitely a scam! This company made a scent for us that we loved so we decided to add it to our line (in our shaving cream). So we order the essential oils at a cost of $400. When we received the order it was spilled all over the package. Plus they shipped it in a used skim milk jug! Even if it would have not spilled we still could not use it because of cross contamination. We have turned this over to collections and have contacted the FDA. The FDA informed us this is very much against their rules and are going to do a complete investigation.

My advice is stay away from these crooks. The more I look into this the more I see they have stolen money from many others!
post #37 of 76
I did some experiments that website.

Then I said I wanted to make a fragrance from scratch that smelled like spinach and Martians. Again a match! They can do it!


wanna split a bottle?
(I'm still laughing - great test!)
post #38 of 76
I would be very curious if they could match something elusive and increasingly hard to find (plus niche, plus expensive) like Vintage Tabarome...
post #39 of 76
They can probably whip up a batch of gold & silver & fix the economy.
post #40 of 76
Someone's account of a horror story on this company:

http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/...Off0463772.htm
post #41 of 76
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken_Russell View Post

I would be very curious if they could match something elusive and increasingly hard to find (plus niche, plus expensive) like Vintage Tabarome...

Um, Ken, did you actually read this thread? I believe the answer is, "No, they cannot!"
post #42 of 76
I just wanted to update this post to let everyone know scentmatchers is still scamming people. I was recently scammed by them. They are still claiming they can reproduce discontinued perfumes, but it is obvious that they do not have the equipment nor skill to do it. They take your money, make you wait forever, finally send you a bottle of generic rose water and refuse to refund your money. Insulting your intelligence in the meantime and unfortunately for some customers, actually posting their private personal info on the web. They are a dispicable company.
post #43 of 76
Quote:
Originally Posted by Amorito View Post

I just wanted to update this post to let everyone know scentmatchers is still scamming people. I was recently scammed by them. They are still claiming they can reproduce discontinued perfumes, but it is obvious that they do not have the equipment nor skill to do it. They take your money, make you wait forever, finally send you a bottle of generic rose water and refuse to refund your money. Insulting your intelligence in the meantime and unfortunately for some customers, actually posting their private personal info on the web. They are a dispicable company.

Since you have been ripped off, contact the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) (link: http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx) and put these criminals out of business!
post #44 of 76
Quote:
Originally Posted by Quarry View Post

(especially given the no-returns policy)

Anyone with more than a few intact brain cells remaining after wearing Kouros for a few years who orders or has ordered anything from them (knowing full well that they can't return it) needs to be examined by a professional.

Speaking of which, I just opened a clinic using a revolutionary new medicine (). We're taking new patients.
post #45 of 76
I almost fell for the Scent Matchers scheme. Glad I did the following: Apparently, you have to type in the name of the perfume you're wanting to replicate and it'll show if they already have a sample in their database. I typed in Calvin Klein for Women (launched in 1978 and was only out for a couple of years). Oddly, it came up as one that had a match. I called and spoke with the representative who confirmed that if it shows up in their database they'll have it. I thought that to be strange, so I began fabricating names and each of them came up with a match. I see I had the same experience as Scentsitivity.

Steer clear of these frauds!
post #46 of 76
Quote:
Originally Posted by Amorito View Post

I just wanted to update this post to let everyone know scentmatchers is still scamming people. I was recently scammed by them. They are still claiming they can reproduce discontinued perfumes, but it is obvious that they do not have the equipment nor skill to do it. They take your money, make you wait forever, finally send you a bottle of generic rose water and refuse to refund your money. Insulting your intelligence in the meantime and unfortunately for some customers, actually posting their private personal info on the web. They are a dispicable company.

Hasn't the FTC tried to investigate this?
post #47 of 76
Had a little fun with their website.

They claim to have a sample of the discontinued scent "Library Paste and Artichokes"!
post #48 of 76
I'm so glad I saw this thread before I got scammed. They seemed like a good company too, Oh well
post #49 of 76
Guys I have experience with scent matchers. I ordered a discontinued old favourite of mine and actually received a bottle 9 weeks later to find out it was a horrible match very much a simple soapy smell much like water and dawn dishwashing soap it even had the bubbles in it. I had to write threatening e-mails for three weeks to get my money back. I told the supposed lady manager I was gonna drive to Michigan and take my money out of her purse when she went to go to the restroom. She got very defensive and accused me of being childish and I accused her of being a fake business owner who steals hard working peoples money. But I did get my money back minus the shipping charge so that's good. But yeah they are a hundred percent fake
post #50 of 76
In July of 2010 I ordered an old High School favorite "Venezia" by Laura Biagiatti discontinued in the 90s. It arrived in about 3 weeks as the website warns you and unfortunately the scent isn't a match to Venezia. Though there are elements in the "reacreation" that are somewhat close to the original scent and at first made me think I could keep it anyway except there was something almost rancid about it! And the scent was not detectable on my skin in about 2 hours (I tried on two different days just to make sure).

Was also disappointed that the bottle was of very poor quality and peeling and the imitation silk drawstring bag it came in was dirty upon arrival.

There have been a lot of other complaints about people not getting their money back but the day the package arrived as a return back to Scentmatchers they acknowledged the return in an email and credited my card, so no harm done.
post #51 of 76
I recently placed an order with them, then afterwards googled and found that what they used to be notorious for is not sending anything until 30 days had passed and if they got a complaint they would pretend you gave them the wrong address and they would try to count the 30 days it took them to get it to you as 30 days since purchase, thus invalidating the "money back if not satisfied within 30 days"! Fortunately, I got to them immediately saying after finding the feedback on them I wanted to cancel the order. They did refund the money, amazingly, but were very huffy about how it was too bad I trusted apocryphal stories about their company online and wouldn't give them a chance! Really disgusting people.
post #52 of 76
Oh, also, I forgot, there is also a hilarious post from them somewhere trying to wriggle out of all the complaints and as someone on the website said, they write as if they are so far gone you can tell they don't even realize they're doing anything wrong. So I remember it started, "It's true: our return policy was really bad for awhile there, but we've taken that situation in hand!" It's a shame that while there are resources to chase out "illegals" in this country, people like these can continue their scam for as long as there are folks with a sentimental desire to get an old perfume back.
post #53 of 76
I noticed many people who were ripped off are new to this site.

If you're about to spend $60 anyway and feel disappointed. Here are some other options open to you:-

1) Have a look for a decanting service who may have a drop of the very thing you desire
2) Ask on here for ideas for a similar perfume. There will be many suggestions for a perfect match or two.
3) E-bay and other such places often have older perfumes if you keep an eyes open.
4) If all else fails, check out the DIY thread here, buy some lovely oils and get some help brewing your own similar smells. Much more fun.
5) If even that fails, you will end up with some lovely essential oils for your bath instead.
post #54 of 76
Actually their new website now says they DO allow returns for any reason within 30 days. Considering how much some folks loved their old fragrances that are now discontinued, it seems like a reasonable alternative for those who are not possessed of a savant talent for exact olfactory matching.
;-)
post #55 of 76
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kela Kitty View Post

Actually their new website now says they DO allow returns for any reason within 30 days. Considering how much some folks loved their old fragrances that are now discontinued, it seems like a reasonable alternative for those who are not possessed of a savant talent for exact olfactory matching.
;-)

I think some of the older posts in this thread suggest that they start the 30 day clock after the order has been received, then ship so slowly the consumer has little or no time left to return the goods.

I think it's interesting to note that most of the discussion so far has been about the return policy and other shady business tactics and no long-standing basenotes member has yet offered anything good to say about the products.
post #56 of 76
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kela Kitty View Post

Actually their new website now says they DO allow returns for any reason within 30 days. Considering how much some folks loved their old fragrances that are now discontinued, it seems like a reasonable alternative for those who are not possessed of a savant talent for exact olfactory matching.
;-)



These are people who are scamming other folks out of their hard earned cash. They are thieves and liars, making this world a little bit of a crappier place.

Please don't defend them or call them a "reasonable alternative" to anything.
post #57 of 76
Okay, so the group was right. I got my order fully 5 weeks after paying for it (and delivery was by US Mail 8 days after the shipping label date) - worse yet, the fragrance is simply nothing like the original and has no staying-power at all. Haven't contacted them yet to try for a refund, but I'm expecting problems. Will write again when I know how much trouble I've got. Overall, my experience with ScentMatchers is about a 2 on a 10-point scale.
post #58 of 76
Mumsy is right. Perhaps we need a sticky thread called "Match My Discontinued Fragrance", as a service to all these poor folks who get ripped off by ScentMatchers. In any case, we can certainly offer to help people out.

Kela Kitty - what specific fragrance were you looking for? I'm sure we could recommend something very close to what you want. You may pay more than ScentMatchers, but it will be an excellent fragrance - I'm sure. And there's no need to be embarrassed about a scent of any kind. I personally own everything from Walmart to the Guerlain boutique. Frankly, I wear my McGraw more often than my Vintage TabarĂ´me.
post #59 of 76
Hi Kela Kitty, what scent were you trying to match? If I know the smell or have it, I may have a stab at it and send you my version if I get anywhere near it. I don't guarantee anything so don't hold your breath. I haven't been doing it that long yet but I would enjoy the challenge.
post #60 of 76
Quote:
Originally Posted by kitz View Post

I did some experiments that website.

Then I said I wanted to make a fragrance from scratch that smelled like spinach and Martians. Again a match! They can do it!

wanna split a bottle?
(I'm still laughing - great test!)

Kitz, I tried much the same thing: A bespoke fragrance crafted from the fine aromas of $**+ and Shinola. Called it Eau de Toilette Publique. They can do it, God bless 'em! Not as creative as your little-green-men and little-green-vegetables, but they can magically reproduce anything you request.

Congratulations, though, to BN for having better keyword and SEO placement than even the company's own website.
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
Basenotes › Basenotes Forums › Fragrance Discussion › Fragrance Industry and General Fragrance Discussion › ScentMatchers claims to match any scent for $60