Basenotes › Basenotes Forums › Fragrance Discussion › Fragrance Industry and General Fragrance Discussion › Fake Le Male cologne. Beware of buying on Ebay!!!!
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Fake Le Male cologne. Beware of buying on Ebay!!!!

post #1 of 24
6/24/10 at 11:41am
Thread Starter 
i recently bought a fake/counterfeit bottle of Jean Paul's Le Male on ebay and made a video about it. Once he realized i caught him, he reimbursed my entire payment and didn't even ask for the bottle back, i am sill pursuing him though by filing a fraud claim with ebay. Here is the video i made, hopefully it will rise awareness of ebay cologne scams.

Reply
Reply

Features on Basenotes

Greatest Hits: Annick Menardo
Basenotes Reader Awards 2013 - Finalists Announced.
Petals Falling From The Sky - A Report From The Cote d'Azur's Bataille De Fleurs
post #2 of 24
6/24/10 at 11:56am
Thank you for joining, just to warn us.
That was very sweet.

That is a good looking fake, hard to tell
by a picture, huh?!
I can't stand the fragrance, so I wouldn't
get scammed, but a lot do ...

Btw, you're cute *meeeeow*
Stay around!
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 24
6/24/10 at 12:00pm
Yes, thanks for joining and letting us know. These guys are bastards--I hope you nail them on fraud.

On another note, this is why I stay away from ebay. I'll use fragrancenet because I trust them, but no ebay for me.
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 24
6/24/10 at 12:10pm
Nice detective work!
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 24
6/24/10 at 12:23pm
Thread Starter 
haha thanks Le Grand Duc, i'll probably stick around

and neal, i did see the solid rating, which is why i bought it from him. He only has 1 negative comment, i was thinking it would be a safe bet as well. However, you have to realize that a lot of people out there aren't even aware that there are fakes out there, and i'm guessing a small minority of these people have actually owned a real bottle of Le Male. You have to realize though, the paint is literally falling off nearly half the paint is off the bottle. If this was a real bottle, i'm pretty sure people would let Mr. Paul know about this paint problem and they'd fix the problem. Also there is the absence of marking that are on the real bottles. That alone should be proof enough. I want you to also to not only look at the rating but also the prices the bottles sold for, some of them sold for as little as 6$... Just look at that from an economic/business standpoint. There is no way anyone could sell them for that price and still stay in business. Jean Paul's company is the only people who make the "real thing" and even discount online stores like fragrancenet.com are selling them for 60$, there is no way in hell someone could get a hold of real bottles (even department stores like macy's) for less than about 40$, so even just looking at it from a numbers point of view it is practically impossible for these to be real bottles of Le Male.
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 24
6/24/10 at 12:45pm
Thread Starter 
haha thanks Le Grand Duc, i'll probably stick around

and neal, i did see the solid rating, which is why i bought it from him. He only has 1 negative comment, i was thinking it would be a safe bet as well. However, you have to realize that a lot of people out there aren't even aware that there are fakes out there, and i'm guessing a small minority of these people have actually owned a real bottle of Le Male. You have to realize though, the paint is literally falling off nearly half the paint is off the bottle. If this was a real bottle, i'm pretty sure people would let Mr. Paul know about this paint problem and they'd fix the problem. Also there is the absence of marking that are on the real bottles. That alone should be proof enough. I want you to also to not only look at the rating but also the prices the bottles sold for, some of them sold for as little as 6$... Just look at that from an economic/business standpoint. There is no way anyone could sell them for that price and still stay in business. Jean Paul's company is the only people who make the "real thing" and even discount online stores like fragrancenet.com are selling them for 60$, there is no way in hell someone could get a hold of real bottles (even department stores like macy's) for less than about 40$, so even just looking at it from a numbers point of view it is practically impossible for these to be real bottles of Le Male.
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 24
6/24/10 at 12:50pm
Mr. CON! Ya, I've seen this before and actually made a post asking if it was legit, did some research and found that Blue knockoff.. which they also make in a Red version, for about 7 bucks and change on a couple sites. Anyways, sorry about your misfortune, I know of a couple sites you can report the guy to for fraud and conning people. I also recommend you file a report with the Better Business Bureau.
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 24
6/24/10 at 12:50pm
Thread Starter 
also the more i look at it, the more i find wrong with it. There is an air bubble inside of the glass and is indented where the bubble is. Also the spray cap top has a bunch of imperfections in it. Also the stripes on the bottle (the ones that are still unscathed) look hand painted, some spots have actual tiny globs of paint, where others have barely any paint at all. I'm sorry but no cologne company would never let a bottle like this pass out of its doors, not even as a tester.
Reply
Reply
post #9 of 24
6/24/10 at 12:56pm
Warning to all BNers: if you buy a very popular frag on ebay there is a very good chance it is fake. If the seller is new, has a lot of the same, popular frags for sale (often starting at around 99 cents with no reserve), or has a lot of negative feedback (or feedback with people complaining about fakes) you are the fool for buying it! Go to toolhaus.org and check out the seller before buying anything.
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 24
6/24/10 at 12:56pm
Thread Starter 
@The_Cologneist
I know what a name for a con artist huh?! And yes this is a big misfortune... FOR HIM! he already gave me my money back, and i still have the bottle, now he is requesting that we cancel the transaction (i'll still keep my money no matter what, but if i accept the cancel then i can't leave feedback, so he must be scared shitless). I did file a fraud complaint with ebay and they should take care of it, if not then i'll probably go to the BBB with this. I'm still deciding whether or not i should still post the youtube link in the feedback for Mr. Khan, i mean he did give me all my money back, but on the other hand he is scamming countless others.
Reply
Reply
post #11 of 24
6/24/10 at 1:18pm
At least you got your money back. But yeah, all the stories about fakes on eBay have made it pretty much my last resort for fragrance purchases - unless it's something vintage or rare, there are multiple real-life pictures (no stock photos), and the seller has an ironclad feedback rating, I stay away. Don't want to risk my hard-earned money, even if it is at a "discount". I do shop at legit online discounters like FragranceX, though.
Reply
Reply
post #12 of 24
6/24/10 at 1:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by subhuman85 View Post

... unless it's something vintage or rare.

Yep ... that's the only thing I use it for too!
There are not alot of fake 7,5ml parfums
from the 70s outthere ... LOL!
Reply
Reply
post #13 of 24
6/24/10 at 1:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by RYANolaify View Post

@The_Cologneist
I know what a name for a con artist huh?!

You said Khan so I said CON.. get it? Too late now, you ruined the joke. Anyways not to defend this "Blue" brand, but what you got may not even be Blue; with all these mishaps you keep finding, it may be some uber cheap bootleg bottle that costs a buck.

BBB will basically try to get your money back and also "blacklist" him so that he is on watch with the BBB, customers will know about his poor business if they research it. When I said "other sites you can use to report" I meant legitimate agencies that work with the FBI and cyber crimes units that will actually have a detective call you.
Reply
Reply
post #14 of 24
6/24/10 at 1:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by RYANolaify View Post

haha thanks Le Grand Duc, i'll probably stick around

and neal, i did see the solid rating, which is why i bought it from him. He only has 1 negative comment, i was thinking it would be a safe bet as well. However, you have to realize that a lot of people out there aren't even aware that there are fakes out there, and i'm guessing a small minority of these people have actually owned a real bottle of Le Male. You have to realize though, the paint is literally falling off nearly half the paint is off the bottle. If this was a real bottle, i'm pretty sure people would let Mr. Paul know about this paint problem and they'd fix the problem. Also there is the absence of marking that are on the real bottles. That alone should be proof enough. I want you to also to not only look at the rating but also the prices the bottles sold for, some of them sold for as little as 6$... Just look at that from an economic/business standpoint. There is no way anyone could sell them for that price and still stay in business. Jean Paul's company is the only people who make the "real thing" and even discount online stores like fragrancenet.com are selling them for 60$, there is no way in hell someone could get a hold of real bottles (even department stores like macy's) for less than about 40$, so even just looking at it from a numbers point of view it is practically impossible for these to be real bottles of Le Male.


Ryan,
I realize the evidence was a bit overwhelming, that is why I edited my post!
Neal
Reply
Reply
post #15 of 24
6/24/10 at 2:18pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by The_Cologneist View Post

You said Khan so I said CON.. get it? Too late now, you ruined the joke.

oh i got the joke alright, i was playing along, and yeah, i'll probably start off with BBB and if nothing becomes of it i might move onto more. well how do we say... more persuasive agencies

@Neal: sorry about that didn't see that till after you changed it.
Reply
Reply
post #16 of 24
6/24/10 at 2:34pm
Aside from this, welcome to Basenotes. A lot of us will happily help you in finding good deals, letting you in on the reputable sites, and some who even know who's a legit seller on ebay. Personally, I don't mess with ebay unless it's something vintage. I have seen 4.2 oz authentic Le Male testers for as low as 35 bucks, so they are out there. You just gotta find them. There are also lots of great Le Male alternatives and smell almost the same and last very long, for a fraction of the price. As far as Le Male "lasting 18-24 hours" I don't know about all that. Maybe somewhat of an exaggeration.

Best thing about Basenotes is no matter who you are, what your question, or problem, somebody will have some input, and many of us come on the forums everyday looking for new threads to share our opinions and ask questions.
Reply
Reply
post #17 of 24
6/24/10 at 2:45pm
Thanks for sharing this important info.
Reply
Reply
post #18 of 24
6/24/10 at 2:47pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by RYANolaify View Post

I'm still deciding whether or not i should still post the youtube link in the feedback for Mr. Khan, i mean he did give me all my money back, but on the other hand he is scamming countless others.

YES, of course you should post the link. He refunded your money because he got caught. You surely don't want him scamming others. He's a bad guy--taking advantage of people's trust. Don't let him continue doing it.
Reply
Reply
post #19 of 24
9/6/10 at 6:27pm
hey all, my first post here on bn. still waiting for my first review to receive approval.

i just want to thank you for this thread! op, i tried to view your vid, but it is marked private, and i don't find it when i search youtube either.

i smelled jpg classique for women for the first time in years yesterday, and suddenly loved it. poked around online today, most bottles going for at least 60-78 usd for the 1.6oz. i ran across a seller on ebay selling a tester for 3.99 starting bid, up to about 6.99 now, and really wondered if it was just too good to be true. i have been reading threads about fake creeds all day, and i am glad to get a little info and advice about other fakes out there!

i think this is a different seller than the one you mentioned, btw, or at least a different name ("stevie2toes").

he lists a new tester in box, no cap. whoever said that a new tester would probably cost at least $40, that sounds much more reasonable.

anyway, much thanks to all again! if ya'll can direct me to any other threads on fakes in general (not just creeds), i would appreciate it.
Reply
Reply
post #20 of 24
9/6/10 at 6:30pm
fwiw, current bid is actually 3.25usd. but i also wanted to share the info on this item, which states
"Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it is.
Please don't get ripped off by bidding on bootlegs or imitations."

i don't know why seller would state this, except perhaps to ease a guilty conscience? he also specifies it is 100% authentic.
Reply
Reply
post #21 of 24
9/6/10 at 6:45pm
Thread Starter 
sorry i put it on private because the guy who i bought it from said he's refund my money and send me a "real" bottle of JPG. He refunded everything but didn't send me a real one. So i put it back to public so you can view the video if you want to now.
Reply
Reply
post #22 of 24
9/6/10 at 7:01pm
Yeah, you have to be careful. I've bought fakes of the following on Ebay:

Le Male
Polo Double Black
Allure Homme Sport
Fahrenheit

And I consider myself a pretty savvy Ebayer. So, even good feedback isn't a guarantee. Just make sure the seller has a return policy. Otherwise, stick with department stores and reliable etailers (Sephora, etc.) for the frags that are really popular.
Reply
Reply
post #23 of 24
9/6/10 at 8:46pm
thanks again to ryan for the vid and heads-up, and dragon as well (i'm thinking i will just shell out the bucks at the store and call it a day after reading your list! actually just picked up fahrenheit as well the other day.)

/off-topic
oh, and ryanolaify? duc is correct; you are super-cute. i'll be happy to look at any vids or pics you want to post. /off-topic
Reply
Reply
post #24 of 24
9/6/10 at 9:16pm
I wish people would know that fakes are not the only issue. There's bad storage, that's one thing that effects the quality and strength of the Juice. But a very, very common trick, especially with testers, is getting empty bottles, filling them with the real juice, and adding alcohol to water them down. You get almost the exact same scent watered down, very common in the middle east and I'm sure it happens as often.

Anyway, great video and detective work.
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home

Features on Basenotes

Greatest Hits: Annick Menardo
Basenotes Reader Awards 2013 - Finalists Announced.
Petals Falling From The Sky - A Report From The Cote d'Azur's Bataille De Fleurs
Basenotes › Basenotes Forums › Fragrance Discussion › Fragrance Industry and General Fragrance Discussion › Fake Le Male cologne. Beware of buying on Ebay!!!!