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Online buying

Poll Results: Best online retailer

 
  • 42% (37)
    Fragrancenet.com
  • 14% (13)
    Cheapsmells.com
  • 42% (37)
    Other
87 Total Votes  
post #1 of 82
Thread Starter 
Live in the U.S. Which online retailer do you guys prefer?
post #2 of 82
Purchased from FragranceNet several times - always a good outcome.

LuckyScent is also a very good one.
post #3 of 82
amazon or ebay
post #4 of 82
Bottles - FragranceNet.com and Amazon.com

Samples - Aedes.com, theperfumedcourt.com, surrendertochance.com



3160
post #5 of 82
I recently used theperfumespot.com and had a positive experience.
post #6 of 82
#1: Fragrancenet. I've been really pleased with purchases from there. I tend to wait for them to run 20% promo codes. Recently, they ran a 21% promo for Valentines Day. I picked up a few things then.

#2: Sign up for an account at ebates.com. That'll add additional cash back on top of any fragrancenet purchase if you remember to go to ebates first and log into fragrancenet from there. ebates cash back amounts seem to vary between 6% and 12%. It'll take a while to get your cash back from ebates, which is annoying... but then again, it's kind of nice since, if you're like me, you'll forget about it, and then one day - presto! You get notified that they deposited cash in your paypal account. Granted, it's cash back from a purchase weeks ago, but still, I like it.

Using fragrancenet without going through ebates is like turning down free money. It's really worth doing.
post #7 of 82
Most of my purchases are through LuckyScent and they are my choice.
post #8 of 82
The majority of my online purchases were from Fragrancenet.
post #9 of 82
Parfum1
post #10 of 82
I buy from:

Beauty Encounter
Beauty Habit
Aedes de Venustas
LuckyScent
Parfum1
MiN New York
Fragrancenet
post #11 of 82
ebay from great sellers with great feedack of course, also lots of used bottles!!
post #12 of 82
Luckyscent for me.
post #13 of 82
Fragrancenet.
post #14 of 82
Ebay. Never had a bad experience, just be careful and you'll get the best deals.
post #15 of 82
I voted other. Beauty Encounter is my favorite. I also like Scented Monkey quite a bit as well. I also order from The Perfume Spot, Frangrancenet and FragranceX. I like Beauty Encounter best because they seem to have the lowest overall prices and they have a lot of discontinued fragrances and so forth that others don't. (especially mini sizes of odd stuff). My only gripe is they are west coast based and I live in the South, so shipping sometimes takes a bit.
post #16 of 82
Fragrancenet, 99Perfume, Parfum1, The Perfume Shoppe, Luckyscent, MinNY, Aedes, Beautyhabit, Beautybar just to name a few.

It really depends on what I am looking for in the way of fragrances. For discounted designer, generally fragrancenet, 99Perfume or Parfum1 (also for niche). For niche, see the rest.
post #17 of 82
Quote:
Originally Posted by BrianH1016 View Post

I voted other. Beauty Encounter is my favorite. I also like Scented Monkey quite a bit as well. I also order from The Perfume Spot, Frangrancenet and FragranceX. I like Beauty Encounter best because they seem to have the lowest overall prices and they have a lot of discontinued fragrances and so forth that others don't. (especially mini sizes of odd stuff). My only gripe is they are west coast based and I live in the South, so shipping sometimes takes a bit.

www.lilydirect.com

find me one better deal on beautyencounters on any perfume and apply all the coupons and promos you want.

Lilydirect is like a gem yet to be discovered. I bought 5 times from them already.

I live in chicago and my orders arrive in 1-2 business days despite the fact they are located in california.

You are lucky if you get your order from beautyencounters within a week. all my orders from them took at least a week to come.
post #18 of 82
LuckyScent all the way for Niche. Saks or Berdoff Goodman (Neiman Marcus) for the standards and some hard to find frags.
post #19 of 82
I don't really do a lot of discount retailer buying. But I have bought a good handful of my Serge Lutens from Fragrancenet. I've also purchased a Bond from them.

I only use them if I need to do these types of purchases.

I used strawberrynet once to buy a gift for someone, and it was absolutely HORRIBLE experience. Never again.

Also, terrible experience with LilyDirect. Never, ever again.

Fragrancenet biggest problem is the free shipping. I always upgrade to the ups ground for $3.
post #20 of 82
Have had excellent luck with Beauty Encounter. None of the nightmares with Creed that others have posted about other online discounters and their prices are good.
post #21 of 82
Quote:
Originally Posted by aphexacid View Post


Also, terrible experience with LilyDirect. Never, ever again.

Can you share what happened? I've thought of ordering from them but have hesitated as there isn't enough feedback.

As for the original question, I've used FragranceNet without any problems (aside from slow shipping) as well as Scentiments, Perfumania, and Beauty Encounter. FragranceNet and Perfumania aren't great for NYers as they charge us tax.
post #22 of 82
Quote:
Originally Posted by NYCBoomBoom View Post

Can you share what happened? I've thought of ordering from them but have hesitated as there isn't enough feedback.

As for the original question, I've used FragranceNet without any problems (aside from slow shipping) as well as Scentiments, Perfumania, and Beauty Encounter. FragranceNet and Perfumania aren't great for NYers as they charge us tax.

I dont know what happened with his order but here is the tracking info on my last 3 recent orders.
Take a look at when the items were ordered and delievered to my house in chicago. no more than 2 days each time.

https://tools.usps.com/go/TrackConfi...00883699130981

https://tools.usps.com/go/TrackConfi...00829689372016

https://tools.usps.com/go/TrackConfi...99000863998431

all of them were delievered in 2 days unless I ordered them late in the day.

I also spoke with them a bunch of times on the phone. I think its a family owned business and they really care.

if you order early, your order will be shipped within a few hours.
post #23 of 82
Quote:
Originally Posted by Attila View Post

I dont know what happened with his order but here is the tracking info on my last 3 recent orders.
Take a look at when the items were ordered and delievered to my house in chicago. no more than 2 days each time.

https://tools.usps.com/go/TrackConfi...00883699130981

https://tools.usps.com/go/TrackConfi...00829689372016

https://tools.usps.com/go/TrackConfi...99000863998431

all of them were delievered in 2 days unless I ordered them late in the day.

I also spoke with them a bunch of times on the phone. I think its a family owned business and they really care.

if you order early, your order will be shipped within a few hours.

Appreciate the feedback! Might take a chance on them in the near future.
post #24 of 82
I've purchased the most from fragrancex.com. Seems to cut the price even better compared to fragrancenet.com
post #25 of 82
Quote:
Originally Posted by Attila View Post

www.lilydirect.com

find me one better deal on beautyencounters on any perfume and apply all the coupons and promos you want.

Lilydirect is like a gem yet to be discovered. I bought 5 times from them already.

I live in chicago and my orders arrive in 1-2 business days despite the fact they are located in california.

You are lucky if you get your order from beautyencounters within a week. all my orders from them took at least a week to come.

I don't know, from what I just saw of Lilydirect, they didn't seem to have the variety that other online discounters have. I used the search tool and searched a few of the more popular "discount" purchases (Green Irish Tweed for example) and they did not have several of the ones I searched.
post #26 of 82
Quote:
Originally Posted by NYCBoomBoom View Post

Appreciate the feedback! Might take a chance on them in the near future.

what I like about them is that I dont have to lose brain cells trying to search for a promo code or coupon etc..

here for instance, the most hyped fragrance here . Creed aventus
http://www.lilydirect.com/Creed-Aven...ox_p_3105.html

lets see if anyone can find a better deal than that. I d like to see it.

- - - Updated - - -

Quote:
Originally Posted by jbthorpe View Post

I don't know, from what I just saw of Lilydirect, they didn't seem to have the variety that other online discounters have. I used the search tool and searched a few of the more popular "discount" purchases (Green Irish Tweed for example) and they did not have several of the ones I searched.

you are right. their inventory is not huge. but the prices on everything they carry is unbeatable. I buy at least 2-3 perfumes a week and do perfume shopping religiously. so far they are the cheapest I found.
post #27 of 82
I have dealt with Fragrancenet, Beauty Encounter, Luckyscent, MIN New York, Walgreens and Bergdorf Goodman and all have been great experiences. However, I have used Fragrancenet quite a bit more than the rest.
post #28 of 82
Though I'm not from US but I've bought several times from Perfumania & fragrancenet and all have been great experiences.
post #29 of 82
I have used fragrancenet and strawberrynet the most and I have had no problem with either of them. Very good experience with escentual.com - they are great for Guerlains.

Luckyscent seems to carry almost all of the niche scents I want to buy but I have not used them yet. I have written to them twice about international shipping if buying a few bottles together and they don't seem to reply. Can anybody tell me what their international shipping costs are like if buying many bottles?
post #30 of 82
Quote:
Originally Posted by hednic View Post

Parfum1

I agree...personal service, personal emails about what I may like, good prices.

- - - Updated - - -

Quote:
Originally Posted by Attila View Post

what I like about them is that I dont have to lose brain cells trying to search for a promo code or coupon etc..

here for instance, the most hyped fragrance here . Creed aventus
http://www.lilydirect.com/Creed-Aven...ox_p_3105.html

lets see if anyone can find a better deal than that. I d like to see it.

- - - Updated - - -



you are right. their inventory is not huge. but the prices on everything they carry is unbeatable. I buy at least 2-3 perfumes a week and do perfume shopping religiously. so far they are the cheapest I found.

Went to Lilydirect, No Amouage, No Mona di Orio, No Montale, No Bn9, SO I guess they don't carry niche. So I put in Burberry London, a very common dept. store frag. Nothing. Not a good selection
post #31 of 82
Quote:
Originally Posted by NYCBoomBoom View Post

Can you share what happened? I've thought of ordering from them but have hesitated as there isn't enough feedback.


I ran out of creed royal water, and wanted a quick replacement. I had never got any creed from anywhere but Neimans.

Lilydirect was cheap as hell for a tester, and i didn't care. I wanted it for a specific occasion.

they had 2 different versions, one with a cap, one without. Both were advertised as tester without box.

I bought the one with cap. 4 days go by, no contact, no tracking #. I email them asking if its been shipped, and they say "oh we're out of the one with the cap, we only have one bottle left, and its without a cap. We were waiting for you to tell us what to do." Mind you, i have not been contacted by them in anyway shape or form.
So i said, just send the damn bottle already, cap or no cap.

It finally arrives, and at this point, the event i wanted to wear it on has passed.
I open the box, and theres this YELLOWED looking creed box. it looked like it was sitting in a dingy basement somewhere. No sticker on the bottom of the box, it either fell off or was removed. Only glue residue left. I opened the creed box, and the card and pamphlet fall out. its all in arabic writing. I've never seen this before.

Finally i take out the bottle, and immediately red flag. The bottle is frosted glass. it should be clear glass. And then, even more importantly, the liquid looks like Whiskey! It should also be clear, like water.

I thought it was fake. But i ended up finding out it was so damn old, not only did they stop using the frosted bottles, but it pre-dated batch code stamps.

I didnt even bother spraying it. I messaged them, told them i wanted a refund for this ancient bottle. They messaged me 3 days later, sorry for the old juice, send it back to this address.
....I'm thinking, wait a second, you want ME to pay to ship it back? Not happening. So i opened a case with paypal. I got a prepaid shipping label now.

Shipped it back, and they received it. They took their SWEET time giving me a refund. They literally waited until the very last day before paypal automatically forces them to give me my money.

This was almost a 1 month long ordeal.
post #32 of 82
Quote:
Originally Posted by aphexacid View Post

I ran out of creed royal water, and wanted a quick replacement. I had never got any creed from anywhere but Neimans.

Lilydirect was cheap as hell for a tester, and i didn't care. I wanted it for a specific occasion.

they had 2 different versions, one with a cap, one without. Both were advertised as tester without box.

I bought the one with cap. 4 days go by, no contact, no tracking #. I email them asking if its been shipped, and they say "oh we're out of the one with the cap, we only have one bottle left, and its without a cap. We were waiting for you to tell us what to do." Mind you, i have not been contacted by them in anyway shape or form.
So i said, just send the damn bottle already, cap or no cap.

It finally arrives, and at this point, the event i wanted to wear it on has passed.
I open the box, and theres this YELLOWED looking creed box. it looked like it was sitting in a dingy basement somewhere. No sticker on the bottom of the box, it either fell off or was removed. Only glue residue left. I opened the creed box, and the card and pamphlet fall out. its all in arabic writing. I've never seen this before.

Finally i take out the bottle, and immediately red flag. The bottle is frosted glass. it should be clear glass. And then, even more importantly, the liquid looks like Whiskey! It should also be clear, like water.

I thought it was fake. But i ended up finding out it was so damn old, not only did they stop using the frosted bottles, but it pre-dated batch code stamps.

I didnt even bother spraying it. I messaged them, told them i wanted a refund for this ancient bottle. They messaged me 3 days later, sorry for the old juice, send it back to this address.
....I'm thinking, wait a second, you want ME to pay to ship it back? Not happening. So i opened a case with paypal. I got a prepaid shipping label now.

Shipped it back, and they received it. They took their SWEET time giving me a refund. They literally waited until the very last day before paypal automatically forces them to give me my money.

This was almost a 1 month long ordeal.

Thanks for sharing. That's something to definitely keep in mind, appreciate you taking the time to write it all out.
post #33 of 82
Amazon
Lucky Scent
Basenotes Sales Thread
post #34 of 82
Always had good success from fragrancex.com, and also good experiences at fragrancenet.

Won't order from beauty encounter because of the serial number defacement.

And I've never had a bad Ebay experience, but I am very picky about what I buy and from whom I buy it.

Sales threads here are gold mines of scents.
post #35 of 82
I just placed another order with lilydirect minutes ago.
we ll see how they do with this one.

- - - Updated - - -

I just placed another order with lilydirect minutes ago.
we ll see how they do with this one.
post #36 of 82
FragranceNet gets my vote 90% of the time. the other 10% is split between FragranceX, LuxuryPerfumes, and Amazon. I usually just shop around and compare to find the best price for what i want. Looked at LilyDirect and they do have some good prices, but alot of there stuff is unboxed, or testers, or no cap etc.
post #37 of 82
Also I forgot to mention that when I actually do buy from fragrancenet, it is from their eBay account. You should check it out because every product is cheaper on their eBay account compared to their website and shipping is always free. So in summary, fragrancex.com or fragrancenet eBay.
post #38 of 82
Quote:
Originally Posted by mlsweeney View Post

Also I forgot to mention that when I actually do buy from fragrancenet, it is from their eBay account. You should check it out because every product is cheaper on their eBay account compared to their website and shipping is always free. So in summary, fragrancex.com or fragrancenet eBay.

This. I was surprised to see Fragrancenet sell Royal Oud on eBay for just $120. That's cheaper than all the discounts combined when ordering directly from their site.
post #39 of 82
duplicate post
post #40 of 82
[QUOTE=Attila;2868952]I just placed another order with lilydirect minutes ago.
we ll see how they do with this one"

What did you order?
post #41 of 82
Quote:
Originally Posted by CaliDude View Post

This. I was surprised to see Fragrancenet sell Royal Oud on eBay for just $120. That's cheaper than all the discounts combined when ordering directly from their site.

Yea i also got mine from fragrancenet on Amazon. The price fluctuates a lot though from $119 to $178.
post #42 of 82
I have had good experiences with Amazon as the original merchant (not third party), but their prices seem higher than they used to be.

Be careful with fragrancenet. They will sign you up for a magazine subscription without your knowledge or consent. Although the subscription is supposed to be a "free gift" (until the unaware get hit for a renewal on their credit card, I imagine), I found it was no small task getting it canceled. I didn't like that.
post #43 of 82
I buy my Creeds from cheapsmells. Other than that, they don't have much else that interests me anymore. I've either tried, got, or not like most of the rest of their stuff.
post #44 of 82
FragranceX works good for me in the US.
Escentual, CheapSmells etc in the UK.
Firstinfragrance and Essenz-nobile also have a great range, you normally won't have to look past these.
post #45 of 82
Not really into online shopping. I do it when I have to. I am, however, really impressed with the fact that Creed is now available on the kmart website. So tempting.
post #46 of 82
Quote:
Originally Posted by buzzley View Post

I have had good experiences with Amazon as the original merchant (not third party), but their prices seem higher than they used to be.

Be careful with fragrancenet. They will sign you up for a magazine subscription without your knowledge or consent. Although the subscription is supposed to be a "free gift" (until the unaware get hit for a renewal on their credit card, I imagine), I found it was no small task getting it canceled. I didn't like that.

I too was subscribed to the magazines, but was never charged a renewal fee or any other fee.
post #47 of 82
Quote:
Originally Posted by timmy-j View Post


What did you order?

Ordered a bottle of Serge Lutens Chergui for $71 dollars and CREED Millesime imperial 4.0 oz bottle for $113. How do you beat that?
I checked my emails and there it is. They shipped it already. Here is tracking. They shipped it hours after I placed the order. I ll probably get it tomorrow or Saturday.
https://tools.usps.com/go/TrackConfi...99000882771206
post #48 of 82
Fragrancenet and FragranceX for me since I'm in Canada. FragranceX shipping is way faster than Fragrancenet. Fragrancenet takes fricken 3 working days to get the package out to the carrier while FragranceX ships the same day. I made my order with FragranceX before I went to sleep and the order was ready for shipping the next afternoon. My last order with Fragrancenet was made on Feb 21 and it's schedule to be delivered this coming Monday the 11th. My FragranceX order was made Monday March 04 and delivery is this coming Monday the 11th same day as my Fragrancenet order. That is 10 days quicker than Fragrancenet. I'm not complaining because of the savings.
post #49 of 82
Quote:
Originally Posted by L'Homme Blanc Individuel View Post

#1: Fragrancenet. I've been really pleased with purchases from there. I tend to wait for them to run 20% promo codes. Recently, they ran a 21% promo for Valentines Day. I picked up a few things then.

#2: Sign up for an account at ebates.com. That'll add additional cash back on top of any fragrancenet purchase if you remember to go to ebates first and log into fragrancenet from there. ebates cash back amounts seem to vary between 6% and 12%. It'll take a while to get your cash back from ebates, which is annoying... but then again, it's kind of nice since, if you're like me, you'll forget about it, and then one day - presto! You get notified that they deposited cash in your paypal account. Granted, it's cash back from a purchase weeks ago, but still, I like it.

Using fragrancenet without going through ebates is like turning down free money. It's really worth doing.

+1 to the above...
I live in Canada and I find fragrancenet.com to be the cheapest and most reliable. No Customs duty to worry about as well.
post #50 of 82
Fragrancenet. Aside from their slow shipping time, the company is great
post #51 of 82
Lilydirect is selling Aventus at an AWESOME price. Thinking about ordering a bottle. Says it's new, in box. Nervous about it (buying from them, that is).
post #52 of 82
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChevChelios View Post

Lilydirect is selling Aventus at an AWESOME price. Thinking about ordering a bottle. Says it's new, in box. Nervous about it (buying from them, that is).

i just got a bottle of millesime imperial from them. recieved it today. its legit. i can share pics if you d like. look 5 posts up. i posted about it yesterday

- - - Updated - - -

there you go















post #53 of 82
Thanks for the pics and info Attila, might definitely have to give this site a try.
post #54 of 82
Quote:
Originally Posted by NYCBoomBoom View Post

Thanks for the pics and info Attila, might definitely have to give this site a try.


You're welcome.
Shipping is free for orders over 100 dollars. its $2.99 if your order is not at least a 100 dollars but I dont mind paying it. Beautyencounter charges 5.95 for orders less than 60 dollars I think. I placed an order through them as well on March 4th for a bottle of L'Homme Yves Saint Laurent and its been 5 days already and not a sign of it yet. I m lucky if I see it before mid next week. And they charged me 5.95 additional for this crappy shipping job. Where I paid $2.99 to lilydirect for an order which I placed on March 7th(3 days after my beautyencounter order) and I have my order from Lily already. Prices are cheaper at lily too so somebody please give me a reason why I shouldnt choose Lily over beautyencounters all day..
post #55 of 82
$2.99 is a bargain compared to other sites, but the $100 limit is a shame. Then again, I won't get charged tax so it's still worth it.
post #56 of 82
Quote:
Originally Posted by NYCBoomBoom View Post

$2.99 is a bargain compared to other sites, but the $100 limit is a shame. Then again, I won't get charged tax so it's still worth it.

I know 100 dollar limit sucks but even if you add the 2.99 to your order, the prices are still good. How can you go wrong with a 4.0oz bottle of Aventus for only 165 + 2.99 ? Its a steal. I paid 113 for my 4oz bottle of MI. shipping was free of course.
post #57 of 82
Quote:
Originally Posted by Attila View Post

I know 100 dollar limit sucks but even if you add the 2.99 to your order, the prices are still good. How can you go wrong with a 4.0oz bottle of Aventus for only 165 + 2.99 ? Its a steal. I paid 113 for my 4oz bottle of MI. shipping was free of course.

Very true. I've been looking around on the site tonight and found a a reasonable (cheap) purchase for my first buy on the site. When I'll order I'm not yet sure, but I'll try to post an update to the thread to share my experience(s).
post #58 of 82
Did not vote on this one.

Lucky Scent my first choice and Parfum1 now rivaling, although the latter does not sell samples. Parfum1 do have occasional sales of up to 20% the likes of Montale and other niche. Lucky Scent do not.

Also like Beauty Habit for niche.

Like Beauty Encounter for more mainstream scents, although they also carry some niche. Also have had good service with Fragrancenet and FragranceX.
post #59 of 82
Thanks a lot, Attila! You've convinced me to make a purchase. Will do it on Tuesday or Wednesday after I add some cash to my account. After I receive it, I'll report back!
post #60 of 82
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChevChelios View Post

Thanks a lot, Attila! You've convinced me to make a purchase. Will do it on Tuesday or Wednesday after I add some cash to my account. After I receive it, I'll report back!

Lol, wasnt trying to convince you into buying. Just trying to help you. Did you try a sample of aventus already? do you know what it smells like? I mean I wouldnt want you to buy it because of me and comeback storming "you made me buy it Attila!!"
I hope you know what it smells like.

If you dont, I suggest you go to a local neiman marcus and ask for a sample or if you are too lazy, go on decantshop dot com to get a sample. They have the cheapest creed samples.

As far as lilydirect, dont be concerned. you will recieve a legit product.
so far I bought like 12 bottles from them. All were good and cheapest in the market
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