pleaz halp - CREED fakes are getting BRILLIANT

[Sunsetspawn]

There is always one such thread on the first page of Male Fragrances.

True enough, and I always thought people were crazy and/or paranoid, but then it happened to me.

So either there is a rampant proliferation of fake Creeds out there, or, option B, Creed has pathetic quality control and have no problem putting out sub-par fragrances due to batch variations or reformulations. I have sampled most Creed fragrances from official sources, and even when I don't really like them I can usually respect their composition. This last bottle that I purchased not only doesn't smell like it should, but I can't even respect the composition. It's like Green Day trying to cover The Toys of Men, and I feel that only people that truly enjoy the art form would even notice.

The thread is moot anyway. I'll eventually get to Neiman's to decide whether Creed is dead to me, or if the online discounters' Creeds are dead to me.

I'll also be sure to post my results.

[HDS1963]

You could always not bother buying Creed in the first place. Trust me, you can have a very respectable collection and enjoy this hobby greatly by not having any Creed, saves a lot of angst over their terrible batch quality control and poor longevity fragrances.

[knightowl]

But what about the different batches? Which are real and which are fake?

[Sunsetspawn]

Even if they could duplicate the bottles and boxes perfectly (which they can't), they would still have to make the fragrance smell similar which they can't. They're too cheap to put an actual designer fragrance such as Cool Water in a GIT bottle.

Oh believe you me, I've gone back and forth over the logic of my argument, and I know damn well that it doesn't make much sense, but my nose is an uppity, confrontational asshole.

The way I see it, the only way my argument could hold water is if there is a MASSIVE counterfeiting organization out there that operates with complete disregard for western copyright law and without legal oversight whatsoever. This isn't really that far-fetched as there are many bootleg video games and electronics created and distributed in Asia, and they never really see the light of day here because of technological and linguistic incompatibilities, and a bootleg iPod is WAAAAAYYYY more difficult to reverse engineer and assemble.

Now, consider fragrance and its universal appeal AND universal packaging. Your market is global, and your markup is absurd because all you really need to do is undercut Creed's MSRP by half, which still leaves you able to sell a dollar-cost product for $70 wholesale. There is no electronics or complex engineering involved, so just about every dime is profit and customers will be drawn to your version like flies to shit because they think they're getting a "deal."


I gotta go, Jesse "The Body" Ventura and I are going to blow the lid off of HAARP

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You could always not bother buying Creed in the first place. Trust me, you can have a very respectable collection and enjoy this hobby greatly by not having any Creed, saves a lot of angst over their terrible batch quality control and poor longevity fragrances.

I know, and I don't have many Creeds because of this issue and I really didn't plan on getting any others except for Royal Delight because it's so damn bizarre. But I also wonder if all of the "Creed issues" are coming from people who circumvented the excessive cost of Authorized Retail Creeds (like I just did). If you have a "Creed issue," and you didn't get it at an Authorized Creed Dealer, then it doesn't matter how much you jump up and down swearing its real, your argument cannot be entered into the evidence.

On the other hand, if people start walking out of the Creed Boutique complaining about how their Creed just doesn't smell right and doesn't last long, well then, we have harder evidence that Creed has quality control issues.

[ChickenFreak]

The stock answer in these situations is usually, "batch variation, reformulation, or old stock." Although let's be honest, the "old stock" answer is nonsensical because I have 5 vintage fragrances (maybe more) which I hunted down from the 80s and early 90s, some of which came from the warm and sunny middle east, and they're all stunningly beautiful.

Which is why my guess would be "..or new stock." In other words, reformulation.

[silentrich]

You could always not bother buying Creed in the first place. Trust me, you can have a very respectable collection and enjoy this hobby greatly by not having any Creed, saves a lot of angst over their terrible batch quality control and poor longevity fragrances.

Can't argue the quality control issues, but most of the Creeds I've owned and tested have good projection and last just as long, if not longer, than most fragrances. There's also the fact that most of them smell pretty damn good.

[Buysblind]

Colombo is your reference point for detectives in 2012?

LOL @ This comment and your screen name.

[Sunsetspawn]

Colombo is your reference point for detectives in 2012?

Nothing funnier than the googly eyed look followed by an, "excuse me miss, but I couldn't help notice..."

My only other detective reference would be McNulty, but nobody would know him because at the time everyone was obsessed with the overrated Sopranos.

Wait no, I forgot about Monk. Let's turn this into a detective thread, yay!

[paradigm]

Can't argue the quality control issues, but most of the Creeds I've owned and tested have good projection and last just as long, if not longer, than most fragrances. There's also the fact that most of them smell pretty damn good.

My exact experience with 11 of Creeds scents, all purchased online. One thing I personally will admit to is this; my nose is not always perfect (or is it mearly "changing") and my perception is not always perfect so I feel scent characteristics of any line could occasionally appear different, not just bottle to bottle, but even from the same bottle on a different day.

Memory and environment play a role as well. So, I'll share an experience from today and just throw my thoughts out there for the heck of it. Example, I wore DHI today, had not worn it in months, didn't get the deep cocoa I had noticed so many times before, is it the bottle, or me??? Well I've reciently been wearing many heavier scents that I had not been use to wearing when I used DHI frequently. So maybe my idea of deep has changed a little. Sunsetspawn, please do report back when you test the authorized retailer bottle and if you feel it is just such a discrepency in juice quality, or if your sence of smell could have altered with the experience of other things.

[Diamondflame]

Boohoohoo. Yet another suspected Creed fake, huh? Hey don't blame the counterfeiters. Blame the thousands of Creed fans who are too darn cheapskate to pay retail for them at authorised distributors.

[Redneck Perfumisto]

Just for the record, I keep all my Creed's in their boxes, and I bought all of them from authorized dealers, (most from the same Saks, actually) so it was pretty easy to check. Basically, all the boxes are one of two types - the gold lettering with thicker block caps and the "et" located on the bottom line, and the silver lettering with thinner, mixed-case typography and the "et" on the second line.

My guess is that one of the typesetters for one of the two versions "corrected" the copy that they were given. Or it's possible that Creed changed their mind about how they wanted to set the type. Both versions are technically correct. Here's why I think this.

You could use the "et" (and) in either or both of two ways. The first would be to say "of the Emperor Franz Joseph AND of the Empress Sissi of Austro-Hungary". That would be correct because you're saying BOTH the Emperor AND the Empress of The Same Place. The other way to use AND is at the end of a list, for the final member. The gold lettering does it one way, and the silver lettering does it the other way.

They could have done both ways (two instances of "et"), as a third option, but they didn't. Sorry if I'm giving Creed any ideas of how to increase controversy and hype!

You know - what's surprising to me is that this place doesn't offer fake Creed. They offer fake everything else, but not Creed. Go figure.

[Profumo Saggio]

Still no answer on the obvious batch/lot number question. Hmm

[Style]

Colombo is your reference point for detectives in 2012?

Haha. At least he didn't say Barnaby Jones.

My theory is that the Creed employees finish off a couple of cases of Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon before starting a new production run. That and possibly a 3 hour work week has to explain all of the craziness coming out of Creed France.

Or...Olivier makes this stuff in his garage. It's difficult to make a good batch when your wife is yelling at you to take out the garbage.

BTW, I've always been a fan of Original Carlos Santana. Whenever you take the cap off, the bottle plays Oye Como Va.

[Possum-Pie]

Oh crap, another Creed thread...Look, Creed products have such poor quality assurance that 5 bottles of any random creed all smell different. Labels peel, pumps squeak and fall off, boxes contain random spelling mistakes. If you want to be trendy buy any fake Creed and pretend it is real. If you want genuine, pay through the nose get it at Creed boutique, and still have an inferior quality product.

[frostyicy]

Nothing funnier than the googly eyed look followed by an, "excuse me miss, but I couldn't help notice..."

My only other detective reference would be McNulty, but nobody would know him because at the time everyone was obsessed with the overrated Sopranos.

Wait no, I forgot about Monk. Let's turn this into a detective thread, yay!

Detective Jimmy McNulty and Bunk Moreland.....hell add Lester Freamon and Kima Greggs in the mix too!!!!

I'm with ya guy!!!

Hope you can get your fragrance issue straightened out!

[Possum-Pie]

Monk: "See Natalie, the thing is, I HAVE to touch the Aventus nozzle"
Natalie: "But Mr. Monk, everytime you touch it it falls off"
Monk: "That's because all of the other Aventus bottles I bought were inspected by Inspector #3. This one WASN'T!"
Natalie: "Oh for goodness sake!

[DieNase]

My royal oud has the same text on it. I wouldn't necessarily call it wrong grammar - you just have to know that franz joseph and sissy were a couple. Perfectly correct. Yes, I do speak french.

[hawk]

Just for the record, I keep all my Creed's in their boxes, and I bought all of them from authorized dealers, (most from the same Saks, actually) so it was pretty easy to check. Basically, all the boxes are one of two types - the gold lettering with thicker block caps and the "et" located on the bottom line, and the silver lettering with thinner, mixed-case typography and the "et" on the second line.

My guess is that one of the typesetters for one of the two versions "corrected" the copy that they were given. Or it's possible that Creed changed their mind about how they wanted to set the type. Both versions are technically correct. Here's why I think this.

You could use the "et" (and) in either or both of two ways. The first would be to say "of the Emperor Franz Joseph AND of the Empress Sissi of Austro-Hungary". That would be correct because you're saying BOTH the Emperor AND the Empress of The Same Place. The other way to use AND is at the end of a list, for the final member. The gold lettering does it one way, and the silver lettering does it the other way.

They could have done both ways (two instances of "et"), as a third option, but they didn't. Sorry if I'm giving Creed any ideas of how to increase controversy and hype!

You know - what's surprising to me is that this place doesn't offer fake Creed. They offer fake everything else, but not Creed. Go figure.

My royal oud has the same text on it. I wouldn't necessarily call it wrong grammar - you just have to know that franz joseph and sissy were a couple. Perfectly correct. Yes, I do speak french.

What they said.

[Avecesar]

My royal oud has the same text on it. I wouldn't necessarily call it wrong grammar - you just have to know that franz joseph and sissy were a couple. Perfectly correct. Yes, I do speak french.

Yes ! Sissi was the wife of François Joseph so the "et" is absolutely correct in this position.
Just think : "Supplier of Mr X , Mrs Y , Mr AND Mrs W, Mr Z."

[comfortablynumbbg]

I think even if I got a fake Creed I'd have a real hard time differentiate between the real stuff. They are so fleeting after the initial powerful burst, it's ridiculous really.

[paradigm]

Oh crap, another Creed thread...Look, Creed products have such poor quality assurance that 5 bottles of any random creed all smell different. Labels peel, pumps squeak and fall off, boxes contain random spelling mistakes. If you want to be trendy buy any fake Creed and pretend it is real. If you want genuine, pay through the nose get it at Creed boutique, and still have an inferior quality product.

Hmm, I seem to have dodged all these bullets with the current 11 bottles I have. Sorry dude, this just sounds like a hater.

[longstreth]

Yes ! Sissi was the wife of François Joseph so the "et" is absolutely correct in this position.
Just think : "Supplier of Mr X , Mrs Y , Mr AND Mrs W, Mr Z."

I also speak French and this makes sense to me. Don't know much about Creed fakes, but the French is legit. (All this fake talk brings to mind Abbas Kiarostami's latest film, Copie Conforme, where William Shimell says "a good fake is just as worthwhile as an original". Food for thought.)

[mesaboogie]

Don't buy them on eBay. Buy them on Amazon and choose a reputable seller with good Feedback. I have 6 full bottles of Creed and they are all authentic.

[Sunsetspawn]

I also speak French and this makes sense to me. Don't know much about Creed fakes, but the French is legit. (All this fake talk brings to mind Abbas Kiarostami's latest film, Copie Conforme, where William Shimell says "a good fake is just as worthwhile as an original". Food for thought.)

That was a theme of Philip K. Dick's in The Man in the High Castle, and also Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, though TMITHC was very deliberate in applying it to the collectors of fine things.


Anyway, I was finally able to read the lot # off of the back of the bottle. It took a high powered flashlight AND a magnifying glass, but...

FP5509B01

Royal Delight

2.5 oz

Let's analyse this. Now the "FP" opening is not unheard of on a lot #, but it's very rare and the general consensus is that it's supposed to be the lot # for Flacons, which this is not. Perhaps the opening letter, or letters, is a regional destination code instead. The openings that I've read about are A, C, S, and FP

55 - is the code for Royal Delight

09 - is most likely the year it was made

B - is a completely unknown variable at this point

01 - would be the quarter of the year in which it was made, as this number is never anything other than 01, 02, 03, or 04


The fact still remains that my Royal Delight doesn't smell right, so I'm still left with the possibilities that Creed has dogshit quality control OR the fakers have at least partially decoded the lot #s


I'm currently on vacation because it's the end of the year and I had days I needed to use, and this is EXACTLY how I wanted to spend it. I fucking hate myself.

Anyway, I know I should be at Neiman's right now. It isn't even that far away at the mall in White Plains, but I hate people and I really hate crowds and it's December.

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Don't buy them on eBay. Buy them on Amazon and choose a reputable seller with good Feedback. I have 6 full bottles of Creed and they are all authentic.

Whattaya think I am retarded? No wait, that was politically incorrect, let me start over.

Whattaya think I am, a fat-tongued, water-headed, extra-chromosomed, mongoloid moron?

I bought it from Beautyencounter, and it's really looking like it's authentic and Creed just sucks hot ass.

This whole situation is really getting under my skin, can you tell?

[JiveHippo]

I hate myself. I hate people and I really hate crowds.

Well aren't you just a ray of sunshine.

[barclaydetolly]

Any counterfeiter making fake Royal Delight would probably have a printing press ginning up fake one dollar bills.

It's not fake. Let it be. And don't bother buying any more Royal Delight, which is a terrible fragrance.

Devote your energy to making basenotes kill the damn expanding ads at the top of the page.

[Shiny Beast]

Devote your energy to making basenotes kill the damn expanding ads at the top of the page.

lolz, for real, they make using BN on a smart phone very tedious.

[1280adam]

lolz, for real, they make using BN on a smart phone very tedious.

I feel bad for Mr. Strauss if that Levi's ad is a pay per click...

sooo many unintentional clicks and no sales haha

[Style]

The easiest way to spot a fake Creed is to see if the bottle cap is loose or tight. If the cap is tight then it's definitely a fake.

Why is Beautyencounter selling Creed's from 2009 in the year 2012? Weren't they the ones who used to file off batch numbers or was that fragrancenet? Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

[Kaelee]

I feel bad for Mr. Strauss if that Levi's ad is a pay per click...

sooo many unintentional clicks and no sales haha

LOL! OMGosh so true. I scroll down and try to click something else and GAH! It's not the worst I've seen though (the worst would be the ones that take over your whole page AND your scroll bar, so that you HAVE TO LOOK AT IT (it will actually scroll you back to the top of the page.)