Buying perfume is no small matter; some fragrances can be pricey. As a result, when we receive the opportunity to save money, we’ll all want to take full advantage of it. The question is whether the perfume websites that offer discounts on perfume are legit or not?
FragranceNet is one of the most successful discount retailers of perfume and while the majority of its sales take place online. With savings of up to 80%, many people question whether FragranceNet is legitimate or a ploy to con unsuspecting perfume fans into buying cheap knock-offs.
In this detailed FragranceNet review, we delve into the world of discount perfume and explore why this retailer manages to sell fragrance at such a discount.
Does FragranceNet Sell Fake Perfume?
One of the main consumer concerns about buying cheap perfume is that they won’t be getting the real deal. A lot of work goes into creating some of the world’s best perfumes, and, along with paying for the brand name, the cost is linked to the intricacy of perfume making.
So, surely, FragranceNet will be making a loss if they sell perfumes at a heavily marked down price, right?
According to FragranceNet’s promise, they only sell 100% real perfumes that have come directly from the brand. These fragrances are typically sourced in a different way and so FragranceNet doesn’t have to pay as much to buy them in bulk. The result is that they don’t need to sell them at such a high price to make a profit.
But it isn’t only perfumes that fragrance lovers can get their hands on when shopping with FragranceNet. The company is also known for selling hair care products, beauty products, skincare, and even aromatherapy and candles. With so much choice and genuine products, it is no surprise that the company was ranked number 202 out of 1000 Top Internet Retailers.
Then Why Is FragranceNet So Cheap?
When you look at the discounts that are available on FragranceNet, you begin to wonder how on earth this is possible.
One of the main ways to keep their prices so low is to source old fragrances. That doesn’t mean those that have gone out of date but rather ones that feature outdated packaging. Perfume makers will constantly update their packaging and high-street retailers and boutiques don’t want to stock this. So where do the leftovers go? To places like FragranceNet, of course.
And speaking of high-street stores. Aside from the one pop-up shop in New York, FragranceNet is a solely online business. The benefit of this is that the company has nowhere near as many overheads as its perfume competitors and can offer products at lower prices.
You may have heard of the black market; that’s not somewhere we would ever suggest buying ANYTHING from. However, the ‘gray market’ is a little less daunting and a lot more legal. Of course, there are loopholes and exceptions, but when businesses can source products from the gray market, they do so at a much more reasonable cost.
On the gray market, retailers like FragranceNet are able to purchase a stock that has been removed for sale from the main market. This market also works very well internationally since there may be severe price differences in different parts of the world.
FragranceNet Full Review
FragranceNet was founded in 1997 and has become one of the go-to places for health and beauty lovers across the globe. But what’s the truth behind the name? Is it all it’s cracked up to be?
Our FragranceNet Fragrance Offering Review
FragranceNet claims to offer as many as 17,000 products, including perfumes, hair care, candles, and more.
“We carry 17,000 genuine, brand name fragrances, skincare, makeup, haircare, aromatherapy and candles all at discount prices”
That’s a lot of products, but it would take anyone forever to browse through every single one to find the fragrance they love. So, we decided to search some of our favorite fragrances to see what’s on offer and whether the selection is as good as they claim.
To start with, we hit up the search bar to find Ambre Nuit by Dior; one of our team’s signature scents. Unfortunately, this wasn’t available on the website, nor were any of the other fragrances from this collection.
Not to be disheartened, we moved on to another of our favorite fragrances and tried our luck searching for Yves Saint Laurent, Libre, which we were delighted to find on sale on FragranceNet. But what astonished us here was that, when we compare the price to the official YSLBeauty website, there is something of a shock. YSL were retailing the perfume at a lower price! That said, there is a 37% extra discount voucher that we will feature later in this article, so you’ll probably still get a better deal at FragranceNet.
Finally, to give us a good idea of what fragrances were on offer, we took a look at the various Featured Brands; of which, there are many. If you head over to FragranceNet with the intention of browsing, this is a good place to start. It gives you a top list of all the recent best sellers and the choice is varied.
With everything from Calvin Klein to Creed, Gucci to Ralph Lauren, Marc Jacobs to Burberry and everything in between, you’re almost spoilt for choice. Even a section of the website lets you purchase unboxed perfumes that have previously been used as testers for an even greater discount.
One of the best deals we noted was Candy by Prada, which retails for $125 directly from the brand for an 80ml bottle. That works out at around 2.8f.oz, which on FragranceNet, retails for just $91.99 when you buy the tester.
While some of the more exclusive fragrances on the market or those that may be considered incredibly niche, might not be available, there is more than a reasonable selection. Because come on; where else can you pick up a bottle of Roja Dove Elixir For Women for under $400?
Our FragranceNet Customer Service Review
Being such a large company, it stands to reason that you would expect excellent customer service. FragranceNet claims that it has received an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and these claims are backed up on the BBB website.
That’s all well and good but is it easy to get in touch with this seemingly glowing business to lodge a complaint or discuss a concern? As it so happens, it is. FragranceNet displays its contact numbers and email address on their About Us page. Let’s face it, it isn’t always that easy to get in touch with customer services.
You’ll also notice that the company makes a lot of noise about how its number 1 priority is to ensure that your ‘shopping experience is completely satisfying and enjoyable’ So, is there any truth in this statement?
Looking at customer experiences, we noticed that it was a pretty mixed bag in terms of how happy people were with the way they had been treated by FragranceNet. For example, one reviewer on TrustPilot recalls how they had a very drawn-out experience with customer service…
“Absolutely a horrible experience with this company. Two weeks or phone calls (be prepared to wait forever), emails to which there were no replies, and worrying that I’d been swindled are enough for me to not ever deal with this inept company again. My advice is to look elsewhere and save yourself a long-term headache.“
That said, there are also plenty of people who have had an excellent experience shopping with FragranceNet. One customer praises their service by saying:
“By service wise, they will always inform you what’s the status of your order. when it was shipped, tracking information and even delivery.”
But with a company as large as FragranceNet, there are bound to be some issues. All in all, TrustPilot reviewers collaboratively awarded the company a score of 4.3 out of 5, which could be a lot worse.
Our FragranceNet Shipping Review
According to FragranceNet, shipping can take as long as 15 business days for international orders. Although on the less extreme end of the scale, customers may receive their order in as little as 4 business days.
We would hazard a guess that this is based on the company’s most and least busy times. For US customers, you won’t be expected to wait longer than 7 days.
There is an option to upgrade to business shipping but this will set you back a minimum of $15.95 which isn’t the most affordable option. Especially when you consider that you are using this website to save money.
However, if you want to save money, and are prepared to wait for the standard shipping times, you can get free shipping when you spend more than $59. You should keep in mind that this $59 is only taken into account after discounts and coupons have been applied.
For example, if you purchase a fragrance that costs $60 but then applies a 25% off coupon, you won’t qualify for free shipping. Now, let’s take a look at some personal experiences…
Our FragranceNet Return Policy Review
Most products can be returned to FragranceNet, if you are not happy with them, provided that this is done within 30 days. You will not be able to claim back any shipping costs and you must obtain an RMA number from the customer service department. They say this is hassle-free returns, but we beg to differ.
There are some products that FragranceNet will not provide a refund on. This includes hair care and skincare items. Details of non-returnable products should be, in our opinion, listed on the product page. However, if you look at this example of the Clarins Age Control Concentrate, you can see that it does not say that the product cannot be returned.
One might think that this is misleading, and in theory, FragranceNet isn’t doing anything wrong since it does clearly state on its returns info page that skin and hair care cannot be returned. But in reality, who checks that when shopping online?
One of the biggest issues customers face is that FragranceNet takes a long time to respond to returns inquiries. A reviewer on the Better Business Bureau tells her story of continual ignorance from the company when attempting to return a product.
‘I have ordered from them several times but the last time one of my bottles had leaked out a bit and I contacted them; sent pictures of the box and the bottle and they kept ignoring me. Then saying they never got the pictures. I sent the pictures 3 separate times. I wanted a replacement OR refund.’
According to Consumer Affairs, the only downside of this company is that returns are limited. However, many of the customer reviews there are incredibly positive. Of course, there are some pretty awful ones too but as with everything else, it is a mixed bag.
Overall, we would say that one should be careful when ordering from FragranceNet since returning products might not be the easiest venture. If you’re confident in what you are purchasing, then you shouldn’t have any issues. But if you think there may be a chance you want to return something, we would suggest jumping into action as quickly as possible since the process can be lengthy.
FragranceNet Customer Reviews
We have touched upon some positive and negative customer reviews in previous sections. But to fully understand the FragranceNet experience, we need to dive a little deeper.
It would appear that people either love FragranceNet or detest it. There aren’t many customers that seem to be sitting on the fence.
One of the biggest gripes we have noticed is that many people are concerned about receiving a knock-off fragrance. Let’s go back to the beginning and keep in mind that the company only claims to sell 100% authentic perfumes. So, what are people receiving?
According to one review from a previous customer, the perfume was not fake but stale.
“Bought a couple of perfumes this past Thanksgiving from Fragrancenet.com. Both of these perfumes I have used earlier that was bought from local stores such as Macy’s or Neiman Marcus. So I know how exactly these perfumes smell and how long the scent lasts. The ones I got from fragrancenet.com didn’t even last half-hour which was indicative of stale perfume.”
User review from bbb.org
Now, as we have discovered, FragranceNet may sell an outdated stock, in terms of packaging. However, if this perfume is not kept in the right conditions, there is a chance that being older, its scent could be affected.
Other customers have had a very positive experience and confirm that all fragrances from FragranceNet are genuine. The company has received many glowing reviews in this area.
“I’ve been purchasing from this company for many years. I’ve never had a problem. All my perfumes/colognes have been authentic. I will continue to purchase through this company unless proven otherwise. Thanks FragranceNet.com”
User review from bbb.org
While many customers have complained about the shipping times and contact from customer services, which appears to be a resounding problem, others have nothing but praise. For example, one five-star review states: “I love this site. Every time I make an order they send me my order number and when it’s ready to ship they send me a tracking number.”
This review, along with many others like it, can be viewed on the Better Business Bureau so you can feel confident that this is representative of a genuine experience.
So, Is FragranceNet Reliable?
FragranceNet is one of the biggest discount fragrance retailers on the internet, so there are bound to be some people who have had bad experiences. This is demonstrated by some of the bad press that the business has received.
However, when you look at the bigger picture, there are certainly more people who are returning time and again to this perfume seller, and you have to ask yourself why.
FragranceNet has an average rating of 4.3 on TrustPilot. This is a reputable organization that is known the world over for its honest and open company reviews. The reviews here are given by genuine consumers so you know that they are reliable. Moreover, FragranceNet has shipped more than 30 million orders, which it would never have done had it not been a reliable company.
Consumers should keep in mind that, being such a large company, some things may take a little longer. But when you consider the huge discounts you are getting, this matter falls by the wayside.
With an excellent range of products, a plethora of shipping options, and clear options for contacting customer services, FragranceNet certainly deserves its great reputation.
FragranceNet eBay
In the modern world, ecommerce businesses can’t put all of their eggs in one basket. So it won’t surprise you, then, that FragranceNet also has its very own eBay store. This allows the company to expand its reach and deliver products to even more clients.
While most of the time, you will get a better price from the main FragranceNet website, it is worth checking out their eBay store. For starters, the store has an incredible set of reviews, with five stars on all fronts. It features more than 9000 positive reviews and only 73 negative ones; let those results sink in for a moment.
Now, the problem is that the FragranceNet eBay store does not have such an impressive selection of products as the main site. This is largely down to higher hosting fees and the manual input needed to upload every product available.
Moreover, the store is not always reliable, sometimes not displaying any products at all. But according to some users, this happens when the brand refreshes their inventory so it is worth checking from time to time.
Overall, while you may occasionally get a decent offer on the eBay store (when it is functioning), the best discounts can be had on the FragranceNet website. This is mainly due to the fact that coupons cannot be added on eBay.
FragranceNet Coupons
25% Off
When you look at the product listings on the FragranceNet website, you will notice that all of them have an additional 25% off coupon located on the left-hand side. This is a little misleading as it tells you that you can have 25% off sitewide and to ‘click here.’ But the reality is that you must first sign up to take advantage of this offer.
It is a simple matter of inputting your phone number and email address and after this, your coupon will be automatically applied.
FragranceNet Coupon 37
One of the most popular FragranceNet coupons is 37% off. However, this cannot usually be found on the coupon page on their website. Yes, here you will be able to take advantage of one-off offers such as 30% off when you sign up for texts but to get the most exclusive discounts, you will need to delve a bit deeper.
The 37% coupon does take a little hard work to find, but we managed to find some great places where a lot of people say that the codes work. One of the most notable was Dealscove, whereas many as 34% of people were able to use the code successfully.
Another great one was HotDeals where it is simply a case of following the link. We’ll be honest, it doesn’t always work but with a little bit of patience, you can find some pretty good 37% off coupons. And if you can’t find those, with ever-changing coupon codes, you’ll always be able to get at least 30% off.
Conclusion: Is FragranceNet Legit?
With consumers constantly looking to bag a bargain, the rise of online retailers like FragranceNet has boomed. While many companies compete to be the top discount seller, FragranceNet has taken the lead for more than 20 years. But are you getting genuine perfumes for your money, or is this a total scam?
FragranceNet is a genuine company that sells 100% real perfumes and beauty products. They have clear policies and contacting customer services is simple, thanks to a user-friendly display on their website. Some perfumes were once used as a tester or may feature outdated packaging, but what’s in the bottle is always authentic.
If you want to save as much as 80% on your favorite perfumes, then FragranceNet is one of the best places for these incredible discounts.
