Cheap fragrance from Dischem?

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cyberarmy

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They are advertising some fragrances for the Father's day special. For example CK Eternity, normal price is like R7XX-R8XX at department stores and until end of June they are on sale for R430 according to the advert(wait for the best part).

Went to the one at Bluebird centre near Melrose this afternoon, enquired the price at the fragrance section, R795, asked the lady where the R430 special was and I was taken to another shelf, price tag R370 for 100ml.

Bought 2 at the end. According Dischem they import their own genuine fragrance from overseas so it's so cheap, but from what I was told, more expensive one is the official agent stock and cheaper one is from another supplier?

Opened one of them and found the barcode sticker on the bottle had been partially removed. Plastic packaging outside the box was printed Made in USA.

Your thoughts?
 
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plazma said:
No, what are YOUR thoughts?
Click to expand...

Something else I noticed, the packaging of the official stock (R795) and the promotion stock (R370) probably has different barcodes on the box. As 2 gave different prices on their system when scanned. I though barcode should be the same for the same product as it's the unique identification?

This probably will explain why the barcode on the bottle was partially removed? Or maybe it's covering up the origin as the stock has suspecious origins? Such as 'fell of the truck' story.
 
cyberarmy said:
They are advertising some fragrances for the Father's day special. For example CK Eternity, normal price is like R7XX-R8XX at department stores and until end of June they are on sale for R430 according to the advert(wait for the best part).

Went to the one at Bluebird centre near Melrose this afternoon, enquired the price at the fragrance section, R795, asked the lady where the R430 special was and I was taken to another shelf, price tag R370 for 100ml.

Bought 2 at the end. According Dischem they import their own genuine fragrance from overseas so it's so cheap, but from what I was told, more expensive one is the official agent stock and cheaper one is from another supplier?

Opened one of them and found the barcode sticker on the bottle had been partially removed. Plastic packaging outside the box was printed Made in USA.

Your thoughts?
Click to expand...

It may or may not be fake. The only way to test is to analyse them both OR
compare them. Buy some of the other stock and put on one arm, use the other on the other arm and see which LASTS the longest.

There are lots of counterfeiting ops going on. Some are quite good.
 
cyberarmy said:
Something else I noticed, the packaging of the official stock (R795) and the promotion stock (R370) probably has different barcodes on the box. As 2 gave different prices on their system when scanned. I though barcode should be the same for the same product as it's the unique identification?

This probably will explain why the barcode on the bottle was partially removed? Or maybe it's covering up the origin as the stock has suspecious origins? Such as 'fell of the truck' story.
Click to expand...

It doesn't have to be. Check it out on the http://www.upcdatabase.com/itemform.asp UPC database.

Some items have different codes, so I wouldn't panic over that.
 
Will try tomorrow morning. There is a bottle of 10+ years old CK Eternity in the room next door and it's genuine. Will compare and let you guys know.....

So Peter you rekon if the one from Dischem is fake, they will last shorter to the original? Because it smelled the same as the original one (referring to 10 years old bottle).
 
cyberarmy said:
Will try tomorrow morning. There is a bottle of 10+ years old CK Eternity in the room next door and it's genuine. Will compare and let you guys know.....

So Peter you rekon if the one from Dischem is fake, they will last shorter to the original? Because it smelled the same as the original one (referring to 10 years old bottle).
Click to expand...

I figure that once you spray it on and expose to the environment the fake should last much less....

These days counterfeiters go to extreme lengths, even doing obscure products, check this post:
http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php?p=2874555#post2874555
 
But I won't be suprised if this come out at the end to be genuine. We always get ripped off in South Africa and bypassing these official agents should lower the prices by a significant portion.

Spoke to my friend in USA just now and she confirmed some Father's day special she had seen, which has 2 100ml CK Eternity in a box for $65.......
 
cyberarmy said:
But I won't be suprised if this come out at the end to be genuine. We always get ripped off in South Africa and bypassing these official agents should lower the prices by a significant portion.

Spoke to my friend in USA just now and she confirmed some Father's day special she had seen, which has 2 100ml CK Eternity in a box for $65.......
Click to expand...

True, but I doubt an SA company would swallow import costs and tax to allow a similar price as in the US. What usually happens in SA is that ALL businesses tend to rip people off, eg you won't usually find items expensive everywhere and one shop selling them cheap. It may be that Dischem is just using these as a loss leader - this is not uncommon elsewhere in the world - the PS3 is such a device overseas, but here retailers add these substantial surcharges.
 
Why would something fake not smell the same when exposed to the air?

I doubt dischem are doing anything dodgy like that, they don't exactly need too.
 
killadoob said:
Why would something fake not smell the same when exposed to the air?

I doubt dischem are doing anything dodgy like that, they don't exactly need too.
Click to expand...

I think the genuine fragrance lasts longer. The cheap fake would not last as long. They should smell - more or less the same, I guess.

As for being dodgy, maybe Dischem is honest, but their suppliers or their supplier's suppliers could be dodgy - remember the Musica and fake PS2 accessories debacle?
 
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killadoob said:
What though makes you think genuine fragrance will not last longer?
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I think precisely that. I think a genuine fragrance will last longer. And if they both smell the same, I'd pick the longer lasting one anyway - I doubt that would be the fake one though, but if it is, so what.

When I say "last longer" I mean it will last longer on YOU (exposed to air). I don't mean that it will last longer when still sealed in a closed bottle. Put both on (maybe one on the left arm and other on the right) in the morning and whichever still smells in the evening is your winner.

To clarify, what I mean by 'counterfeit' is not grey import but totally fake perfume. Grey implies a direct import not via regular or authorised distribution. In this case, importing grey perfume is a good option because unlike with electronics, you don't have to worry about warranties. However, if the labeling looks dodgy that can imply not grey but counterfeit product. Counterfeit perfume is obviously fake - maybe watered down or made in some other way and while possibly smelling the same would not last as longer or maybe more irritating to the skin. That's my take.

Anyone else have any ideas?
 
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they could be like in dubai where they're essentially the 'testers' that retailers get sent which dischem are just packaging properly or something.
 
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