Counterfeit make up

username123

I bought a mascara on ebay from an Irish seller. It was about the same price as it would be in a chemist. It arrived quickly, the box looked fine, I left good feedback.

That was just over a week ago. Yesterday I took it out of the packaging an immediately noticed the mascara bottle itself looked badly printed and was a different shade to a genuine one. I opened the bottle, mascara splattered all over me, the wand looked wrong. I did apply it, it wouldn't dry, I took it off.

I compared it closely with a genuine version. I'm pretty sure it's counterfeit. I'm also sure it was packaged in real packaging but the item itself is a fake.

What should I do? I have already left good feedback. Should I report this to ebay and if so how?

lukesmom

username123 wrote: »

I bought a mascara on ebay from an Irish seller. It was about the same price as it would be in a chemist. It arrived quickly, the box looked fine, I left good feedback.

That was just over a week ago. Yesterday I took it out of the packaging an immediately noticed the mascara bottle itself looked badly printed and was a different shade to a genuine one. I opened the bottle, mascara splattered all over me, the wand looked wrong. I did apply it, it wouldn't dry, I took it off.

I compared it closely with a genuine version. I'm pretty sure it's counterfeit. I'm also sure it was packaged in real packaging but the item itself is a fake.

What should I do? I have already left good feedback. Should I report this to ebay and if so how?

Why did you leave good feedback before opening and testing it?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Contact the manufacturers of the genuine product.

Thoie

Given that the majority of mascaras cost under €40 (unless there's been some development I've missed), it seems like an odd thing to go to the trouble of counterfeiting.

Srameen's probably right - contact the manufacturer. It's possible that the bottle was made for a different market. I have one foundation that "separates" if I put it in checked luggage, so depending on where it was posted from, it may have gone a bit funny. Give it a good shake and see what it's like then.

MissFlitworth

Thoie wrote: »

Given that the majority of mascaras cost under €40 (unless there's been some development I've missed), it seems like an odd thing to go to the trouble of counterfeiting.

Counterfeit make-up is unfortunately rife on eBay, loads of fake Mac floating around the place


http://www.ebay.co.uk/gds/Guide-to-identify-avoid-counterfeit-MAC-mascaras-/10000000011694459/g.html

username123

lukesmom wrote: »

Why did you leave good feedback before opening and testing it?

It never even occurred to me that it would be fake. The box itself was fine. The mascara bottle is not obviously off colour until you hold it next to a genuine one. I glanced in the box. I just didn't think to open it up at the time. I don't wear make up often, I wouldnt try it on unless I was going out. I realise now of course that I should have, but I didn't, and I can't change that now.

I forgot to add, I emailed the seller, politely, and explained the situation. They have 100% feedback but low sales volume (600 or so). That was yesterday and they still haven't replied which makes me more suspicious.

dudara

Moved to Online Buying & Auctions

dudara

shot2go

report to ebay and open a dispute with paypal. i had the same thing happen to me with benefit make up. paypal also advised me not to return the items that it is illegal to sent counterfeit goods through the post. i got refunded by paypal for 3 items.

username123

shot2go wrote: »

report to ebay and open a dispute with paypal. i had the same thing happen to me with benefit make up. paypal also advised me not to return the items that it is illegal to sent counterfeit goods through the post. i got refunded by paypal for 3 items.

Thanks for this. It was Benefit mascara. How do you open a dispute with paypal, through ebay or through paypal directly?

Edit, I just did it through paypal. Thanks again.

shot2go

great, hopefully u will get a refund soon. can u link me to the sellers page

username123

shot2go wrote: »

great, hopefully u will get a refund soon. can u link me to the sellers page

I have pm'd you.

username123

The seller issued a refund less than 24 hours after I opened a paypal dispute. They have never responded to the message I sent them. I reported them to ebay also.

As they are irish based I am considering reporting them to the guards, but I just feel it would be a waste of time.

shot2go

glad u got your refund. these sellers are all over ebay. i had so much hassle with one seller that i bought 2 items from, and the second refunded almost straight away to protect there feedback

Tia.K

same thing happend to me on a wireless card .it happens on ebay alot so im being careful and check twice before purchasing or i try to find it on amazon , but you can get refund if their feedback is important to em

username123

So I spoke to the local Guards. Not interested. "Wouldnt have the resources to follow up something like that - tell the Revenue".

No wonder people get away with this kind of thing.

Toast4532

username123 wrote: »

I have pm'd you.

Could you PM me the seller as well please?

You could fire off an email to Benefit themselves to let them know about the seller.

I found a Karen Millen coat on eBay before but wasn't sure if it was real or fake, and contacted KM themselves, about two weeks later the seller was no long registered on eBay, not sure if KM did anything about it or if it was just coincidence.

username123

Toast I have pm'd you.

Good idea re contacting Benefit themselves.

username123

An update.

I contacted Benefit themselves and after a few days received a long email listing all authorised suppliers and stating that they can only guarantee the real thing from someone on that list.

Don't think they are too interested in following up with the seller.

rubadub

Thoie wrote: »

Given that the majority of mascaras cost under €40 (unless there's been some development I've missed), it seems like an odd thing to go to the trouble of counterfeiting.

Seems ideal to counterfeit to me. They most cost pittance to make, check these prices which include postage.
http://dx.com/s/mascara?Sort=PriceL2H

the main cost in making them is probably the marketing, so the counterfeiters in effect get this free.

Its a safe enough thing to counterfeit, not like it will go on fire, though people could get reactions I suppose.

Some counterfeiters are making them in the same factory as the real ones. They can simply keep machines running on weekends when the companies auditors are not there, if they even have any auditors/overseers.

allthedoyles

Even the real ones are known to cause a reaction too especially mascara.

You are correct that some are made in the same factories - Its also correct to say that the main difference is that the replicas have not been endorsed by the original brand owner.

Even the original factories can use children as young as 8 working up to 12 hours a day for a measly wage .

Another difference is that these ones are normally sold at well below the price of an original and this is why they can be a bargain buy.

One of the biggest exporters Alibaba are now even been listed on the New York stock exchange , so that will tell you how popular these lower priced replicas can be .

Its a multi-billion dollar industry in the USA and many countries worldwide , so the OP can take on the world if so wishes , but has already found out that even Benefit themselves are not interested .

Nowadays even medicine has an original and a generic type available , and its only a matter of time before these branded outlets will be offering the same .

username123

The reason I was so annoyed about it is that the mascara was sold as original, and the price was about the same as you would pay in a bricks and mortar store.

The product sent to me was not the product I paid for, and it was an inferior product (the mascara itself does not dry).

For me, it wasnt a case that I thought I was getting a bargain, or indeed that I was knowingly buying a replica that was the same as the original except without the manufacturers endorsement - it was that the seller was actually trying to dupe me.

It would be a totally different situation if I was buying a generic version of a branded product and that was what it was being sold as.