When buying discounted perfume, it is important to purchase from a reputable merchant, to smell the perfume before buying it, and to make sure that it is in undamaged packaging. A consumer should also validate that the product is actually perfume, and not cologne or a body lotion. As many high-end perfumes can be very expensive, discounted perfume is often very attractive to budget-conscious consumers. It is possible, however, for consumers to be scammed by marketers who sell cheap knockoffs or very old or damaged perfumes.
There are many different sources of discounted perfume, including standard retailers that are having a sale, off-price stores, as well as Internet merchants. In some cases, cosmetics retailers may have a sale on overstock perfume. Some brick-and-mortar and Internet merchants may specialize in selling discounted perfume, which they procure through different means, including buying up liquidated stock from shops that have gone out of business. When possible, a purchaser of discounted perfume should ask to smell it to ensure that the perfume is still of good quality. Many perfumes degrade over time, which means that an old perfume may simply not smell the same as a freshly produced bottle. It is also important to inspect the bottle that the perfume comes in in order to ensure that it is not damaged, as a damaged bottle can make it impossible to keep the perfume in good condition.
It is also important to read labels before buying a bottle of discounted perfume. There are some companies that produce knockoff, or replica, versions of expensive perfumes. In some cases, these companies may actually use the name of the expensive perfume on their label or in their advertising and may use a larger font or even capital letters to highlight the brand name. If the price of a perfume seems too good to be true, it may be because the perfume is a copy-cat rather than the real thing.
Finally, it's important to keep in mind that, while genuine perfume is often expensive, colognes, eau de toilettes, and various body sprays and lotions are typically less so. If an individual makes a purchase from an online auction site, he should ask whether he is buying actual perfume or another fragrance product from a particular product range. For some people, it doesn't matter whether they use perfume or another fragrance product, but given the difference in value between different types of fragrances, it is a good idea to verify the exact product being purchased.