FragranceNet offers some fantastic deals on designer colognes. But is FragranceNet legit? It all seems too good to be true.
Did these colognes “fall off the back of a truck” somewhere?
As someone who has bought about a hundred colognes through them over the years, I can confirm FragranceNet is one of the best places to buy cologne I’ve been able to find online.
Read on to see for yourself ?.
Is FragranceNet Legit?
Trustpilot is my go-to source to verify if an online source is legit. They offer thousands of uncensored reviews from customers of just about every company out there.
The first thing to note is that FragranceNet is confirmed as a verified company on there. Anyone can start a website, so this extra step of security is super important. With so many scams out there, I basically never buy through a company that hasn’t verified their identity.
Don’t Just Take My Word For It
Now onto the reviews. As you can see, FragranceNet is doing a great job of satisfying its customers.
They rank as “excellent”, averaging 4.1 stars out of 5 across 46,975 reviews at the time of writing.
They also respond to 99% of negative reviews, which shows they take resolving any complaints pretty seriously.
(In my experience, their customer service team is pretty “on it”, so I’ve never felt compelled to write a negative review even on the rare occasion that there has been a minor issue with my order).
Here’s what a few of their other customers had to say:
Good prices, good selection, easy to navigate site, fast shipping, easy FedX tracking. Absolutely no complaints. Will use FragranceNet again!
Trustpilot User Michael Ploof, 5*
FragranceNet makes it easy to get the cologne I like without having to drive around shopping different stores to find it.
Trustpilot User Dean, 5*
Great prices and always new promotions on the same stuff you get at Macy’s, etc… The difference is the price….that’s all. Great company!!!
Trustpilot User Jim, 5*
Why is FragranceNet so Cheap?
The reason FragranceNet can offer such cheap colognes is that they’re incredibly smart about how they buy them in the first place.
They use “grey market” techniques to get their colognes for way less than the usual wholesale price. Grey market might sound a bit sketchy, but it’s all totally legal – they’re just techniques we regular citizens don’t have access to.
So, how does FragranceNet do it? Well, there are a few ways:
Testers
When companies produce colognes, they tend to make two main variants. The first is “retail”. These are your standard bottles of cologne available for customer purchase in-store.
The second type (and the one that FragranceNet is interested in) is called “testers”. These are for stores to display, or offer to potential customers to try.
They contain exactly the same ingredients and are 100% authentic.
IMPORTANT: Testers are NOT necessarily colognes that have BEEN tested. If you buy a “tester” cologne, your bottle should be just as full as if you’d bought a retail bottle. Tester just refers to the intended use of the cologne, not its life experiences!
The only real differences are purely cosmetic. For example, while a retail bottle may be pretty minimalistic, a tester bottle design could include a description of the note profile or some brand history.
Because they’re designed for use on the shop floor rather than to be sold directly, tester colognes usually come with no caps and in plain packaging (which helps save on costs).
For example, here’s a 100ml bottle of Montblanc Explorer sold direct through Montblanc…
Compare that with the FragranceNet price. By ordering a tester, you’re able to get the same cologne for roughly half the price!
They Buy Cologne at Scale
Most people can only afford to buy a couple of bottles of high-end cologne at a time – if they’re lucky. Companies like FragranceNet have the cash to buy LOADS of cologne, which puts them in a better position to negotiate prices with their supplier.
That’s part of the reason FragranceNet is so keen to offer discounts to its customers. It wants to move its stock quickly, keep cash flowing, and make space in the warehouse for the next delivery.
Older Stock
The same principle applies to older stock. It’s not a good look for boutique houses to have a mishmash of different bottle designs in stock. In the world of designer fragrance, it would be unthinkably messy and unprofessional.
Instead, last year’s colognes are sold off to third-party retailers for resale. While some colognes do vary from batch to batch, most of them are almost exactly the same year-on-year.
They Make Deals Around the World
Colognes can have wildly different prices depending on the country they are sold in. For example, a company may choose to set a lower price in a country with a low average income. Similarly, they may be forced to up rates in countries with high taxes on fragrances.
If you’re buying cologne at a scale of thousands of bottles at a time, even changes in the value of the currency itself can make a big difference.
So, don’t be surprised if you receive tester products inscribed in foreign languages. It doesn’t mean they’re fake, they’ve just traveled a long way!
Damaged Packaging/ Unboxed
When you buy a cologne in-store, you expect it to look pristine. It’s all part of the luxury experience.
However, online discount cologne retailers benefit front the fact that most of their customers just want the fragrance. They don’t really care about the box, they’re just going to throw it away anyway.
Because of this, FragranceNet happily offers “damaged box” and “unboxed” colognes in exchange for an even greater discount.
The damaged box colognes are usually just a little wrinkled or may have a small hole, while unboxed colognes are shipped in an entirely unrelated, plain new box.
The colognes themselves are perfectly fine, and buying in this way would only ever be an issue for someone who cares about the box.
Usually, the original boxes became damaged during shipping or as part of a previous customer return.
Fewer Expenses than Conventional Stores
Online retailers benefit from the fact that their operating costs are incredibly low compared to traditional retailers.
A boutique cologne store in a fancy part of town has to spend obscene amounts of money on rent and interior design to maintain the brand image. As a reseller, FragranceNet can act as the invisible middle man and trade on the clout that other brands have already built.
Their primary costs are the maintenance of their website and warehouse, which don’t amount to much by comparison.
FragranceNet Coupons and Offers
For even better value, make sure you take advantage of the regular promotions FragranceNet runs.
You can get 30% off all orders just for signing up to their email list.
Keep your eyes on your inbox, and you’ll regularly receive emails with more discount codes and alerts for pretty crazy flash sales.
By stacking the benefits of FragranceNet’s low prices, discount codes, and sales promotions, you can make incredible savings.
FragranceNet Shipping – How Good is It?
How Long Does FragranceNet Take to Ship?
Standard US delivery on FragranceNet products is between 4 – 7 business days. Express 2nd day delivery and next day air delivery are also available for an additional fee.
They also offer worldwide shipping within 4 – 12 days, so you can enjoy their excellent deals wherever you are.
See the table below for details:
| Option | Postal Time | Ships Via | Tracking? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard U.S Shipping | 4 – 7 Business Days | UPS, FedEx, Ontrac or U.S. Postal Service | ? |
| Express U.S Shipping | 2 – 3 Business Days | Undisclosed | ? |
| 1 Business Day Shipping | 1 Business Day | Undisclosed | ? |
| Canadian Shipments | 3 – 8 Business Days | Landmark Global | ? |
| Mexico Shipments | 4 – 12 Business Days | Undisclosed | ? |
| Worldwide Shipping | Varies Depending on Product and Quantity | Undisclosed | ? |
Where Does FragranceNet Ship From?
FragranceNet operates from a huge temperature and humidity-controlled warehouse in New York.
Their lean, cologne shipping machine is far cheaper per sq foot than a fancy city center retail store, and these low overheads help them price their colognes so competitively.
FragranceNet Free Shipping Offer
FragranceNet offers free shipping on orders over $100, but keep your eyes open. There’s almost always a free shipping code available onsite or through your emails that removes the minimum order value – so you can get free shipping even if you’re just buying something small.
Refund and Return Guarantee
All FragranceNet orders benefit from a 30-day return policy for any unopened products.
There is a small charge to cover the cost of shipping unless the refund is on account of a technical fault with the product – in which case, it’s completely free.
They used to have a no questions asked return policy where you could try your cologne, and send it back if you didn’t like it. Sadly, that’s not the case any more, I guess too many people were taking advantage of it.
Refunds will be credited within a month, and I’ve never had to chase any of the 4 – 5 refunds I’ve claimed.
FragranceNet is Legit – 7Gents Certified
Hopefully, I’ve been able to explain how FragranceNet is able to offer deals that feel too good to be true.
If you’re still unsure of anything, feel free to drop a comment below and I’ll do my best to answer any questions.
Check out these links for more recommendations on how to buy cologne online without needing to remortgage your home :).
- Here I cover the best places to buy cologne – budget options, samples, and premium customer service
- Click here to learn whether FragranceX is legit too!
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