Do you buy beauty products from eBay? Are you well versed in spotting a counterfeit as an eBay buyer? Does it all overwhelm you?
— Christine
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I get quite a lot on ebay, really. A lot of brands are hard/impossible to get or insanely expensive (how about >$70 for a jar of ID bare minerals foundation?) where I live.
I started out knowing that I paid for finding out if a seller had original mac, BE, zoya polish or whatever it was, and now I have some favorite sellers I keep buying from. My last ebay success was the Velvet Rope set of UD 24/7 liners – I love those! My last ebay fail was fake BE a couple of years ago.
I can thank ebay for a fairly large portion of my collection 🙂
I shop at ebay every now and then. If there’s something special I’d like to find it’s for 98 % sure that ebay has it.
I buy MAC from ebay all the time – there is only one small MAC counter in all of Finland and it’s a two hour drive away, plus they don’t have all the collections! 🙁 I’ve never had any problems, it is in the interest of the sellers to have the real stuff too! Of course they cost more (prices are higher and the S&H) but I think I’m still saving, because MAC costs a lot in Finland anyway 🙂
I used to buy a lot of make up on ebay – Bobbi Brown palettes, Urban Decay e/s and palettes (I found many e/s for about 50 % of their retail price and also bought the Book of Shadows for dirt-cheap), MAC e/s and quads..and I have only bought two fake MAC e/s. :o)
I have found a few sellers that are selling genuine cosmetics and to those I return faithfully if there are items I can
I have never bought cosmetics from ebay and I don’t think I ever will. There’s just something about the whole concept that’s not appealing to me. Maybe it’s the chance of paying for a fake item?
Being French I sometimes don’t have much of a choice when it comes to stuff like Monistat gel as a primer, impossible to buy here. But most of the time, when I can buy in store for the same price or just a little more, I do, it’s more fun !
No, I like to swatch and see before I buy =] x
I feel same as Shortiee31. I need to se, try, swatch everything I want to b4 doing so! I always reserve my final decision of (not) buying AFTER playing with a product. Only I was trying to get some MacPro products recently (without swatching).
Yesterday (& still now) I have been very upset! At the MAC store I go to regularly, I am very well known as I am their top customer! I have “befriended” some of the MAs. Anyhow, one of the MA was going to a big city where there is a MacPro store for a personnal trip and offered to get me the stuff I wanted with her discount card. I thought “Wow! What a nice girl!”All I had to do is get her the cash and my order b4 she left (which I did). She was supposed to be back this last wednesday. I had to go there yesterday to buy some stuff so I waited patiently..
I found out that she was let go (to be fair to her, she only found out on her return). Apparently she never got my envelope with my $200 & my list (so she claimed) and the ppl at the store tell me that they don’t have such an envelope and never seen it!!
I am BEYOND upset and my sense of trust is shattered. Of course, I feel silly for trusting them (I usually don’t trust ppl that much). I thought of them as pros and I though that she was doing stg nice for me since I am such a great customer… I also did not realize that they are not supposed to buy stuff for others on their Mac card… She never acted like it’s not allowed…
She is supposed to call me today after rechecking her luggage at home… I’m praying that she finds the enveloppe but I am not holding my breath.
I want to boycott this Mac store (my city has 2). I cannot & will not boycott Mac products (it would be like committing suicide!!!) but I’m very bitter! 🙁
you shouldn’t have given her the money first… wait til she has actually bought the stuff before you pay.
I agree with Sophia. If ever I get someone else to buy something for me, I wait until they return, show me the product, and then that’s when I pay.
How awful, I know how sometimes we just do something we regret.. Those SAs, NEVER think of them as friends. They will only consider their own benefits. You know what I think, I have a feeling that a LOT of your MAC pros are in this scam together. I will go to a store and be nice to them and say hi and maybe if I don’t buy something and feel awkward. But it’s always important to know that they’re there to be professional and serve customers. I find that a lot of SAs at department stores are snobby and cold anyway. Not that I want to buy from them, PFFT, their loss.
I buy from ebays sellers I trust. Unfortunately there is only a handful of MAC sellers I trust 🙁
I am a true Ebay-aholic, always looking for stuff and always finding some great things. 🙂 I think it’s a great idea and most of the sellers are genuine, in fact I have never bought anything fake off Ebay. I have got a few bad deals when things weren’t exactly as described, but most of the times got a refund – always pay with Paypal is my rule. I think Ebay is great for finding things that are either rare or not sold in your country (I’ve recently bought some Mac MSFs and Smashbox’s Muse palette), and also for finding great bargains. I’ve bought many pieces of make up for half or less than the retail price. If I like something I always look on Ebay first. I’ve also bought some perfume much much cheaper than in the shops.
I’m too big a chicken to shop on eBay. It makes me nervous – what if I never get the product, or it’s not what was advertised? ;(
I’m like that too, hun.
I also shop on eBay all the time. I like having time to examine the product, check reviews and pictures in my own time. I find stores rather stressful.
Me too! I hate stores, especially department. I really find eBay and other online stores very convenient and I have never had bad experience. It also saves time!
I like going on ebay to see what’s out there, but I’m too afraid to purchase b/c of the whole “fake” issue. If anybody has some good sellers they know about- please share! 🙂 Thanks!
I strongly like buying in store. Sometimes though I can only find what I’m looking for on Ebay, like a long lost Moonflower or Firespot. Oh, my beloved Firespot!
NO….NO EBAY..
Only nailpolishes. And a lot of them!
Nope i don’t because i don’t know who to trust on the net i wish i had a list or knew of some honest sellers that many have bought from if i knew at least a few of them id probably buy from them. Does anyone know of some good sellers who sell genuine stuff?
no way, i bought from there once.. it was Aquavert eyeshadow.. once i recieved it, it came to me looking more like… sum. olive eyeshadow.. clearly.. NOT aquavert, never again!.
Yea, some of my fave ebay hauls include the following:
1. MAC parrot e/s
2. BE mineral veil (totally cheap and wasnt available where i live then)
3. all my palettes, the 10 pc blush, 6 pc contour, 26 eyeshadow and blush (cos the Coastal Scents shipping is so ex)
4. Ben Nye concealer wheel
5. NYX Round lipsticks
I don’t buy MAC from ebay except for the Parrot, because I am afraid of counterfeit, and I don’t like pple charging black market prices for some litmited edition item on ebay, and I refuse to pay ridiculous prices. And I would rather feel and touch my MAC in person before buying.
I buy from Ebay all the time. I mean all the time. I get something maybe every day :(. I just really got into mackeup within the last year so I’m trying to catch up. I have a couple reputable sellers I buy from. I think Christine and I bought from the same seller for the Dazzleglasses! I am happy I got tem early btw so now I can put all my money into Style Warriors.
Once, I got pigment samples from Ebay, but now I wouldn’t dare ( even if the restrictions were lifted). Luckily this was well before fakes were so rampant. Now, I stick to train cases, brushes, and the palettes that have become popular on Coatal Scents (their occasional stock issues and the recent CS vs Youtube fiasco has made me wanna give CS a break for a while).
I have bought a few mac items in the last few months, so far so good. I try to buy just hard to find or must haves at good prices.
I buy off ebay sometimes when I know I can’t get something anymore/here. I make sure to go to a seller that has a lot of good positives and read them over carefully, and the negatives(if any).
I never bought cosmetics off ebay, but I think I will start someday, because a lot of brands are unavailable in my country!
I buy off ebay all of the time! I’ve never had a problem with fakes! I can sometimes tell by looking at items that some are fake, but I’ve never had a problem with the stuff I chose to buy!
I buy a lot of MAC off eBay. I prefer to buy instore but a lot of the time they’re sold out or I just don’t have enough to pay full price. Late last year I really started to get into MAC so now I’m buying a lot of past collections and eBay is the only place I can get them.
I’d like to actually try and swatch products before buying them, but unfortunately there are no MAC or NARS counters where I live (in Italy, there are only a few stores selling MAC and no stores selling NARS, which I am addicted to ;P). eBay is the only way I have to buy products I like. I’ve never bought fake cosmetics, but I always buy from the same sellers (who have a lot of experience and of course all positive feedbacks), because they’re trustworthy.
I only buy items on eBay that I cannot buy here.
There is no MAC Pro store or Sephora here, but there is a MAC store. (yay!)
I have bought MAC mixing medium, Benefit products, and cosmetics sold only in the UK (e.g. Sleek palettes) on eBay. None of them were fake and I was very happy with the experience.
I’ve never bought any MAC eyeshadows or pigments on eBay because I am aware that they can be faked. I’m not sure I want to take that risk.
I don’t buy any limited edition MAC items on eBay because lots of things are eventually repromoted, so I can just buy it here at the MAC store when it comes back out!
I buy on Ebay a lot. I usually get something new every couple of days. Sometimes its great, sometimes not. It is a matter of checking the feedback of a seller and asking lots of questions when you are unsure. I love it because you don’t have the pressure of sales people and you can get new or discontinued items. I’ve only had a few fake pigments that I’ve received, otherwise I have yet to have many problems.
if someone could tell us the ebay sellers they trust with selling genuine mac products that would be great so us newbies know where to look!!
Yes. I buy lipglosses and I’ve had no problems.
I will not buy MAC products online because of all the counterfeit products; however, I have gotten some really great deals on some other things! I just recently bought the new Smashbox Muse Palette for $30 (retails for $48) w/ free shipping! It was perfect, never opened, nothing wrong with it!!! I also bought my Smashbox Full Coverage Foundation on Ebay for $7.99 (it retails for $38!) and it too was perfect, never opened, not expired! I also bought the full collection of NYX loose eyeshadows and glitters for only $20! It even came with a free NYX bag. Those eyeshadows were perfect as well, all sealed! I have had nothing but good luck with my ebay cosmetic purchases, but I pay close att. to feedback and I also tend to buy products that would be hard to counterfeit!
I buy on ebay, YAY! esp when I don’t have access of a cosmetics line. However, I haven’t tried any MAC; I’m new to MAC and I don’t want to take the chance of buying something I didn’t know about. Anyway, I buy Limited Edition High-ends there. I know there couldn’t be fakes, because 1. LE ones are hard to fake and COSTLY to fake one. It’s so much easier to fake a normal line of products and with products new and intact, I’m assured. They don’t fake drugstores too, like Milani I bought. So, I’m fine. 🙂
I’ve started to buy stuff on http://www.allcosmeticswholesale.com, I like it better then Ebay.
They have such a selection of great products for a great price! MAC especially 🙂
I just got my package from there today.. 🙂 I like buying beauty products online because they have discontinued and past LE products that you wanted to buy but never got to it.
I bought MAC Manish Arora palette and lipsticks cus it was not released in Malaysia.
Nope. Other than palette holders I don’t buy MAC from eBay. The first time I bought a Barbie Loves MAC blush it was a fake. The seller agreed to refund me but I was just over it.
how did u know it was a fake?
I buy from eBay sometimes. Mostly miniature Clinique products to try out. I don’t think I would buy some full size full price product as I would be too afraid for it to be fake/stolen/missing. Altough I am going to get Guerlain Les Meteorites ( 03 Beige Chic <3 ) which is hard to get in stores but will get it from StrawberryNet eBay shop so it’s trusted 🙂
I’ve never gotten anything from Ebay to be completely honest.
I’ve never bought anything from ebay. The concept of buying makeup from someone I don’t know really freaks me out !
I don’t. There are certain brands I would shop from there, MAC wouldn’t be it though. A lot of fake stuff.
I have bought some really great things makeup off Ebay, so far I’ve never had any problems.
I don’t buy makeup, but I do buy skincare products. It’s usually a few dollars cheaper even with shipping for some of the expensive brands I’m interest in trying. Plus, I like to get a couple of things that are located in Asia, so ebay is definitely a plus. No problems as of yet.
Could anyone provide a list of their trusted ebay sellers? thanks!
I have bought makeup from ebay, i live in NZ and its super hard to get MACPRO and other limited edition products, First things i always check is if they combined post, the batch date to when it was made, thankfully i know how to interept them. I would never in a million years purchase skincare, too many friends have bought expensive cremes etc only to find the packaging in right but the product inside is not!!! buyer beware!
I shop too much on ebay, well, only if it’s cheaper than in the stores!
Not really. I am frightened that they might be fake. But then again if you look at the feed back and everything, but not all of it may be true.