Source
r/RedditLaqueristas•
localmotion

Ladies, look out for fake OPI on ebay!

So it was bound to happen to me sooner or later, got my first fake on ebay! Needless to say I will not being buying nail polish ebay anymore. I didn't even realize fake cosmetics was such a problem. I bought a lot of minis and I could tell right away they were not the real deal. Here is a crummy pic so you can see what I mean. Luckily the seller is allowing me to return them. Just wanted to give you a heads up to look for this so you don't get scammed!

Posted Nov 26, 2011, 3:13 PM UTC

4012
Calyka•

I used to work for eBay...specifically, the department that takes down these sellers. Here's a few suggestions:

  • Look over the auction and pictures very carefully. If you see something that doesn't seem quite right, ask the seller about it.

  • Check the seller's feedback for other buyers complaining about fakes (or any other issues).

  • If you receive the item and it's fake, talk to the seller about it. You may be able to get a refund.

  • Mark their DSR/feedback appropriately. Even if they were nice about issuing a refund for the fake item, you could put a positive and say something along the lines of "Although the item was fake, the seller returned my money quickly" and mark their "item as described" DSR low.

  • Report it to eBay, report it to eBay, report it to eBay. I can't say that enough. Even if it looks like eBay didn't do anything, keep reporting the fakes you see.

I hope that helps.

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localmotionOP@nailpolishwhore•

Thanks for the tips I was unsure what feedback/reporting etiquette would be since she is allowing a return/refund.

3
Calyka•

Oh, no problem. :) If you have any other questions or concerns, let me know. :)

6
superpony123•

NEVER buy OPI from ebay, and I am also wary of buying from amazon (but if you check out their history and ask questions then you can see if its safe)

A long while ago, I posted this and this but it didnt get many upvotes. Use this as a guide in the future, ladies!! It is good to ask the seller specific questions about the qualities of the bottle (note the differences in the fake vs real) to check if its the real deal.

If you want to buy OPI, get it from an authorized seller, or a discount beauty/salon supply--there are a lot of these in and near cities (be wary if it is in chinatown though). Ive gotten lots of OPI online for discounts (usually the previous years colors--recently got burlesque polishes for $4 at victorias nail supply, and they are real)

11
AstraCraftPurplePurple Nails & Hair•

Actually, those posts were very informative! I may have at least one fake in my collection. An odd one too because it was a grocery store purchase and not even the color I intended to buy (lolwhut? Exactly...) I thought I got FDC In the Spotlight Pink, but I have something called Passion (NL H19) with a side of the cap shaved off, and no barcodes. Well, at least it's pretty, haha...
But here's another puzzler, ALL of my polishes only have 3 warning symbols on the back but otherwise look real (barcodes, pro-wide, consistent color). They are also from different sources, unfortunately not the fully authorized places like Ulta. Could they still be fake?

4
superpony123•

I'd chance a guess they might be fake, but you never know. If the colors work for you and you haven't noticed any unusual smells then it might be safe. My concern with fake polishes is that the polish they put inside the dupey bottles may look exactly the same, but we have no way of knowing if they follow standard safety in terms of ingredients (ie it MAY have DBP in it, because we don't know who is making it and where it comes from. almost no polishes have DBP in it because most are 3-free at least. if it's fake it is possible it's coming from china or someplace far where the standards for safety are not on par with ours)

1
phedre•

Fake make-up is a HUGE issue on eBay, especially the HTF stuff. The sheer amount of MAC fakes up there is mind boggling.

And don't even get me started on the fake purses. If there's money to be made scamming people, someone will find a way to do it.

I still use eBay, but I am super careful of any HTF or popular name brand items unless they come from a seller I know, or that others have recommended.

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SauzzledinSeattle•

Sorry this happened to you :(

OPI has repeatedly said that there is no way to verify if their product is authentic unless you buy it from an authorized seller, which are typically beauty supply stores. That means that OPI sold at drug stores or places like Target have no guarantee either, except for their sub-brand "Nicole by OPI" which is made for drug stores and has exclusive deals with Target sometimes. I hope that's not too confusing :)

TL;DR Always buy OPI from an authorized seller.

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localmotionOP@nailpolishwhore•

I'm so impatient though! All the hot new colors are always sold out in the store by me for weeks. I guess I just have to wait to be safe! :-)

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SauzzledinSeattle•

Many suppliers will accept preorders before the new lines launch or shortly after they launch, basically I think as long as they are still able to order the collection.

Typically you just have to give them the name of the polishes you want and your name/telephone number. I have never had to pay until I actually went to pick them up. :)

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[deleted]•

[deleted]

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almosthumanFlakieFreak•

I wouldn't know where to get nubar except online!

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shellechan•

How much did you pay for it? Was it cheaper than regular prices? Does it work well? If it did and was cheaper I would have just kept them.

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