How are decants produced?
Authentic designer fragrance suppliers purchase commercial-sized bottles of fragrance from the original, genuine manufacturers. They then decant these genuine fragrances into smaller quantities. This is typically done in a sterile environment with medical-grade equipment – or at least, it should be!
Sample and decanted fragrances are typically decanted into 1.5ml, 2.5ml, 5ml or 10ml atomisers. Preferably look for those that specify they use glass atomisers, to ensure fragrances will stay in tip-top condition.
When choosing a store to purchase designer fragrance decants from, there are a number of key things to look for to ensure you’ll receive authentic, high-quality products.
Your non-negotiable shopping checklist starts here
A valid ABN
Make sure the website shows a valid ABN (Australian Business Number). It’ll usually be included in the Terms & Conditions, or in the website’s footer somewhere. Verify the ABN is real using the official ABN Lookup website. It should also say “active” next to status.
Scent Collection’s ABN can be verified here.
- ABN: 92 672 119 176
Readily-available contact details
An authentic supplier won’t be hard to get in touch with. Before you buy, make sure the website offers obvious customer service contact points such as a contact page with an enquiry form, as well as an email address and a postal address/office location.
You can reach Scent Collection via the form on our contact page, or via:
- [email protected]
- HQ: PO Box 963, Templestowe VIC 3106, Australia
Responsive & helpful customer service
It’s important to shop with stores that will communicate both clearly and promptly. That way, if there’s a problem, you won’t find yourself in a frustrating situation.
It can be worthwhile to reach out to a store before you purchase to check:
- How long they take to reply
- Spelling and grammar: This can be an indicator of a supplier's professionalism
- Tone: Are they friendly and helpful? Or do they reply with the bare minimum?
Curious to test our customer service?
Feel free to fill in the form below to check how quickly our friendly team take to get back to you!
Reputable payment methods offered
Check what payment methods the store accepts. While not a strict measure of validity, many payment gateway services have fairly stringent protocols that verify the identity of the business and its directors when they sign up for those services.
A store that accepts payments via Shop Pay, Stripe and/or PayPal are good signs. Those that accept only bank transfers, money wiring, bitcoin/cryptocurrency or other manual/offline payment methods should be treated with great caution.
Scent Collection accepts payment via credit card (American Express, Visa, or Mastercard), or Paypal. All orders on our website (no matter the payment method) are protected by PayPal’s Buyer Protection, as well as Australian Consumer Law.
Active social media
Established, reputable stores tend to have an active social media presence. Check the store’s social media profiles for recent posts, as well as healthy engagement (e.g. comments, likes).
You can find Scent Collection on the following social media platforms:
Real, human-written reviews
While reviews can certainly be faked (and often are), it’s usually possible to tell them apart from the real deal. Check the store you’re considering purchasing from has reviews on one platform or another, whether it be Google, Facebook, Trustpilot or Product Review.
Browse through the reviews and check that they aren’t always written with perfect grammar, or all follow a similar/formulaic structure. Human reviews vary widely in what each individual customer feels worthy of mentioning!
You can browse plenty of 100% human-verified Scent Collection reviews on TrustPilot.
A professional, information-rich website
A reputable store will have a website that feels polished, and which has had plenty of thought and care go toward your experience.
Untrustworthy suppliers on the other hand tend to put up “quick and dirty” websites that they know won’t be around for long. They therefore only need to be good enough to target inexperienced and less discerning shoppers.
Look for clean page layouts, consistent branding, good spelling and grammar, and clear site navigation.
Product pages should also offer comprehensive information on each fragrance, such as top/heart/base notes, gender/occasion suitability, general fragrance attributes (classification, family, personality), clear information on the size/quantity on offer, as well as professional-grade photos of the actual decanted vial/atomiser you’ll be receiving (not just the original manufacturer’s bottle).
Legal terms clearly outlined
All reputable stores must offer the following 2 legal disclaimers at a minimum:
- Terms and Conditions (of sale)
- Privacy Policy
Ideally, they should also offer the following:
- Refunds and Returns Policy
- Shipping Policy
- Authenticity Disclaimer
You can find all of the above legal terms in Scent Collection’s footer site-wide, as well as below for your convenience:
Videos/Behind the Scenes
Authentic fragrance decant stores won’t hide their products, processes or identities. Ensure that the website offers videos or photos of how products are decanted and/or packaged.
Bonus points for any other behind the scenes content they may share to further support authenticity. Think influencer collabs, unboxing videos, content of the owner/director or staff, videos that clearly indicate they were filmed where they say they operate (e.g. well known buildings/landmarks, local number plates on any vehicles, familiar flora & fauna for the region and so on).
Expected seasonal themes/holiday acknowledgements
Authentic stores tend to post about or decorate their websites with seasonal themes popular for their region. In Australia, look for stores that acknowledge popular holidays like Australia Day, Christmas, Easter, Mother’s Day (in May for us!), Father’s Day (the September one!), possibly Halloween – you get the idea.
Another key indicator is acknowledgement of the seasons – legitimate Australian businesses for instance might have a summery promotional theme around Dec/Jan/Feb, and nod to winter in Jun/Jul/Aug.
Thinking about starting your collection of perfume decants?
You may like to check out our blog, The Smart Way to Try Out Fragrances: Why Perfume Decants Beat the Department Store, to learn more about why decants are one of the best ways to find and test new fragrances – especially compared to visiting a department store!
Or, get started right away by browsing our library of authentic fragrances below!
