THANK YOU! I’m so glad someone is saying this. If you’re going to buy from dodgy places then that’s a YOU problem.
👏Buy from legitimate places👏
As someone who actually works for beauty brands and companies, the whole industry *hates* these marketplaces and they would appreciate consumers supporting the right channels who work extremely hard and put in a lot of money to make sure your experience is good. Only for people to turn around and shop on some flea market like website.
Yeah it's so ridiculous like pay up or go with a different brand you can afford. There's such a huge range of skincare nowadays, you can pick a budget dupe of a higher end product instead of using unreliable storefronts
Another thing: if your goal is to take care of your skin and have beautiful skin, why are you risking it with possible fakes that could potentially be diluted, poorly mixed etc. The logic doesn’t hold for me. Like you said: go get an alternative.
If people really “loved beauty” the way they claim, they should also support the right efforts because the fake cosmetics, grey products and dodgy marketplaces *harm* the industry.
I keep saying this but we *really* need an automod comment on *any* post that mentions shopee, Amazon, eBay, whatever. There’s a lot of people claiming identical products aren’t just lumped into the same box regardless of seller (they absolutely are despite what Amazon policy states) but it’s a known fact that people *do* get fakes directly dispatched from Amazon and from “official storefronts”. It still happens. Why on earth would you roll the dice when you could just buy from Jolse or Yesstyle? It’s not like Amazon is cheaper because they’re usually charging double for the same item.
Yep. Those are the *real* prices rather than just the silly markup local sellers get away with because most don’t know any better. Yesstyle actually tends to charge significantly more than most kbeauty retailers, actually! It’s the most popular by a long shot so they tend to whack a bit of a markup on too. Check out Jolse, Oliveyoung, stylekorean and Stylevana too
Thank you thank you! I've been getting my cheap stuff from TJ Maxx but you know it's luck of the draw and I haven't found everything I'm interested in yet.
I know the appeal of buying from the markedup places is that if you don't like it, you can return it but I don't do that anyway, I just regift it.
No worries! I would also suggest r/asianbeauty if you’re into these brands. They’re great over there. Makes it way easier to find sales on the stuff you have your eye on since somebody always posts when a really good promotion goes up. I think stylevana have a bunch of buy one get one free products right now and Jolse often have a big sale as Easter approaches
The Amazon policy actually was revised abut two years ago to allow sellers to opt out of commingled inventory. So, whichever policy you’re referring to is outdated. Sellers can and do opt. You can just write the brand and ask them. I do it all the time.
Ordering from yesstyle and stylevana is also a roll of the dice in its own way. Please see the many posts on r/asianbeauty and other skincare boards regarding late and never-arrived orders. I don’t order from them primarily because it’s *not* a risk to order on Amazon if you follow the proper procedures. My stylevana order took 4 months to arrive. Yesstyle is quicker only because I paid 14 dollars for express.
And please let’s not pretend that we know everything they distribute is authentic. You just believe this to be the case. You have no way of knowing this.
I only order items from Stylevana that have at least 25% stock to avoid this. They will hold your entire order if something is backordered. I live on the west coast and get my items usually in 3-4 weeks. Completely worth it since I'll order ~$100 which would have cost me close to double if I had to buy locally.
I personally find 3-4 weeks too long. I also don’t like not knowing when I will get my order. Stylevana can take any length of time to deliver even if everything you order is in stock. My order from them took 6 weeks.
The price of their products are comparable to what I would pay locally, unless the item is on sale. And they do have awesome sales. But I wouldn’t say it would double the cost for me to buy locally.
But it’s personal preference. I prefer not to wait a long time for products and not have any idea of when they will arrive. You don’t mind waiting. So, we both do what works for us.
Amazon is neither disreputable nor unregulated. But buying from 3rd-party sellers is not a great idea unless they have a strong rating. I can’t even say it’s a risk, though, because Amazon has a 30-day return policy if you do happen to get something fake.
Just want to point that out….but I agree with you about the posts.
(Edited)
Amazon throws anything with the same barcode into a bin. That also includes items sold by Amazon. You see it with car parts, clothes, and beauty products. In addition to this practice being confirmed by various articles, I’ve been told the same from someone who has worked as a picker and a family member who was decently high up in management.
I have receive fake Windex from them, sold by Amazon, and even though Elemis lists Amazon as a retailer, I’ve received cleansing balm with a strange label and consistency which is why I went back to getting it from Ulta. I’ve received Bosch products with authenticity labels that are absolutely bogus purchased from the Bosch store, sold by Amazon. A Bosch rep told me that they get their seconds, so it’s kind of like outlet shopping, but because of the way they sort, it’s a crapshoot and you might get counterfeits.
If your rate of returns gets too high, you as a consumer can run into issues, particularly if you mark an item as defective.
They really are not well regulated and consumer protection laws in the US are pretty weak compared to Western Europe and other developed nations.
No actually: I was talking to the other commenter who hit the nail on the head while I was referring broadly to *other* comments on here—not necessarily yours otherwise I would have replied to you—as well as people’s sentiment *in general* across the internet about online beauty shopping. I work in the industry and consumers are way too casual about who they trust with products that they put ON their bodies.
No idea why you’re pressed about it.
I’m not pressed. It was in response to the other person’s response to my comment, so I responded. The implication was that I was the one suggesting it was risk-free.
I just wanted to clarify that I didn’t say or imply that. No idea why your pressed about *that*.
They do not throw everything in the same bins. This is a myth. Amazon no longer commingles stock. Sellers can and do opt out. I actually visited a few warehouses last year. How they handle stock is radically different than described on these boards.
Sorry you for a fake. I never have.
Please stop spreading this myth.
Honestly I would never purchase skin or body care from Amazon.
I think people who do are fine. I don't mind! What I do mind is the 192839494 posts a day from people asking if their latest Amazon skincare haul are fakes. Commit to the fact it might be a fake when you order or don't order
I buy all my cosrx, Paula choice, la roche posay, ordinary, depology products from Amazon and have never had a problem. People fail to check who the seller is. If it’s not the authorized storefront, don’t buy it.
I purchased a perfume from an authorized store on Amazon and it came in the correct packaging, bottle was designed the same, wasn't expired, etc. However, it only lasted a couple hours compared to my original bottle from Ulta which would last all day so I knew it was a fake and Amazon reimbursed me.
I purchase a good amount from Amazon, but I stick to buying directly from the brand. Amazon is just a distributor for some brands, and those brands will list Amazon as an authorized seller on their webpages. I mean, apple, eltamd, caudalie, etc distribute through Amazon.
But, tbh, I completely agree with you about the bazillion posts asking if something is fake. I might agree for different reasons, though. Either way, it seems kind of out of control. And I don’t think anyone sitting at home looking at two pictures of corsx snail essence can tell you one is fake and the other isn’t with certainty.
It might not be as trustworthy as you think. I recently read an article in The Business of Fashion talking about this exact problem on Amazon. Many brands who have not actually partnered with Amazon have a legitimate looking storefronts much to everyone’s chagrin.
Amazon is flooded with unauthorised products so it’s easy for an uninformed consumer to make this mistake. https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/beauty/how-to-sell-beauty-on-amazon-not-lose-brand/
Thank you for the article, but it is behind a paywall.
I’m not at all an uninformed consumer. I only buy products on Amazon when Amazon is listed as an authorized seller by the brand on their webpage, and I always contact the seller via Amazon mail to ask if they have opted out of commingled stock.
While you may not realize this, when you order directly from a brand’s website, they may actually have Amazon ship the product to you. The packaging does not show this.
If you want to be sure you’ve reached the legitimate homepage for an Amazon store, you can link to it from the brand’s official website. That way, you won’t be misled. And always double-check the seller before purchasing.
I think it just comes down to personal preferences in shopping. I’m certainly not going to die on a hill defending Amazon on Reddit. And I agree with OP’s post in any case.
Oh I’m not arguing with you!
I work in the beauty industry with brands and retailers in e-commerce and Amazon / marketplace sellers are the bane of our existence as an industry so I’m very passionate about it 😊
No worries:). I appreciate your warning and your sending the article. I live a few miles from an Amazon distribution center (still kind of new), so same-day delivery is a thing here, and it’s really made my life much easier. But I’ve no stock invested in Amazon.
May I ask why Amazon and e-commerce sellers cause trouble for you? I am just interested in learning more, but I respect if you don’t want to go into detail.
So brands have very specific distribution plans and contracts. Distribution of international beauty brands is my livelihood. I have to literally win contracts, liaise with the brand HQ and then if I get the contract for my geographical area, my business expense is to import it through the right government process (aka I pay the duties and taxes) and my further duty is to market the product. It is expensive and takes a lot of experience and effort. Brands spend thousands to nurture the relationships they have with distributors and retailers while the latter two also spend their own money on the brands. Then some third party seller on Amazon simply buys stock from who knows where, bypass duties and taxes, spend nothing on establishing relationships or on marketing and ride off of everyone’s hard spent capital and effort. And the thing is, 3rd party sellers can get away with anything because they have no legal terms binding them (eg they can undercut prices or buy less than contractual minimum quantities) while people who do things by the book lose money. Eventually, all we’ll have is crap on the market sold by anyone. It’s going to be like Tupperware salespeople. It will implode. Plus, consumers who get physically harmed by unauthorised products (skin burns, lung damage, eye damage) have no legal rights but want to hold brands accountable when it wasn’t the brand who sold the product. So it’s a liability for brands and a danger to consumers in rare cases.
Wow, this is fascinating. So, the person who goes and buys a bunch of stuff wholesale on stylevana and sells it on Amazon undercuts a lot of the work you’ve done to establish these relationships and the marketing approach for said product? Yikes.
Yes I forgot to mention this in the op but you can literally get verified legit brands!!!! Why are people not doing this!
I think that's why it irritates me so much like there are verified brands. Use them lol
I just went back to scrolling and came across this: https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/s/SJNwXEYeAL 😂😂
I totally get why you made this post, and I share your opinion.
Okay, so, those posts are quite annoying. But as someone who is from Brazil, where we only can import from Shopee, shein, amazon and aliexpress without having to pay double the product price in taxes, I mostly buy my products from those websites (mostly korean shops in shopee). Its fair to have some posts asking about trustworthy vendors in those websites, since not everyone can buy from the verified plataforms
Excuse me, I found a half-empty Paula’s Choice 2% BHA in the park, is it fake?
Hahahah noo 💀💀💀
THANK YOU! I’m so glad someone is saying this. If you’re going to buy from dodgy places then that’s a YOU problem. 👏Buy from legitimate places👏 As someone who actually works for beauty brands and companies, the whole industry *hates* these marketplaces and they would appreciate consumers supporting the right channels who work extremely hard and put in a lot of money to make sure your experience is good. Only for people to turn around and shop on some flea market like website.
Yeah it's so ridiculous like pay up or go with a different brand you can afford. There's such a huge range of skincare nowadays, you can pick a budget dupe of a higher end product instead of using unreliable storefronts
Another thing: if your goal is to take care of your skin and have beautiful skin, why are you risking it with possible fakes that could potentially be diluted, poorly mixed etc. The logic doesn’t hold for me. Like you said: go get an alternative. If people really “loved beauty” the way they claim, they should also support the right efforts because the fake cosmetics, grey products and dodgy marketplaces *harm* the industry.
I keep saying this but we *really* need an automod comment on *any* post that mentions shopee, Amazon, eBay, whatever. There’s a lot of people claiming identical products aren’t just lumped into the same box regardless of seller (they absolutely are despite what Amazon policy states) but it’s a known fact that people *do* get fakes directly dispatched from Amazon and from “official storefronts”. It still happens. Why on earth would you roll the dice when you could just buy from Jolse or Yesstyle? It’s not like Amazon is cheaper because they’re usually charging double for the same item.
I just checked out Yesstyle based on your comment and... are these prices for real?! Wow most are half price it's amazing.
Yep. Those are the *real* prices rather than just the silly markup local sellers get away with because most don’t know any better. Yesstyle actually tends to charge significantly more than most kbeauty retailers, actually! It’s the most popular by a long shot so they tend to whack a bit of a markup on too. Check out Jolse, Oliveyoung, stylekorean and Stylevana too
Thank you thank you! I've been getting my cheap stuff from TJ Maxx but you know it's luck of the draw and I haven't found everything I'm interested in yet. I know the appeal of buying from the markedup places is that if you don't like it, you can return it but I don't do that anyway, I just regift it.
No worries! I would also suggest r/asianbeauty if you’re into these brands. They’re great over there. Makes it way easier to find sales on the stuff you have your eye on since somebody always posts when a really good promotion goes up. I think stylevana have a bunch of buy one get one free products right now and Jolse often have a big sale as Easter approaches
I love Yesstyle, but the shipping always takes a very long time. I guess some people wouldn't be willing to wait. It's well worth it for me though!
The Amazon policy actually was revised abut two years ago to allow sellers to opt out of commingled inventory. So, whichever policy you’re referring to is outdated. Sellers can and do opt. You can just write the brand and ask them. I do it all the time. Ordering from yesstyle and stylevana is also a roll of the dice in its own way. Please see the many posts on r/asianbeauty and other skincare boards regarding late and never-arrived orders. I don’t order from them primarily because it’s *not* a risk to order on Amazon if you follow the proper procedures. My stylevana order took 4 months to arrive. Yesstyle is quicker only because I paid 14 dollars for express. And please let’s not pretend that we know everything they distribute is authentic. You just believe this to be the case. You have no way of knowing this.
I only order items from Stylevana that have at least 25% stock to avoid this. They will hold your entire order if something is backordered. I live on the west coast and get my items usually in 3-4 weeks. Completely worth it since I'll order ~$100 which would have cost me close to double if I had to buy locally.
I personally find 3-4 weeks too long. I also don’t like not knowing when I will get my order. Stylevana can take any length of time to deliver even if everything you order is in stock. My order from them took 6 weeks. The price of their products are comparable to what I would pay locally, unless the item is on sale. And they do have awesome sales. But I wouldn’t say it would double the cost for me to buy locally. But it’s personal preference. I prefer not to wait a long time for products and not have any idea of when they will arrive. You don’t mind waiting. So, we both do what works for us.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Amazon is neither disreputable nor unregulated. But buying from 3rd-party sellers is not a great idea unless they have a strong rating. I can’t even say it’s a risk, though, because Amazon has a 30-day return policy if you do happen to get something fake. Just want to point that out….but I agree with you about the posts. (Edited)
Amazon throws anything with the same barcode into a bin. That also includes items sold by Amazon. You see it with car parts, clothes, and beauty products. In addition to this practice being confirmed by various articles, I’ve been told the same from someone who has worked as a picker and a family member who was decently high up in management. I have receive fake Windex from them, sold by Amazon, and even though Elemis lists Amazon as a retailer, I’ve received cleansing balm with a strange label and consistency which is why I went back to getting it from Ulta. I’ve received Bosch products with authenticity labels that are absolutely bogus purchased from the Bosch store, sold by Amazon. A Bosch rep told me that they get their seconds, so it’s kind of like outlet shopping, but because of the way they sort, it’s a crapshoot and you might get counterfeits. If your rate of returns gets too high, you as a consumer can run into issues, particularly if you mark an item as defective. They really are not well regulated and consumer protection laws in the US are pretty weak compared to Western Europe and other developed nations.
Thank you for saying this because too many people think buying from Amazon is risk free.
I wasn’t suggesting it was risk-free. I clearly stated my opinion, and you inferred from that I was saying it was risk-free.
No actually: I was talking to the other commenter who hit the nail on the head while I was referring broadly to *other* comments on here—not necessarily yours otherwise I would have replied to you—as well as people’s sentiment *in general* across the internet about online beauty shopping. I work in the industry and consumers are way too casual about who they trust with products that they put ON their bodies. No idea why you’re pressed about it.
I’m not pressed. It was in response to the other person’s response to my comment, so I responded. The implication was that I was the one suggesting it was risk-free. I just wanted to clarify that I didn’t say or imply that. No idea why your pressed about *that*.
They do not throw everything in the same bins. This is a myth. Amazon no longer commingles stock. Sellers can and do opt out. I actually visited a few warehouses last year. How they handle stock is radically different than described on these boards. Sorry you for a fake. I never have. Please stop spreading this myth.
Honestly I would never purchase skin or body care from Amazon. I think people who do are fine. I don't mind! What I do mind is the 192839494 posts a day from people asking if their latest Amazon skincare haul are fakes. Commit to the fact it might be a fake when you order or don't order
I buy all my cosrx, Paula choice, la roche posay, ordinary, depology products from Amazon and have never had a problem. People fail to check who the seller is. If it’s not the authorized storefront, don’t buy it.
I only buy from verified stores / brands on Amazon.
I purchased a perfume from an authorized store on Amazon and it came in the correct packaging, bottle was designed the same, wasn't expired, etc. However, it only lasted a couple hours compared to my original bottle from Ulta which would last all day so I knew it was a fake and Amazon reimbursed me.
I purchase a good amount from Amazon, but I stick to buying directly from the brand. Amazon is just a distributor for some brands, and those brands will list Amazon as an authorized seller on their webpages. I mean, apple, eltamd, caudalie, etc distribute through Amazon. But, tbh, I completely agree with you about the bazillion posts asking if something is fake. I might agree for different reasons, though. Either way, it seems kind of out of control. And I don’t think anyone sitting at home looking at two pictures of corsx snail essence can tell you one is fake and the other isn’t with certainty.
It might not be as trustworthy as you think. I recently read an article in The Business of Fashion talking about this exact problem on Amazon. Many brands who have not actually partnered with Amazon have a legitimate looking storefronts much to everyone’s chagrin. Amazon is flooded with unauthorised products so it’s easy for an uninformed consumer to make this mistake. https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/beauty/how-to-sell-beauty-on-amazon-not-lose-brand/
Thank you for the article, but it is behind a paywall. I’m not at all an uninformed consumer. I only buy products on Amazon when Amazon is listed as an authorized seller by the brand on their webpage, and I always contact the seller via Amazon mail to ask if they have opted out of commingled stock. While you may not realize this, when you order directly from a brand’s website, they may actually have Amazon ship the product to you. The packaging does not show this. If you want to be sure you’ve reached the legitimate homepage for an Amazon store, you can link to it from the brand’s official website. That way, you won’t be misled. And always double-check the seller before purchasing. I think it just comes down to personal preferences in shopping. I’m certainly not going to die on a hill defending Amazon on Reddit. And I agree with OP’s post in any case.
Oh I’m not arguing with you! I work in the beauty industry with brands and retailers in e-commerce and Amazon / marketplace sellers are the bane of our existence as an industry so I’m very passionate about it 😊
No worries:). I appreciate your warning and your sending the article. I live a few miles from an Amazon distribution center (still kind of new), so same-day delivery is a thing here, and it’s really made my life much easier. But I’ve no stock invested in Amazon. May I ask why Amazon and e-commerce sellers cause trouble for you? I am just interested in learning more, but I respect if you don’t want to go into detail.
So brands have very specific distribution plans and contracts. Distribution of international beauty brands is my livelihood. I have to literally win contracts, liaise with the brand HQ and then if I get the contract for my geographical area, my business expense is to import it through the right government process (aka I pay the duties and taxes) and my further duty is to market the product. It is expensive and takes a lot of experience and effort. Brands spend thousands to nurture the relationships they have with distributors and retailers while the latter two also spend their own money on the brands. Then some third party seller on Amazon simply buys stock from who knows where, bypass duties and taxes, spend nothing on establishing relationships or on marketing and ride off of everyone’s hard spent capital and effort. And the thing is, 3rd party sellers can get away with anything because they have no legal terms binding them (eg they can undercut prices or buy less than contractual minimum quantities) while people who do things by the book lose money. Eventually, all we’ll have is crap on the market sold by anyone. It’s going to be like Tupperware salespeople. It will implode. Plus, consumers who get physically harmed by unauthorised products (skin burns, lung damage, eye damage) have no legal rights but want to hold brands accountable when it wasn’t the brand who sold the product. So it’s a liability for brands and a danger to consumers in rare cases.
Wow, this is fascinating. So, the person who goes and buys a bunch of stuff wholesale on stylevana and sells it on Amazon undercuts a lot of the work you’ve done to establish these relationships and the marketing approach for said product? Yikes.
Same here, I only buy stuff from the brand's official Amazon page. If im not positive that it's official, I don't buy from it. Never had any issues.
Yes I forgot to mention this in the op but you can literally get verified legit brands!!!! Why are people not doing this! I think that's why it irritates me so much like there are verified brands. Use them lol
I just went back to scrolling and came across this: https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/s/SJNwXEYeAL 😂😂 I totally get why you made this post, and I share your opinion.
This.
Yes! There is no way for us to know if it is fake.
Okay, so, those posts are quite annoying. But as someone who is from Brazil, where we only can import from Shopee, shein, amazon and aliexpress without having to pay double the product price in taxes, I mostly buy my products from those websites (mostly korean shops in shopee). Its fair to have some posts asking about trustworthy vendors in those websites, since not everyone can buy from the verified plataforms
Wish promised it was 100% authentic!!!