Buying Name Brand Products at eBay Prices

[Aylin’s Letter posted yesterday.]

Hi Aylin,

So nice to hear from you again. I’m glad you enjoyed the new series. I keep thinking I should compile some of them into an e-book or two. Too many fun things to do; not enough hours in the day.

I’m not an eBay expert. I’m just trying to think through all the ways someone could be selling PTR products at such cut-rate prices. Most of the ways I envision are not very good for someone else: eBay; PTR; and/or the customer.

It looks like you were lucky this time. The package was sealed and the product has probably not passed its expiration date (assuming the cream maintains its quality for one or two years).

The seller may be saving on eBay fees (6% of the selling price) by loading part of the item’s cost into S&H. If you wanted to return the item for credit, you would have to ship it back at your own expense and wouldn’t recoup that or the original S&H. Always look at the all-in cost including shipping and handling.

Of course, saving almost 6% on seller’s fee can’t explain a 60% discount offered by the seller.

Cut-rate deals by unauthorized dealers are pretty much always bad for the manufacturer, in this case, Peter Thomas Roth. They can’t stand behind products sold by unauthorized dealers, yet their reputation may be tarnished by consumers’ bad experiences; and sales are literally being stolen from them since they are the only legitimate source.

Not an “authorized dealer” means that PTR didn’t sell the goods to the dealer. For me that raises questions about where and how the dealer got them – the chain of custody, so to speak.

Think of your expensive cream possibly sitting on a hot loading dock for three days and then stored in an un-air-conditioned warehouse for two months. Think about whether the goods could actually be counterfeit or might have “fallen off the back of a truck”.

The PTR website says, “To help ensure quality control, Peter Thomas Roth Labs, LLC products are distributed and sold exclusively by authorized distributors and retailers. If you obtain Peter Thomas Roth Labs, LLC products from any source other than an authorized distributor or retailer, you do so at your own risk and any Peter Thomas Roth Labs, LLC guarantee may be voided.”

You know the saying, “If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.”

Tags: eBay bargains, anti-aging skin care, skincareadvice, dark eye circles, authorized sellers of Peter Thomas Roth products, buyer beware, 5 Easy Steps to What’s Best for YOUR Skin, best Peter Thomas Roth products