There has been a ton of hype lately about how some online retailers are selling fake products or products that have been tainted. I’d like to address this and help to assure you that although this is allegedly true in some cases and with some stores, this is not true with stores like us.
So how can you tell the difference between a legitimate store that sells high end and designer products from one that is selling other products that are knockoffs and damaged or tainted goods…well your guess is as good as mine. I usually only shop at sites that I know are legit or are recommended by friends,,,I don’t always go to the major retailers like Macys or Nordstroms or the Manufacturers sites to buy product because I like to find unique items and support some of the smaller start up companies like us that have a good product or service and are ready to hit the market and compete with the big guys. But before I do shop at them, I always do a couple of things which at least in my mind helps me to ensure myself that I am buying real product, even if it is discounted.
- I look for a phone number on the website and call it and listen to make sure it is a real person and ask real questions about the site.
- I click on the live chat button and talk to see if there is a real person behind the operator and not some computer script that spits out thousands of pre made answers. There are some that are very tricky.
- I ask about a couple people on their contact us or about us page to see if they actually know them and if they are legitimately part of the company.
- I check for bad reviews and experiences (however I take this with a grain of salt because usually the only people who write reviews are angry customers).
- I look for the SSL or https:// on the checkout process to make sure that the site is secure and my information is safe.
- I go with my gut instinct on if I should shop there and so far I haven’t been wrong.
Now, although there are probably some bad guys out there, well definitely there are going to be some or the whole buzz about fake product wouldn’t have started, actually it could have started by someone who went to Europe and found the fake bags from the street vendors, or who saw an imitation bag vendor in NYC, and just assumed that it is the same online. Unfortunately that is not the case. Take us for example.
We buy all of our products the same exact way and from the same people as many of the Major Retailers and many of the Salons. We know how much they cost and we know how much the retail value is. The only difference is that we decided to differentiate ourselves from the big box retailers and over priced salons by offering a large discount on all of our products. There is a ton of Margin on a lot of products and instead of being greedy like the retailers, not all of them, we cut into our own margins and made the same exact product more affordable and more easily accessible to the public. So now it is easier to get a hold of these high end salon quality products at a more affordable price and the other benefit we add to our customers is that if you are disabled or cannot travel, or even if you had to move out of the city you lived in and there are no Salons nearby to buy the favorite products that you are used to using, you now have access to those same products and do not have to compromise any of your old lifestyle habits or things that you enjoyed because we will be able to get you the same exact products that you were used to when you could go to the store or when you were more mobile and we can save you even more money than if you had to buy at Retail. Heck, we even make shopping more convenient for busy people who don’t have time to stop at a high end salon to pick up a bottle of shampoo. You can simply buy that same exact shampoo (and save off of the retail prices) and have it delivered to you instead of you having to go out of your way to go to it.
As long as you feel comfortable with the store you are buying from and as long as they are legit like us and buy and sell real product from the real manufacturers, even though it may be discounted or on sale, you can still be safe and enjoy the same products but also save money and have them brought to you so they are now more convenient. I guess what I am trying to say is to not believe all of the hype going on about discounters and resellers having fake or tainted products and shop at stores like ours where it is real product that saves you money and continues to let you enjoy the high quality and high end lifestyle products you are used to.
I do know that I heard a rumor that some of these rumors about the hair industry discount sellers selling fake product actually started with the Marketing departments at the manufacturers and salon owners own companies, which makes sense. By letting your $60 shampoo be sold for $40 at a discount online shop instead of only letting the rich try it by buying it in Expensive Salons can definitely “diminish your branding” but we think that everyone has the right to try these products they hear about the stars using and if it is true that these Manufacturers and Salons started the rumors, then shame on them because there are legitimate companies out there like us that just want to let you have the same experiences and try the same products that the stars and very wealthy get to enjoy.   Anyways, thank you again for being one of our valued customers and we will continue to provide you with legitimate and real high quality salon products at low discount and sale prices.