Whether for Christmas, birthdays, Valentine's, or anniversaries, perfume or aftershave is often a heaven-scent (sorry) easy gift. And, provided it's legit, Dior is Dior whether bought in Harrods, Asda or online; it's cost that counts.
So don't be sniffy; follow this quick guide to getting smellies for less, including the one-click Mega Shopbot.
Speedily find the cheapest
The internet is usually the cheapest option when purchasing aftershave, cologne, perfume and eau de toilette, as rather than expensive shop fronts with fancy displays, they simply pile it high in warehouses and sell it cheap.
When comparing prices, note the size of the bottle and exactly what you're buying. Don't confuse perfume (the priciest) with the weaker eau de toilette, as you may find it's a false economy. Perfume lasts longer as, being stronger, you won't have to spray on as much.
Search all major retailers in one click
To quickly search and compare the biggest perfume retailers we've built a special tool called the MegaShopBot. It includes the specialist comparisons like FragrancesCompared* and CheapPerfumeExpert as well as all the other mainstream ones.
Simply enter the name of the perfume you're after, click compare and it will automatically scan the two big perfume comparisons, plus a selection of the other retailers, at once, ensuring that you can quickly find the very cheapest price. Click the image to give it a go.
How safe are these sites?
Whatever you're buying, including perfume, there are always two main risks: either it's a dodgy company, or it's a legit company that has financial problems and goes bust.
Follow these quick tips to help you minimise the risks...
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Pay by credit card for goods over £100 Pay by credit card for something over £100, eg, flights, kitchens, sofas, and Section 75 laws supercharge your consumer rights.
Unlike debit cards, cheques & cash, pay in full or part (even just £1) on a credit card and by law the lender's jointly liable with the retailer. This means you have exactly the same rights with the card company as you do with the retailer - so if it goes bust you can simply take your complaints there instead and get money back if there's no delivery.
Yet it's important you ALWAYS REPAY IN FULL each month, so there's no interest cost. See the Section75 guide for a full guide.
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Protect purchases under £100
Section 75 doesn't apply to purchases under £100, but there's still an option which can help. Though it's not a legal protection, just Visa's rules, but it's a good back up.
Spend on a Visa credit or debit card and, if the goods don't appear within 120 days, you can try to ask your bank to reclaim the cash from the seller's bank. See the Visa Chargeback part of the Section 75 guide for full details.
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Check the site's legit
Bogus websites are often set up to cash in on popular products like perfume, so be wary if it's an unfamiliar site. Most folk know to look for a security padlock on the bottom right of a website, but that doesn't mean the site's legit, just that payment's secure.
To find out who registered the site and when, search the Whois database. Reputable firms should also appear on the Companies House site, the UK Govt's official companies register. Be very wary of businesses with just a PO BOX or email address.
Study the site's worldwide web ranking on Alexa. Anything in the top 100,000 means it's reasonably big and a good, though not foolproof indication of legitimacy. Do a quick Google search for other shoppers' experiences.
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Know your distance selling rights
Many people are surprised to learn you've MORE rights buying online (or telephone/catalogue) due to the Distance Selling Regulations.
This gives a legal right to send most goods back within a week for a full refund (including outward delivery costs), even if there's no fault. You'll usually need to pay for the return delivery. Read Consumer Rights for a full guide.
However, of course, this is balanced by the fact that order online and that automatically means a time gap between ordering and delivering - when the company has your money. So if it goes bust during that time, the distance selling rights don't help.
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Understand sometimes there's no protection.
Ultimately, there is always a risk that a company can go bust. If the above routes don't apply, then you have to make a decision about whether you're willing to take the risk of parting with your cash.
Don't be overly scared of this: every day we all make transactions based on trust, and this is part of that, but do balance up the amount you're spending against the risk. Don't give large amounts of money to a company you're not sure of.
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Let your anti-virus run out
Crucially, ensure your security's up-to-date - free software can be downloaded to your computer in five mins. Full details in the Free Anti-Virus Software guide.
Is it worth buying from the US?
A couple of large-scale US sites deliver to the UK and can be competitive, though you may need to pay import duty; factor in an additional 33% to cover delivery and charges. Big ones to try include Strawberrynet* and PerfumeEmporium.com*.
(Please note that we are talking about the US-based PerfumeEmporium.com, NOT the UK-based Theperfumeemporium.co.uk, a site which went bust last year. They are unrelated sites and Perfumeemporium.com is still running.)
Current top deals
It's possible to beat the cheapest web prices with special offers and discounts. Here's a rundown of the current high street hotties.
Go to site*
Boots up to 50% off fragrances
You can get up to 50% off selected men and women's fragrances online and in-store at Boots*, until 27 Dec 2011.
Though not all fragrances have been reduced by up to 50% off, there are still some real bargains to be had including:
- Paul Smith Extreme Woman Eau de Toilette*. 100ml £30 (was £44)
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Versace Blue Jeans*. 75ml £11.25 (was £22.50)
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Celebrity gift sets. Incl. Kate Moss* and Kylie*. £9.99 (was £19.95).
Standard delivery is £2.95 or you can collect your order from your nearest store for £1.95 or for free when you spend £20.
Go to site*
Argos up to £10 off
There are plenty of cheap smells available at Argos* that compare well to the other supermarkets and department stores. Some of the most discounted fragrances include:
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DKNY Be Delicious Eau De Parfum for men*. 50ml for £15.99 (£35.10 at Debenhams and £39 at Boots).
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Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male Eau de Toilette*. 75ml for £23.99 (£34 at Asda and £37.28 at Boots).
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Jean Paul Gaultier Women Eau De Toilette Spray*. 50ml for £34.99 (£46.98 at Boots and £39.93 at Debenhams).
Standard delivery is a whopping £5.95 or you can reserve online and collect at your nearest store for free.
Go to site*
Asda up to £10 off
There's a range of discounted perfumes and aftershaves at Asda* that compare well to the other supermarkets. Some cheaper fragrances include:
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Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male Aftershave*. 125ml £26 (£49.02 at Tesco and £52 at Boots)
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Ghost Ghost Eau De Toilette*. 30ml £22 (£24 at Boots)
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Calvin Klein Obsession Women's Eau De Parfum*. 30ml £18 (£26.99 at Superdrug and £20.25 at Boots)
Standard delivery is free for Asda Direct or you can buy in-store.
Go to site*
Superdrug 50% off Britney Spears Circus:
From Wed 23 - Wed 6 Dec 2011, get 50% off Britney's Circus perfume at Superdrug*. It also has a few other cracking offers. Examples include:
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Britney Spears Circus 100ml Eau De Parfum*. £19.99 (was £24). £10 at Tesco for the 30ml version and £15 for the 50ml one at Boots.
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Paco Rabanne 1 Million EDT Spray*. 50ml for £29.99 (was £35.99)
Standard delivery is currently free or you can buy in-store.
Go to site
Co-op Pharmacy £10 gift sets
You can get selected men and women's fragrance gift sets for £9.99 both in-store and online at Co-operative Pharmacy. Similar sets on Amazon are going for around £16. The offer's on as long as stocks last, but Co-op has confirmed stock levels are good. Examples include:
- Intimately Beckham Him. 30ml Eau De Toilette and 150ml hair and body wash
- Kate Moss. 30ml Eau De Toilette and 150ml body lotion
- Kylie Minogue Darling. 30ml Eau De Toilette and 150ml body lotion
Do note, Co-op Pharmacy stores are separate to Co-op food stores. Delivery's free till Sat 24 Dec 2011 (usually £2.95).
Go to site*
Find 60% off hidden Amazon bargains
Amazon often offers 90% and better reductions, yet it directs people to other areas, sending them to higher profit margin products instead.
There's a geeky way to manipulate Amazon's web links to display all heavily-reduced bargains. All you need do is fiddle with Amazon web addresses (URLs) to bring up lists of knock-down prices, here's one specially created for 60%+ off fragrances*. See the Amazon Tricks article for full details.
10% off Halfpriceperfumes
There's currently a special 10% off code for Halfpriceperfumes; just use the code hpp10off at the online checkout. Full details in the Shopping Vouchers deals list.
More tricks for sniffing out bargains
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Unboxed is even cheaper
Some internet retailers, including Halfpriceperfumes*, FragranceDirect* and Fragrancex sell testers and imported perfume/aftershave at an even cheaper price. The main catch is they're often unboxed. While at first this may not seem like a good idea for a prezzie, it's easy to turn around...
Tie a ribbon around it!
Buy any unboxed scent, then simply buy a nice looking gift box for a pound or two and pack it in that; or even just tie a nice ribbon round it.
The money saved on buying the perfume should more than cover it. It'll also look as if you've made an extra special effort rather than an extra cheap effort! -
Slash the cost with codes, vouchers & sales
Especially in the run up to Christmas retailers are known to use sales, money off codes and vouchers to lure customers in. Where high street shops are often expensive, these deals mean they can sometimes beat the online retailers. So once you've done a comparison check the daily updated Vouchers & Sales lists to see if you can shave any more off.
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Cashback sites
Once you've found the cheapest retailer for your scent, you may be able to get additional cashback by purchasing via a cashback site (see the Top Cashback Sites article).
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Boots extra points
Boots often runs points promotion, where instead of the usual four points per pound, you get 12 or double.
This can sometimes undercut the price of online retailers, especially for newer or more expensive perfumes. For more info on the Boots Advantage Card, read the Loyalty Schemes article. -
Duty Free
If you're going travelling, or someone you know is, it might be worth checking out your favourite fragrances in duty free, as they can sometimes (though not often) be cheaper than online. You can for example save 40% on Estee Lauder's Beautiful, paying £40.55 instead of £57.96 for 75ml.
- Scout out extra gifts
Particularly around Christmas and New Year, shops may offer extra gifts with the perfume, so make sure you check the options before buying. It is sometimes cheaper to buy a gift set rather than the fragrance on its own. Some stores like Superdrug even offer search tools for gifts within your budget.
Most web perfume retailers offer free delivery, but ensure you allow for the time it'll take to be delivered. Depending on the website, the time frame usually ranges from 3 to 10 working days after ordering.
What if they don't deliver in time?
If goods bought for Christmas don't arrive on time, you've some protection. If you specified that an item must be delivered pre-Christmas when you bought it, then the retailer has breached its contract and you've a right to your money back. You could even take it to the small claims court.
Yet for this to work, you would have to 'specify' that the item was for pre-Christmas delivery as part of the contract. Obviously when you buy online, you usually just fill out a form, so this rule isn't much help.
But no worries, even if you don't specify, you can still get your money back.
Under the Distance Selling Regulations you've seven working days after receiving goods to cancel your order, regardless of what time of year you bought them.
Unlike buying in a shop, this means you can return them even if there's no fault. As long as you send them back within seven days of receipt you can get a refund. There's a full explanation in the Consumer Rights article.
