E-Bay Warnings

After all of my Ebay shopping it’s finally happened. I’ve been frauded; lied to;deceived. Someone sold me not one fake brush, but two sets and a brush.

After doing some research this afternoon I’ve found out that there are actually a lot of Ebay victims out there. Victims of what? Fake/Counterfeit cosmetics and beauty tools.

It’s terrible that people of the world have resulted to so much fraud but sadly it is a reality.

Here’s a few tips to try and keep you guys safe from counterfeit/fake items and deceitful sellers on Ebay.

     1. Above all else, read the sellers’ reviews. Even if they have 99% good feedback, there’s a reason they don’t have 100%. Make sure to read all of their negative feedback comments. Sure, some/most are probably just for shipping or communication, but there might be one sprinkled in about how a product was a fake. If they’ve sold one fake they’re sure to sell more.

     2. Examine the picture provided. If all they offer is a stock photo from the internet, message and ask for a picture of the actual product. Ask for close-ups of the all the detailed parts! Branding, handles, crimping, everything! If you’re not sure what the actual product looks like, compare the provided images to online images or images from the actual sellers website.

     3. Make sure they offer a money back guarantee. If they don’t, there’s probably something sketchy going on.

     4. If it’s too good to be true, it probably is!

In total, I paid about $15 for all 3 items (2 brush sets and a single brush) including shipping. I thought the prices were too good to be true and it turns out, they all were.

Be safe out there shoppers!

E-Bay Fakes: MAC Hello Kitty Brush Set

This ‘MAC’ Hello Kitty Brush Set was the second set of items I got in my Ebay order out of 3 items. The second fraudulent set of brushes. After I noticed the EcoTools brush set was a fake I decided to do some research on the MAC Hello Kitty Brush set they have produced. The first thing I found out was that they made a set of THREE (3) brushes not 6 like mine, also they came in a Hello Kitty head holder, not a case. (It’s still hella cute though, real or not.)

After examining the brushes further I noticed the handles were very plastic-y feeling. I sadly don’t have any real MAC brushes I could compare to but I’m pretty sure MAC brushes are made of wood, not plastic, and the real one’s aren’t as shiny as these are. Also, the logo wouldn’t scratch off with my finger nail as I read real logos do. (Since it’s just paint on wood.)

Secondly, I looked up an image of a MAC brush and compared the necks. The crimping of the fake brushes’ necks are no where near as deep and bulbous looking as the real ones are.

The bristles feel super soft so since I did pay money for these I will be using them, but I have to admit, the counterfeiters are really stepping up their game. To someone who doesn’t know how to do research and doesn’t know a thing about makeup brushes, they’d think they were the real deal.

Be careful out there shoppers! Pay attention to all the tiny details and good luck.