Scam Alert: Fragrancenet.com

This isn't exactly polish related, but it is beauty related.

I used to shop online at Fragrancenet.com quite often. They didn't have the best prices, but they had the most perfumes in stock, including a huge selection of old, nostalgic discontinued perfumes.

I no longer shop there. I much prefer Scentiments.com for my discount fragrance purchases.

One thing that FragranceNet does is send you ungodly amounts of spam. Every day I'm deleting anywhere from five to fifteen spam emails from them. They always tell me "insert name of fragrance I've purchased before ON SALE TODAY ONLY!" and crap like that. Really gets on my nerves.

When you order from them, they also fill your box with spam. Probably ten different fliers advertising totally irrelevant things- ceramic angels, fake gold jewelery, checks with animals on them, snowglobes, that type of thing.

While that is extremely annoying, it's not *quite* a scam, but this next item is.

I got a check in the mail from FragranceNet. I believe it's an actual, legitimate $5 check, made out to your name and everything. However, if you look closely, it says on the front, in small print:
By cashing or depositing this check you are purchasing a membership in Just For Me.

A lot of people might not even read that text and go to the bank to cash this check. And what happens when you cash the check?

Well, this happens! (Taken from fine print on back of check)
...I understand that my membership will be automatically extended for an additional eleven months and the $129.99 annual membership fee will be automatically billed to my credit card on file with FragranceNet.com...

Yes, you can cancel after the first month, but most people will forget. And if you forget to cancel?

...At the end of my first year, my membership will be automatically renewed at the $139.99 annual fee for the next twelve months and I will also be billed every year thereafter...

The very worst part? The last line of the fine print:
By cashing this check I authorize Fragrancenet.com to securely transfer my credit card information to Just For Me for enrollment, billing and benefit processing.


I don't even know what to say about this. To disguise a $130 charge as a $5 check is bad enough, but to transfer sensitive personal financial information to a third party is just despicable.

So, if something looks too good to be true, like, say, a $5 check that randomly shows up in the mail, it probably is. Please always be sure to read the fine print on everything you agree to sign.

I will never make another purchase from FragranceNet.com.