Art of Shaving Cream 150ml - did I get scammed?

[canadave]

I ordered a 150ml container of Art of Shaving Sandalwood shaving cream from an Australian eBay merchant recently. The merchant had 99.9% positive feedback. The item was described as "New". I just received my container, and from what I can see, it looks like it was a "tester", not "New". The pull-tab plastic cover was already loose, and it looked like some cream had been scooped out already.

Here's a photo album I just took, showing what I'm talking about. Note that I haven't touched the cream at all; all I did was pull the plastic cover off.
http://imgur.com/a/2uVo3#0

For those of you who have the 150ml tub of cream, do you remember offhand whether the plastic pull-tab cover was sealed tight to the tub and needed to be pulled off when you first opened it? Or is it shipped brand new with the pull-tab cover already loose?

Also, do you remember if your brand-new tub looked absolutely chock-full of cream, or did it look like there were some blank spots?

 

[Bigsurprise]

To me, it looks like a lot of cream got pulled out with the plastic cover. I don't remember exactly what my AOS tub looked like brand new, but I do know it wasn't filled completely.

 

[canadave]

There is indeed some cream on the plastic cover, but definitely not enough to account for what appears to be "missing." Good to know, though, that yours wasn't filled completely. Do you happen to remember if the plastic pull-tab cover was sealed and needed to be "pried off" like a lid off a brand new peanut butter jar?

 

[Koolhaas]

I opened one recently. the plastic wasn't fully attached like it comes on a tub of peanut butter. I think you're okay. Looks like it got jostled in transit .

Go to a store that sells it and see if you can just open up a new one when no one is looking so you can see.

 

[Redstickjohn]

Before you jump to conclusions about being scammed, please just talk to your Ebay seller. Just write him and be honest about your feelings. Maybe he just opened it, pulled back the tab, and took a sniff. Or maybe he used it. Message him through Ebay about your issue, and I'll bet you can come to some sort of resolution about it. For example, if he did take a spoonfull or two out of it, he'll probably reduce the price quite a bit to avoid you returning the creme and he having to eat the shipping. Great stuff, by the way....I love AOS Sandlewood.

 

[brother cavefish]

honestly, its cream, it could have been shook, or slammed to one side, i bet IF let outside for a couple of hours or in a box, i could move it around to make it flat again---------

 

[canadave]

I did in fact write the ebay seller and ask about it. I'm waiting on a reply. Just figured I'd try to get a sense of what it's supposed to look like, from those who already have it I can easily see an unscrupulous ebay seller taking a "tester" tub of cream and passing it off as "new". Not saying that's definitely what happened here, but I can see it as a possibility. Hopefully it's not the case

 

[dpm802]

A tub of cream is never full to the top, and it will settle and shift around in transit.

As for the pull-tab ... I've never had any AoS products brand new, but it seems to me it should be secured. If it is not new, then it may have had a few sample shaves pulled from it, but the remainder of the contents should be OK.

As others suggested, talk to the eBay merchant and see what he can do for you ... if you payed via PayPal or a credit card, you may have additional protections there as well.

 

[jpipes3]

RR King Louis is the only shaving cream that I've seen that actually filled the container it came in. I've had way too many full tubs come through my den lately, and the plastic inner-lid didn't have anything but gravity or the stickiness of the cream holding it in place on any of them.

 

[ggamyang]

That's how my brand new AOS cream looked like when I first opened it. And I got it from an AOS retail shop so I know it was brand spankin new.

 

[morganjg]

That's how my brand new AOS cream looked like when I first opened it. And I got it from an AOS retail shop so I know it was brand spankin new.

I have purchased several jars of new AOS and they have both had loose pull tabs. Snug only in that it kept most of the cream inside. I have had some side spillage and one jar was tilted in transit and shifted. Yours is a mess right now, but it is hard to say if it was used.

 

[canadave]

Well, I got a reply back from the seller, and they apologized and refunded my money in its entirety, without my asking them to (in my question to them, I'd simply described what I saw and asked if it was indeed new, and if not, what could we do about it), and said I should just keep the container anyway. That seems a bit extreme (the Monty Python "fly in my soup" sketch comes to my mind), so I'm going to contact them again and see if I can at least pay them a partial amount.

Thanks for your opinions and feedback, all.

 

[Bigsurprise]

Well, I got a reply back from the seller, and they apologized and refunded my money in its entirety, without my asking them to (in my question to them, I'd simply described what I saw and asked if it was indeed new, and if not, what could we do about it), and said I should just keep the container anyway. That seems a bit extreme (the Monty Python "fly in my soup" sketch comes to my mind), so I'm going to contact them again and see if I can at least pay them a partial amount.

Thanks for your opinions and feedback, all.

Wow, that must make you feel good inside about your transaction!

I don't remember how secure the plastic cover was on my AoS jar, but I have two brand new T&H tubs and they both have loose plastic covers.

 

[elderberry99]

I have the AOS exclusively for every day use. All my new containers came with the inner cover only held in place from the cream sticking to it. It was not sealed in any way. Looking at your pics, it all looks pretty normal to me. It obviously shifted around in the container. I would not worry about it at all. Use it and enjoy it.

 

[JeffM]

I think you are good to go.

 

[buyandhold2018]

Looks new to me. The inner top just sits on the jar and works to partially seal when the top is screwed on. Creams will shift around in transit; I open lots of creams that look exactly like that.

 

[elderberry99]

Looks new to me. The inner top just sits on the jar and works to partially seal when the top is screwed on. Creams will shift around in transit; I open lots of creams that look exactly like that.

Same here!

 

[BrandonP]

We have a lot of AoS creams here at the shop brand new so I went and checked to see if the lids were on tight or just "sitting" on there. They are all indeed just sitting on the lid, not tight at all. Hope that helps.

 

[jpipes3]

I feel kinda bad for the seller. They have some good karma coming their way.

 

[brucered]

very good on the seller to give a no questions asked refund...

as for the cream, looks like my last 2 tubs i got. all shifted, air holes, stuck to lid etc. i wouldn't worry about it.

i just started using the LAV and LEM and they are both great. you have many great shaves too look forward to, as a little goes a long way with AOS