Buying a "tester" bottle of colognes

[Edward 1689er]

I was looking on Amazon.com for Guerlain Vetiver cologne, and noticed that they offer the 4.2 oz. for around $60 and the same bottle called a "tester" for $39. It stated that it was new, never sprayed, and may have a plain box, no box, and no cap. Has anyone here ever ordered a tester? Should one expect that it would be as "fresh" as the regular bottle? Is the marketing of tester bottles common?

Thanks!

 

[goby]

i always buy testers. They don't have fancy boxes, or lids (sometimes they do). I think they are a better value, but I guess they are tacky as gifts.

 

[Aaron01]

I currently have 2 testers in my collection, I've owned 2 other testers, and all of them have been perfect. Testers are usually no different, scent wise, than their boxed counterparts. It's a pretty common practice for manufacturers and some retailers to sell testers. It's also a great opportunity for some deals.

I prefer boxed scents, but I'm OCD about having all of the caps and boxes. But otherwise it doesn't make much of a difference...

 

[Edward 1689er]

Thanks for the input.

I guess the reason I am a little apprehensive of getting the tester (even though it is a much better deal) is that I have read that cologne tends to deteriorate when exposed to light. If the tester is not in a box, it could possibly have been "over-exposed." Has anyone bought a tester and found the product to have gone bad?

 

[The Knize]

I have had good luck with the very few "testers" I have bought. I doubt that a never sprayed tester has ever seen any light exposure and I do not think partly used testers make the market very often. I think often it is simply a way for makers to sell at a discount. That is that this stock was never really expected to function as testers at al Or maybe it like tearing the covers off books to remainder them.

I have heard of folks buying stock that has goine bad. And I guess I can see that happening to a box of Creed that sits in the sun on a dock in Dubai or something, but I personally have not experienced any scent going completely south. I did by a rather old Pen's BB bottle once, where the juice was rather dark. I do not know whether BB was just better back when it was made or whether the "aging" process actually helped it. It did smell a bit different than fresh BB and smelled to have lost some top notes. But overall, I would say that it was all the better for the aging process!

 

[StylinLA]

Never bought a tester but I got one in a swap and it's fine. No issues. (But it was Kouros which probably would last 1,000 years).

Personally, I wouldn't purchase a tester, unless it was in a store where I could check it. I'm all for thrift, but I'm pretty leery about most frags online.

 

[insomniac]

The non-tester version is at Amazon for $41, only $2 more.

http://www.amazon.com/Vetiver-Guerlain-Men-Toilette-Spray/dp/B000C1Z66A

 

[Edward 1689er]

Well Gentlemen,

I just got in my order for Guerlain Vetiver in a "tester" bottle from Amazon.com, and it is GREAT! It came in a white box w/o the cap, and smells wonderful. I will definitely do this again.