Would You Pay $200 For the First Batch Bottle of LDDM? – Undina’s Looking Glass
A couple of days ago I came across an IG post about a giveaway dedicated to the celebration of 20 years of Tauer Perfumes. A bottle of the very first batch of L’Air du Désert Marocain. I didn’t plan to enter since I barely made a dent in my 12 years old travel bottle. So, I opened the post just to “comment for better reach” for the post. And that’s when I saw the part about the winner having to pay $200 to cover shipping of “dangerous goods.” The current version of the LDDM bottle is $155 with a free shipping in the US (and some other countries as well). So, if you were to win the vintage bottle, you’d end up paying at least $45 more (and maybe more since you will be also responsible for any local taxes and duties).
Saturday Question #275:
Would You Pay $200 For the First Batch Bottle of LDDM?
I mean, if it weren’t a giveaway but you would be given a chance to buy that bottle for the stated price – would you? BTW, in parallel, there is an auction for the second bottle. The current bid is nearing $3K (50% of the final bid will go to a charity).
And a bonus question: Do you have a favorite perfume from this brand?
My Answer
While I am not in the market for this perfume, I like it and think that with the quality of Tauer’s perfumes, it is worth its $155, $200 and probably more. So, if I didn’t have my travel bottle and was offered a $200, maybe even $300 bottle of that first batch, I would have jumped at the opportunity.
Had the brand decided to auction out two bottles, I would have promoted that post and cheered for the brand and its anniversary. But I am appalled by that $200 shipping fee for the winner. I couldn’t immediately pinpoint why but I felt that it rubbed me the wrong way.
Giveaway is a giveaway. It allows anyone to throw their hat in the ring and get lucky. In this case, not only participants had to like, follow, tag and wax poetical about that perfume (kind of expected), but also be prepared to pay more than for the current version in case they “win.” It doesn’t feel right.
Andy put a lot of efforts in explaining who cannot participate, what will disqualify participants, how quickly they will have to respond, etc. Ironically, he didn’t mention that perfume is still in good shape. He didn’t explain what is so special about it – other than that it was the first batch produced 20 years ago. Has he changed the formula since then? Are these two the last bottles available? I asked in the comment why these vintage bottles were in newer boxes (in the video, he stressed out that they were “cellophaned”) and not in original pentagonal tins – he didn’t answer. Also, he didn’t explain how the “lucky winner” will be contacted. So, with the stated $200 price tag and a looming 24 hours response deadline I expect a certain number of scam “winning” messages.
In addition to LDDM, I really like Phi, Une Rose Vermeille and When We Cuddle… And even though more of Andy’s perfumes do not work for me than do, I always had positive feelings for the brand (I even named it as my favorite indie brand in one of the SQ posts several years ago). I’ve never met the perfumer, but heard more than once that those who did considered him kind and gracious person. The way it reads to me now: Andy considers social networks as necessary but evil. He wants and needs the outreach they provide his brand and doesn’t trust most of the followers at the same time. It is sad. I hope that in the end, after he used that $200 deterrent to discourage idle “scrollers” from polluting the giveaway, he’ll decide to use some of the proceeds from the auction for the second bottle to cover the delivery for the person who wins the giveaway. That would be the right thing to do.
Would You Pay $200 For the First Batch Bottle of LDDM?