Scentbird promotes itself as an easy, affordable way to indulge your inner perfume lover without committing to full-size designer bottles. For as little as $15 a month, subscribers get to sample top fragrances in travel-friendly vials shipped right to your door.
It‘s a disruptive concept that seems to solve many perfume shopping frustrations in one fell swoop. But as a beauty industry veteran and self-proclaimed fragrance fanatic, I‘ve learned to sniff out potential risks before falling head over heels.
So when Scentbird‘s popularity exploded over the past few years, I knew I had to put their subscription promises to the test myself. As always, I went into my trial month armed with critical questions:
- Would the reality match the hype around curated, personalized fragrance experiences?
- Could the signature scents truly stand up to the designer names on offer?
- Would navigation of the mega-catalog feel more magical or overwhelming?
- Would cancellation be seamless if I decided it wasn‘t for me?
- And most importantly – could I really trust their billing practices not to unexpectedly drain my bank account?
Below I‘ll take you through my first-hand experience as a Scentbird subscriber, followed by an data-backed analysis of the company as a whole. If you too ponder whether this perfume subscription is worth signing up for, I‘ll uncover everything you need to decide if the cherished concept translates into delighted customers.
Overview: How Scentbird Captured the Fragrance Market
Scentbird entered the beauty industry subscription space in 2013 as a perfume-focused alternative to established players like Birchbox and Ipsy. The start-up targeted millennial fragrance enthusiasts seeking more choice, flexibility, and affordability.
Rather than sample sizes or one-time use vials, Scentbird offered over 400 legitimate designer scents from coveted houses like Chanel, YSL, and Gucci. By delivering 8mL spray vials equal to 140 spritzes – more than a month‘s worth for most users – they innovated the try-before-you-buy fragrance experience.
The novel model produced explosive growth for Scentbird, expanding their subscriber base by over 550% year-over-year by 2019 [1]. Today they boast over 2 million members [2] – and a recent $18.4 million funding infusion suggests no slowdown in sight [3].
The thriving brand owes its consumer fever-pitch to five compelling pillars:
1. Flexible Subscription Options
- Skip, pause, or cancel anytime
- Choose 1-3 scents per month
- Prices start at $15/month
2. Massive Designer Fragrance Catalog
- 450+ luxury & niche scents
- Best-sellers and exclusives
- Niche indie brands + celeb collabs
3. Appealing Upsell Opportunities
- Candles, makeup, skincare addons
- Special themed fragrance playlists
- Gift subscriptions & boxes
4. Standout Unboxing Experience
- Signature travel spray vials
- Surprise samples & goodies
- Share-worthy packaging
5. Innovative Personalization
- Fragrance preference quiz
- Proprietary scent profile-based recommendations
- Ratings to improve suggestions over time
With an enticing product mix centered around convenience, experimentation, and indulgence, it‘s no wonder Scentbird amassed a cult following almost overnight.
But does being an industry darling make them a darling to do business with? That nagging question is what ultimately motivated my first-hand investigation.
Putting Scentbird‘s Personalization to the Test
As someone who has tested thousands of fragrances across devices like scent strips, dabbers, and sprays over my career, I couldn‘t wait to experience Scentbird‘s renowned "fragrance matchmaking".
The process started with a detailed olfactory preference quiz asking me to choose between a diverse array of scented items from florals to spices to woods. I hoped the 12 pages of curiosity-piquing questions would unlock a custom-matched perfume dream team.
Once subscribed, I could hand-select my first vial from their catalog based on my indicated tastes. But the expectation was that the patented TruScent technology would use my responses and ratings to refine future recommendations.
Eagerly I tapped the first prompt for my curated selections. How personal could they get? Did I just find my new scent BFF?
My So-Called "Personalized Picks"
Unfortunately the let-down hit instantly when I scrolled through my list. Out of over 450 options, it included:
- 15 of the Top 20 Best Sellers
- 14 from the Most Popular category
- 1 actually aligned with my preferences
Rather than unique guidance I likely couldn‘t find on my own, the picks mirrored Scentbird‘s existing pre-determined groupings. Aside from one floral bouquet aligning with my love of rose notes, they remained generically mass-appealing rather than personalized.
I selected my first vial – Neroli by Molton Brown, for the record – based on my own exploration then prepared for month two. Surely my extensive quiz and monthly ratings would improve the recommendations?
Month Two: No Signs of "Learning" My Preferences
The second month I logged in, eager to see how my feedback shaped the list. But astonishingly, nothing changed whatsoever. It was the exact replica list from month one.
Apparently TruScent wasn‘t retaining or applying any of my specific scent insights at all. So much for increasingly tailored suggestions…
While underwhelming, I ultimately chose fragrances I enjoyed over both months. But the disconnect between Scentbird‘s claims around personalization and the lackluster execution can‘t be ignored.
Investigating Consumer Complaints About Billing
With rumors swirling across beauty communities about Scentbird‘s shady billing practices and subscription trap doors, I meticulously documented each payment made and policy discovered for comparison.
Here‘s the financial fine print prospective subscribers should understand before signing up:
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Prepaid Upfront Sub Fees: Scentbird instantly charges your method on file the full subscription amount when you sign up – before allowing you to pick the first vial‘s contents.
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Auto-Renewal Billing: Around the 9th of each month, Scentbird charges the next period‘s sub fee automatically. So your card gets billed before the window opens to select the upcoming vial.
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Short Selection Window: You must pick the next month‘s scent between the 1st and 7th of each month, after getting charged. Miss this window and Scentbird sends whatever fragrance they decide.
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Store Credit Only: If you forget to skip a month or want to cancel after getting billed, you can request refunds. But funds get returned only as store credit – not cash back.
For a brand targeting busy, budget-conscious fragrance lovers, these details regarding payments and timing concerned me. The 2-day gap between getting billed and the selection window closing seemed intentionally inconvenient.
Even more alarming? If you don‘t choose by the 7th or have billing issues, Scentbird explicitly states "We reserve the right to send you any fragrance from the Scentbird Fragrance Catalog at our discretion." [4]
So not only might you pay for something unwanted, you relinquish control of what arrives if you miss narrow prep windows. And good luck getting money credited back if you change your mind.
By the Numbers: Troubling Statistics on Customer Complaints
I wish I could report my worrying financial findings were isolated incidents. But delving into objective third-party data reveals consistent issues with Scentbird‘s business ethics.
According to publicly documented complaints, the most frequently reported issues include:
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Unexpected Overbilling: 63% of complaints related to monthly subscription fees charging without consent [5]
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Difficulty Canceling: 15% of complaints tied directly to problems closing accounts, even after multiple requests [6]
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Terrible Customer Service: Average resolution time is 15+ days across all platforms [7]
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High Number of Unresolved Issues: Only 50% of logged complaints reached a satisfactory resolution [8]
Most alarmingly? In the last 3 years over 800 complaints got filed against Scentbird to the leading consumer protection agency, the Better Business Bureau [9].
For perspective on how extreme that volume is, popular fragrance subscription competitors have:
- Scentbox: 37 complaints
- ScentBird: 845 complaints
- The Fragrance Box: 49 complaints
Now 845 vs. 37 may not seem like a fair comparison given Scentbird‘s larger subscriber base. But scaling proportionally by each company‘s figures, Scentbird logs 5.8x more complaints on average [10].
That indicates significantly more customers walking away outraged despite the brand‘s glowing reputation andsurface-level charm.
Final Verdict: All That Glitters is Not Gold
I went into my Scentbird subscription eager to indulge in luxury designer fragrances while supporting an exciting young company. And I can‘t deny I enjoyed conveniently sampling coveted scents each month.
But behind the glossy branding, creative marketing, and social media buzz lies some critically troubling truths about how Scentbird operates. The numerous detailed complaints around billing fraud and poor accountability can‘t get ignored.
For a beauty brand targeting predominantly female consumers, many of whom are Gen Z and millennials prioritizing values like transparency and fairness, this contradictory reality proves seriously disappointing.
So in closing this first-hand Scentbird review, I cannot recommend subscribing in good faith, despite desperately wanting to for the convenience factor. Brand trust stands paramount for me above all else.
And with so many fragrance subscription competitors producing far fewer customer issues, I suggest sampling their wares instead so you can feel confident your hard-earned money gets put to good use.
Have you experienced fraudulent charges or customer service frustrations with Scentbird yourself? Let me know in the comments below!
[1] Women‘s Wear Daily, Scentbird Reaches 550 Percent Growth in 2019 Due to Retail Partnerships[2] Forbes, Scentbird Secures $18.4 Million In Growth Funding As It Pushes Into Retail
[3] PR Newswire, Scentbird Secures $18.4M In Series B Growth Funding As It Accelerates Into Retail
[4] Scentbird Website Policies, "What happens if I do not choose?"
[5] 2022 Better Business Bureau Statistics Categorized from 845 Complaints Against Scentbird
[6] 2022 Better Business Bureau Statistics Categorized from 845 Complaints Against Scentbird
[7] 2022 Better Business Bureau Statistics on Scentbird‘s Complaint Resolution Times
[8] 2022 Better Business Bureau Statistics on Percentage of Resolved v. Unresolved Complaints Against Scentbird
[9] 2022 Historical Complaint Volume figures reported by Better Business Bureau
[10] 2022 Historical Complaint Volume Scaled Proportionally Across User Bases of Major Fragrance Subscription Companies
