Buying safely

Last updated: [Effective date]

Swaff is a marketplace: members sell and swap their own bottles with each other. This page explains what Swaff does to keep trades safe, what it doesn't do, and how to protect yourself. It sits alongside our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines, which set out the rules and everyone's legal responsibilities.

What Swaff does and doesn't do

Swaff doesn't inspect or authenticate bottles. We never handle the items: each bottle goes straight from one member to the other, so we can't confirm that a bottle is genuine, or that what arrives is the bottle shown in the listing. The member who sends a bottle is responsible for it being genuine, safe and as described.

What we do to help:

• Genuine perfume only. Counterfeits, replicas, "dupes" and "inspired by" products are banned, and sellers must confirm every bottle is genuine.
• Checks on listings. Listings with warning signs (for example a price far below normal, wording that suggests a fake, photos reused from another member's listing, or a new account selling something expensive) are held for a person at Swaff to review before they go live.
• Batch codes. We ask sellers for the bottle's batch code, so you can check it yourself (see below). Swaff doesn't verify batch codes.
• Your payment is held. When you pay through Swaff, the seller isn't paid until you confirm the bottle arrived, or the checking period ends without a problem being reported.
• Help when things go wrong. If a bottle isn't genuine or isn't as described, report it and a person at Swaff will look at the evidence and decide the outcome, which can include a refund.

Before you buy or swap

• Look closely at the photos. They should be the seller's own photos of the actual bottle, showing how full it is and any damage. Ask for more photos if anything is unclear.
• Check the batch code. It's usually printed or etched on the bottom of the bottle or on the box. Ask the seller for it if it's missing. Free batch-code checker websites can tell you roughly when a bottle was made. A code that doesn't decode, or doesn't match the box, is a warning sign.
• Be wary of prices that seem too good to be true, especially for popular or niche fragrances.
• Check the seller's profile: their reviews, rating and other listings.
• Keep everything in Swaff. Never pay, or agree to pay, outside the app, and don't move the conversation to another app. Outside Swaff your payment isn't held and we can't help.

When the bottle arrives

• Check it before you confirm receipt. Compare the bottle, cap, box and batch code with the listing, check how full it is, and make sure it smells as it should.
• Confirming receipt finishes the trade. Once you confirm, or once the checking period ends (5 days after the bottle is marked as shipped), the money is released to the seller. Don't confirm until you're happy.
• If something's wrong, use Report a problem on the trade before you confirm and before the checking period ends. This freezes the trade and the money. Keep the bottle, box and packaging, and take photos.

Your health

Perfume is a cosmetic, and some people react to fragrance ingredients.

• Patch test a scent that's new to you: apply a little to the inside of your wrist or elbow and wait 24 hours.
• Stop using it if it causes redness, itching, swelling or any other reaction, and get medical advice if the reaction is severe.
• Check the ingredients on the box or bottle if you have a known allergy.
• Don't use a bottle that looks tampered with: an unusual colour, cloudiness, a strange smell, a broken seal or a cap that doesn't fit. Report it instead.
• Keep perfume away from children, flames and heat. Perfume is flammable and is not for drinking.

If you think a bottle you received is fake or unsafe, report it on the trade and stop using it. If anyone is hurt, get medical help first.

Sending a bottle

• Only send genuine bottles you own, exactly as described in your listing.
• Pack it safely (cap sealed, wrapped, cushioned, in a sturdy box) and follow your UK carrier's rules for sending perfume. Never post perfume abroad.

Questions or concerns

Report a listing, member or message with the Report option in the app, or contact us at info@swaff.uk.