I wish sellers would disclose smoke or chemical smells.

Cecilia2

O.G.
Mar 26, 2007
545
2
I recently bought a spa/cosmetic bag that is absolutely gorgeous, and as described. It was shipped quickly. However, when I opened the box, the smoke smell was overpowering, and you could smell it all over the house. The seller accepts returns, but I was convinced I could get the smell out......well, you know the rest.....the smoke smell isn't coming out, and I can't return the item now. It's off to the garbage. I left positive feedback for the seller, as it was my decision to try to wash the bag.

I also purchased a silk blouse that arrived with a chemical/storage smell. I've managed to get most of that smell out, but not all.

Granted, these were not large purchases, but I would like to know......What exactly are seller responsibilities when it comes to smells? Is it my responsibility to ask about smells before bidding?
 
Smell is subjective. Smokers don't notice smoke smells. It is the buyers responsibility to ask about smells beforehand since a smell is not a SNAD unless the seller says item is from a smoke free home.
 
I think it's the seller's responsibility to put in the listing that the item comes from a smoker's home. Even if they can't smell it, they have to know a non smoker can!
 
I think it's the seller's responsibility to put in the listing that the item comes from a smoker's home. Even if they can't smell it, they have to know a non smoker can!

This is how it should be.......considering how toxic tobacco products are proven to be. When I opened this package this morning, and tried to wash the item, I felt ill. Only after I threw it out did I start feeling better. Unfortunately, from the small amount of research I've been doing this morning/afternoon, I think the seller is not responsible to write it in the listing. This particular item had been returned by another buyer, and I should have wondered about that before buying. I've definitely learned my lesson, and I'm grateful that the item was not expensive.
 
I agree it should be disclosed, however I understand the point of view of the sellers who know that they will get less buyers when they write in their description that the item stinks! ;)
 
I hate smelly bags. I got a pre-loved bag that has a really strong funky chemical smell. My DH insists it's the leather. I think it reeks!

Anyway, don't throw your cosmetic bag out yet....a tpfer in another thread recommended trying something called Natural Magic (that's the brand) Odor Absorbing Gel to get rid of smells. I bought a jar from Lowe's for about $4. I've been using it in my bag off and on for a week and it seems to be working. They also had a spray and another brand with little balls that absorb smells.
Good luck!
 
I hate smelly bags. I got a pre-loved bag that has a really strong funky chemical smell. My DH insists it's the leather. I think it reeks!

Anyway, don't throw your cosmetic bag out yet....a tpfer in another thread recommended trying something called Natural Magic (that's the brand) Odor Absorbing Gel to get rid of smells. I bought a jar from Lowe's for about $4. I've been using it in my bag off and on for a week and it seems to be working. They also had a spray and another brand with little balls that absorb smells.
Good luck!

Thank you!!

I did throw the bag out, though. At first I thought it would just be a smell issue, but after reading that Mayo Clinic article, and other articles, I decided it wasn't worth it.....especially after feeling sick upon opening the item. I just have to be more careful when I fall in love with something on ebay.
 
underthesky,NITE_FOXX,marie-lou,

I agree with all of you. Smokers that are sellers should disclose it in the listing, and some do. Unfortunately, most don't, and I wish ebay took it more seriously.
 
Do any of you wear perfume? After we have worn one particular brand for awhile, we can no longer smell it on ourselves and have a tendency to apply more over time because our noses have grown accustom to it. The same goes for smokers, people with pets (cats, dogs, and ferrets in particular), and people who use mass quantities of aromatic spices in their home-cooked food preparation.

Items that have been dry cleaned (silk, wool, rayon, etc.) will have a chemical smell from the cleaning fluid. Rest assured that the chemical smell indicates that you have received a clean item instead of one that was sent to you after being worn and not cleaned before being shipped despite it maybe having a more pleasant smell of someone's perfume or deodorant. If the item has been enclosed in a plastic wrapper for an extended period of time, chemical off gassing can occur.

We usually let items that have arrived from a smelly location 'air-out' outside.
 
i once bought a balenciaga that smelled strange and for the life of me i could not get the smell out.

i always ask if the item came from a smoke-free home or if the item has other odors (for shoes) when it comes to items i can't wash easily
 
i asked a seller on ebay if a lv bag smelled and they said no. when i got it, it had a old odor to it and when i messaged the seller they said that they smelled it prior to shipping and didn't smell anything and that different people smell different things. i purchased it from a japan seller so i just decided to keep the bag because the cost to ship it back wasnt worth it, and i had to pay customs fees =(
sad to say but it seems like every bag i buy off ebay smells, even when i ask