Beauty Advent Calendars Thread 12 - reeling in the aftermath of SFAC, we soldier on... 💄💋

[LightandBreezy]

Welcome to the 12th thread, we still have 50 days till the daily unboxing officially starts, although I very much doubt any of our calendars will remain untouched until then 😂
Still time for lots more friendly chat, tips and discount codes - to cut down on links as a poster requested, here's link to some very comprehensive run-downs of the calendars https://beauty-detective.com/category/beauty-advent-calendars/
When enjoying those breakdowns please remember that some are OOS already - Harrod's Fragrance, Harrod's Beauty and Selfridges Beauty to name a few.

Don't send them offers.

The algorithm sees it's a popular item and will push it to even more users who might not know the extent of scalping going on. Once the FAC is sold, it's harder to report because it disappears off everyone's pages unless you have liked the item or saved the link.

Report them for selling forbidden items, as you cannot sell advent calendars on Vinted. This goes for HFAC and any other complete advent calendar. I and various posters have been reporting.

A previous poster told me that if you see the person listing multiple calendars, you can report them for commercial selling. It helps if you have links of previous listings. Some make a listing, wait for it to sell, then immediately list another one.

That is a dedication at it’s finest 👏👏👏
my Vibted is not full of messages from their cs that I cannot delete and it is annoying the life of me 😬

To all the ladies ive traded with etc, the packages were send this morning. Had a bunch to send. Ill provide the Track and Trace tomorrow when I have the time who is who on my receipt

Presumably if you quote the legislation/regulation they will cave immediately?

@NC543210 I would go with a request for a full refund and require them to collect it as it is their responsibility. You can't sned broken glass using the normal postal/delivery services as it's hazardous and obviously you're not going to put yourself at risk by clearing the glass out so it's up to them to figure out how to get it back. Because I am currently procrastinating and avoiding a crap task, I asked Gemini to write an email using UK law and this is what it suggested:

Thank you for your response. Because the item is sold out and a replacement is unavailable, I am exercising my short-term right to reject these faulty goods for a full refund under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

Please note that because the package contains shattered glass and leaking liquids, it is a hazard and cannot legally or safely be sent via standard postal or drop-off networks due to courier health and safety restrictions.

I am not prepared to risk injury by handling or sorting through broken glass shards to dismantle the calendar. As the retailer, the legal responsibility for arranging the safe return of faulty or hazardous goods rests with you.

The item is safely packaged and available at my address. Please arrange for a specialist courier to collect the package directly from me, and confirm when my full refund will be processed.

God this is actually brilliant. I reckon they'll give you a refund Nd just say you can keep what you have. Fingers crossed

Well that SFAC sale was a shitshow of the highest order. It’s put me right off. I joined the queue before work (as in queue will open shortly) and at break was at space 1609 and queue was paused. Left my phone on. Had a free after lunch and when the queue opened again it inexplicably kicked me back to no 269145. Never again. Prices are already dropping on eBay but I the whole experience has traumatised me. I definitely won’t be buying.
Think I’ll console myself with F&M later.

Did anyone on here successfully order a Selfridges fragrance calendar today? It seemed a pretty impossible task and I think I am done with the stress of trying to get one now. 😔

I'm following a previous poster's idea & I'm having fun reporting Vinted whole SFAC sellers. 🤣

I got one but my initial queue position was 2200. It sold out just after I got one so I think unless you’ve got a queue number under a few thousand you wouldn’t get one. I also had the site open on two other devices and was queue position 50k and 120k despite joining all pretty much the same time.

I really think the queue was a lottery not a queue.

I seem to have secured one, but am not holding my breath after reading about a number of people having their orders subsequently cancelled.

I started off at around 15,000 in the queue (despite being on the page since well before 9) and it was moving so slowly I suspected it would be another wash out. Especially when the wishlist hack didn’t work because all the wishlists went tits up. In a last ditch attempt, I downloaded edge into my iPad and went to the website there, saw wish lists might actually be working again so added the calendar to my favourites and after refreshing the wishlist page and clicking ‘add to basket’ like a deranged mofo for a while it bloody worked! Heart stopping moment needing to then log in etc but it did seem to work.

Will see if I do end up with it in my hands though!

Am glad some of you had success. I feel bad because my poor DH only had 3 hours sleep because he got up at 9am after his night shift to try securing me one with no joy, 😐 I see it is now saying ‘sold out’ rather than ‘stock coming soon’ so guessing that is it.

I am consoling myself by going through my Harrods fragrance and having a sniff of a few. I am actually pleasantly surprised at the Memo Paris one. I was sure I wouldn’t like it but it is quite nice.

I’m thinking if anyone knows you ladies will. Are you allowed to sell gwp fragrances on vinted? One of my listings was deleted as it said it appeared to be opened. I wrote back to explain it was a gwp and came wrapped in tissue with no box and was that allowed or not and helpfully all they said in their reply was that they were upholding their decision. I’ve also sold items from an advent calendar before and now wondering if that’s also not allowed? Just with all the comments on reporting resellers for the selfridges one.

I’ve also joined the vigilante train.

I've had a couple of mini bottles deleted before and others have been fine or have sold before the AI detection spotted them. I think they are classed as samples which you're not supposed to sell.

I love the Memo one. It was my surprise favourite find from HFAC. I bought a 2nd from Vinted fairly cheap as there are loads on there.

And when you finally got in you werent able to pay.

Im actually appalled by the piss poor service in Selfridges. Doing your best, going up, "nobody" knowing anything only to find out all the calenders have been pre booked. By whom? Abother bunch of scalpers?

I hate this digital queueing bs. Its the same with dayseats. You used to be able to walk up to the theaters. Put in the effort and you would get a cheap seat (and often for sold out shows). Now, you click the moment it gets live and everything is taken.

Pants!

I realise im lucky haven gotten the advent the last time. Bit the amount of time spent... its just not a luxury thing is it. I really tried to get one for someone else today but it wouldnt let me pay. I dont think ill succeed next year.

People need to be strong and not feed the scalpers for a while and they will come down

My HN frag calender arrived safe and sound. It's ok, not as good as last years offering but some full sizes in there which were lacking last year. Spiky muse made a second appearance, why oh why do they put the same ones in two years running? Also escentric molecules escentric 01 and molecule 01 which I don't really care for but should be easy to shift. Looking forward to trying the other ex nihilo, chandigarh express, the granado and the houbigant.
Annoyingly there is a cheap atomiser thing in there which just feels like a drawer filler.

Will sell the Vyrao Free 00, ds durg IDKW, jo loves, mizensir and escentric so any takers please PM me!

In sympathy with you all, I promise I won’t buy anything from Selfridges in the future (I don’t think I ever have in the past, mind you, though I may have been to the food hall c. 20 years ago). Solidarity! 💪
I must say the Bayeux Tapestry tickets were managed much better by the British Museum: you could go away and they’d alert you when you got to the front of the queue. Possibly fewer scalpers though 😼

I agree @Advententhusiast getting tickets for anything now has become such a chore that I’ve walked away from quite a lot of shows/gigs as I can’t deal with the stress of trying to book them. Between the scalpers/bots and corporations it turns a what should be a great experience into something I’d rather not participate in.

I’ve given this some thought . I was going to get one off of eBay in a while but I’m not . And I am not saying anything against those who have one or who buys one before anyone take it the wrong way.

I’ve just watched that yellow box for longer than is good for me . Getting stressed out and feeling angry . My emotions were all over the place today but mostly as I sit here calmly is the thought of my little ( she’s not) girl going to secondary school .

So with a bit of perspective I am going back to my happy place . I am going to come on here and the other threads look for little bargains , enjoy my fellow crazy’s enjoying there BAC and FBACS and not get drawn in by Selfridges . I’ve sent an email to their customer services not that they care ( not asking for anything just basically saying that I hope the CEO enjoys there winter vacation on the backs of mere mortals) I’ve deleted the app .
If It should reappear I’ll drop off here for a few days . I just can’t have that yellow box, now not even if it was offered at the same price on eBay . I just can’t do it it makes me so angry .

anyway I’m going to watch mind numbing tv and drink wine xx

a big hug to all that didn’t get it and for the support of those that did and feel bad . Please don’t feel bad I am thrilled if anyone of us got one ! Stick it to the man xxx

Well that was a bit of a shit show! Not really surprised I didn’t get the SFAC but even more gutted for the genuine buyers whose orders were cancelled.

Ordering the LFAC tonight a lovely mumsnetter said she rates the Elemis night cream so worth a bash and will give me something to look forward to. I won’t buy from the scalpers but will be more organised next year and will try for the Harrods fragrance instead.

I also wanted to say thank you all for this lovely forum I can’t tell you all enough how much joy it’s given me to see how supportive and kind you are to one another.

one very last thing is I’m doing my orders through my Avios account and racking up slowly but surely extra air miles 900 on Harrods alone 😊

There's no allowed or not allowed we are at the mercy of the bots which are very random, they think they are finding used products but of course they can be unused just not boxed. I do think selfridges have sold the perfumes in the SFAC unboxed to prevent people selling them on. Not quite sure why when people sell the whole calendar on. And there is still a market for the unboxed fragrances.

It's all very random. I got a warning and deletion the other day because they took issue with the word 'bundle'. It was 4 face masks all different brands but obviously new and unused.

Just had a little scroll on eBay and can you imagine how bashed up these £300 scalp-versions are going to be after two sets of delivery and absolutely no guarantee to refund. Definitely not.