Label is really off to one side:

IC, I’m no help with the authenticity questions. I’m just here to remind you to dispute the charge on your credit card if you come to the conclusion that it is fake.

ETA: I fell down the Reddit rabbit hole concerning Fragrancenet. There seems to be conjecture that what is being sold may be old/dead stock. If so, it may not have been handled in a way consistent with maintaining quality.

I paid with PayPal, and I think I have recourse there as well. I need to find out. Don't believe I've ever had to dispute a PayPal charge before.

Interesting about old/dead stock! Ick! It does smell very off -- like a strong chemical component that may be indicative that the formula has broken down over time. That’s unscrupulous.

I would contact the company and discuss your concerns with them. They have a vested interest in knowing that sub-par versions of their product may be being sold. Or counterfeits.

https://www.jomalone.com/customer-service/contact-us

I just filed opened a case with PayPal. Good idea to contact JM directly as well.

I would contact the company that you got this from first to tell them the perfume smells off and the bottle and packaging does not look authentic to you and see what they do. They may just give you a refund without having to take it up with paypal etc. Then, if they refuse, I would open a case against them with paypal. It could be old merchandise and that's why it smells off. I'm pretty sure this is the company I usually buy from without issue...It's been a while though.

Too late, already opened the PayPal case. PayPal will seek resolution with the company, and I can choose to escalate it if they don't refund me. The company's return policy states that only unopened products are accepted for refund, but there was no way to determine the authenticity of the cologne without opening it. Anyway, I'm convinced that it is not something that would have come from a real JM retailer, and I don't intend to get stuck with it.

The box looks odd to me, so i am glad you have already opened a case with Paypal. In my estimation, its best in cases like this (potential fraud or unscrupulous practices) to let the credit card company handle it.

you may have a product that is old or a second.

There are websites where you enter batch numbers or other Identifying numbers that will tell you the age of products.

here’s one...

http://m.checkcosmetic.net/

Thanks, ML. I ran the code and got this:

I still think the product is not authentic though. Those slapped-on labels ... puhlease.

I'm going back to an old standby of mine, Zents. I've just ordered from the company directly. I first learned of these scents at a spa a number of years ago in Boulder, CO and fell in love with them then. I guess I'll stick with the old tried and true.

https://www.zents.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_keyword=zents&utm_campaign=%7Bcampaign%7D&gclid=Cj0KCQjwweyFBhDvARIsAA67M72hhKUMQ5TMIQ3gmBWdRo1G0jfPuYJfwsGbqhPpYfF-Ia4bhvhqU44aAm1oEALw_wcB

IC, are your PayPal charges paid with a credit card? For example, even though I use PP, the payment is made with an Amex. If you pay similarly, also contact the credit card company and dispute the charge. It is my understanding that you can do both at the same time.

Nope, my PayPal links to my checking account.

I had to put in the checking account information to verify my account when I opened an account with PayPal eons ago. But I also have a credit card linked to it. I use the credit card for payments, mainly for the protection. I use the bank account if I am sending money to one of the kids.

I’ve never heard of this brand, but we don’t wear fragrances.

I don't think it's a fake, fragrance net is highly reliable, however Joe Malone is notorious for getting old quickly and smelling off.

I've ordered from fragrancenet for many years with no issues and will continue to order from them, however, there are certain perfumes I would not order from them as this is a company that is considered a gray market and does receive older, not ancient, products often.

Also and I see this all the time on fragrance boards, people who are not immersed in the fragrance world and I am, are quick to suspect a fake when in reality sometimes labeling and packaging is a little sloppy and certain brands turn and you don't know the exposure to light and heat these bottles have been through.

All that said, there's always the possibility it is a fake.

I have bought hundreds of perfumes,swapped many, and have never yet had a fake.

I had a Red Roses turn and currently have an Oud and Bergamot and need to use up this year.

Well I do not know the present state of online commerce, but I'll bet it is exploding. Quality control is always one of the dangers in this kind of purchase. Which is one of the reasons I do not like to shop online. I've been burned more than a few times and have no store to return something to or person in customer service to rely on. And adequate customer service is an area that is also rapidly falling by the wayside.

It's interesting that you posted on buying fragrance online, as was considering it last week. Hardly any place to buy in person any more. But I was hesitant to buy something very expensive without smelling it. I know what kind of scents I can wear, but the chemistry of each particular scent, even famous reputable brands, is hard to parse for a new fragrance. Its sometimes a matter of degree. I like florals but not musk, at least not strong musk. and patchouli reminds me too much of 70s dorm rooms . . . I'm also sick of vanilla in a perfume which if I'm not mistaken is a tonka bean note. I was searching for a fresh spring peony scent that would last so that depends on the fixative notes, and Jo Malone was one recommended . . . but even the least expensive bottle of good cologne was going to run me 75 bucks and up, so I was hesitant to take the plunge.

Hope you don't mind me taking this topic OT IC, but while refreshing my memory on the fragrance notes of Jo Malone, I came across this interesting article on her philosophy. Love how part of it is to champion English gardens, both in the product but also through charity work. I am a huge British cottage garden devotee, since childhood and I grew into a bit of an Anglophile as a result. I don't wear much perfume, hubs can't smell, the good stuff is expensive and I don't go out much so I prefer to purchase soaps, powder and lotions that are scented, products I use every day. Drawer liners. I kind of had to give up on scented candles, they started to become clutter in my lifestyle. After spilling a bottle of room diffuser on the carpet in my office at work I gave up on that too . . .

https://perfumesociety.org/perfume-house/jo-malone/

I give Jo Malone Grapefruit cologne as a 50th b’day present, as a sort of joke. I read somewhere that women who wear perfume with a grapefruit note are perceived as being younger than they actually are. I usually buy it at Neiman’s or Nordstrom. I’ve always been a little skittish of the gray market sites.

Jo Malone, the company, was sold over 20 years ago to Estee Lauder. Jo Malone, the person, now runs Jo Loves, selling similar, but different, perfumes.

lpink, samples and decants are a good way to avoid blind buying and many can be found at places like Surrendered to Chance and The Perfumed Court. And ebay and fragrancenet. Typical costs range from 3-12 depending on the brand.

I participate in swap sample boxes and get a box with hundreds of samples to test over a week then I mail it to the next on the list. I add my own samples and take out what I want to linger over.

Give it a search to see its manf age

https://www.checkfresh.com/