Scentbird Review: Perfume Subscriptions

Scentbird has been delivering top-shelf fragrances since 2013. Founded by Mariya Nurislamova, a speed reaching coach and former professional ballroom dancer with a passion for perfume, this subscription can bring over 700 scents right to your home.

Hurry if you want to save 50%

When you start browsing the Scentbird site, you might spot a promo saying you can save 50% on your first month. Awesome, right? However, it comes with a high-pressure countdown timer; if you don't decide to subscribe within 20 minutes of browsing the site, too bad for you. (If you can't tell, we don't love those kinds of tactics.)

No mix-and-match between men's and women's fragrances

But, continuing onward, as you set up your Scentbird profile, you'll indicate if you prefer feminine or masculine scents - both perfume and cologne are available here, but you can't mix-and-match within one subscription. You can also take their scent profile quiz anytime you like - at the beginning of your subscription, if you'd like some suggestions, or later on if you feel like your tastes may have changed.

$16.95/month

You won't get quite as much perfume from Scentbird: where many rivals include at least 9mL of fragrance in each delivery, this club only gives you 8mL (0.27 fl.oz). You also only get a case for your perfume vial with your first delivery; you're expected to reuse it as each new fragrance ships (which can be a pain if you don't use all 130 sprays of the last one you received - you'll have to swap them out and store them somewhere they won't get broken). But, this perfume subscription is a bit cheaper at $16.95/month, compared with some competitors who charge $18.95+, so you do the math and decide if you'd rather pay less or get more fragrance.

Impressive selection

Another great resource is Scentbird's Discover section of the website. From the notes library and fragrance family library to the fun "scent horoscope", you can get all kinds of ideas about where to take your scent style next. It's also where you can take a peek at the brands in the selection through this perfume subscription - it literally goes from A(cqua di Parma) to Z(irh). Scentbird makes it easy to try classic scents you've always heard about but never owned (like Versace Bright Crystal Absolu or Michael Kors Wonderlust), or try something lesser-known but amazing (like Juliette Has a Gun Ode to Dullness or the latest premium scent from Amouage). But, speaking of "premium", pay attention to the fact that some perfumes come with a surcharge - they're considered luxury fragrances, and the extra will be added to your monthly bill.

No exchanges or returns

If you get a fragrance that you don't love, can you return or exchange it with Scentbird? Unfortunately, that's a no. That's pretty common within the perfume subscription industry, but there's at least one service on our list that gives you a certain number of swaps per year. If there's something defective or damaged, though, you can reach out to Scentbird's customer service team and they'll take care of it.

Worst possible reputation with the BBB

With all of that, are you wondering why we've given this company such a low rating? Scentbird lands at the bottom of our list because of its reputation. Not only does the company get an "F" rating from the Better Business Bureau, but there's also a whole alert on the BBB site saying that there have been numerous complaints about the site accepting subscription orders but never shipping out the perfume. It's unfortunate that the BBB had to make that kind of notice, because other reviews for Scentbird are decent, if not universally positive. On Trustpilot, for example, this perfume subscription platform comes in with a 3.7-star average. Some members love the packaging, the ability to pause their subscription when needed, and the ability to try new fragrances so easily. On the other hand, more than 25% of the ratings on Trustpilot are just a single star, and many of them were left within just a few days of our evaluation. Those complaints ranged from accounts being canceled out of the blue to customers continuing to be charged after canceling.

Not a perfume subscription we'd trust

We just can't get past that "F" rating and alert from the BBB. There's no excuse for Scentbird to take people's money and then not deliver the perfume. And, in a marketplace where there are more than a few trustworthy options with tons of variety (hint: you'll find them at the top of our list), Scentbird only stands out in a bad way - giving you less perfume in every delivery, assuming your orders arrive at all.

On the Scentbird website