So here I am with my newest purchase, an ocher-yellow fake leather bag. It had looked so chic in the store. I had thought that this bag will give something extra to my attire and will give a very classy look. Little did I know that this bag has a nasty little secret of its own.
The moment I took hold of it, the smell hit me as soon as I unzipped it. It was a smell like something from inside a fish tank. It was so strong that I almost felt like I was gagging. I was really confused and wondered why a bag for holding clothes could smell so bad. It was then that I noticed a label inside the bag that said “fake leather”.
I began to realize what it was that I was smelling; the plastic-y, chemical inside of a fake leather bag. The smell was like a toxic mix of sweat, fish and plastic – it was truly disgusting. I took it outside to see if it will go away, but it only made it worse. The foul odor lingered for days, no matter what I tried.
I eventually had to just throw it away. The smell was so bad that it was beginning to make me feel sick. I was so angry and frustrated as I had wasted my hard-earned money on this bag. Not just money, but also the time which I had spent selecting the perfect bag for me, and all for nothing!
To add insult to injury, the shop didn’t want to take it back claiming that the smell was caused by perfumes used by the customers. However, all of these perfumes were locked away and the customers never got a chance to use them. It felt like they were accusing me of lying.
Aside from this terrible experience, I have learned an important lesson. Before buying anything made of fake leather, I must first test and smell the item. I should never just assume that any item labeled as “fake leather” will miraculously not smell like fish. This would help to ensure that I never get trapped in a smelly situation again.