Unopened, sealed and tamper-evident are not one condition

Start with the actual seller and product exception

Dior's US website policy illustrates why the precise wording matters. Its general beauty-return paragraph refers to unopened or gently used items, while the La Collection Privée exception specifies unopened/unused products. The policy also distinguishes website purchases from purchases through boutiques and authorised retailers. One sentence from that page cannot be carried across every Dior purchase or every product category.

Unopened describes a condition or history, not a particular engineering feature. Original packaging is another requirement to read in its own words. If you have opened an item, do not call it unopened because the cap can be put back on. If you have not opened it, do not break a closure merely to check whether the product qualifies for a return.

A seal is evidence about packaging, not a complete history

Ask the maker or retailer how the exact product and presentation are normally packaged. A jar, pump, refill and boxed set can raise different questions. Describe what you received rather than assuming that an absent inner membrane proves prior use, or that an intact-looking closure guarantees the whole product's history. A photograph of a different size or older package is not a complete answer.

Paula's Choice gives a concrete maker example in its US help article Product Seals. Its removable-seal list includes CALM Ultra Gentle Cleanser, while the article explains that products outside the list have a built-in seal or a pump. It also says a tamper sticker, box or shrink wrap can vary by product, batch and retailer. Those published distinctions are a reason to check the exact presentation, not evidence that a particular parcel is authentic, unused or eligible for another retailer's return policy.

Tamper-evident wording concerns a feature intended to make interference apparent. It should not be treated as a promise that no interference is possible. If the received package conflicts with the maker's explanation or a stated seal is missing or damaged, keep the item unused and contact the responsible seller or maker. This is a packaging enquiry, not a home test of the contents.

Keep the US rule within its stated categories

FDA's cosmetic-labelling summary describes tamper-resistant retail packaging requirements for liquid oral-hygiene products and cosmetic vaginal products under 21 CFR 700.25. It explains indicators or barriers that make a breach or absence apparent. That limited cosmetic rule is not a statement that every cream or fragrance must carry the same seal. Other product categories can involve different requirements; this is not a complete packaging-law assessment.

A useful return enquiry therefore says which item, seller and market are involved, quotes the applicable condition, and describes the actual packaging discrepancy. Keep any reply with the order record. It may resolve whether your package is expected and which return condition applies, without pretending that one reassuring word can establish authenticity, personal suitability or an individual legal entitlement.