About samples

[germanicus]

I received generous samples at no charge from Floris, Penhaligons and Truefitt & Hill. Classy.
I found a website for Dunhill and filled in a free sample request.
A while later, I received a peel-and-smell postcard!
I guess Procter and Gamble can't afford to give away stuff to potential customers...Lousy.

 

[Mama Bear]

Not all fragrance houses price gouge so much to cover sample expences.. the scratch and sniff is good enough that you can tell what something smells like.

Think about this.. I get 3 free sample inquiries in for every order I recieve... what do you think it would do to my pricing if I honored all of the free requests?

 

[masonjarjar]

I still feel weird about asking for samples. I felt weird just sending the email to Floris asking for free stuff without buying something first. I really plan on buying something from them eventually, it's hard to think of myself right now due to the holidaze.

It's just not in my nature to ask for free stuff.

-Mason

 

[Texican]

I know how you feel. I'm the same way. As a courtesy, I always call and ask them to allow me to at least pay for the shipping costs. Usually they are very polite and refuse.

If I do ask for samples, I always try to make an effort to purchase something from their company in the near future. For example, I'm probably not going to buy anything for myself at Penhaligon's this holiday season. But since they gave me samples a few months ago, I'm purchasing some Malabah bath oil for my wife as a stocking stuffer.

 

[comfortablynumb]

I still feel weird about asking for samples. I felt weird just sending the email to Floris asking for free stuff without buying something first. I really plan on buying something from them eventually, it's hard to think of myself right now due to the holidaze.

It's just not in my nature to ask for free stuff.

-Mason

If you have the best intentions to buy the product if you like it, I don't see a problem in asking for a sample. Like with me I have a lot of chemical sensitivities so I usually like to try before buying. I've only found one vendor that let me try a sample of there unscented cream and I plan on purchasing from them soon. I can understand where it could be expensive and wasteful for small vendors to just send out samples to anyone requesting them. I think another viable option would be to charge a small fee with shipping say $3 (also maybe offer a promotion code to refund some of that fee for there first order) that way only customers serious about purchasing a product would be getting the sample.

 

[germanicus]

Not all fragrance houses price gouge so much to cover sample expences.. the scratch and sniff is good enough that you can tell what something smells like.

Think about this.. I get 3 free sample inquiries in for every order I recieve... what do you think it would do to my pricing if I honored all of the free requests?

That's precisely my point. I would expect that a huge multinational like P&G would actually be able to afford to give away more free samples than independent, smaller scale businesses.

 

[fc2462]

I've got about 10 or 12 large bottles of cologne (easily a $1000 worth) and out of those, I only purchased one without first having a sample (in some cases it was just a scratch and sniff card and in others, 2ml sprays). Guess which one I wear the least if at all.

Ordering a fragrance without sampling first is like ordering a pair of shoes or clothes that you can't return if it does not fit.

This is also the reason that most of my fragrance purchases have been at the fragrance counter in Macy's.

Just my $.02 but, I think that fragrance manufacturers that are not mainstream (i.e. fragrance counter at Macy's) should at the very least send out a scented card upon request.

 

[Doc4]

I know how you feel. I'm the same way. As a courtesy, I always call and ask them to allow me to at least pay for the shipping costs. Usually they are very polite and refuse.
If I do ask for samples, I always try to make an effort to purchase something from their company in the near future. For example, I'm probably not going to buy anything for myself at Penhaligon's this holiday season. But since they gave me samples a few months ago, I'm purchasing some Malabah bath oil for my wife as a stocking stuffer.

Or they are Geo. Trumper and insist on shipping costs up front.

Asking for samples is sort of like going to the department store and sniffing the 'tester' bottles of cologne. Some companies just don't send samples ... TOBS springs to mind, and look how much less they charge compared to T&H. I suspect that companies like Penhaligon's send out nice sample packs as a means of getting more exposure for their products (which aren't sold in many storefronts at all) and to build customer loyalty (and/or 'guilt' someone into buying some Malabah bath oil ... tomayto tomahto.) If it didn't work for them economically, they wouldn't do it! If I could go down to my local London Drugs and sniff English Fern, I'd be thrilled.

And yeah, I got the Dunhill Pursuit postcard and wasn't too impressed ... with either the mere postcard or with the scent. Maybe a little vile ... er, vial ... of the stuff would have grown on me (like the Scotto sample of English Fern I have ... )

 

[daveesq]

I'd highly recommend going to a Sephora, if there's one near you. I'm in the process of finding a cologne, and my girlfriend took me there. Not only is there a pretty darn good selection and all the test strips you could want, but they'll also decant a little from whatever scents you're interested in into little spray bottles so you can try them out over the course of a week or so.

 

[OldSchoolYoungin]

I think Sue explained it best. For those companies that do not overcharge for their products, they are less inclined to send out samples because they simply don't have that high of a mark-up on their products to cover for it. Companies like Floris, T&H, etc. do indeed make outstanding fragrances, but do you really think a cologne of only lime oil really costs $80 to make? And yet, there are reasons for this overpricing as well. They realize they are expensive and therefore offer samples of their products so they don't end up with a bunch of unsatisfied customers who bought products blindly.

Didn't mind at all paying the shipping costs on Trumper's samples, truly worth it for what they sent me. The first time I requested samples, a few months went by with nothing. I sent another e-mail, they apologized and within just a couple days I had a package containing seven Sandalwood, 6 GFT, 5 WIL, 2 Spanish Leather, 1 Eucris and a few samples of creams.

If all else fails, you can also search the decant club for what they have in stock. Allows you to try some great fragrances for a nominal fee.

 

[DaveF]

I think the Penhaligon's "sample library" is a reasonable alternative to free samples. They charge $20 or so for a set of ten sample vials of their most popular scents. Maybe $2 a sample is a little rich, even for them, but it beats dropping $90 on a cologne you end up not liking much IMO.

The only samples I ever requested were from Trumper's, and they were nice enough to send me five cologne samples and three shaving cream samples without even charging me for shipping. I would gladly have paid $20 for that set. Unfortunately, I ended up not liking any of the products enough to order them, although the GFT cologne was a near miss (I liked, wife didn't).

 

[ScottS]

I think the Penhaligon's "sample library" is a reasonable alternative to free samples. They charge $20 or so for a set of ten sample vials of their most popular scents. Maybe $2 a sample is a little rich, even for them, but it beats dropping $90 on a cologne you end up not liking much IMO.

The only samples I ever requested were from Trumper's, and they were nice enough to send me five cologne samples and three shaving cream samples without even charging me for shipping. I would gladly have paid $20 for that set. Unfortunately, I ended up not liking any of the products enough to order them, although the GFT cologne was a near miss (I liked, wife didn't).

Funny you should mention that. My sample library is waiting for me at home, arriving in the mail today. I think its a great idea-- but it would be greater if they gave a $5 or $10 coupon with it, good for purchases about $75, or something. Coupons seem so pedestrian, though. Interestingly enough, the men's sampler in their catalog doesn't include English Fern, which I was specifically interested in, but the two-sex sampler I ordered from shoplondons does.

Trumpers, these days, is happy to send out samples in exchange for postage. Quite reasonable.

 

[ScottS]

I'd highly recommend going to a Sephora, if there's one near you. I'm in the process of finding a cologne, and my girlfriend took me there. Not only is there a pretty darn good selection and all the test strips you could want, but they'll also decant a little from whatever scents you're interested in into little spray bottles so you can try them out over the course of a week or so.

Aaagh-- I looked, and they actually put one in the mall by me. Must be pretty new. I don't know if I can tolerate a mall between Thanksgiving and Christmas! In any case, thanks for giving me somewhere else to spend money

 

[Prof]

Interestingly enough, the men's sampler in their catalog doesn't include English Fern, which I was specifically interested in, but the two-sex sampler I ordered from shoplondons does.

You'll love the English Fern. Its an expensive habit ...

 

[gugi]

I think its a great idea-- but it would be greater if they gave a $5 or $10 coupon with it, good for purchases about $75, or something. Coupons seem so pedestrian, though.

That's what I think as well. These are luxury companies and I think they want to stay that way as much as they can given the realities of today's economics.
I think it's a bad taste of Trumper's to ask for postage, but they are barber's shop so it's more acceptable.

 

[mental]

I'd highly recommend going to a Sephora, if there's one near you. I'm in the process of finding a cologne, and my girlfriend took me there. Not only is there a pretty darn good selection and all the test strips you could want, but they'll also decant a little from whatever scents you're interested in into little spray bottles so you can try them out over the course of a week or so.

I found, to my surprise, that there is a relatively new Sephora near me! I headed down there and they had a fairly large selection of fragrances, and they did indeed offer up to three samples. The samples are in really nice little vials with atomizer attachments. I'm hoping to head down there again and pick up more samples, maybe I'll bring along a wig and a false mustache and see how many sets I can get before they boot me out...

 

[ScottS]

That's what I think as well. These are luxury companies and I think they want to stay that way as much as they can given the realities of today's economics.
I think it's a bad taste of Trumper's to ask for postage, but they are barber's shop so it's more acceptable.

Having now held the Penhaligon's scent library-- I take it all back. There is value there. These are not your typical card-mounted sample vials. They are about three times bigger. There's plenty for you to get a real feel for the scent. Very much worth what you pay, and perhaps more. Between the tin and the thick glass vials with impressive silk screening, Penhaligons is not cleaning up on these samples at all.

 

[mysticmonkeytattoo]

i do not feel bad at all asking for samples from high-end/large companies. if i like it, i might buy it, but i don't feel obligated. i would never ask for free samples from a small business like honeybee sue. i understand the economics involved.

 

[gugi]

Having now held the Penhaligon's scent library-- I take it all back. There is value there.

Yes the library is certainly a value. It's a nice tastefully presented gift and for what it is and the target audience it's certainly worth the money they sell it for. On the other hand if one of these high end companies starts asking for a couple of bucks for their samples, I think it will be really damaging to their image. After all their whole image, products, prices and presentation are based on being not only extremely well made but also exclusive and to some extent that's what makes a difference with the mass marketed department store brands. It's quite snobbish but that's how it is. And apparently some of them also offer 'bespoke', i.e. something they will blend exclusively for you. Which is another sign of further democratization of the upper end stuff. After all few centuries ago perfumes were made exclusively for royalties, who would of course provide the full living cost to the perfumer and his family.

I appreciate every sample I've been given even though for certain companies I didn't find anything that works for me. I have very positive impression of these companies and I continue to use other of their products (soaps/creams/skin care) which I like. I'm certainly recommending them to other people who may like their perfumes. So even if a company has spent a couple of marketing dollars on me it certainly has not been a wasted money.

For small makers it's hard to come up with large enough marketing budget to send out free samples, but we all understand that. But these makers are on the opposite end of being exclusive, their main challenge is convincing potential customers to give their product a try and not necessarily worry if those customers have a four-six figure budget for exclusive products. I think just making a sample set with a nominal pricing is enough to generate interest and sales.

 

[Finnigan]

I don't know if they still do this, but a lifetime or so ago I worked at Barneys NY, and in the cosmetics section they used to give out small vials of sample colognes.

In fact, since I started visiting this website I dug a handful of samples I had been keeping out of an old drawer. Today I'm wearing Jil Sanders "Feeling Man." I kind of like it. I also have an Arimis sample, and another one whose name escapes me at the moment.

Do most high end department stores still give out take home samples?