To think it's fine to try on perfumes in a shop?

[user3974465]

I was in Selfridges today, and they had the naice Tom Ford testers, so I sprayed my neck, wrists and jacket so I could try it out. I do this often and regularly return to buy or go online after I've worn it in. I don't think you can get a true feel for it from spraying it on the little strip cards. I do give myself a generous dousing.

AIBU to think this is perfectly acceptable? Id never thought of it before, but I noticed that the assistant sort of rolled her eyes at me. Is this a faux pas?! or Tom Ford snob specific

Oh and ignore the sales assistants if they're being snobby. It used to make me feel inferior until I thought about it and that they're sales assistants - same as in Currys or Asda. They're no better or no worse than me.

It's fine. Whenever I go through our local Army and Navy I top up my Jo Malone. The staff are encouraged by this and offer hand massages, room scent and all sorts of extras. Can't see the problem.

Well if you have your own business you do buy the testers. Well, you buy enough stock to receive testers and sometimes samples.
Stock that you aim to sell from the testers out. Some companies are very generous with testers,samples etc, some are extraordinarily tight. So, if your 'precious' tester has been all used up on people liberally spraying on their way to work you may well not get a replacement for ages and lose sales. It's not a never ending supply.
Some companies in their own stores with just one brand tend to be better stocked with testers.
This thread shows all different viewpoints. I'm a customer too and I like to try too!

Yes but you will note I didn't say "small business with sole proprietor" I said "overpriced department store".

Yes but some companies are still tight with testers whether you are a small business or Selfridges. I am giving the other viewpoint as you said you were baffled.
I've known people bite an expensive lipstick tester off and hold it in their mouth to avoid buying it. People do take the piss believe me!

Very presumptuous OP.
I hated it when people would use up the testers because they were too tight or felt entitled as shops don't always get another tester delivered straight away. I lost out on sales because of a lack of testers which meant I lost out on commission. Thanks!
If you come in and waste several sprays (and let's be realistic, there is no way you were this presumptuous and only used 3 sprays, in guessing at least 6 or 7) and then the next 50 people do the same, yet none of them buy it, that's a quarter of a bottle wasted.

You do realise that the cost of the 'free' samples is part of the cost of the actual product?

And spraying perfume on clothes can often smell foul and can damage the fabric.

If you're a sole proprietor you have a different relationship to customers to people working on the Tom Ford concession on the cosmetics floor of Selfridges. Or you should...

You might legitimately put your precious samples out of reach so people have to ask for them, though I'd hope you'd start the ball rolling by asking if someone needs help and then offering them a squirt of a choice of perfumes based on what they said they wanted. It's service and small businesses rely on it far more than big retailers.

I fill up my atomiser.

I've been caught before, loving a tester, paying ££ for the bottle only to hate it after a few days or a week.

Lady in The Perfume Shop told me it was absolutely fine to do so, as long as only a "tester" bottle is used.

Filling up an atomiser
Jesus.

I used to be a "spritzer girl" in John Lewis and there would've been absolutely no problem with this at all!
That's what the testers are there for! And if you could see the stock of testers we used to have in the stockroom, you'd be shocked! Companies always gave us loads of testers.

I fill up my atomiser.

Such a dick move. Stop being so tight!

It was the sales assistant who suggested it. Dick move wind yer outraged necks in.

She did get a sale...the atomiser that day and a bottle of fragrance another day. I'll do the same again next time I'm getting a new fragrance.

It was the sales assistant who suggested it. Dick move  wind yer outraged necks in.

Ah well, if the sales assistant said it was okay! Why not just take the whole bottle next time?

Oh dear

I've subscribed to The Perfume Society. I don't get out much to try testers in shops, so it's a good way of trying out a range of perfumes. The little sample atomisers hold about 30 sprays and they're easy to carry in a small handbag.

I never get through a whole bottle of perfume, so these suit me fine.

Most people don't use testers properly. They put a smear of foundation or eyeshadow on their hand out of fear that they're going to be thought grabby by loons on MN and can't tell whether it works or not.

So they either buy it and waste their money or don't, which means the shop doesn't make a sale. Even in Superdrug assistants approach you and ask you what you are looking for and encourage you to take a squirt or a scraping of a sample away with you to try at home. Their policy is really good and has meant that I have returned and made more purchases in there than I ever would. I've also emailed Superdrug HQ to praise a named assistant. In my two local Superdrugs the assistants are very knowledgeable about make up and customer service and deserve praise.

I do too steff13. I was seeing an immunologist for something unrelated and he mentioned that it's a kind of chemical sensitivity, and quite common. You might also find the laundry aisle at the supermarket irritates your nose, it does me. :)

I love the laundry aisle, that's a fave scent.

I'm with thecatfromjapan, totally.

They do smell different on skin but you don't do it like that. First you spray into the papers provided. If you like it you delay a tiny bit into your wrist and bruis it a bit, shake it around to dry it etc. Then delicately sniff at you wrist every now and then. If you spray all over your neck and clothing not only are you putting on too much for every day wear anyway but you also make it difficult to judge what it actually smells like. It looks like you are someone who doesn't know how to wear perfume who is just there for a bit if free perfume.

Show a little restraint

I aspire to that in so many ways, but I always fail .