AIBU to think it’s strange you only get a sample if you buy a £300 perfume?

[Annmay]

I had an experience recently that I can’t quite stop thinking about, and I’m curious if this is normal now or if something has changed.

I was in a well-known luxury department store, exploring niche fragrances — just taking my time, asking questions, trying to understand what I might actually like on my skin.

I came across Maison Crivelli and was genuinely interested. The fragrances are not cheap (around £300), so naturally I wanted to test properly before making any decision.

At one point I asked if it would be possible to have a small sample — just to see how it develops over a day or two.

I was told I would only receive a sample if I purchased the full bottle.

What surprised me wasn’t just the answer, but how quickly the tone of the interaction changed after I asked.

It went from friendly and engaging to… noticeably colder.

I was there with my daughter, and she even asked me:
“Why are they looking at us like that? Can we go?”

And honestly, that stayed with me more than anything else.
Because I’ve had experiences in other places where you can take your time, ask questions and feel comfortable — and this felt completely different.

Here, it felt like I had to prove something.

I completely understand that samples can’t be given endlessly — that’s not what I’m expecting.

But for a £300 fragrance, is it really unreasonable to want to test it properly first?

It just made me question whether luxury today is about experience… or just transaction.

Curious what others think — is this normal now?

We get given loads of samples - boots, Superdrug, the perfume shop. Only place we got turned down was selfridges. Maybe you could see where else stocks it?

Link for the Cult Beauty samples - it’s also supposed to give you £10 off a full size bottle so if you like any of them, you more than get your money back!

https://www.cultbeauty.co.uk/c/fragrance/sampling/?srsltid=AfmBOorhhdQO9ggdSBMVhUK3kH9EFFRC5bkfAtSkS2rH9e9-3-9C0GNY

(Sorry, have veered off topic a bit!)

I think you must have just got a grumpy assistant. My son’s recently got samples of expensive fragrances just by asking. Though bot always what they were interested in, more just whatever they had around.

Yes I think they tend to give out stuff which is on promo, new or which they're trying to shift. Which makes sense, it's not to sell things which will always be sold anyway but as a tool to get consumers to try something they might not be considering, I guess.

Omg just read the thread. It is SO AI 😂😂😂

I just wouldn’t buy it for that price with no sample not a chance it could smell totally different on you!

They were happy for her to have a test spray. I do this in space nk, put one on each wrist then sniff it periodically throughout the day.

You don’t ! Otherwise you would be more polite

Of COURSE you don’t use a capital letter after a semi colon in British usage unless the first word happens to be a proper noun. A semi colon does not close a sentence but joins two connected clauses.

I haven't been impolite in any human interaction. I am entitled to respond to robot posts with exasperation.

You’re not worth my attention !

Something doesn't add up, firstly you came across the brand while browsing and then you went there especially to explore the brand?
For what it is worth I am Australia and our Maison Crivelli stockist (Mecca) recently had a freebie of a 5ml of the Hibiscus Mahajád and it hadn't been on my radar before but now I am obsessed with it. Will probably get a full bottle, based on the cost here that 5ml would cost $35, but I wonder how many of us that got it will go ahead and buy? Which one were you interested in?

Which is why I also had the other example of when the ai commonly says things in the structure of 'its not this, it's that'. You would see it in text like 'its not just buying something, its an experience'. These 2 things together would make anyone who knows what ai text looks like question it and recognise the patterns that come up in ai writing.

I would tell you to Google it, but maybe you should ask chatgpt instead 😉
Means stop playing and be honest, face up to the truth

I’m glad to hear that he will be able to develop the fragrance properly ! I was more affected by the way the communication was handled with me- especially the size of the sample depends of appearance or status .

Exactly! It’s good that some places still offers the sample, it really helps to make a decision, especially with niche and expensive perfumes .

Thank you. I can't even find an example of a semi-colon followed by capital letter.

What is wrong with you? Stop badgering the OP about AI.
If she did or didn’t why are you so pent up about her using it - are you bored in life or something?

Boots, Superdrug and The Perfume Shop don't sell perfumes at several hundreds of pounds per bottle.

Yes they do? We got a tom ford sample not all that long ago

I paid £7 for a sample of 1.5ml perfume recently. It’s so potent the sample bottle has lasted for ages. I bought the full size one after. I wouldn’t expect an expensive perfume like that to be to be given in free sample bottles. It just attracts the chancers who won’t come back.

And as well as using them themselves, so not actually needing to buy perfume, it seems they also sell them on Vinted. So no wonder the brands are reluctant to hand out sample bottles.

Is it not that you can try the sample after purchase and return the full size unopened if you don’t like the sample? They probably want people to commit in some way to the full size bottle before giving a sample because there is a huge market for perfume samples on eBay, and they go for decent amounts of money. Diptyque does something similar online, when you order one of their full size fragrances they send you a sample with it so you can make sure you like it, then return the full size bottle if you don’t. I normally try the perfumes in store, order online and make a tenner from the sample as I already know I like it.

This AI post is word salad. Just write
in your own words.

It’s utterly wild isn’t it.