3 Free Samples in Store with Purchase. Really?

[fhgarman]

Have you seen this box on the Weekly Specials page of the website? I just noticed that it says Online AND In Stores for the 3 samples. I can't even remember the last time I got 3 foil packet samples after making a purchase in a store. Let alone getting to pick them like we can online.

http://www.sephora.com/contentStore/mediaContentTemplate.jsp?mediaId=11000020&icid2=HomePage_QuickLi...

[graciels]

The only Sephora near me is in a JCPenney in Dothan, AL, 30+ minutes away from my home. I went in there today, and very likely the last day I will be going in there. I have been a Beauty Insider member for years, VIB, when I got to the register to purchase my products I asked what samples where available. They informed me that the only samples they were allowed to give were to Rouge members or if I had an email offering me some kind of sample. I asked that they explain because I had always received samples with my purchases, which is the only reason I had ever purchased new products. I'm not one to spend a bunch of money on products that may just end up in a bin under my sink and money thrown away. They said their manager told them that the policy had changed and they could not give samples anymore except to Rouge members or customers with emails offering them a certain sample. Confused I said well online they give 3 samples with purchases, so maybe I'd be better off ordering online instead of wasting a 30 minute drive. Their response was that if that's what I'd prefer then I should do that.

[thuneyugn]

I usually just ask if they have any samples regardless of my status at the time. Sometimes the girls are a little confused but will give me 1-2 samples; sometimes they look at me like I just asked them to give me their life savings. The registers aren't always stocked with samples so if it's extremely busy or I'm paying with card I wont ask since they would have to fish for them

[FireSpinner]

Huh... well I know what i'm going to do, next time I go to Sephora 🙂

(*takes out phone, takes picture of screen - focuses on the snapshot above*

And done! Next time I go thorough checkout at a Sephora location, I'm going to pull out my phone and show the cashier the snapshot. 😛

[melde]

I'm sure I've posted about this before, but yet again, I was in Sephora this weekend and asked if they had any new samples at the register, and they said all they had was a sample they made of the new MJ perfume. 😞

[Tamara76]

I have had good luck with the SAs at most local Sephora in JC Penney stores providing 1 or 2 new, sealed samples when I ask - but I have to ask.  At the free standing stores in town, when I have asked for samples the SAs have offered to make me samples from the testers on display, but I have never been offered a new, sealed sample.  I typically decline the samples made from testers because it kind of grosses me out after seeing so many people touching them - especially little kids.  That being said, I never even knew the samples were supposed to be available in store.  The 3 samples with online purchases are a huge reason why I prefer to shop at Sephora.com, and there are at least 8-10 stores in my local area, including Sephora in JC Penney. I'm always looking for new products and samples are a fantastic introduction to products I may not otherwise consider.

[makeuplover1800]

I went to the store to try out a new foundation and the free standing store I went to is relatively new and I tested out the foundation and the lady gave me three little samples, one of foundation, one of exfoliator, and one of moisturizer, and I only asked about foundation! The products she gave me were great and I didn't even buy anything while I was there!

[ShelleyMichelle]

• I am so happy to hear that it isn't just me!  I used to get samples every time, even if I was only buying a nail polish.  But lately I have been spending a lot and finally achieved VIB status but I get nothing!  What the heck? 
• The worst part is that tonight I was in line and the salesgirl was bragging to  the person in front of me about how she has never even bought any makeup in there, only brushes, because she gets so many free samples and free makeup.  WTF!  Stop hogging them and starting handing them to the customers who are securing that you have a job.

[pandy17]

I never get any samples in my bags at the store. Some stores are okay with making you samples and some are terrible but I'm starting to think it is about how they are trained or about their managers and how they feel

Exsample...Recently I went to the Santa Rosa Plaza store, which they have always been terrible about making you samples, (but to be fair there is one guy in the store who is not like this) this is why I order online as much as possible, but this hasn't been good lately either. I don't get the samples I pick or the deluxe samples I order or damaged

The SR Plaza store acts like they don't have the time of day for you, even when you are the only person in the store you cannot find a sales associate anywhere.They could care less if you are a rouge customer or not. But the last time I was there I did ask for samples during checkout , of course they didn't have any, or did they offer to make me one even knowing I'm rouge. When I was leaving I decided to ask the greeter at the door Talk about attitude, oh my God, she looked at me as how dare you!

I get home and I looked at my sample she put in a dot, a dot the size of a tip of a pencil, it was insulting. I'm thinking are you kidding me, I cant even try this sample there was enough for my chin, seriously! It was so bad I called the store asked for a manager whom the guy who answered said I'm a manager! I explained what happen, he apologized and offered to send me out a sample of the product I wanted, this was awhile ago and I never got the sample. Which made me think the same thing happen before at this store and I never got the sample.

I can't believe this! This is Sephora! What has happen to the customer service? Sephora use to be the best out there. I spend thousands of dollars at Sephora because I love Sephora. But when something goes wrong  you expect better from a store as Sephora. I won't say I will never shop there again, because I might have too. But who teaches them to lie? Or why the attitude? I wouldn't think Sephora would want to be associated with this type of service? It just gets so discouraging and at times frustrating!

[unblownkisses]

We've discussed SR before, but I got a really nice letter from one of the managers at the SR store after I complained on here after a miserable time during the points promo in August, however I still refuse to go back... When was the last time you visited? I need a few items before I leave the country and don't know whether to just hit Novato on the way to the airport and risk it hahaha.

[mimibel]

They have a Sephora basked stuffed with current samples under the counter here and they just pull it out so I can choose. I've usually always asked at least one sample to be made though and have from the start so I think they are just used to it. I usually only take 1-2 samples from the basket unless I ask if I can have an extra if it's something I'm really interested in or a fragrance. I've been given more than 3 handmade samples though, especially when testing eye cream and 10+ foils and minis. I guess it varies from place to place, how busy they are and the SA?

[SirenPrincess]

Oh my gosh, this sounds amazing!  All Sephoras should be like this!

[Cordelia76]

Basket of samples?!  You found the Holy Grail Sephora!  😄

[linda711]

The practice of handing out samples has all but ceased at any of the Sephoras I visit.  I hate asking too, I feel like a beggar.  Sometimes I'll just say something like "So did you get any new samples in?" hint, hint and that usually works.  It really does irk me though - I've mentioned on other posts too how they lured me in by giving samples when I first started shopping at Sephora and I never had to ask, and now I can drop $200-300 on a visit and no samples to be found:(

[itscarin]

I agree that I almost never get samples in my bag.  I think out of all the in-store purchases I've made I've only ever received samples 2-3 times. 

I never ask for samples, and I don't want to ask for samples.  I just want them to give me samples.  How do I know what I want a sample of?  I can't ask for something that I've never heard of before.  The onus is on them to make suggestions and offer samples.

[LCResz]

You can ask the SAs to make you handmade samples of pretty much anything in the store, but it is hit-or-miss as to whether a) the SAs will do so happily or 2) they will give you more than 3. Whenever I have asked for samples the SAs have been cool with it, and sometimes they make me a sample of something I was looking at without me having to ask. At checkout I rarely get a premade foil sample, but there are a couple of SAs who know me and they are very outgoing and willing to give throw in a sample or two with my purchase. 

As I said it is not a sure bet that you will get a SA who likes to make samples, but they do exist!

[lb1414]

I've always had bad luck with SAs giving me samples. I always seem to get the ones who act like its a huge inconvenience to make me any samples, let alone three or more!

[Nicrohr]

Yeah I'm not sure what they mean by "in stores."  When I ask for samples at check out -- or even the online promos they say are "in store," my stores folks act like I'm crazy.

I've never gotten samples in my bag at check out, let alone THREE.

[MissFluff]

Is there a limit on the samples you can have a SA make for you? And do you have to show them to the cashier at the checkout? I didn't even know about samples until BT.

[jojobe]

Most will only give you three. If you do I like I do and i do not get into them  and you get a nice SA she will give an extra. But foils......Depends on the Sephora. On the other thread there is a former SA who said they only get a little package of foils samples in their shipments so maybe they are gone by the time you get  there.