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Anonymous Insider

Samples & Why I stopped shopping at Sephora

I like to get samples of products that I'm considering buying but want to try first.  That's the idea of samples, you can try something and not have to return it if it's not for you.  Sephora doesn't accommodate this way of using samples. You cannot ask Sephora for a specific sample in order to try before you buy something.  And, from what I was told,  Sephora uses a service that limits the amount of returns you can make. In other words, if you buy and then return a full product because there was no sample, you can only do that a few times before they stop allowing returns from you.

 

From what I read, Sephora forces vendors, whose products they sell, to provide Sephora with samples at no charge to Sephora. Sephora tells the vendors how many free things they must give Sephora in order to have their products in Sephora stores. Displays and samples are provided unwillingly to Sephora at great expense to the vendor.

 

After Sephora gets their samples for free they then force their customers to pay for those samples. The customer must purchase an order or subscribe to PLAY! in order to get these "free" samples.  Even then, the customer doesn't get a choice, or the choice is limited by Sephora, of what samples the customer gets.

 

I decided months ago to take my business directly to the vendors and/or stores who are more accommodating and less greedy about providing samples.  Maybe someday when/if Sephora cares more about their customers and vendors, I will think about bringing my business back.  Until then, I will happily get my samples from companies who remember what samples are created for - for customers to try something before buying it, not just another way to get money from customers. 

 

I hope Sephora leaves this up for people to read but I doubt it will stay up for long.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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