Is this appropriate? Would you accept this policy?

Hey guys, I just wanna bring this issue up because it rubbed me the wrong way.
I went to Miri today, to look for clothes for my new single, amongst other things.

Curious, I went to SaSa to see if the new eye primer by theBalm is in-stock. It was. Along with Meet Matt(e) Nude which I didn't buy.

theBalm "Put A Lid On It" Eye Primer (RM70)

So, here's the deal.

I wanted to buy the primer, so I asked the SA, "Is there a tester?"
"No, it's new." and I was like "Oh."

Then she did something I didn't expect her to do.
She said, "You can try it out." and proceeded to open it. Just like that.

I thought it was gonna be a tester or something.

I didn't ask for her to open it but she went ahead and did so.
I'm guessing she wanted to sell the product but wtf.

Even as a customer I wouldn't want to ask an employee to open the product UNLESS they intended to make it a tester.

She kinda urged me to try out the product she squeezed out of the tube.

Hesitantly, I did.


I think I couldn't hide my displeasure on my face but she was all smiles.

Not knowing how to feel, or what to think, I said, "I'll take it...(?)"

And she proceeded to put the used tube back in and into my basket.


Did I expect her to do that? Nope.
I expected her to turn that into a tester and give me a new product.
But at the back of my head, I did think:

"What if I didn't want to buy the product? Would she put it back on the rack?"

I kept it to myself as I shopped for other things.

I also asked about the Meet Matt(e) Nude, which didn't have a tester. The same SA asked the other SAs if there was a tester OR if she could open it. It was taped shut, that was a relief since I've experienced "swatched palettes" from them before.

You can read that here.

--

I went to see my sister after that and told her about what I experienced.
She was like "Wtf? Why did you buy it??"

"Because I wanted it. But I didn't expect that."

And then I went ahead and asked my mom and dad what they thought.


At the end of it, I decided to go back and ask the saleslady because it was constantly on my mind.

"Hi, I wanna ask something about the product before"

"Oh, you can't exchange or return it." She said, with a smile. Funnily, while she was saying this, at the back, they had a "Return and Exchange Policy" poster at the back.

"That's not the case..."

It was hard for me to word it out. Am I supposed to use English or Malay? LOL.

So I went ahead and asked her.

"The product before, should I didn't want to buy it, would you make it a tester?"

She just said, "Nope. We'll put it back on display since only a little product was used."

I cringed.

"Really?"

"Yep, I'll put it on display at the very back." she just said normally.

"But isn't that wrong? Is that this shop's policy?"

At that point, red flags were everywhere in my head. How many items I've bought that didn't have a seal, nor tester, were tested out by other people? Do other shops do this too?

"Before we sell something, we'd show the product."

And I was like "Holy shit, so they DO know palettes are swatched and stuff??"



I brought up the swatched palette story. It seemed like a normal thing to her.
And mind you, they sell it for full price.

I think at that time, she was on to my worries. "The product you bought just arrived last night. You're the first one to use it."


At that point, I was sickened.
I felt sick to the stomach.


I said a quick and awkward "Thank you" and went to my dad.

He said, "It's their strategy. It's how business is."

My sis went, "Ewww"



And I'm like.... "Can you imagine how many things that I might have bought from there that's been used? If it didn't have a tester?"



EWWWW.


SO YEAH.


What do YOU guys think?

Like, seriously.


I love SaSa because they supply my favourite brand, theBalm.

But wtf is this shittttt.





Seriously, should I write to SaSa Malaysia about this matter?
Or do you guys think it's okay??

EDIT: I've sent an e-mail.


Seriously!


I might not wanna buy from SaSa Miri anymore.

Sigh.


Take care, guys.

-Nisah-