Enter Nibble as RTIH’s Secret Shopper hops on the emotional rollercoaster that is the Asos Sample Sale outlet

As a seasoned shopper and dedicated bargain hunter, I’m always on the lookout for exciting deals. So, when I heard about Asos’s Sample Sale, where everything was priced at a flat £5, I couldn’t wait to dive in.

My loyal readers know how much I love a good bargain, but this sale had something even more intriguing to offer - a new AI negotiation tool powered by Nibble.

This was the first time Asos was using such technology, and it promised to make the shopping experience not only affordable but also interactive and fun.

For those unfamiliar, Nibble is an AI powered chatbot that allows customers to negotiate the price of items in real-time. It’s a fresh take on online shopping, adding an element of haggling that you’d traditionally experience at a market stall.

The idea is simple: instead of accepting the listed price, you can make an offer, and the chatbot will either accept it or counter with a new price.

The goal is to reach a mutually agreeable deal, all through a snappy and sometimes cheeky back-and-forth with the bot. I was eager to see how this would play out in the context of Sample Sale, where the stakes were low, but the potential for fun was high.

A bare-bones website, but that’s OK

The first thing I noticed was that the Sample Sale website was far more basic than their regular site. It was stripped down to the essentials, which, to be honest, was perfectly fine. I wasn’t there for bells and whistles. I was there for the bargains.

However, being a Sample sale, the website was extremely popular. By the time I arrived, it had already gained quite a bit of traction on social media, and many of the items I liked weren’t available in my size (a common problem when you’re a size 12, one of the more popular sizes in the UK).

Despite this, it didn’t take me long to find something I liked. I have to confess, I didn’t use the filters for sizing or style because I wanted to see everything on offer—for you, dear reader.

After some browsing, I eventually found an item that caught my eye. Instead of automatically adding it to my basket, I clicked on the “negotiate” button. That’s when things got interesting.

Negotiating with Nibble: a fun and feisty experience

The Nibble powered AI bot was an absolute delight to negotiate with. It’s a feisty little thing, and the experience was genuinely enjoyable. The bot was playful yet firm, offering counters to my initial bids with a touch of snark and humour.

For example, when I tried to offer a lower price, the bot replied with, “We won’t reach a deal today if you keep trying this approach,” followed by a counteroffer.

It made the entire process feel like a friendly negotiation, rather than the cold, transactional experience you might expect.

As I continued shopping, I negotiated the price of each item. It turns out there’s a bit of a cut-off point with the discounts - £3.10 seemed to be the lowest I could get the bot to go. However, this wasn’t the case for every item, and sometimes it gave a final offer that was a few pence higher.

 I also noticed that the tone I used with the AI affected the outcome. When I was kinder and more positive, the bot seemed to offer better deals.

On the flip side, when I was a bit snarky, the offers weren’t as good. It was a fascinating and somewhat humorous realisation that you can indeed catch more flies with honey.

The highs and lows of Sample Sale

In the end, I managed to select five items that were initially priced at £5 each. With my successful negotiations, the total totalled £16.92 plus £3.50 for shipping.

I was over the moon and couldn’t wait to receive my order. However, I knew the shipping would take a bit longer than usual since there was no option for expedited delivery, unlike ASOS’s regular service.

But then, disaster struck. A couple of days later, I received a vague email from Asos that read:

“Your order has been refunded
Total amount refunded: £20.42 GBP

Good news! The amount above will be refunded to your original payment method.
Your refund amount should appear on your bank statement within 5-10 working days depending on your payment provider.”

I was confused and, to be honest, a little annoyed. The email claimed it was “good news,” but I didn’t see it that way.

There was no explanation as to why my order had been refunded, and there was no way to contact anyone through the Sample Sale website. Frustrated, I headed over to the main Asos website and used their live chat feature to get some answers.

I was eventually told that despite being able to purchase the items, they had actually oversold them, and that’s why I was refunded. It annoyed me that I had to go out of my way to find this information when it could have easily been included in the original email.

I was even more frustrated that Asos continued selling items after they had sold out. It felt like poor customer service, and it soured what had been an otherwise fun experience.

Final thoughts: a rollercoaster of emotions

This Sample Sale was a mixed bag. On the one hand, the Nibble powered AI negotiation tool was fantastic. It added an element of fun to the shopping experience that I hadn’t expected. I genuinely enjoyed haggling with the bot, and it made me feel more engaged in the process.

On the other hand, the experience was marred by the poor handling of the sale’s backend logistics. The overselling of items and lack of clear communication left a bad taste in my mouth. It’s a shame because I was genuinely excited about the sale and thrilled with the deals I thought I had secured.

So, for this review, I’m breaking down my rating a bit differently. I give Nibble and their chatbots a solid 5/5 for making the negotiation process enjoyable and interactive.

For sizing availability, I’d give Asos a 3/5. It’s understandable that popular sizes would sell out quickly, but it was still a bit disappointing.

However, for the overall shopping experience, Asos gets a 0/5 from me this time. Despite the fun of negotiating, I didn’t actually get to purchase anything in the end, which was a major let down.

In conclusion, while the technology behind Sample Sale was innovative and enjoyable, the execution left much to be desired. I hope Asos can learn from this experience and refine its process for future sales, as there’s real potential here to create something special.

Until then, I’ll be keeping my eye out for the next great deal - hopefully with a more satisfying outcome.

Round two: the new sample sale experience

As if the rollercoaster of the first Sample Sale wasn’t enough, I found myself back at it when Asos launched another one.

Call me a glutton for punishment, but I couldn’t resist the lure of potentially scoring some great deals. This time, however, there were a few notable differences.

Firstly, the items weren’t all priced at £5. The sale was split into two tiers - £5 for regular items and £10 for higher ticket items. While this added a bit of variety, it also meant that the stakes were a bit higher, especially when it came to the negotiation phase.

Secondly, I quickly noticed that Nibble wasn’t quite as accommodating with its discounts this time around.

It seems Asos learned a few lessons from the first sale, as the biggest discount Nibble would offer was around 20%, with the lowest being just £1 off for the £5 items. The drops in price during negotiations were also much smaller, while the bot kept nudging me to come up higher in my offers.

While the bot still had its fun, sassy attitude, honestly, I didn’t enjoy the experience as much this time around. The back and forth felt less like banter and more like a scripted exchange, making the whole process feel more mechanical.

I quickly realised that no matter how I “negotiated,” I wasn’t going to get much of a deal. It took away some of the fun and excitement that I had experienced during the first sale.

The silver lining: my items actually arrived

Despite the less enjoyable negotiation experience, there was one major improvement this time around - my items actually turned up!

After my disappointing experience with the first Sample Sale, it was a relief to finally receive the products I had ordered. The shipping time was still on the longer side, but at least this time, I had something to show for my efforts.

A smoother ride, but less thrilling

Reflecting on the second time around, I’d have to say it was a more stable experience, but it lacked the thrill of the first round.

The Nibble bot, while still effective, felt a bit too programmed and less responsive to the negotiation process. The discounts were smaller, and the overall interaction felt more transactional than fun.

That said, the fact that my items actually arrived this time is a definite plus. So, for this latest Sample Sale, I’m giving the overall experience a solid 3.5 out of 5.

It was still a decent shopping experience, and I appreciate that Asos seems to have ironed out some of the logistical kinks from the first sale.

However, I hope that future sales will bring back some of the excitement and unpredictability that made the first one so memorable - minus the disappointment of missing out on my purchases, of course.