Avalanche of sample requests

Should I respond to them or shouldnt' I

[jecasc]

When potential customers ask for samples through our websites contact form we send them samples. We get them for free from the manufacturer and pay only the postage. Usually we receive two or three requests a day.

Since yesterday evening I have received about 100 requests and a new request comes in about every five minutes. Strangely all from France. I thought it was some kind of bot but when I checked my logfiles I found out that it was from people all coming from one website in France. A popular website where people can exchange coupons, make price comparisons and so on. Someone who received samples posted a link to our contact form in the websites forum, enthusiasticly reporting how many free samples she had received from us.

I guess most of those requests come from people who simply grab all samples they can get regardless of if they can use them or not. So I am wondering what to do.

Send samples? Would cost me about 5 EUR in postage each and reduce my stock of free samples. However if those people then post that they too received samples this could result in an avalanche of new requests.

Ignore the requests? Could result in negative comments about my company in that web forum.

Can "sample hunters" even be turned into customers? Is this an opportunity or should I not bother and put all requests into the garbage bin?

[Jack_Hughes]

If you don't think the sample requests will turn into business then discard them. People who go around collecting free samples probably aren't good prospects. But they will whine a bucket full when they don't get what they want. You just have to balance the two. Is a bad post on this forum worth more than the cost of all of the 5 euro shipping you'd have to fork out? Only you can answer that.

[Syzygy]

If you can identify the requests coming from this specific site - as you can - you could always reply along the lines that "due to unexpected demand samples are no longer available".

Someone who received samples posted a link to our contact form in the websites forum, enthusiasticly reporting how many free samples she had received from us.

Had they reported on how great they were, I might have been inclined to keep on supplying.

Syzygy

[vincevincevince]

Dear Sir or Madam,

I regret that due to a huge increase in demand for Widget samples, we are making a small charge of EUR5 towards the cost of shipping them. In return, we will give you a EUR5 discount voucher along with your sample which you may use against your next order from us.

Please follow the link below at which you can pay by PayPal or Credit Card, or just ignore this email if you no longer require a sample.

[Habtom]

I second the idea of asking them to pay for shipping costs.

OR you might find it important to limit the number of free samples that can be sent out in a day. You will push back new customers to the end of the list, and send the sample whenever their turn is. You can notify them ahead of time, that their sample will be sent out at some specified date.