How do return policies shape your shopping habits?

[greeneyedgirl107]

So, I read on BEAUTY NEWS 2.0 that Sephora's return policy is changing again.  See the link below. 

https://www.sephora.com/beauty/returns-exchanges

This leads me to ask: how do return policies shape your shopping habits? 

[CynthieLu]

Ooooh an interesting topic for a thread @greeneyedgirl107 📚 thank you for starting this discussion. 🙏

I'm interested to see how return policies influence shoppers.

I generally don't return product's, I have a pretty strong idea or what I'll like, what suits my skin etc... but I do like to be familiar with the policies of where I'm shopping, especially if it's somewhere I'm shopping with for the first time. 

I do feel 30 days is enough for me to sort out what I'll like, but it does mean if I get something new I'll need to start playing with it right away, and not put that off. 

[BerryJazzyJams]

My habits do change when return policies change and make it difficult to do any return unless you have access to all the documentation that you need. Someone mentioned in the thread that Sephora has a generous return policy. For a store that has also turned to big-box retailers, they do not.

Take Target's policy on "no proof of purchase." If they scan it and discover it came from their store, and after all attempts to locate the purchase, they will give you a merchandise credit. This is a generous policy. In order to mitigate their damages, they do reserve the right to deny a return of yours (I have heard this happening as low as 100 dollars of returns in one year) and monitor by asking for identification for returns. I think this is a reasonable consideration.

It just sucks I can't even remember the last time I returned something without a reciept to Sephora and currently I need to return to items $70 worth and the person that gave it to me doesn't have the receipt, they said it was going to go under my rouge account and it didn't that I can see, and she used cash ( I am sure by now people might have guessed it is my mother lol).

While I am going to go to the store today to confirm they can't find the purchase by my phone number if they don't-- I will just be out of luck and as a rouge person who has been purchasing products and taking their make-up classes (when those were more popular, pre-covid era) it leaves me feeling frustrated. I have been shopping for over a little over a decade when then were just in Penny's in California, and the one time I need the old policies to apply is now.

I get things happen that caused this change. I am not too worried because I usually have many ways that my purchases can be located, but I will tell people not to make gift purchases for me there because it is not worth having to remind them not to purchase too early and to make sure you get me the receipt. I am not going to convince people to "just get me a gift card," when they really want something physical to wrap. It is just not worth the trouble. 

That is probably $600.00 dollars a year, but so small Sephora is never going to care. A business caring about the customers has never been a thing, despite the theater they put on to make us think so. This probably only bothers me, too, so I doubt they will evaluate and change their policy to be less restrictive since they are still making it continually more restrictive, changing it again April 24th. Geez, in a couple of months, you will have 2 weeks to return something that has not been opened (I am thinking about the amount of damaged product I have received...eek), which again is totally up to them, but the perks to shopping at Sephora right now are like 1 free shipping if you have a status on your insider account that gives you this perk. 

There is also another big reason I shouldn't be shopping there, but I will leave it focused on the return policy since that is the question posed. 

[rayray384]

Sephoras return policy is incredibly generous and honestly it attracts many shoppers who if they’re investing in a pricey item and don’t end up loving it, they can easily return. If these policies drastically change, or they truly limit (not sure what that limit is or will be) I know for sure that I will be making a bigger effort to go in store and get samples. I try to do this whenever possible, but sometimes they don’t have what I’m looking for in stock, so I try to get the smallest size of the item (if possible) and either take the loss or return the smaller item and don’t feel AS bad. 

[WinglessOne]

I don’t like to recommend many products I haven’t tried myself, plus I often need to find replacements for my favorite discontinued products. That means I usually have several products (skincare, makeup, haircare, etc.) on deck, waiting for a test window. If I buy a new test subject from a retailer that has a 30-day return policy, I try to line up an alternate home or use for that product before I buy it. That way, it won’t go to waste. Many facial skincare products end up used elsewhere on my body because of this*. Makeup that can’t be safely rehomed or donated does end up being tossed (actual makeup scraped out of component, so I can at least try to recycle the empty component). 

*No matter how well I know my skin and how much I’ve studied ingredients & interactions over the years (including reading clinical studies when they’re available), a new product might still tick my skin off—and I might not find out until the return window’s closed. The most recent example is the OSEA eye serum I bought in January while it was 50% off at Ulta. Its INCI list looks friendly enough (includes things my facial skin normally likes, and no known irritants for my skin), so I planned to test it after finishing another product test. I didn’t even open that serum until March and it wound up irritating my eyes. Obviously I’m waaay past the return window, so I’ll try using it elsewhere on my body. 

Also, I’m bad about missing return windows in general. Even for clothing, shoes, kitchen supplies, etc. I partly blame Nordstrom for spoiling me there. 😅 But really, illness sometimes gets in my way, plus I have an annoying mental block when it comes to returns. Many years ago, I had a big wall calendar marked with various “last day to return” dates for things I’d recently bought. I stopped using it because it often amped my anxiety disorder. I should go back to using it though, or use digital reminders. Or you know, just buy less stuff. 

If a retailer’s return window is less than 30 days (even if it’s a local store within city limits), I’ll usually try to buy from somewhere else. But also, I’ve bought from a few retailers who don’t accept returns; in those cases, I knew upfront I’d be tempting fate with my orders, so I lined up a possible new home for anything that didn’t work for me. These are times when I ask myself, pre-order, “will I be okay eating the cost of this order if it doesn’t work out?” And since so many different retailers use TRE to track all our product returns, I sometimes choose to take a chance on a product and plan not to return it, so I can avoid getting flagged in TRE’s system for a future ban. 

[greeneyedgirl107]

30 days is too short for me.  For example, the past month I had two colds and then Norovirus.  Not that I bought anything, but there wouldn't have been time to try anything new, make a decision and then initiate a return.

Even on a good month, it's hard.  Take a hair mask.  I have very thick hair so a store sample or free sample isn't enough.  So I'd have to buy the full size.  But I wash my hair once a week.  So, I'd really only get 3 tries.  Yes, I should be able to make a decision in 1-2 tries, but not always. 

And when sales come, I'm dissuaded from trying more than one new thing because I just don't have the time within 30 days.

Considering how expensive beauty items are, if I don't love it then I return it...and yes, I'll even return something that is $5 because it's still hard earned money. 

I'll say that it's rare for me to (for example) return a skincare item because I do a ton of research.  But, I'd like to be able to trial things at a pace that works more for me.  30 days or nothing gives too little wiggle room for me.

Since Ulta went to 30 days or nothing, I've barely purchased anything.  I'm not a chronic returner, but I don't like the vibes it gives off.  I could go on and on.

[ElleSmith16]

Return policies do shape my shopping habits. If I am on the fence about an item, I just won't buy it if I anticipate it will be difficult to return or exchange. 

[Titian06]

I don't pay attention to the return policy unless it's a big ticket item.  I just don't return; it's not worth my time or the aggrevation.

[SportyGirly125]

@greeneyedgirl107 @As someone who hates doing returns I think the 30 day policy for any company is fair especially for Sephora. 

The amount of product we collect in a DIF bin on the daily is crazy. 

[danielledanielle]

@greeneyedgirl107 I've always been leary of returns since learning about the TRE.  If I return something, it's either something I was lukewarm about and it's unopened, or I had a bad reaction. 

My only compliant is that I wish it was 30 days from reception vs faster of purchase for online purchases. Ive had breakouts I couldn't figure out until days or weeks later.  Now, the counter is WhY bUy it or why dIDNt You return it sooner?  I can plan to return it, but it's not like Sephora is right next to me, I genuinely have to intend to go to it, but I'm lucky enough to have a few nearby.  Not everyone can say that.

Also...The rate of releases and discontinued products constantly have me looking for things.  If I actually had two solid weeks without worrying about ship time, I'd be a little more solid on this change.  Just as much as social media encourages is to shop, Sephora's front page is rife with it, too.

[vallyyyyy]

what exactly is changing? I am a bit confused

[SportyGirly125]

@vallyyyyy @Sephora employee here

the new policy is 30 days to return or exchange and that is it. 

old policy is 30 days full refund, 31-60 days exchange or store merchandise credit, after 60 days no refunds. 

[danielledanielle]

Yeah, that's what's been said/what I am referring to. @SportyGirly125 , can you confirm that start date of 4/24?

[SportyGirly125]

@danielledanielle @Yes that is the start date for it. So anyone who buys during the sale will still be able to return off the old policy. 

I have been telling clients 30 days lately just as safe measure. It’s posted at the cash registers as well. 

[danielledanielle]

@vallyyyyy, @CorgiMommy 

It's in reference to the linked post.  Changes take effect near the end of the month.  Instead of 60 70 days, you only have 30.  Nothing beyond this, whereas you would get store credit at 31 days.... Now they won't even accept the return.

[CorgiMommy]

I second that, seems to be the current policy