365 return ban

[veronique5]

So today I when to Sephora to return 2 products for 69$. Because it’s the vib  rouge évent I just purchased for over 1000$. After they did my return they handed be a paper saying I can’t do return for 365 days.

what the hell is that! With Covid we can’t try as mush in store and also, I’m allowed to change my mind! When I call Sephora they said it’s because I return to much product, ( not even that they are use product, I ask, the system can’t tell them if I return something that was use or not) so I’m just ban because I return not open product. What kind of policy is that! I never got a warning letter me know the amount of return was concerning! And now it’s super convenient for them that I just purchased for 1000$ and they are manning me from doing return. Anyone know what I can’t do fight them on this? I’m planning on calling the consumers protection and making a formal complaint and see if I can open an investigation on them because they can ban me without notice, it’s so unprofessional  specially that I spend over 2000$ this years at there store. I’m not going to let this go it’s so unsacceptable !! 

[Drats]

Is this happening to everyone? The same thing happened to me last month and I got the same response. No explanation and no reasoning, just banned while returning two separate orders. It was so humiliating.

I asked the sales executive what was wrong and what should I do with unwanted products and she was so surprised and said maybe use them. I was infuriated. There are so many makeup, skincare products  and even products that are online only or some products don't even have testers and then they encourage that we can return anytime and they suddenly thet ban returns. Atleast tell us the reason in detail and before the purchase is made? Or say returns with terms and conditions.

Either sell everything in store, ensure testers for every product are available in stores or have minis of each shampoo and conditioner. You will lose loyal rouge customers and amidst pandemic receive a bad rep.

I am def going to do something about this as well. 

[krysafe]

the same thing happened to me this week!!!! i spend thousands on sephora annually, i am a rogue and bought a bunch of shades of a bunch of different foundations for the sale spending a couple thousand bucks. and i did a piece of the return when i got that print out WITH NO WARNING so i have multiple shades of three different expensive foundations at my house as well as a few different primers i was trying that made me break out. i cannot be expected to keep wrong shades when i couldn’t try in store and products that made me break out. sephora has always said try it out you can return it!!!! i keep WAYYYYY more than i would ever return. i’m so appalled and upset i don’t think i’ll ever be able to shop at sephora again while i’ve been a loyal sephora shopper for 15 years spending thousands a year. i really don’t even return that much though so i am incredibly shocked needless to say. my sister spends more at sephora than i do annually and returns way more annually and she hasn’t gotten the print out but is scared to shop at sephora again either cos i am currently stuck with about $800 of product i cannot use. if it makes you feel any better i was shown today that i am not a valued customer at sephora either. it really hurts from a brand you’re a top tier buyer for years and years at and that is your favorite.

[Anjr1]

Hi there,

I really felt like sharing my story as I to was in the Sephora line today trying to return something on two different receipts and there was a tiny receipt that popped after saying I'm banned from doing returns. Not a gift card even. 

I've been a hardcore loyal customer of Sephora for well over a decade. For many of those years, I was a rouge member. So I was easily racking in over $1000 a year. Right now alone I must have around $5000 Sephora points on my file unused. 

Since the pandemic, what we used to have access to were samples. We could easily try products without buying the wrong color, these are not options anymore. For people spending hundreds of dollars at a time, this should be an option. So what do we do? We buy multiple colors to see if we can match ourselves or if our skin will like the product. As someone with sensitive skin who breaks out easily the fact I will break out with a certain product is possible as well. 

When I asked the staff there for help I've never had a good clear match on foundation. I asked one person to match me and she said just try them on. It's not like when you go into a Mac or department store. So not sure how trained the staff is to match us as opposed to makeup artists. 

Still I didnt mind fimding my own right match as I always trusted in the Sephora return policy. 

So yes, most of the time I just try to match myself but when you are ordering online or it's super busy in the store sometimes we miss the right match. Not to mention the lighting inside. 

Sephora sales were something I really looked forward to but I'm not sure anymore. The sales associates definitely push the fact you can try things on and return if they don't match which is so misleading to the consumer. 

I was humiliated today. When the sales associate said she'd never seen this happen before. That seems to be a very common statement said to many girls who got banned "they've never seen this before" says the associate. As a professional helping a client like me please train the staff to not say that. It makes the consumer feel very embarrassed. Especially when other people are listening and you are holding up a line. 

And please be clear about the policy. Probably in the grand scheme of things we are just another person and there are many like us so it doesn't matter. But was pretty dehumanizing today. 

Spoiler

[misy6500]

Im truly appalled. Same thing happened to me today and I received a warning that future purchases cannot be returned. The cashier said she had never seen it before. This is beyond unfair and unethical - shame on Sephora. I relied on the beauty advisors selling me products that do NOT match me whatsoever. Also, I asked for samples and was told by several different advisors that the return policy is great and that I can just buy and use the product and return it if I was not satisfied. I relied on them and am now being penalised for wanting to experiment with makeup and try to find my shade? I've been shopping at Sephora for close to a decade and have never had this problem. 

[bibi11]

Hi

same thing happened to me!

I do most of my shopping when Sephora has the sale, now I’m stuck with make up and skin care that may or may not work for me.

They owe us an email, or ext before we make all these purchases.

The sales lady handed me my receipt, did not mention the ban, I didn’t look at my receipt that said I was banned from returning!

Did you have any luck returning your stuff?

[LaurieBT]

Hi @bibi11,

I'm sorry for the trouble and I'll send you a message shortly. 

Best,

Laurie 

[RKYS]

Hi, thank you for your post! I’m also rouge member and spent $$$$. I was making two returns on two separate bills .After first return was processed I got the warning via print out which doesn’t give me a logical explanation. Nor is the sales rep able to give me an explanation. Needless to say my second return got declined right there and then and the manager who was called also had no explanation. I 

have never returned anything without a receipt.IMO Sephora should flag the ban at the time of the purchase rather than at time of return.. let the customer know during checkout and before their purchase is processed that the items are final sale and non refundable..

Then I call customer service and they don’t have any answer. But they told me that I can return by mail I don’t understand??? If I send them back will they process my return?

BTW products are unused and packed WHAT SHOULD I DO??

[DaneeBT]

Hi @RKYS

I'm sorry to hear about this! I will send you a PM shortly.

Regards,

Danee

[marijeannie6]

Hi ! Thank you for this post because I thought it was just me but I was in that situation today! It’s so ridiculous because I too spent over $1000 and I’m not even to return products that didn’t work for me. I’m not sure what do to do that why I came here to get answers. 

[krysafe]

its so incredibly ridiculous!!!!!! so much for being brand loyal to sephora, i guess they don’t want my business!

[DaneeBT]

Hi @marijeannie6

I'm sorry to hear about this! I will send you a PM.

Regards,

Danee

[LaurieBT]

Hi @veronique5,

I'm sorry to hear this and I'll send you a message.

Best,

Laurie