Banned from Returns aka Welcome to Purchase, but Stripped of all Benefits

[JarvisCampbell]

This year, I rediscovered beauty products and started wearing makeup again regularly since my teen years. I chose to mostly do this and find my makeup routine through Sephora, as friends had shared with me the welcome policy that you could try products and return them if they didn’t work for you as long as you hadn’t used a ton of them. For context, I also suffer from peri-oral dermatitis, a condition where I can get face rashes and irritation from products not compatible with my sensitive skin, as well as having OCD and needing certain types of application needs met from products.  

I spent many months shopping in store and online finding great products, but along the way there were not great options for me. Overall I’d say about 1/3 of what I ordered and tried or was recommended in-store wasn’t a good match for me and I returned (with good reasons, explained to the Sephora workers at the time of return). Today, I went to return an eyeshadow palette and “hydrating balm”. Neither product was a great fit, so as usual I went to return and buy some other things I knew I did like. When they handled my return I was given a RETURN WARN. This is hands down the most embarrassing experience I’ve ever had in a chain store. All I did was openly use the return policy as stated. Every product I returned was only used 2-3 times or unused and in their boxes, every time. 

When I called the help line I was given no help or explanation. Now, after reading about The Retail Experience (TRE) online, the third party vendor that Sephora uses to “track” customers returns, and the arbitrary and inconsistent reasons that customers have been banned from making returns I am outraged. 

If Sephora truly thought I was abusing and scamming them (as one lone woman) why am I not banned from making purchases? Apparently, I’m welcome to give them my money but for 365 days I can’t return or exchange a product even if it’s defective. 

This is the tip of the iceberg, Sephora does not openly disclose to customers they track returns, what ratios or return rates are punishable, AND they are not the only retailer that uses TRE, a system I just learn about today. I can now be penalized and refused returns at OTHER retailers that use TRE even though I was unaware of any of this before the notice today. 

Shame on you, Sephora. If you have limits to your policies, advertise them. Don’t lure in customers with policies that present the imitation of inclusivity and exploration. 

Sephora can feel free to ban me forever because I’ll never spend a single dollar in one of their stores again. Make up companies should take notice of these discriminatory policies for those of us who have budgets but because of our bodies or minds need higher end products. Women should never be asked to spend thousands of dollars on products they don’t love and be punished for using policies shoved in their faces. 

[DaneeBT]

Hi @JarvisCampbell Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us and I'm so sorry to hear about this! Please know that we value your feedback and I've shared this with the appropriate team. If you would like to obtain your Returns Report to review your return activity, please have your Reference ID ready and chat us at sephora.com.