Banned from returns WITHOUT WARNING???

[ksenia19]

I have had the most astonishing experience at sephora on sept 1 2018. I had bought some items without knowing their was a VIB sale during the event, and came back to get price adjustment. After my price adjustment, I recieved a warning reciept saying that I will be denied future returns or exchanges. 

I was in shock and the associate behind the desk told me she had no idea about this and informed me this is a new policy and I should contact the number on the slip. She also advised me to call sephora customer service.

So I called sephora customer service, which they told me that it was NOT their decision and that they cant do anything about it. The rep advised me to call the retail equation and assured me that they are in charge of denying or accepting returns at Sephora?! 

So I called the retail equation (the number said it was Sephora on my caller id) and spoke to a rep that informed me that I have been banned from doing exchanges or returns at Sephora for 365 days?! She also said that this was NOT their decision, but in fact its Sephora’s. 

I have several questions for Sephora:

1.  Who is in charge of making these decisions? I am lacking to see transparency here in regards to your policies. 

2.  Why isnt it written anywhere to warn consumers about this new policy? 

3.  It’s a direct violation of my rights and freedom when you are so ready to take my money, but don’t trust me to use your written policies and guidelines in regards to exchange and refunds? What kind of business are you guys running? 

I am being treated like a second rate citizen, who is untrustworthy and not worthy of their business, when in reality Sephora is using very shady and phony tactics to employ methods to benefit them. I advise you to make these policies transparent because it is against every retail law. I think its also worthy to mention that I am a VIB member. Sad. 

[Anonymous]

Dont bother calling TRE- they are shady AF.

and ignore LaurieBT, the Sephora rep on here who gives the same lame canned response to every loyal customer outraged by this invasion of privacy. She’s in on it too and knows how shady Sephora is and how shady TRE is. Oh and neither will do anything- Laurie says to call TRE? Lol. When you do that, they say they can’t do anything and to call sephora! When you then call Sephora they say they can’t do anything and to call TRE.

Okkkkkk. Sephora gives you the run around. Not mad at TrE since they’re hired to do this but disgusted with Sephora for hiring them to violate our privacy.

There is currently a class action lawsuit against them for violating our privacy rights and for being shady AF.

Google it and add your name to the list so that you get paid when Sephora and TRE settle - which they will because violating privacy laws is not cool. Just look at Equifax - they are paying people hundreds/thousands back through the class action lawsuit.

Also don’t call TRE because they will data mine your phone call, log all your info, etc and still say there’s nothing they can do. Then they’ll say to call Sephora and as you can see by this lameeee canned response by some random Sephora not hack employee, Sephora says to call TRE.

so they are just giving you the run around.

sephora- superrrr shady you’re tracking and violating privacy of customers- forget about the returns, what are you DOING with our personal data and beauty insider account info??’ Who are u selling it to? We are disgusted by your actions.

see you in court.

also, ladies- stop shopping at Sephora- GO to ulta and amazon where you’ll be treated so much better and they have transparent return policies! Go to other beauty websites. Sephora is so overrated.

[Debs2671]

I gladly took my business to Beautylish to get Hourglass and Charlotte Tilbury.

[Marrrryyyyy]

@ksenia19 how is this even okay? i can understand if someone is doing it to cheat sephora out of money or something but what if i receive damaged products??? how is that our fault ??? wowww. this makes me not like sephora. super ridiculous

[Natalian]

It happened to me today. I bought bunches of items during the holidays for family and friends. You know sometimes it is not what they want. I did few returns during holidays to get the right one. 

I also gave them the receipt just in case  if they change their minds.  Today I exchanged something they told me I can’t no longer do that anymore in 365 days...i cant even ask for store credits whatsoever.

have anyone successful with disputes the TRE?

so mad with sephora now

[moisturizedaf]

Same thing happened to me today, without warning! I'm a loyal customer as well and Rouge status. For Sephora to inconvenience and embarrass so many of their loyal customers in-store without any transparency is really shameful! I'll be taking my business elsewhere as well.

[JGarnet]

Same thing happened to me today!!  So infuriating and humiliating!  I am a Rouge member and only make returns with a receipt and my returns were mostly for Unopened and Unused products.  I tend to buy a lot online during the sale and then go to the store to get a sample of the purchased items to make sure I like them before deciding to keep or return them.  I was actually being conscientious at trying not to open the purchased items unless I know I want to keep them.  So upset that Sephora would ban returns without warning!  If I had known I was approaching some "return limit", I would not be buying so much stuff during the sale.  Now I am stuck with Unused products that I don't want anymore.  Will be taking my business elsewhere.

[JoDMS]

I just got banned too. No help whatsoever from Sephora or TRE. WHAT A SHAMEFUL CUSTOMER SERVICE. Were you allowed to exchange items at least??

[emilee989]

No :

[emilee989]

I would also like to know how my information was shared with TRE and when I was notified or consented to TRE’s terms and conditions. Clearing they have access to my personal information. I’m surprised there isn’t a class action lawsuit yet. We’re waiting for your responses Sephora. 

[emilee989]

I’ve called TRE twice and Sephora twice about this. Both agencies bounce my back and forth blaming each other and offering no solution. Sephora claims they have no control over their own return policy and products (uh wut?) and TRE says Sephora set these parameters. I bought $3,000 worth of makeup at Sephora in the last year. Obviously with that volume of purchases, there’s going to be more returns. It’s called proportions. Sephora employees have encouraged me to buy makeup when I wasn’t able to test it due to lack of testers because “you can return no problem!” FALSE! Plus certain items like aerosols and many hair products can’t be send home in testers. What is Sephora’s solution to that? Half the time when I’ve ordered online to get specific samples (mostly hair care) I get sent perfume or foundation no where near my shade. Yet again making it impossible to test some products. I’m very frustrated by this bogus policy Sephora won’t take the responsibility for. I don’t plan on shipping with Sephora for awhile now. I’d rather buy from Ulta or the brands directly since they don’t lie about their return policies and then push off customers to an outside company. 

[Anonymous]

You make a great point.... Sephora employees as a whole are pretty helpful and ALL of them use the same line in that they encourage you to :

‘try it at home and if for any reason you don’t like it, bring it back, no problem...”

‘To all of you lovely ladies out there, you don’t stand a chance in heck trying to win your case against the retail equation. They love that they’re blocking people like you. At the end of the year, the retail equation gets to report back to the executives at Sephora saying “ look how much money we saved you in returns”. What’s unfortunate is that Sephora is losing important customers b/c of this. As far as I’m concerned, if you have a receipt and the product is 75% + unused then you should be able to return. Gimme a break otherwise...  there are SO many other vendors that sell these products. Go to Nordstrom or even Amazon. 

[LaurieBT]

Hi all,

Thank you for your feedback. For more information regarding declined returns, please refer to the information you received in-store. You may also send a private message to a MOD or contact customer service at 1-877-Sephora (1-877-737-4672) with your inquiry. Thank you!

Best regards,

Laurie

[fallforlove]

If you limit the return without receipt, you should have posted the policy on your website or in the receipts to let customers know. Most of the time the receipts were emailed to me, but sometimes there was no wifi signal in the store to look it up. I remember I had asked the sale associate if they needed the receipt or they could look up my account to find those item, they always said that they could look up my account for those items. I thought that Sephora has a really good return policy for valued customers. However, they now send me a return warned for further return or exchange. If you change your policy, why can you let customers know so that they were not surprised or shocked or embarrassed in front of other people. Is that the way you are treating your valued customers? If you clearly stated your return policy, I bet that you will not receive too many complaining. Also the online orders were just like a mess recently, but we are still loyal with your store and look at what we get in return.

[MaliBT]

Hi @fallforlove, 

I will share your feedback regarding this. Thanks!

-Mali 

[unstoppablenene]

Laurie 

There is no information given in store. Simply a slip that says you're banned and to call TRE. TRE said they're following Sephora's guidelines, there's nothing they can do. When I called Sephora Client Services,  they had no idea what I was talking about, and told me to go back to the store and speak to a manager. I have sent you a private message but I think this matter needs to be addressed publicly for everyone to fully understand this situation. At the very least, everyone expressing their dismay with this policy should be answered. Sephora's right to refuse returns is stated at the very bottom of the policy on the back of the receipt, but the parameters for such a decision to be made are not. Please respond to all of us who simply want to know how this decision is made, and how it is legal under Canadian law. 

[KatSunday]

This happened to me as well and sephora refuses to acknowledge that it’s AGAINST Canadian law to house my personal information outside of the country (California, USA is where this company is held) without my permission. 

This policy change isnt isn’t posted anywhere and every time I try to get answers I am told it’s not anyones decision. I am extremely frustrated considering I spend thousands at this store a year and have NEVER returned anything without my receipt. 

I am even more frustrated at the lack of customer service I have received from Sephora regarding this issue. Especially considering you are BREAKING THE LAW. 

[janiceli1113]

Has anyone got their issue resolved?  This just happened to me and based on all the feedback I have read online, I am not even sure if I should waste anytime contacting Sephora or RE to resolve this issue.

Same with many people, I have spent $$$ on Sephora throughout the year and have been Rouge member forever, without warning, got a warning receipt when I returned an item I purchased online because the item is available online only.

Has anyone tried to reach out to Better Business Bureau Canada about this?

[yuline]

I’m not aware of anyone successfully overturning the ban unfortunately. I’m also worried that those who decide to stick out the one year ban because Sephora carries products easily accessible whereas other competitors do not and have spent $$$$ will still be on some blacklist even if the ban ended.

[dancelocks]

Was this ever resolved? 

[unstoppablenene]

2 weeks since I sent a reply to a MOD. I've just sent a private message to another.....