Disappointed in new return policy

[samanthasmom]

I just want to say that I am highly disappointed in Sephora’s new return policy. Online orders can no longer to be returned to Sephora stores inside JcPenny and the return period is now 30 days. For online orders, it’s 30 days from the order date so in reality, we have LESS than 30 days to return. And there are no exchanges on online orders returned by mail. I don’t return much but I am still very unhappy with these changes. The closest Sephora to me is inside of JcPennys & for being one of the biggest stores, their shelves are consistently empty so I make most of my purchases online. I need to return 2 products purchased on 8/31 that didn’t work for me and was going to make the drive to a freestanding Sephora yesterday, only to look at the order slip & realize I missed the return deadline by a few days. I would have returned them within days of receiving them if I could have done it at JCP. I hope Sephora rethinks these changes because they are going to lose a lot of good customers.

[LaurieBT]

Hi @samanthasmom,

Thank you for sharing feedback with us regarding returns. You are able to return an online order to a Sephora store within 30 days for a refund, or within 60 days for store merchandise credit. Your feedback is always welcome and appreciated, and I will share your feedback with our teams. Thank you!

Warm regards,

Laurie

[Jumperrider]

@LaurieBT 

I have been a long-standing Rouge member and want to share feedback with you about why I am about to leave Sephora.  I continue to see a decline in customer service across the enterprise.  I am not happy with Sephora as a whole and have continued to see fewer reasons to maintain a relationship with Sephora.  Considering the most recent consumer-related changes  I see no reason to maintain my Rouge status as it no longer holds value for me.  There is nothing Sephora can offer me except for house brands I cannot get elsewhere.  I receive outstanding and often superior service and rewards from many of your competitors who offer the same products.  Please understand I am not trying to be disrespectful and hope you are reading this and taking it with the sincerity and honesty with which it is meant.

The beauty community is not happy with what Sephora is doing with the arcane changes, the failure to hear and react to what we as your consumers have been asking for in the form of positive changes in your rewards system as you are not keeping pace with your competition. We have been imploring Sephora to change for the better.  We are befuddled as to why Sephora keeps changing policies and programs that do not incentivize us but drive us further away from Sephora.  

• Instituting a thirty-day return policy in general and additionally for online orders to commence from date of order for online orders is outrageous when there is absolutely no consideration for their processing time, shipping time, and actual receipt of the product and then the amount of time it may take to actually ship back, have them receive it and give credit.
  • The return window is archaic it seems geared toward customers not being able to obtain refunds since it is such a short return period.  Consumers do not want store credit we want to be refunded in the form of payment with which Sephora was paid (60-day window), and we expect to be able to exchange a product via postal mail, especially those consumers who do not have a nearby Sephora.
  • Removal of tier celebration rewards (which was extended to us and then taken away this year) deceptively and discontinued, is a slap in the face as this was an earned reward.
  • Charging for make-overs – I would hire a private MUA for this, not something I would go to Sephora for (huge mistake). This practice went out in the 1980s.
  • No longer providing us with brand samples at cash wrap (asking for points in exchange for them). We should receive brand samples, so we are aware of what is new and exciting (incentivize us), not as a points exchange.

Other companies find ways to be profitable without sacrificing customer satisfaction, Sephora is doing the opposite.  We see through the buy now and get XX later, that tactic does not work, use points for a % off, and the most ridiculous one is the exchange points to enter a contest online (yes we are aware we can mail in for a free entry, which is not really free since we need to pay for the envelope and postage). Many of us and I personally will not exchange points for tiny little product samples that cannot come close in value to the amount of money I had to spend to earn those points. 

If you really want to keep your client base happy, you need to reinstate a longer return policy, reinstate our tier celebration rewards, offer points multipliers on spend, and improve the incentives for us to purchase from you instead of giving us more reasons to shop elsewhere, which is what you are doing by effectively slapping us in the face with the new non-consumer friendly practices you are pushing out.

I am certain Sephora has a loyal consumer base, however, I think Sephora is seriously underestimating how large that base is and how many of those consumers will be loyal with the rollout of the changes this year and late 2019.  If Sephora really wants to keep a finger on the pulse about the dissatisfaction with Sephora and the outrage in the beauty community about the new changes, all your market research folks need to do is watch YouTube and read the comments, read Twitter and be very aware there are many private FB beauty groups with members that are speaking their true feelings about where Sephora stands with them, and frankly, it is not “Beautiful”.  

Time for positive change!  

p.s.  Please follow up with me privately regarding the issue I escalated recently.   

Kindest regards,

[Chanellyng]

Honestly tho, especially during covid and for students like me, who has time to actually walk or get to the mall to do returns all the time. During covid, I know people regardless go shopping but as a student I don’t want to risk getting infected because this affects school! I literally have to go to the physical building just for labs. Like the new return policy is terrible! And all the customer reps are like too bad, no returns. Like seriously they can’t even put it on store credit!? I got fricken allergies from a mask and didn’t have time to do returns! 

[keelybt]

@Chanellyng I'm sorry to hear about your experience and I will share this feedback with our teams for future consideration. 

[LaurieBT]

Hi @Jumperrider,

Thank you for taking time to share feedback with us about the Sephora return policy time frames, tier celebration gifts and the loyalty program. We value your feedback and I truly apologize for the disappointment caused. I will send you a private message shortly to follow up.

Best regards,

Laurie

[samanthasmom]

Sorry, meant to say it didn’t say anything about exchanges OR merchandise credits within 60 days. I wouldn’t mind a store credit or exchange so I am glad to know that those are still options within 60 days.

[Jumperrider]

@samanthasmom  Just my opinion as a consumer who is constantly in a time crunch with my work and personal life, I do mind this serious reduction in the return window and I want a full refund to my payment method not store credit.  This policy is arcane and is not acceptable. If the return is outside of sixty days, I am okay with a store credit, but thirty days is not okay for a return window, it is 2020.  Is Sephora having a cashflow problem?  If you watch the trend in return change for Sephora, they keep shrinking the return window and the more we accept it, soon there will be no window. I have seen brands you can purchase directly from who had a no return policy change direction and now allow 100% no questions asked returns (and these are brands Sephora sells).  L

[samanthasmom]

Thank you Laurie! The return policy on my packing slip did not mention anything about allowing exchanges within 60 days so this is great news because I was hoping to do an in-store exchange at the free standing store provided they have what I need in stock. Thank you again 🙂