Flash shipping: is it a scam?

[monique420]

Like most of us who have subscribed to this service, I thought $15 a year for two day shipping was a steal. Particularly because I live near a Sephora inside a JCPenny so the inventory is limited. However, my orders take more than two days. I'm aware of holidays and the need to order before a certain time, but it shouldn't take an additional 3-4 days. 

I wonder how much money Sephora makes from this subscription? I know I will not renew my subscription for another year or subscribe to any other service. 

[Kim888]

@monique420 I don't think it's a scam, I think it's a lack of clarity on their part of what two day shipping actually means. We all think of the two day shipping from amazon and assume it's the same, but sephora's terms for flash shipping say "from date of shipment" not from date of purchase. The example they give is one that ships the same day of the order, which I think can be a misleading example because there's sometimes processing time, which they allow for by basically saying we ship the same day but might not for "product availability or other factors" which gives them a lot of leeway. 

Overall, I've personally been pretty lucky, I usually do have my orders shipped the same day, except on weekends, but I know that's not the case for everyone. 

[KristaR86]

I'm a rouge member with a yearly flash shipping subscription.. I received an email saying my order shipped 11/9. It isn't getting here until 11/17. Here is their response:

Hi Krista,

Because of high demand during our Holiday Savings Event, as well as expanded safety measures, our distribution centers and carriers are experiencing delays. I understand this may be disappointing and I'm truly sorry some of your orders haven't arrived on time! For information regarding the delays, please visit https://community.sephora.com/t5/Customer-Support/US-amp-Canada-Holiday-Savings-Event-Delayed-Shippi... I've also shared your feedback with the appropriate departments.

Sum: There are delays. Deal with it. We aren't helping you. 

PS They've deleted my response twice. Apparently they don't want other people to know that they aren't actually doing anything to make up for failing to hold up their end of the flash shipping agreement. I'll just keep posting when they delete.

[monique420]

Thanks for the clarification! I hope my current order is just an anomaly. It's been 3 days since it shipped. But I'll keep that in mind for any future purchases.