return or exchange via online to the store

[MarKat8406]

Ok so I made a purchase about a week ago normally never any issues but, I some how ended up with the wrong item from what I thought was in my online cart. So I take this item back to my local sephora like I normally do and was hoping to just swap for the one I intended to purchase. They were sold out so I found a lipstick I wanted about the same price as my purchased item. I go up to the counter with my packing receipt and the goods and just let the cashier know what I wanted too do. Literally have never had any issues returning/exchanging at sephora store local to me in my life. Well the girl tells me she will put it on a giftcard and then I can just purchase my lipstick .. I was like yea whatever works best it's only going to be a dollar difference anyway. Well we didn't realize till after she loaded the giftcard it shorted me 3.50 on the product I was returning and she didn't know what to do to fix it. So we waited on her manager to get back. When the manager showed up she was going to post void it but, for some reason it wouldn't let her so she called a jcpenney LOD and assistant manager over they could not override or post void it either. So she bought my item back to $0 out the giftcard and then tried to do the return again so I would get my full 19.50 back plus tax 20 minutes went buy and I guess the register was doing some nonsense they couldn't figure out and finally they got it to work. In the midst of the all the mess the sephora manager tells me we can't refund you for online item (even though i hadn't asked for a refund back to my card like I would normally because, I just wanted to exchange for a lipstick). So I was like what do you mean you can't refund me I have always returned stuff here I buy from sephora online cause this a sephora store. She stated we are no longer allowed to refund sephora online items when you bring stuff in here it has to go on a giftcard. I was like but, my receipt is right there why don't ya'll just scan it wouldn't that make this whole process easier. She said no! doesn't matter if you have the receipt or not all online purchases are done as no receipt returns and go on giftcards. i was like what are you talking about when did that policy come into effect? she stated sometime back in the fall of 2021 which is insane news too me or i missed some kind of email or something and I have tried googling this issue for 3 days now and can't find anything regarding that nonsense. They finally after almost half an hour got the return/sale completed and I only had to pay 1.50 difference on my new purchase. The poor cashier was mortified at the whole experience. I have worked retail 8 years and assured her this was completely nuts but, I promise it won't be the craziest stuff she ever deals with. I ain't mad at nobody at my local sephora but, I have returned a blue ton of stuff that didn't work for me due to my severe skin allergies or wrong stuff since last year and this is the first insane issue I have ever ran across. So if someone can please clarify this nonsense or call your head of sephora in johnson city, tn cause if I have that issue again I guess I am going to have to waste my time printing out or buying postage to mail all my online orders back to the warehouse which is a huge waste of time and resources when I can just take unwanted items back to my local store 20 minutes from my home. 

[makeupjunkie65]

@MarKat8406 , I sent you a DM. 

[keelybt]

@MarKat8406 I'm so sorry for the confusion with your return. We did update our return policy last year and items purchased on Sephora.com that are  returned in our stores inside JCPenney will be issued a JCPenney merchandise credit that can be used in JCPenney stores or on jcp.com but is not valid for us on Sephora.com or in Sephora stores. You can find more information here> https://www.sephora.com/beauty/jcpenney

If you are returning items purchased online, you can return them by mail or to any of our freestanding stores for a refund within 30 days. When returning by mail, you do have the option to request a printerless FedEx Mobile Return Code and drop off the package at one of the specified FedEx locations. You can find more information here> https://www.sephora.com/beauty/returns-exchanges#ByMail

[MarKat8406]

ok my next question is why in the world would sephora corporate and jcpenney make a horrendous decision like that?? I would be more okay with them putting it on a sephora giftcard and being able to use it online and in store since it is a sephora item bought on sephora.com. But, to return a sephora item and only be allowed a jcpenney card is really ... frankly ridiculous. I don't even like jcpenney I wouldn't step foot in there if it wasn't for sephora being in there. We don't have a stand alone sephora within 8 hours of where I live. I just don't think I'll be able to handle buying anything on sephora online anymore and my local store is constantly sold out of everything and half their displays have been empty or reduced in size since january last year. Honestly feels like that store will shut down with in the next year. But, I will say this thank you for that information it answered what I needed to know. I am just beyond confused and annoyed with that and the sephora corporate really needs to revamp this terrible and insane policy.