I’m a Rouge member, and I’ve had two terrible experiences with Sephora that have completely turned me off from supporting the company ever again.First issue: I ordered two Charlotte Tilbury products in different shades and returned one online. I accidentally sent back the wrong shade (still brand new), and customer service refused to refund me. Fair enough—but when I asked for the product back, they told me it had to be discarded. So I lost the item and my money. After several frustrating emails and calls, they finally issued store credit. Not something I’d expect from a major beauty retailer.Second issue: I placed a large order on April 5, 2025, received it on April 7, and tried to return only a few items in-store on May 6. I was a few days past the 30-day refund window based on the order date, not the delivery date—which makes no sense, since the return window should logically start when the product is actually in the customer’s hands. Regardless, I said I’d take store credit, which had always been allowed up to 60 days. The associate refused, saying the return policy changed on April 24.I explained that my purchase was made before that change and that it was unreasonable to apply a new policy retroactively. She still refused—and these were products worth a few hundred dollars that I hadn’t even opened, just found cheaper dupes for. I stepped out of the store, called customer service while sitting on a bench outside, and then went back in with the rep on the phone. Only after the rep spoke directly to the manager was the return finally accepted — as she had to explain that any order placed before the policy change should still be honored. The associate eventually agreed, but acted like she was doing me a favor rather than simply following policy.My issue is never with the workers—I know retail is a tough job, and I truly respect those on the floor doing their best. What frustrates me is the corporate side. I never escalate things like this or contact customer service, but at this point, it’s not even about the money—it’s about the principle. It genuinely feels like customers are being taken advantage of - especially when we're the ones that keep them in business.Sephora’s return process is inconsistent, frustrating, and feels like it’s designed to wear customers down. The founder of LVMH is worth $379.98 billion, yet the company refuses to honor a simple, clearly justified return? If that’s not greed, I don’t know what is. I’ll be taking my business to Shoppers Drug Mart, thank you very much!
