first time being hassled.. sephora return!

[jjjenko]

My grandmother bought my mom a bottle of the Peter Thomas Roth un-wrinkle cream from sephora for her birthday a few months ago. My mom never used it so she gave it to me, and I didn't want it... so I thought hey! I want the amika hair curling rods, I can exchange it for that at sephora.

I found out that the curling rods are only sold online, so I think.. okay let me take the cream there and get a gift card so that I can use it to buy the item I want online.

I bring it to the store and they give me a really hard time about returning the item since the cream is $120. They kept questioning me about it, and made me feel uncomfortable. Like where did you get this? Do you still have the security tag that was on this? (since when do they ask this?) etc.

In the end, they only offered to do an exchange for me since it was expensive... which is fine... if they actually had what I wanted in the store. By this time, I was so irriated that I just left and didn't ask how I can obtain the item I actually wanted. Like if they could order it for me in the store or what not.

I asked my gma if she still has the receipt and she said no =/. Does anyone have any advice? I'm thinking that I can just exchange it for something cheap.. like a nail polish and have the rest put on a gift card? Then I can use the rest for what I want.

Or just exchange it for something get the rest on a gift card... then take that item back to return... so I can have all of it back on a gift card?

Do you think it would work? I really want that hair curler and don't want to be stuck with this $120 wrinkle cream!


TIA

 

[C2keri]

Sorry that happened to you! You don't think that they thought that you'd stolen it, do you? That's what it sounds like, but this is Sephora, not WalMart. On the other hand, that's what it looks like. I'd call customer service and get a bit upset that you were treated that way. Then, mention that you went online to a makeup afficionado web site and asked for advice. Next, tell them what we recommended - complaining to customer service that you feel that the 3rd degree that they gave you was offensive and "...do you think that this is what I'm like? I'll show you my credit card with all of those charges for Sephora and even my grandma shops here, but not anymore, because Sephora has started treating asians like criminals!" That's right - they treated you like a criminal, treat them like bigots. They may not be, but your grandma isn't a thief, either. Here is what they'll think, "Uh oh, angry customer who was hassled by rude staff, goes to the Internet to complain and ends up getting sent here with a potential racial harassment complaint." You end your story with, "All I want is to trade this cream for the rollers and have anything left over put onto a card!" It's an easy out. I worked for customer service, you'll win. If the first person won't do anything, ask to speak with their manager. This works eventually, because, the higher you go, the more pressure there is to make you happy before you come back here to tell us what happened. The cream and the curlers versus a few of us getting angry and realizing that our money works at Ulta. It's not what they want. Sorry for the book, but I used to get complaints like this all of the time. They could have been curteous and worked with you to solve a problem, now they are the problem. SMH!

 

[jjjenko]

Thank you, I will try your method!

 

[Nicala]

I'd like to mention that they issue store credit (like a giftcard) but you can't use it online :/

 

[UrbanSweetheart]

Sorry for the book, but I used to get complaints like this all of the time. They could have been curteous and worked with you to solve a problem, now they are the problem. SMH!

I agree..this method sounds the best. They shouldn't have hassled you like that...smh

 

[jjjenko]

I called them today... some guy was like "oh the only thing we can do for you is let you return it, but you only get a in store gift card"

!@#!#$!@$#!@#$

sephora is really irritating me. should i call them back and ask for their manager? something like this has never really happened to me before so i'm not good with trying to get them to give me what i want

at this point i'm just going to get the gift card, and maybe sell it online and use that money to buy the hair curling rods

 

[Honey&LemonGirl]

As Nicala said, Sephora policy has always been that if you get a gift card in a return (i.e., you didn't have a receipt), then the gift card is only for in-store. It has never been for online purchases.

 

[Ikram]

[No message]

 

[Curly1908]

I don't see what the big deal is? It does "look" like you stole the item even if you didn't. How do they know you even purchased it from a Sephora if there is no receipt. I think the fair thing to do from the business aspect is to issue you a gift card that can be used in-store. If they didn't have that policy, they'd be inundated with people stealing things and returning them for cash. If you want the hair rollers so bad, pay for them with your OWN money.

You are wrong for complaining to Customer Service.

 

[mtrimier]

Why don't you just sell the cream itself and put the money towards these curler things you want?

I hate being hassled over a return, but I never have tried to return something that I didn't buy myself or wasn't given to me directly and had a gift receipt, so I can see Sephora's point of view on the store credit. That's more than generous in my opinion for someone bringing back a product with no proof of purchase in the first place. Especially if the item wasn't "theirs" to begin with.

Dunno. Hope you get whatever it is you want out of the situation.

 

[Mabelle]

Sorry, but just exchange it for something in store.

There is so much theft at Sephora, so many people that buy and return buy and return (and totally abuse the return policy), so many people that try and do fraudulent returns, that this is what happens. All the dishonest people (and it would shock you how many there are) affect the rest of us.

Its a sad fact of life, but since I've started working there I've become suspicious of every single return. Surely you can find 120$ worth of product you want in the store. It adds up quick. Order your rods when the friends and family starts online.

 

[jjjenko]

The cream does not have that much value when trying to sell it online. I ended up getting curling rods elsewhere that were just as nice and cheaper. So now I can use the gift card for other makeup in the store.

In the past I was given just plain gift cards and I was able to use them online, which was why I was upset that they couldn't give one to me.. the one time I actually wanted something from "online only". I didn't get what the big deal was because I'm still exchanging it for something in store vs. online. It's not like I was trying to get cash back or anything.

 

[Nicala]

I think the problem is that you keep calling it a giftcard. Its not a giftcard, it's store credit. Two different things. Giftcards can be used online. Store credit can't.