How does Sephora handle returns? (What to know!)
Sephora’s return policy is fairly lenient when it comes to returning lightly used items. You can return even opened and used cosmetics and other products. As long as you return the item with the original receipt within 30 days, you will be eligible for a full refund.
However, some may wonder what Sephora actually does with items that are returned to the store. Obviously, used cosmetics cannot be resold. This doubles for items returned without their original packaging. So, how does Sephora actually handle returns?
How does Sephora handle returns?
Unopened or used items returned at Sephora will be put back on the shelf for resale. However, any product that has been opened or used, even mild, must be discarded.
Read on for details on how Sephora handles returned items, as well as some general information on Sephora’s return policy.
Will Sephora spoil the return?
So what happens to a product if it can’t be resold? There are multiple answers to this, ultimately depending on the individual policies of the local store. Some Sephora locations may destroy items they return, while others may allow employees to take away used products for free.
Sephora does destroy returns according to individual store policies. Some stores may throw used items into the bin, while others may give employees the opportunity to claim used items for themselves.
Depending on your local Sephora’s specific policy, they may also throw away unused product. The reason is that it is sometimes impossible to know if someone has turned on the product, even if they say they haven’t. If an item is used, but there are no visible instructions, it can lead to problems with resale of the item.
Can you buy a Sephora return?
If the store is just going to throw away products, some customers might be interested in buying them at a discount. Someone can use them too, right? Unfortunately, for a wide range of legal and business-related reasons, customers are generally not allowed to buy used merchandise.
You can’t usually buy Sephora returns. Unused and unopened items can be put back on the shelf for resale at full price. Unfortunately, used items cannot be resold to customers.
In addition to the obvious health and safety concerns of resale of used items, there are legal issues with resale of products at discounted prices. Manufacturers often contract with retail stores to ensure their products are sold in a safe and profitable manner. Resale of used products can create legal issues between the manufacturer, the customer and the store.
Some sources say the returned items may be used as testers in-store. A tester is an opened product on the shelf for customers to try out before purchasing the product. While this may be true in some stores, it’s not true at every Sephora location. Since returned products are tracked by the SKU system, they generally cannot be used as testers.
Can Sephora ban you from returning it?
Sephora’s main focus with its return policy is to minimize fraud. Some people will buy a product and return it as part of a scam to get a refund for what they didn’t pay for, or swap out a lower value product while packing the return into a more expensive item.
Sephora can prohibit you from returning it. Like many retail stores, Sephora uses a service called The Retail Equation to track inventory, returns and fraud. Inappropriate activity, such as frequent returns, may blacklist you. This will limit the products you can return for a refund.
Sephora and other retailers use the retail equation to limit fraudulent returns and other types of fraud. Fraud can cost retail companies significant amounts of money, which can limit their ability to expand or appropriately compensate employees.
If you frequently return items to Sephora, or if your return activity is inappropriate (such as returning a product in a different package), you may be blacklisted for Sephora returns. Fortunately, though, you can contact TRE Customer Service for more information on your returns activity, as well as specific criteria for returns blacklisting.
Sephora Exchange Policy After 60 Days
Sephora’s return policy is fairly lenient. As long as you return your item with the original packaging and receipt within 30 days, you should be eligible for a full refund. This includes online orders returned by mail. But what happens if more than 30 days have passed since your original purchase?
Sephora’s exchange policy after 60 days is that you are still eligible for Store Points. You can return items with original packaging and receipts within 31-60 days for store credit, as a gift card, or to deposit into your online account balance.
Remember, all refunds are at the discretion of the store manager. This means that even if you meet all the conditions, there may be cases where you won’t get a refund. You can visit Sephora’s Returns and Exchanges page for more details.
Want to learn more about Sephora? Check out our related posts to find out if Sephora restricts returns, does Sephora do wedding makeup, and does Sephora restock during sales?
final thoughts
Like most retail chains, Sephora’s return policy attempts to strike a balance between customer satisfaction and fraud protection. If a customer ends up buying something they don’t want or need, it’s important that they be able to return it. At the same time, however, it is also important for a company like Sephora to have policies in place to minimize fraud and product waste.
Different Sephora stores will have different specific policies on how returned items are handled. Many stores will put the product back on the shelf if it is unopened and undamaged. Some stores will use used returns as testers. However, some stores will discard all returned items. At times, employees will have the opportunity to claim lightly used merchandise that cannot be resold.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to ask them in the comments section.
