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Business Profile

Skin Care

Sephora

This business is NOT BBB Accredited.

Find BBB Accredited Businesses in Skin Care.

Important information

  • Customer Complaint:
    BBB’s business profile for Sephora was created in February 2000. A review of complaints was completed in November 2024. Consumers with issues related to their order are urged to review the following links.

    Order Status & History & Sephora Customer Service.

Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Sephora's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see

Find a Location

Sephora has 108 locations, listed below.

*This company may be headquartered in or have additional locations in another country. Please click on the country abbreviation in the search box below to change to a different country location.

    Please enter a valid location.

    • Sephora

      350 Mission St Fl 7 San Francisco, CA 94105-2275

    • Sephora

      14006 Riverside Drive #75 Sherman Oaks, CA 91423-6306

    • Sephora

      1645 Briargate Pkwy #207 Colorado Springs, CO 80920-7687

    • Sephora

      2855 Stevens Creek Blvd #1061 Santa Clara, CA 95050

    • Sephora

      825 Dulaney Valley Rd # 2235 Towson, MD 21204-2288

    Customer Complaints Summary

    • 960 total complaints in the last 3 years.
    • 355 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

    If you've experienced an issue

    Submit a Complaint

    The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

    Sort by

    Complaint status

    Complaint type

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:01/07/2025

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I sent back a *************** (shade 1.5W) after having bought two shades on two different orders. The foundation oxidizes so bad and no matter what you do, you turn out orange by the end of the day. One of the foundation shades was returned in store directly and the other ordered shade arrived with a chipped glass container so I exchanged in store. When the Canada post strike ended, I decided to send the remaining shade back through the mail and not deal with more store return grief. I had forgotten about the store exchange because a few weeks had passed. I couldnt even tell what online order the remaining shade had originally come from because all my email confirmations have item numbers and not shade names. Upon using the return portal with the order number I entered, the portal didnt have the item blacked out usually meaning you cannot select the item because it had already been returned so I thought I had found the right order. Sephora receives the return Dec 23 and acknowledges it with an email and confirms the refund will happen within 10 business days. I was only returned money for the ************* and then weeks pass without any refund for the ****. Once I talk to customer service and realize my error and what happened, Im promised a resolution by CS after the full 10 days has passed. Now, Advisors and the supervisors I speak to (Jan 6 and 7) are refusing any resolution. No refund, store credit or sending me back the original product saying in their system it has already been refunded even though the store transaction was a $0 subtotal and $0 payout because it was a straight exchange. There is a refusal to do anything other than keep repeating "There's nothing they can do". There is a payment being retained for a product that was sent back and acknowledged as returned and Sephora is completely ok with this criminal practice.

      Business Response

      Date: 01/10/2025

      Dear ******,

      We apologize for your recent experience with your return. 

      Given the amount of personal information that may be discussed in resolving your issue, a separate email has been sent to the address listed when submitting your complaint.

      We look forward to assisting you more directly and resolving your concerns.

      Sincerely,
      Sephora Client Services

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:01/07/2025

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      Return that was not processed

      Business Response

      Date: 01/09/2025

      Dear Amy,

      We apologize for the delay in processing your return.

      Given the amount of personal information that may be discussed in resolving
      your issue, a separate email has been sent to the address listed when
      submitting your complaint.

      We look forward to assisting you more directly and resolving your concerns.
      Sincerely,

      Sephora Client Services

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:01/07/2025

      Type:Delivery Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I placed an order on **December 1, 2024**, on **www.sephora.com**, with the order number **#**************, totaling **$691**. The tracking number **************** indicates that the package was delivered to my doorstep on **December 6, 2024**. However, when I arrived home, the package was not there.I immediately contacted Sephora's customer service to report the missing package. Despite multiple communications, customer service has refused to issue a refund.Under U.S. law, it is the seller's responsibility to ensure that the goods are delivered to the customer. If a package is lost, the loss should not be passed onto the customer. Despite my efforts to resolve this matter, Sephora's customer service has been adamant about refusing a refund. Therefore, I have no choice but to file this complaint.

      Business Response

      Date: 01/10/2025

      Dear Siyun,

      We apologize for your recent experience with your order.

      Given the amount of personal information that may be discussed in resolving your issue, a separate email has been sent to the address listed when submitting your complaint.

      We look forward to assisting you more directly and resolving your concerns.

      Sincerely,
      Sephora Client Services

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:01/07/2025

      Type:Delivery Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      Complaint Regarding Stolen Order – Request for Refund

      Dear BBB,

      I am filing this complaint regarding a Sephora order (Order ID: [Insert Order ID]) valued at $278.80 that was never delivered due to negligence in the delivery process.

      Incident Details:

      Order Date: December 21, 2024
      Delivery Service Used: **** (arranged by Sephora)
      Delivery Address: **** **** *** ******* *** *********** ** *********** ** ***** ******** (Freight forwarding company address)

      I am currently overseas, and I placed an order with Sephora to be delivered to a freight forwarding company to handle shipping to my location. Sephora arranged the delivery through ****, which was unexpected by the freight company. Due to my busy schedule, I informed the freight company about the order via their website but did not follow up closely.

      The package was never delivered. Upon investigation, I found evidence (I can provide a video proof) that the **** driver never attempted deliver. You can see the driver just took a photo of my order in their vehicle. As a result, the freight company never received the package.

      I contacted **** to report the incident, but since Sephora arranged the delivery, I believe Sephora holds responsibility for ensuring the security of their deliveries. I request the following:

      A full refund for the undelivered order.
      An investigation into Sephora’s delivery practices to prevent similar incidents.
      I have supporting documentation, including receipts, video proof, and correspondence with the freight company, which I am willing to provide upon request.

      I appreciate your attention to this matter and look forward to a prompt resolution.

      Sincerely,
      Gerelsuren G*******
      ***************
      *******************

      Business Response

      Date: 01/09/2025

      Dear Gerelsuren,

      We are sorry to learn you did not receive order ************. ****
      reflects delivery of the package on 12/21/24 at 9:55am.

      Per the terms and conditions on Sephora****, we are unable to offer
      replacements or refunds for orders or items that are reported missing or
      damaged where we reasonably believe to have been delivered to a parcel
      forwarding company. Any order addressed to a parcel forwarding company is
      placed at your own risk. Sephora is not responsible for lost or stolen
      packages. More information can be found by visiting the link below.

      *********************************************************************

      We hope this information helps to clarify.

      Sincerely,

      Sephora Client Services

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:01/06/2025

      Type:Billing Issues
      Status:
      Resolved
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I received an email saying I had a hard inquiry on my credit report. Then I received an email saying thank you being a credit customer. I have no clue what it is. I never applied for credit card from them. When I was searching info, I seen where the only way anyone got it removed, was to involve the BBB. Forums said that if you try to contact them, they put you on hold and never come back on to you.

      Business Response

      Date: 01/07/2025

      Dear Vaughn, 

      We’re very sorry to learn of your frustrating experience.

      As ******** ******* **** issues and handles all Sephora credit card related inquiries, we regret that we are unable to access any details related to credit card accounts.

      We invite you to contact either of the following numbers to resolve your issue.

      • Sephora **** card: ************
      • Sephora private label card (no **** logo): ************

      We hope this helps to clarify.

      Sincerely,

      Sephora Client Services

      Customer Answer

      Date: 01/08/2025

      Better Business Bureau:



      I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.



      Sincerely,



      Vaughn P*******

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:01/05/2025

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      Placed order #************ on 11/12/24 Received on 11/21/24 Initiated return on 11/25/24 Item sent 11/27/24 Sephora received order on 12/19/24 and said my refund would be processed within 10 days but it is now 1/5/25 (17 days later) and still no refund.

      Business Response

      Date: 01/06/2025

      Dear ******,

      Thank you for sharing your concerns. In review of your account, we see you have since been assisted. We invite you to contact us via phone at 877-SEPHORA *************) or chat on Sephora.com if we can help with anything else.

      Sincerely,

      Sephora Client Services

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:01/03/2025

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      On December 3, 2024, I was contacted on a text message by someone pretending to be the owner of the company I work for. I was asked to go to the nearby Sephora store and purchase 6 gift cards each in the amount of $250.00 for a total of $1500.00. As soon as I bought the cards I was again contacted by the person and asked to send pictures of the cards. At that point I thought maybe it was a scam and called the owner of my company and he told me it was a scam. I immediately returned to the store to see if they would cancel the sale because it was a scam and if they would cancel the sales no one would be harmed financially. They would not. I called a customer service number and they would not cancel the sale either but they blocked the cards and told me to file a dispute with the credit card company that I used to pay for the gift cards. I was notified on December 30 that the dispute was denied. The cards are all blocked and not usable.

      Business Response

      Date: 01/08/2025

      Dear Walter,

      We apologize for
      your recent experience. 

      Given the amount of
      personal information that may be discussed in resolving your issue, a separate email has been sent
      to the address listed when submitting your complaint.

      We look forward to
      assisting you more directly.

      Sincerely,
      Sephora Client
      Services

      Customer Answer

      Date: 01/13/2025

      I have forwarded the information requested to the merchant.  I won't know if I am satisfied with their response until I get their response after they review the information I sent to them. If they make a refund I will be satisfied.  Thank you for your assistance.

       

      Sincerely,

       

      Walter B******

      **********************

      ************

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:01/01/2025

      Type:Delivery Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I recently made an online purchase from Sephora and the package was supposedly delivered but I did not receive it and I cannot locate it anywhere. I contacted Sephora and they refused to provide a refund or replacement for the order.

      Business Response

      Date: 01/04/2025

      Dear Julia,

      We are sorry to learn you did not receive your order ************.

      We now see that you
      have filed a dispute with ****** for this order. ****** will need time to
      investigate the charge and will make the final decision on the outcome of the
      dispute. Please be aware that your Sephora account, and any associated
      accounts, have been suspended. The accounts will remain in this state until the
      dispute has been resolved; no orders will be processed during this time. We
      recommend reaching out to ****** directly with any additional questions or
      concerns.

      Sincerely,
      Sephora Client
      Services

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/31/2024

      Type:Delivery Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      Made an online order, received confirmation that my order was confirmed, and then 5 days later received email stating they are out of stock and have issued a refund. Why are they selling items they don't have in stock? Do they not have an inventory? I would have preferred to have an option to wait for new stock. As far as I can see Sephora still carries ***** products. I'm thinking once the sale is over "new stock" will appear.

      Business Response

      Date: 01/04/2025

      Dear Claire,

       We are sorry to learn that your items became
      unavailable during processing in your order ************ and we understand this
      is disappointing.

      If products are
      cancelled because they have gone out of stock during processing, a refund is
      automatically processed.

      We welcome you to
      contact our customer support team or visit your local Sephora store for
      assistance with finding comparable products.

      We apologize for any
      inconvenience, and we hope this better clarifies.

      Sincerely,
      Sephora Client
      Services

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/30/2024

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Resolved
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I went to the Sephora in the ********** **** on 12/28 to receive my birthday gift. I was they didn’t have any. I could het 250 points i do not want points for a store where I rarely shop. It is unacceptable that they did not have ANY gifts. It is misleading and a bait and switch scheme.

      Business Response

      Date: 01/02/2025

      Dear Darlene,

      We are sorry to
      learn the birthday gift was not available during your recent store visit.

      Please know that
      Beauty Insiders can redeem one birthday gift per year in Sephora stores, on
      ***********, in Sephora at ****** stores, and on *********, while supplies
      last. A purchase of $25 or more is required for online redemption. Gift
      selection may vary when shopping in store or online. Clients may redeem two weeks before or after their birthday or any time during their birthday month.

      We apologize for the disappointment, and we hope this better clarifies. 

      Sincerely, 

      Sephora Client Services

      Customer Answer

      Date: 01/03/2025



      Complaint: ********



      I am rejecting this response because:

      It is still not a good policy.  I was aware of your conditions, but I find them to be poor and misleading.  Best not to offer a free gift that is virtually unattainable or to require a purchase to get something free. Apparently, free is nor free.

      Sincerely,



      Darlene E******

      Business Response

      Date: 01/04/2025

      Dear Darlene,

      We again apologize for the disappointment, and we appreciate you sharing your feedback with us. Your feedback will be shared with the appropriate teams, so we can continue to improve the client experience. 

      Sincerely,

      Sephora Client Services 

      Customer Answer

      Date: 01/07/2025

      Better Business Bureau:



      I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that it doesn’t really resolve the issue,;there appears there will not be a resolution.



      Sincerely,



      Darlene E****** 

    Sephora is NOT a BBB Accredited Business.

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