Business Profile

Skin Care

Sephora

This business is NOT BBB Accredited.

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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

Customer Complaints Summary

961 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.

Initial Complaint
Date:12/29/2022
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
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 paid $51.36 for order #*********** from Sephora online on December 14, 2022. I received tracking the next day, however **** never received my package. It was supposed to be delivered by 12/20 (a Christmas gift). I contacted Sephora yesterday and the agent told me they would not refund me OR re-ship the package because I was using a forwarding address -- however I had the package coming to my home address, not forwarding.
Business Response
Date: 12/29/2022
Dear ********,
We are sorry to hear that you did not receive your order, ***********.
Based on the tracking details, we see that your order may have been lost in transit with the shipping carrier, which is why the order was never delivered. Additionally, due to our restrictive freight forwarding policy,we have an automated system that works to identify these types of addresses. After further research, it looks like the system misidentified the home address where you shipped your order. This is why the system would not allow our Beauty Advisor to process a refund at the time you contacted. Please accept our sincere apologies for this situation.
To make this right, we have processed a refund for your order, ***********. As a gift card was used to pay for the order, the refund was issued in the form of an online credit. This online credit can only be used on Sephora.com and will automatically apply at checkout as your first form of payment until exhausted; it will not expire.
Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to address your concerns and get this resolved for you.
Sincerely,
Sephora Client Services
Initial Complaint
Date:12/29/2022
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
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 a gift for a cologne sampler for my bday which is 12/29 (tomorrow). I go to the store to redeem *************** SKU#*******, it is completely out of stock. I asked if I can possibly get the larger size and I will pay the difference, (not what I initially wanted to do as I rather just get the size included in my coupon. I was told there is NOTHING that can be done at the store, I asked to speak to a manager and the person that came to me did not identify themselves as a manager but basically said there is nothing they can do either. I then call customer service, the person on the phone asked me for the code about 3 different times trying to place the order, as it was clear she was not being able to do it I asked to speak to a supervisor. His name was MAI, he was more worried about "an audit" or something of that nature than solving the issue. I was even told I went in on a bad time because they just had a sale, sorry that I was born during the holidays. This is not an experience someone should endure while getting a "gift". I have received this gift a few times over the years and it seems no matter what time of the year you go there is always an issue with the cologne I want, either the size is not there or they don't have it all. You should probably not offer this if you cannot commit to having items in stock. Very disappointed that everyone rather come out better on a report or audit than solving the actual issue for the customer who wanted a cologne for their vacation.
Business Response
Date: 01/07/2023
Dear *******,
We are sorry to hear about your experience in trying to redeem your fragrance voucher and that your call to ****** Services did not meet your expectations. Your frustration is understood.
We appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns. Please be assured that your feedback is important to us and will be forwarded to our leadership team for review.
In regard to your request to purchase the *************** fragrance in a larger size, only paying the difference, while we can appreciate this as a solution, fragrance vouchers may only be redeemed for specific product skus; our systems will not allow for substitutions of any kind. Please accept our apologies if this information was not relayed to you in a way that showed an understanding of your frustration with the limited stock of the product.
We also apologize that the ****** Services team member who you spoke with by phone seemed unhelpful and did not appropriately address your request. This is not the experience we want for our clients, and we will be reviewing the contact for training purposes.
The *************** Ombr Leather *** de ****** is a great choice,and also a popular one. It looks like it has been in and out of stock frequently on Sephora.com throughout the holiday season. As your voucher can be used both online and in store, we can recommend a couple of ways for you to best find availability.
When visiting the product page on Sephora.com for item # *******,if the product is listed as out stock, you can sign up for a stock alert. This will ensure you are emailed when the item returns to stock so an order may be placed; we offer complimentary shipping on all orders.
If you prefer to redeem your voucher in store, the product page will also give you an option to check the stock at your local store by zip code. It looks like several stores in your area currently have the item in stock.
Thank you for the opportunity to address you concerns. We appreciate your patience and understanding.
Sincerely,
Sephora ****** Services
Customer Answer
Date: 01/11/2023
Better Business Bureau:
Was able to place order, item back in stock
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Sincerely,

***************************
Initial Complaint
Date:12/28/2022
Type:Product Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
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 purchased a $25 Sephora gift card from the ********* in **** ********** as a Christmas present for my niece I purchased in total five gift cards the Sephora gift card that I purchased was never activated so after the holidays I took the card back along with the receipt as I was told to do by **** the sales person when I purchased the card as he told me if I have any issues with the cards I can come back as long as I have the card and the receipt to get it fixed. Today when I returned with the receipt and the card I was told by ****, the same person behind the counter that there were no refunds. I didnt want my money back. I just wanted him to reactivate my card. I showed him my receipt to show that all the other parts have been activated except for this one to either issue me a new card and activate it or activate. The card I currently had I was treated very rudely. I was treated very disrespectfully I was told not to lose my temper that there was nothing that they could do, here at that point, called the manager, ****** or ****, who then told him to send me to Sephora to get them to activate my card since this was a third-party purchase from ***** Sephora sent me back to ***** to have them activate my card at this point ****, the person behind the counter, tried calling **** or ****** again, and at this point, he never answered his phone he never picked up the phone. He never came out to talk to us. He treated us like we were invisible. I feel like as a consumer I was taken advantage of since I purchased the car for $25 and never got the product. I asked to speak to a security officer at this point I was extremely frustrated and asked for them to call the police so I can file a complaint , I was told to do whatever I needed to do that. There was nothing that they could do to fix my issue and then if I wanted to return the next day to try and talk to ****** could do that they never resolved my problem, they acted extremely unprofessional with me , they had another lady behind the counter who did travel services who started getting in my business regarding the gift card issue I dont think that as a consumer I should have been treated so unfairly I never got my $25 gift card activated. They never tried to help me and I want this resolved and I want to be taken care of as a pain consumer please help me.
Business Response
Date: 01/06/2023
Dear ******,
To best assist you with your concerns, weve sent you an email to the address used in submitting your review.
We look forward to speaking with you directly.
Sincerely,
Sephora Client Services
Initial Complaint
Date:12/26/2022
Type:Customer Service Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
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 have received papers in the mail stating that my credit card account was closed i was on hard terms when account went unpaid so as a valued customer Im asking for late payments be removed and I will pay the unpaid balance of 130 dollars
Business Response
Date: 12/28/2022
Dear ********,
We are sorry to hear you are having issues with your credit card account.
Please know, Sephora does not have visibility on any clients Sephora Credit Card account. ************* manages these cards and oversees any issues that *** arise. It is my best recommendation that you reach out to ************* directly and explain the situation you are having. They can be reached by contacting, ************.
I hope this helps to clarify.
Sincerely,
Sephora Client Services
Initial Complaint
Date:12/24/2022
Type:Delivery Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
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.
Order a $25 Holiday gift card, gift receipt, and gift packaging. Received something different. Looks like a gift I received years ago and decided to re-gift it. Called twice, were given excuse after excuse for their wrongdoing, and unwanted 250 points. Should've canceled and notified me about the order as if they would've canceled an unavailable item. It looks tacky and old, with red dye on the back. Not presentable at all especially to the person who its for. Order number ***********
Business Response
Date: 12/28/2022
Dear ***,
To best assist you with your concerns, weve sent you an email to the address used in submitting your review.
We look forward to speaking with you directly.
Sincerely,
Sephora Client Services
Initial Complaint
Date:12/23/2022
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
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.
As a Sephora, beauty, customer I was put out the store by manager due to a few lies. One was that I told one of the employees that she was going to h*** and I promised that I did not say that to her personally, I gave her Bible scriptures, one telling her that ***** loves her **** 3:16 and want her to be with him for eternity, but she will have to accept ***** as Lord and Savior, to pay for her sins because she was not saved yet. I lovingly and kindly told her GOD DESIRES MERCY OVER JUDGEMENT AND about the soon coming wrath of God, not in my own words but Bible scriptures, so the store manager had no right to put me out. Me, and one of the other employees Who had battled cancer stood together, With the full armor of God, on taking a shield of faith, using the sword of the SPIRIT agreeing with the word of God against the spirit of cancer infirmity death. Because ***** taste of death for all and death or swallow up and has no rule over us ****** 53 amen ISAIAH ***** amen and ***** said, if we believe we will see his glory. One of the employees laughed as I was put out the store. I called Sephora the supervisor promised to compensate me but never did. I kept contacting them they gave me some points to use towards my purchase. While working doordash I called to see if it was okay to pick up my orders and the Sephora customer service rep said I can pick up my orders from that store. So I notified the store they gave me the orders. I went to get another order and another store manager told me not to come back to their store again not to pick up orders either embossing me embarrassing me again breaking my heart. Causing me to lose business and good wages BECAUSE OF LIES. I did not tell a employee they was going to h*** And she had a police officer come to location when I am not a violent person so it hurted. The *********************** and the STORE MANAGER should not make decisions based on lies false accusations.
Business Response
Date: 12/30/2022
Dear Salon,

Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns with us.

We would like the opportunity to further investigate your comments and need additional time to best assist. We request that you please reject this response, which will allow for the BBB case to remain open while we review your feedback in partnership with the store and the appropriate retail leaders.

We look forward to further helping you and thank you for your patience.

Sincerely,

Sephora Client Services
Customer Answer
Date: 12/31/2022

Complaint: 18632583

I am rejecting this response because:
Because the Sephora Representatives ask for more time to investigate.
Sincerely,

Salon ******
Business Response
Date: 01/09/2023
Dear Salon,
To best assist you with your concerns, weve sent you an email to the address used in submitting your review.
We look forward to speaking with you directly.
Sincerely,
Sephora Client Services
Initial Complaint
Date:12/23/2022
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
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 have been trying to use the rewards points I have spent thousands of dollars to earn and for the past month straight I have been getting unsuccessful authorizations non-stop. Its getting ridiculous at this point.
Business Response
Date: 12/28/2022
Dear *******,
We are sorry for the difficulty youve experienced in attempting to order from Sephora.com.
Due to recent activity on your Sephora account, our **************** team is requiring that you contact ****** Services by phone to verify some information. We understand that it has been frustrating to have your recent orders cancelled, but please know, the requested account verification is for your protection.
Please contact Sephora ****** Services via phone at 877-SEPHORA *************), at your earliest convenience for further assistance.
Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to address your concerns, and we hope this information clarifies.
Sincerely,
Sephora ****** Services
Customer Answer
Date: 12/28/2022

Complaint: 18632421

I am rejecting this response because:
I have done this verification process multiple times and I have not received any fix for my account. This is extremely disheartening because of the fact that I spent thousands of dollars on this account.

Sincerely,

*********************************
Business Response
Date: 01/09/2023
Dear *******,
Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to review your additional concerns.
Our goal in having you call in to verify your personal information is for your protection and to ensure that the activity taking place on your account is in fact approved by you directly. We apologize that this has been a frustrating experience for you.
Your account was noted as needing additional verification on 12/24/22 and it does not appear that we have heard from you in the time since that date. It is not required that you call in urgently, but please know, any orders placed before doing so may not go through successfully.
We ask that you contact Sephora ****** Services via phone at 877-SEPHORA *************), at your earliest convenience for assistance with your account verification.
We hope this helps to better clarify.
Sincerely,
Sephora ****** Services
Initial Complaint
Date:12/22/2022
Type:Delivery Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
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 18th I've placed an order through Sephora for a few Christmas gifts. This is order #***********. I received a notification saying my order was delivered on December 20th. Today Dec. 22nd I received a box with the entire order missing. Only the samples and some wrapping paper. I'm highly frustrated because I spent $460 on these items and there is not much time left before x-mas to spend that amount of money again that I've already lost. I've had an issue with another package being lost over a year ago so I've been physically shopping in store since then because it's not as risky. I've decided to order online again because a few of the products were out of stock at the local Sephora. Only for me to not receive my packages any way. Sephora will not reship or refund or help in anyway and I'm trying to resolve the issue the easy way before I have to file a dispute with my bank.
Business Response
Date: 12/28/2022
Dear ******,
We are sorry to learn you did not receive the items in your order (#***********).
Your package, associated to *** tracking 1Z5R689Y0345347775,was delivered on Monday, December 20 at 10:16 A.M., to a locker for your building. Because this order was confirmed as delivered by the carrier,as well as that we have assisted in another instance with a lost or missing package,we are unable to offer a reshipment or refund in this case. For further help with retrieving your package, we recommend seeking assistance from the carrier.
Please know that we welcome you to continue shopping with us online, but if you place orders to this or other addresses this will be at your own risk until we have determined that you are reporting an acceptable pattern of order issues. We also encourage shopping in store to avoid any additional order issues. The Sephora in Columbia may be closest to you.

Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to address your concerns, and we hope this information better clarifies.

Sincerely,

Sephora Client Services
Customer Answer
Date: 12/28/2022

Complaint: 18629349

I am rejecting this response because: I've been assisted with only 1 order over 1 year ago. That shouldn't be considered an unusual pattern. None the less this Xmas has been ruined because of packing issues on your end. Never shopping here again. Thanks for all you do.

Sincerely,

Business Response
Date: 01/09/2023
Dear ******,
Thank you for the additional opportunity to clarify.
We understand that your order (#***********) was not received. We are unable to assist with a reshipment or refund due to *** confirming delivery of your package and due to the accommodation made previously for a claim of a missing order.
To address your concern regarding what we would consider an unusual pattern of order issues, our system identified that 2 of the 3 total orders on your account have been reported as missing. With both missing orders being of higher dollar value and being that we already accommodated you for one of these orders, our system would not allow us to assist further in this case.
We see that you are now working with your bank and a dispute has been filed for order #***********. Your bank should be your main point of contact going forward until the dispute has been resolved.
We apologize for any disappointment this situation may have caused and hope this explanation has helped to clarify.
Sincerely,
Sephora Client Services
Initial Complaint
Date:12/22/2022
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
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 Dec 21, I was approved for a Sephora Credit Card for a 25% promotion to be used on the first order with the CC. It put the 25% off in my account along with a temporary card to make my purchase. The website advertised that the promotion could be used today. There was nothing indicating on the website that I would have to wait for the physical card to be issued. If that were the case, there would be no need to issue a temporary card if it was unusable. I went to place the $600 order, applied the 25% off coupon, and selected the temporary card as my form of payment. I was presented with the following error, "For security reasons, we cannot accept your temporary credit card with Sephora for this purchase. Please change your payment method. Your new credit card with Sephora is on the way and you can use it soon."The caveat being that when I switch my form of payment, I also lose out on the 25% off. I want to reiterate that the necessity of a physical card was not disclosed on the website along with the promotion. Otherwise, I would have NEVER applied. I reached out to a chat associate through the app that night and they were unable to help me. They said they've been "having issues" with the discount and it would be rectified in a couple of hours. I tried off and on to complete the purchase over the next day. I was told to call the bank, which I did. They informed me it was Sephora's issue and there was nothing wrong with the card. I chatted in again, today, Dec 22, and the chat person again referred me to the bank. Called the bank again and they said the discount cant be used without the physical card. Neither of the previous chat associates were aware of that. Even the first bank rep did not know that. I was conned out of a credit card that negatively impacted my credit. I have canceled it. At this point, I just want my credit repaired and for the language on the website to promote accurate advertisement. I have filed this complaint with the bank also.
Business Response
Date: 12/29/2022
Dear *****,
To best assist you with your concerns, weve sent you an email to the address used in submitting your review.
We look forward to speaking with you directly.
Sincerely,
Sephora Client Services
Initial Complaint
Date:12/21/2022
Type:Delivery Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
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.
Disappointed I am so disappointed I ordered some Christmas gifts online because I did not have time to go in store , my package gets delivered by their new service called Deliverit they took a picture of the package left at a front door that isnt mine !!! My door is dark green the picture they provided is brown and has a chair next to it . I called customer service and they were not helpful at all ! They had one job to deliver the package at the CORRCT HOME !! And they deliver it somewhere else ! Mind you my whole apartment complex has green doors !! This is the last time I will order from here and I will make sure to notify every family members and friend of mine of how poorly I was treated and not helped when clearly the package was delivered to the wrong place something that is not my fault ! This was their mistake with no resolution on their end. I have literally cried over this the past two days.
Business Response
Date: 12/29/2022
Dear *******,
To best assist you with your concerns, weve sent you an email to the address used in submitting your review.
We look forward to speaking with you directly.
Sincerely,
Sephora Client Services

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