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Business Profile

Cosmetics Sales

Estee Lauder Companies

Headquarters

BBB accredited business seal
BBB Accredited BusinessA+Rated by BBB

Complaints

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

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Estee Lauder Companies has 170 locations, listed below.

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    Customer Complaints Summary

    • 349 total complaints in the last 3 years.
    • 117 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:01/04/2024

      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 November 28, 2023, I made a purchase via the Smashbox Cosmetics website. It's now been well over a month and I still have NOT received my order. Matter of fact we are now in a new year. It's clear Smashbox Cosmetics violated their own policy, stated in my confirmation email: "We won't charge you until your order ships." However, my payment was charged on December 7, 2023. Since receiving an alleged "Your order has shipped email." I've checked multiple times on the status of my package via the tracking number provided by Smashbox with **** The package has yet to be updated at any location. In other words, NO THE PACKAGE has not shipped. This is beyond shameful and such business should not be tolerated. Personally, I feel as if my money has been stolen from me. I'm requesting an immediate refund to my original method of payment. In addition, I'm also requesting my account with Smashbox be deleted. As, I NEVER intend to never make any future purchase from Smashbox via their website or in ANY store. Considering, I've been more than patient with Smashbox, I'd like for the issue at hand to be resolved in a timely manner. It's also important to note the document uploaded **** Tracking Smashbox" was saved as a PDF today January 2, ****. In other words, to confirm my claim. Please refer to ALL relevant documentation attached. Just to confirm: Order Number: **********.

      Business Response

      Date: 01/16/2024

      We have been in touch with this customer to resolve the matter.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:01/02/2024

      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.
      *** accepted my return since at the time I purchased them they still offered the longer return period and promised that I could choose any item in exchange up to the value of the return. I tried contacting them again about it and *** said that offer is expired even though initially they said they would offer lowest selling price store credit because right now I do not know what items to exchange them to so store credit of lowest selling price of items i returned

      Business Response

      Date: 01/05/2024

      We have been in touch with this customer to resolve the matter.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/28/2023

      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 have returnen The Moisturizing Soft Cream Duet to ***** ,and i receive an email said ***** have received my return and will process refund in 2 bussiness. But 1 week past,i still didnt get refund ,so i asked ***** about my problem ,the online expert told me she has check my return and i will receive refund comfirm email in ***** hours,but now another week has past ,still didnt refund please help me refund

      Business Response

      Date: 01/04/2024

      We have been in touch with this customer to resolve the matter.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/22/2023

      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.
      Lordered from theirs website days ago , my order number is **********. Now l have received the parcel of thisorder. Unfortunately, the goods that (Your Nightly Skincare Experts Set andRevitalizing Supreme+ Moisturizer Holiday Skincare Set ) were not in this parcel. lease check the missing shipments and arrangethe replacement for me, or return the payment to me.

      Business Response

      Date: 01/03/2024

      In reviewing, we verified that this order was shipped in full via OnTrac (Tracking #*************** ). It was delivered and is confirmed as having been delivered and signed by ************ on 11/30/2023 at 4:30PM.

      As noted on our website, ***************************************************************************************** are not responsible for damage, defect, or loss that occurs to goods delivered to a forwarding company.

      Estee Lauder is not responsible for providing a replacement or refund for any goods delivered to a forwarding company. Once a package is received by a forwarding company, it is the responsibility of the forwarding company.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 01/08/2024

      Better Business Bureau:

      I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

      [Your Answer Here]

       

       The goods I bought weighed at least 8 pounds, but the goods shipped by the seller weighed only 4 pounds, and the box was very small, not even as big as my palm. The goods I bought were very large in size and weight, so the seller only shipped a part of the goods. The seller has a discriminatory policy towards us, which is illegal. The seller should apologize and compensate.

       

       

      In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.


      Sincerely,

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




       

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/22/2023

      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 placed four orders from Estee Lauder during Black Friday. After placing the orders, I realized that I had bought the wrong product, so I initiated two returns. On December 6, Estee Lauder received the returns and sent me an email to confirm receipt. But until today, I have only received a refund for one of the orders. The other order has not been refunded for a long time, and they continue to deceive consumers and give them the wrong refund time.

      Business Response

      Date: 01/03/2024

      We have been in touch with this customer to resolve the matter.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/21/2023

      Type:Product 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 attempted to place an order through the website on 12/18/23. There was a glitch when I tried to place the order. I kept getting an error that there was a problem with payment. As a result I now have 5 pending authorizations that will not drop from my paypal. I have reached out to both Paypal and MAC support. Neither seemed inclined to help. The information I got from PayPal :*******, on reviewing your account, I can see there are currently 5 pending order with ELC ******* **** for $110.87 and one for $27.72.All of them are pending because the merchant has not confirmed the order or taken payment for the same.The payment which was authorized for $27.72 USD will fall off by 21 Dec 2023, 01:07 PM PST and funds held from your bank would be released back tot the bank within 3-5 business days.However, rest of the orders needs to be cancelled by the merchant as it is pending at their end.I would have cancelled them for you but unfortunately, PayPal does not have the ability to cancel any order and authorization payment. Only the merchant can cancel the order and authorization payment. This is because the merchant has an agreement with us that prevents us from cancelling any of their orders. Hence, I would kindly request you to contact the merchant and request them to login to their PayPal account and cancel the orders. Here's how to contact the merchant:Click Activity at the top of the page.Select the payment in question to see the seller's contact information. If there is any further assistance or clarification required, please do not hesitate to reach back to us. I forwarded this info to MAC and their response:Upon checking , I suggest that you contact your bank so that they will released the pending authorization since you have no order.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 12/21/2023

      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 and the matter has been resolved.

      Sincerely,

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



       

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/20/2023

      Type:Product 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 am writing to express my extreme disappointment and frustration regarding the ongoing issue with my recent order, #**********, placed on 11/23/23.To recap, the Re-Nutriv Ultimate Diamond Eye Creme Collection Skincare Set was missing from the initial delivery. After reaching out to the customer service team, I was assured that a replacement order (#**********) would be promptly processed. Unfortunately, despite receiving confirmation from two different representatives that the item was available and my replacement order was being processed, I received an email on 12/8, stating that the replacement item is now out of stock. Furthermore, I contacted the customer service team once again, and I was informed that a refund of $222.50 ($206.50+tax) would be issued within **** business days. Regrettably, I have not received the promised refund as of yet.I kindly request immediate attention to this matter, including an expedited refund of $222.50, as promised by the customer service representatives.

      Business Response

      Date: 01/03/2024

      We have been in touch with this customer to resolve the matter.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 01/16/2024

      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 and the matter has been resolved.

      Sincerely,

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



       

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/19/2023

      Type:Product 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.
      On Dec 2,2023 I placed an order #********** of Clinique items where i was charged and paid through afterpay $193.91.I returned a few of the items on Dec 10,2023 i returned the items All About Clean Liquid Facial soap $16.80,Even Better clinical radical dark spot corrector $39.90,clarifying lotion $23.80,Even Better Clinical Brightening Moisturizer $41.30,Think Pink 8 Piece Kit$0.00 and Clinique Smart clinical repair $0.00 totaling $121.80,UPS Ground shipping label that #****************** that was returned on 12/10/23 and recceived 12/13/23.I received an email notification the items were received and my refund will be processed in 2 days. Today is now 12/18/23 over 5 days and i still have not received my refund or refund notification through email.I have called and chatted multiple times and they are keep giving me the run around but still no refund.All i want is my $121.80 refunded back to my afterpay .This is absolutely ridiculous and all i want is my refund.

      Business Response

      Date: 12/21/2023

      We have been in touch with this customer to resolve the matter.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 01/03/2024

      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 and the matter has been resolved.

      Sincerely,

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



       

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/19/2023

      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 made a purchase from La Mer on 11/23/2023, Order #**********, totaling $697.13. I returned the order on 29/11, confirmed received by La Mer on 12/04. However, no refund was credited. On 12/16, La Mer alleged missing promotional items despite my returning all items. I promptly responded, stressing the need for my refund, but no reply from the merchant. Seeking BBB's intervention for a swift resolution. Your assistance is greatly appreciated.

      Business Response

      Date: 12/20/2023

      We have been in touch with this customer to resolve the matter.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/18/2023

      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 November 26, 2023 I purchased cosmetics from the online Too Faced website. The order number was **********. A confirmation email was sent and I was told my product would ship within one to two days. On December 2, 2023 I was sent an email stating that my order was processing and that I would receive a tracking number. I did not receive an email and contacted the company using their Live Chat feature. I was told a label had been created, but the item was not picked up for shipping. The tracking number I was provided by the agent was **** *******************  It is now December 17, 2023 and the tracking is still showing as label created, but that it has not been picked up by the carrier. I have asked for the order to be cancelled by another Live Agent (**************). She has told me that I have to wait for the item to be delivered and that she can not refund my money. Given that their appears to be an error with the delivery of the purchase, I just want to cancel the order and get my refund.

      Business Response

      Date: 12/19/2023

      We have been in touch with this customer to resolve the matter.

    Estee Lauder Companies is BBB Accredited.

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