- Report: #1495428
Complaint Review: Sephora - San Francisco CA
-
Author Not Confirmed
Why?
Sephora
525 Market St San Francisco, 94105 CA, United States
Web:
sephora.com
Categories:
Business Rating:
(0)
Tell us has your experience with this business or person been good?
Sephora Sephora.com Terrible customer service, discrimination and violation of FTC rules for ecommerce San Francisco CA
Sephora refused to accept and ship an order made by a customer because that customer uses her boyfriends credit card and ships to another name. When the boyfriend tried to call to confirm the order, instead of helping, Sephora refuses to speak (invoking privacy, when the only discussion is about validating payment) and accuses the customer of having a shared account or being a reseller. None of these are true or motivated. They imposed that the customer calls herself, despite being abroad and not speaking English well.
When that is so, they claim that the only way to resolve that, because the account would be “shared” is that she order with a credit card under her name (which she does not have) and shipped to her address (which she can’t do as currently stuck abroad due to COVID-19). Sephora stated that her boyfriend can’t make an account himself as they would deny it also, despite this person being in good standing with valid credit cards and fraudulent history with Sephora (no business relationship with them) or anybody.
Sephora has lost any common sense of customer service as well as no desire to help its customer who just wanted to order for herself. In this time of crisis, you would expect that Sephora would rather go out of its way to help and accommodate. but no, they decided that they will not help instead “reviewing account”, refusing customers and refusing service that had noting fraudulent, illegal or even abnormal! How can this be.
In addition, doing so, Sephora.com violated several rule for online business:
1. When taking and accepting an online order, the business must notify if it delays or cancel the order. In this case, Sephora.com had confirmed the order, provided a delivery date (May 26, 2020). It is only when checking on status on May 15, 2020, that teh customer noticed that the order had been cancelled (Authorization failed). meanwhile, the credit card bank confirmed that no attempt to run the card (and no denial) had taken place. By not having immediately notified the customer, Sephora.com broke the rule: https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/business-guide-ftcs-mail-internet-or-telephone-order . When pointed it to them, they couldn’t care less. It is breaking the law…
2. When Sephora supervisors claimed that the customer was breaking it policy, they were unable to point to the policy in question or the appropriate clause. In fact they only manage to post rules for international shipment, which did not apply as shipping was within the US. It is also a FTC rule that an e-commerce company must display its policies and must provide them when request. Sephora refused to do so and by this again broke the law.
3. By refusing to accommodate request to assist Sephora also discriminated against their customer based on her origin as well as her disabilities (i.e. ADA).
4. By stating that her boyfriend would not be able to open an account, Sephora further showed today disrespect of customer service and denies service without cause.
So far, the customer has asked Sephora.com
· to explain and show their policy (per FTC rules). It has not happened.
· how they can resolve this and have the order shipped (or reprocessed) as requested. Sephora refused offering only that customer must call herself and must order with her own credit card to her own shipping address. None of these are spelled out in any terms visible online (and as per the previous bullet Sephora has not provided the policy… it is not AFAIK in their policy). They even refused to let her boyfriend create an account to order
Sephora has lost a repeat customer More importantly it has shown willingness to discriminate and not provide any service to a paying customer. With such an attitude, there are no good reason to actually shop at Sephora.
Unfortunately, bullies like Sephora always win because, although they broke the law it is not worth suing them! So if you are a lawyer, journalist or consumer organization who wants to investigate and help, feel free to comment we will put you in contact with the customer. It is only if the public react negatively that they will pay attention.
If you agree and do not want to support an non caring abusing and discriminating business, boycott Sephora and Sephora.com.
4 Updates & Rebuttals
ESHM
California,United States
Not sure why Stacey has to answer to the report
#2Author of original report
Tue, June 09, 2020
Stating that a company can do whatever they want is not an acceptable statement nor is it true.
Stating that payment must be done with a particular creditcard and not another has no reason to be.
Refusing legitimate orders is problematic.
Canceling iwthout notifying accepted orders is ellegal per FTC rules of ecommerce.
Trying to buy legally and legitimatedly is buying products... Who cares how it is paid if legal!
It seems that Sephora is using "reputation repair people" and the argument is: they can do what they want live with it or don't buy. Correct: so boycott is it then! Thatw as the proposal!
Stacey
Texas,United States
WRONG
#3Consumer Comment
Thu, May 21, 2020
You state abuse and discrimination?? What discrimination did this company do? Did they refuse you services because of race, creed, color, nationality etc etc? NO they refused your order because you were using a card that was not yours and shipping sent to another country. Ever heard of SCAMMERS? Because they do the same thing so this company had every right to deny your order.
Don't like their policies? Too bad - that is there policy and they are not going to beg you to shop there. Pathetic how you seem to think you are above their policies so you file a report here (where you are subject to rebuttals) and scream SUE! No attorney, journalist or any other individual is not going to touch this report nor do anything for you because you think you are better than others who use their OWN cards and order products.
local
United StatesRobert's comments = ignorance. Sephora has deplorable service. it is well known
#4Author of original report
Wed, May 20, 2020
Unfortunately the comments show ignorance 1) of the law / rules: order was taken by my reading. If order is taken, FTC rules apply. It is not the payment or not that matters! 2) of the world (many countries do not use credit card as in the USA). Needless to say more. If items are paid and delivered in the USA, it is legal and certainly not Sephora's business to whom they are delivered! Sephora's service is deplorable. It's a common theme. They should have tried to help and work out a solution,
Robert
Irvine,California,
United States
Thanks for the Laugh
#5Consumer Comment
Wed, May 20, 2020
You are basically saying that you are in a Foreign Country, used your Boyfriends Credit Card and wanted to ship it to another name and to a different address with his account.
Yet you wonder why they refused to ship the order?
Companies will cancel orders for just one of those reasons, yet you had at least 4 "Red Flags" for ID theft. Perhaps more if you aren't telling the entire story.
When pointed it to them, they couldn’t care less. It is breaking the law…
Because they didn't break the law. You failed to notice one little statement in the regulation you say they violated...
you must, without being asked, promptly refund all the money the customer paid you for the unshipped merchandise.
Your "boyfriend" was NEVER charged per your narrative. So they don't owe you a thing.
It is also a FTC rule that an e-commerce company must display its policies and must provide them when request. Sephora refused to do so and by this again broke the law.
- Again NO charge was made on your Boyfriends Credit Card.
3. By refusing to accommodate request to assist Sephora also discriminated against their customer based on her origin as well as her disabilities (i.e. ADA).
- I almost fell off of my chair laughing so hard with this one. This has NOTHING to do with race or any disabilities. This has to do with Fraud Proection for both them and the cardholder..regardless of who you say the cardholder is.
4. By stating that her boyfriend would not be able to open an account, Sephora further showed today disrespect of customer service and denies service without cause.
- Sure their is cause. They don't feel that you are a legitimate customer and as such they have the right to deny service.
For the other readers, there is NO RipOff here, just some person who apparently is stuck in another Country with no Credit or Debit Cards in their name. Which makes you wonder how exactly they are surviving with no access to any money.
