Not everything we buy from beauty stores such as Sephora satisfies our needs and that is why we are sometimes forced to return them.
This article examines the detail, the current return, exchanges, and refund policy at Sephora.
Does Sephora Do Product Returns?
Can I return something to Sephora that I bought online or in-store?
Yes, Sephora accepts product returns for products purchased in-store or online through their website as long as the returns abide by the specified return policy.
This, therefore, means you do have to continue using products you do not like when you can return them and have them exchanged for other products you prefer.
Sephora Return & Exchange Policy
This section highlights the comprehensive store-wide product return policy at Sephora.
The Sephora return and exchange policy provide that: Products purchased in-store or online must be returned before 60 days elapse after the purchase is made while still new or gently used.
The policy, therefore, specifies factors to be considered before a return is processed and they include:
- The payment method used to pay for the product
- Duration since the product was purchased from the store
- Whether the purchase was made online or in-store
- The process of returning the product back to Sephora
- The availability of original receipt, packaging box, and packing slip
Before returns are processed, Sephora checks the payment mode used to pay for the products when it was first purchased from the store.
The modes of payment accepted include Credit or Debit cards, PayPal, Klarna, Sephora Gift cards, and the JCPenney Card.
Insofar as the refunds are concerned, Sephora refunds the purchase price to the original source of money if the product is returned and received within 30 days of purchase. This applies to credit/debit cards and Sephora gift cards.
For PayPal purchases returned within 30 days of purchase, the money is refunded to a Sephora gift card for future purchases.
Those who pay using Klarna would have the money refunded to a Visa/Mastercard Debit/Credit card of their choice as long as such card has not expired.
For all product returns received between 31 and 60 days of purchase, the price value is refunded to a Sephora store credit card that one can use to make in-store purchases only. This also applies to purchases made by JCPenney Card and returned within the 0-to-30 days period.
For products purchased through Sephora.com (online), there are two ways you can return them to Sephora
- Drop the products at a nearby Sephora store to have a return or an exchange.
- Mail the items to Sephora using the Return address specified later on in this article
It should be noted that there are no product exchanges for products done through the website (Sephora.com). All product exchanges have to happen in a physical store.
Sephora Returns Without Receipt
Can I do Sephora returns with no receipts? Does Sephora accept returns without receipts or packing slips?
Well, if you return products to Sephora stores without a receipt, they may be accepted as long as you have your ID card (or driving license), which will be scanned before you get store credit.
It should be made clear that without the receipt, one cannot get a money refund, but only store credit, or product swaps.
Other conditions specified in the store-wide return policy still apply and they include: timeliness in returning products, and products must be new or gently used.
Sephora Return Without Box, Packaging
Does Sephora accept returns without the original packaging box?
Sephora explains that customers must always try to repackage the products in the original Sephora or manufacturer’s box.
However, if this is not possible, you should package the product in a strong and clean envelope before mailing or dropping it at a nearby Sephora store.
The returns, refunds, or exchanges would then be processed as usual.
Sephora Return Policy Opened Products
How can I return opened products to Sephora stores?
Sephora accepts opened products as long as they are gently used and if you provide the reason why you do not like them.
The opened products will then be exchanged for other products you like or you would be eligible for refunds if the payment method you sued allows for price value refunds, and if the returns happen within 30 days of purchase.
For opened products without a packing slip, you would need to physically avail them to the nearest Sephora store and have your ID scanned for tracking purposes.
Sephora Return Policy for Perfumes
Perfumes and fragrances are products that one may have to use before determining they are good or bad. For this reason, most perfume returns tend to be unboxed or opened products
Sephora accepts the return of used and unused perfumes and fragrances subject to the store-wide returns and exchange policy that puts into consideration factors such as the extent of use, availability of documentation, and the elapsed time after the purchase was made.
Sephora Return Policy after 60 or 90 days
Does Sephora accept returns after 60 or 90 days have elapsed since purchases?
No, Sephora has a limited returns window of 60 days of purchase, which means any return after this time would not be processed.
The reasoning behind this is that an individual can make a reasonable judgment within 60 days of purchase on whether a product does or does not satisfy his needs or preferences.
Sephora Returns Address
If you would like to mail your returns to Sephora, then the return address is an important tool to have:
The Sephora return address is
Sephora
531 Chelsea Road
Aberdeen, MD 21001
You may also contact Sephora returns department on 1-877-737-4672 (1-877-SEPHORA)
Sephora Return Policy Abuse
Some customers take advantage of the Sephora returns policy to order products then return them after gently using them claiming they are not good, and they repeat the same with other products.
This is what amounts to the abuse of the return policy, and Sephora has introduced restrictions to curb any such behavior.
Those who abuse the Sephora return policy may have their privilege forfeited, and hence get banned from being able to use the return policy in the future.
This is usually informed by how frequently one returns the product they purchase from Sephora stores according to the profile created using their ID details.
To quote the Sephora website:
“Sephora monitors return activity for abuse and reserves the right to limit returns or exchanges at Sephora and Sephora inside JCPenney in all instances”
FAQS on Sephora Return, Refunds, and Exchange Policy
Since we cannot cover all aspects of product returns at Sephora, it is prudent that we address them as the frequently asked questions.
What happens to Sephora Returns?
The fate of returned products seems to vary from store to store. This is according to both current and former employees at Sephora and JCPenney stores.
In most cases, unused new products are returned on the shelf after a thorough inspection by the store staff to determine that they have not been tampered with.
In some cases, the returned products are thrown away after they have been destroyed to avoid dumpster diving, which is the habit of people going through store dumpster to find products they can use.
Yet, in other cases, the returned products may be used as testers by the store, or are returned to the manufactures for the same.
What is Sephora’s Return Policy for Canada?
The terms and conditions for returning products are similar for both the US and Canada.
However, since there exist minor deviations in the detail, you should visit Canada’s return policy page on the Sephora website, or call the Sephora customer care on 1-877-SEPHORA (1-877-737-4672).
References on Sephora Return Policy
- 1:Sephora (2021) – Returns and Exchanges
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