I was Banned from Sephora for Returning Products

As a resident of the British Isles (admittedly I do spend a good proportion of time Stateside) I like to take full advantage of all the things the beauty Mecca that is Sephora offers; yes that does include returning items that aren't quite for me for a refund or exchange - something not afforded to myself (and fellow Brits) back home. However rather shockingly by doing so I could end up being banned from my favourite beauty haunt (I am assured that this is the worst case scenario).

Yes that is correct, barred from stepping foot (do not pass go, do not collect Sephora reward points nor minis) into Sephora for making the most of what I assumed to be a basic US consumer right? We've all been there: blinded by the bright lights and tempting brands of the beauty powerhouse that is Sephora, snapping up products left, right and centre, only to discover that maybe the green lipstick that you bought -  thanks to your beauty high- isn't quite for you, and you trot back to the store for an exchange. Is it really all that fair for Sephora (and other retailers for that matter) to now go back on their word in terms of return policies?

I was Banned from Sephora for Returning Products

We'll apparently like most things in life there is a loophole, The Wall Street Journal have cited that there is indeed a service in play called The Retail Equation (TRE): in essence it tracks consumer behaviour, namely shopping return habits. It has the ability to flag up customers who habitually return products to the over 34,000 registered stores (one of which is of course Sephora), which may or may not result in said consumer being banned from returning items in the future (but still allowed to shop in the store). It is believed that TRE is mainly employed using driver license details (some stores may ask for proof of I.D when returning items, particularly if paid for using a credit or debit card).

Sephora's typical return policy (as of now at least) is that you have 60 days after point of sale to return any purchased items: new or used, with or without a receipt, for either store credit, an exchange or a refund, all of which are dependent on the situation. The super lax return structure is one of the reasons that so many flock to Sephora in the first place - of course all the wonderful brands they stock is also a huge selling point. It almost feels like you have the good grace of "a try before you buy" trial period. In my opinion due to their original return terms, I am (and have been) more likely to step out of my comfort zone and pick up items I wouldn't normally as much as look at - and of course spend more money per visit. However as Americans return a whopping $260 billion worth of products per year, I can somewhat understand why there is a need for TRE and ultimately a crack down on those who are repeat offenders in terms of returning huge amounts of products.

I was Banned from Sephora for Returning Products

So what does this mean for the average consumer? Truly not all that much will change - I highly doubt that you will flag up on the TRE system for the odd exchanged lip gloss or facial product and even if you do, there is of course a way around it - pay in cash. I've returned a few items over the years and not once have I been asked for I.D when requesting a product swap - nor refund for that matter.

I'd also like to point out that the TRE system works on a points basis, so I imagine that it does take into consideration damaged products (aka that broken palette you didn't quite notice in-store) and of course those items that genuinely have caused irritation to the consumer. The Retail Equation doesn't share data across the board, so although you could potentially be prevented from returning items to Sephora, you will still be free to frequent the other merchants registered as normal. 

I was Banned from Sephora for Returning Products

Although some may groan about the TRE system coming into play (and Reddit strongly hints that it is indeed already in action), I can't help but feel it could result in a little more transparency within the beauty community? Those large Sephora hauls that are just for show and returned in bulk once the camera stops rolling could be a thing of the past, and isn't that a wonderful thing?

However for the policy to both work and to be entirely fair, I do personally believe that Sephora employees will have to somewhat stand back, lower the hard sell tactics, and allow consumers to shop more freely. If the "you can return it if you don't like it" concept is to be a thing of the past to some extent, then it is time to let the average customer shop more considerably to prevent spontaneous - or guilt ridden- purchases to lower the return rates but we all know realistically that won't happen.

I'd be really intrigued to find out if anyone has any first hand experience with the TRE system and would love to learn how it has (or hasn't for that matter) affected you?