Many chains have rewards programs that attempt to keep shoppers returning to their stores by offering them small gifts in exchange for their repeated visits.
For example, many internet users have sung the praises of the McDonald’s app, which allows customers to earn points through purchases at the store that they can later exchange for free food. Similar loyalty programs exist at chains like Ulta and Crumbl.
While these programs may entice shoppers, the amount of money one must spend in order to earn enough points to get a reward can be startling. Recently, one user on TikTok sparked discussion after claiming that her reward from Sephora, which was purchased with $2,500 of points, was a “scam.”
What went wrong with the Sephora advent calendar?
In a video with over 1.5 million views, TikTok user Riley (@_rileyslater) explains what she dubs “the Sephora drama.”
“Basically, Sephora had a beauty advent calendar in their rewards bazaar for 2,500 points, which is the equivalent of $2,500,” she starts. “Multiple people redeemed it thinking it was going to have makeup skincare and bath products—because that’s what was advertised—and instead it just had shit, like, $5 accessories.”
Calling 2,500 points “the equivalent of $2,500” is a bit of a misstatement. While it is true that every dollar spent at Sephora will give a shopper a point, there are ways to earn points that don’t involve spending money, as the chain will occasionally run promotions that allow one to earn points without making purchases.
The Point Calculator estimates that points are actually worth anywhere between $0.02 and $0.06, meaning that the actual value of 2,500 points is between $50 and $150.
Regardless of the true value, Riley says that the advent calendar she received “was crap,” claiming that the process led her to feel like she was “scammed.” Others online have expressed a similar sentiment.
Seeing on Reddit that some people who shared her disappointment were getting their points refunded, Riley reached out to Sephora customer support. While the process was initially promising, things rapidly took a turn for the worse.
A Sephora refund, rescinded
According to Riley, she went onto support chat and asked for her points back. The support agent with whom she was speaking allegedly responded, “Okay, as a one-time courtesy, I will refund you your points.”
Then, something strange happened. Riley was unable to send messages in response to the support agent. After a little time, another support agent logged into the chat and shared some bad news: Riley would not be getting her refund after all.
“You just agreed to a refund, and now you’re saying, ‘LOL, JK, sorry, no’?” she details. “Like, what?”
After a bit of argument, Riley confirmed that this support agent would not be giving her a refund, despite the statement from the previous support agent that she would be receiving a refund.
“I’m gonna keep trying, I guess, but it is insane to me that any customer service person would see that somebody had already agreed to a refund and then go, ‘No, never mind, sorry, it can’t happen,’” she says.
Later on, she concludes, “Sephora, just accept the—learn that you made a mistake, you advertised a false product, and just give the f***ing points back to the people who asked for them.”
@_rileyslater I should have never been told Id receive a refund only for them to take it away. @sephora just give me my points back! #sephora #sephoraadventcalendar #beauty #beautyinsider #foryou #fyp ♬ original sound – Riley
Commenters recount their own experiences at Sephora
In the comments section, users noted that issues like Riley’s were not unique, with many sharing their own tales of point exchanges gone awry. Others simply wrote their thoughts on Riley’s peculiar predicament.
“Sephora lost me as a customer when I redeemed points then returned the item and they kept the points,” stated a user.
“Their rewards system has always been lacking. As a former employee it was nuts knowing how much people spent and seeing what they got in return,” added another. “Its needed fixing for a very long time.”
“It’s insane to think that Sephora is clutching onto $2500 in points when $2500 is literally just a drop in the bucket for them,” offered a third. “And likely, those items were donated, made in partnership; or those items needed to be pushed out of warehouse anyway. Jesus.”
Others said Sephora’s rewards system led them to shop elsewhere. “This is why I moved to shopping at Ulta,” one wrote.
The Daily Dot reached out to Sephora via email and Riley via TikTok DM and comment.
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