To me, how a company treats its customers when something goes wrong says Just as much about the brand as the products it creates.
Many moons ago, I placed an order with an indie beauty brand. (My thoughts on indie beauty brands as a whole to come.)
Two weeks after placing my order, I reached out because it hadn’t arrived. I was told there had been an issue with shipping labels that affected multiple orders and that I should continue to wait.
When I asked for the correct tracking information, I was told to contact USPS. Since my purchase was with the merchant, not USPS, I believed it was the merchant’s responsibility to investigate the shipment, communicate with the carrier, and provide accurate tracking information, rather than expecting the customer to resolve an issue that originated during the fulfillment process.
A few days later, I contacted the brand again looking for an update. I was then told they had contacted USPS and that I would need to wait 30–45 days before the package could officially be considered lost.
So, I waited.
Once that time frame had passed, I reached out again. After several days without a response, I followed up once more. I was eventually informed that they had filed a lost package claim with USPS.
At that point, I simply asked to cancel my order and receive a refund.
Instead, I was told that because of their “all sales are final” policy, my only options were to have the order reshipped or accept store credit.
For me, neither option was appropriate.
The merchant acknowledged that my order was never delivered because of a fulfillment issue on their end. I paid for merchandise that I never received, and I don’t believe store credit is an appropriate substitute for a refund on an order that was never completed. I also don’t do store credit because it’s too easy to forget about over time, and I don’t believe a company should retain my money for merchandise that was never delivered.
Additionally, I purchased the optional shipping protection offered at checkout. Since the merchant had already filed a claim regarding the lost package, I believed the appropriate resolution was simply to conclude the transaction by refunding the customer for merchandise that was never received.
What I Learned
If you ever find yourself in a similar situation, know that you may have more options than you realize. These are the steps I took:
1. Contact your bank as soon as possible.
One of the first things I did was contact my bank to understand my options and the time limits for disputing the transaction. If you’re dealing with a purchase issue, don’t wait too long. Many banks and credit card issuers have deadlines for filing disputes, and once those deadlines pass, your options may become much more limited.
2. Consider using PayPal instead of Buy Now, Pay Later services (such as Afterpay).
Going forward, I’ll be using PayPal whenever it’s available. In my experience, Afterpay did not assist with resolving my dispute because it acts as a payment facilitator rather than handling disputes between customers and merchants. While no payment method is perfect, I personally found PayPal’s Buyer Protection to offer an additional layer of protection and greater peace of mind.
3. Know the consumer resources available to you.
After exhausting my options with the merchant, I filed complaints with the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division in the state where the business is located, as well as with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Every situation is different, and no outcome is guaranteed, but these organizations exist to help consumers and businesses resolve disputes.
The biggest lesson I learned is to know your rights as a consumer and understand the options available to you before assuming there’s nothing more you can do.
When we make a purchase, we’re entering into an agreement. The customer agrees to pay for the product, and the business agrees to provide the merchandise that was purchased. Both parties have responsibilities in that transaction.
Businesses have the right to establish reasonable policies, including return policies. At the same time, consumers have rights and reasonable expectations. If the agreed-upon product is never delivered, it’s important to understand the protections available to you and the options you may have for resolving the situation.
No one will protect your money better than you. Protect your purchases, know your consumer rights, and don’t be afraid to use the consumer protection resources available to you when necessary.
This entire experience has made me rethink how I spend my money.
Going forward, I won’t be purchasing directly from this brand again. More broadly, I don’t think I’ll purchase directly from beauty brands that have an “all sales are final” policy. If I can buy their products through a retailer that offers stronger customer protections, I’ll choose that option instead.
Customer service matters to me just as much as the products themselves, if not more.
How do you feel about beauty brands that have an “all sales are final” policy? Does that policy affect your decision to purchase from them, or is it something you don’t think about until there’s a problem?
I’d genuinely love to hear your thoughts and experiences. I really want to peel back the layers of this proverbial “all sales are final” onion. Is the policy simply the cost of supporting smaller brands, or should it have limits when an order is never delivered? Where do you think the line should be?
For the record, I did eventually receive my refund. That doesn’t change the experience or the questions it raised about customer service and “all sales are final” policies.
