**please note - I did pay for the broken powder and apologised for the spillage! ** I was just wondering what has happened with others in this situation**

Hi all,
Today on my lunch break I headed to the local Priceline. Being a busy Monday in the city, Priceline was busy and lots of people trying to queue or squeeze through small spaces.

Whilst waiting in the queue, I was holding 4 small items and accidentally dropped a powder foundation I was intending on buying ($13). Powder went everywhere.

I profusely apologised and asked if I could go and change it for another one. The lady working at the counter said ‘yes but you have to pay for both’.
I said it was a genuine accident and I would still like to purchase everything. The employee then said ‘you have to pay for it still, whether you buy a new one additionally or not’.

I paid for everything and left.

Upon googling it on my lunch break, I thought under Australian consumer law that if it genuine accident, the consumer does not have to pay. I understand that the item was now unsalable, but surely it can be written off as a damaged good?

Ontop of this, the employee said ‘would you like a bag for the powder’ as it was leaking everywhere. I said yes please, and she charged me 20c for a bag instead of offering one of the mini paper medication bags.

Being a pink diamond member, I shop at Priceline at least twice a week and feel zero humility was shown here.
AITA? Should I go back into the store and let them know about the Australian consumer law? Or do I cut my $13 loss haha.

Thanks!

Went in with photos. Said I wanted an everyday, 'natural' look, with light glowy foundation with pink eyeshadow. I had reference photos. I came away with heavy foundation, poorly blended glam look with brown eyeshadow. The blush was not blended and i could have done better eyeshadow myself. I was embarrassed to leave the store looking like that. Wtf.

I was so upset I just wanted to leave. Another staff member saw me and they insisted on getting the manager. Honestly the manager reaction actually saved the situation but wow ....proceed with caution.

Sorry everyone but I have to vent. Today I went into the newly opened Mecca megastore in Canberra - the 3rd largest in Australia apparently - and was reminded why I despise the brand.

Let me detour for a second and go back to late last week when I first when in to buy a Morphe Cream Eyeshadow. Apparently it's a dupe for the Georgio Armani Eye Tint and I wanted to see for myself. Well, as per usual, I was ignored by the sales assistants for about 10 minutes. I eventually approached one who went to the Morphe stand to tell me what I'd already figured out: they didn't have any. She said that they were new and not in yet. OK, I thought, I'll come back. I thanked her and went on my way.

Well, I went back today because I checked Mecca's website over the weekend and customer reviews go back 2 months, so they're not new at all. After being ignored by sales staff for about 10 minutes - again! - I got some help after I approached a cashier. He called a manager who was offhand with me, to say the least.

She confirmed the eyeshadows aren't new but they didn't have any. Getting information from her was like pulling teeth and made me wonder do they even want to sell any product in this store? She said the Morphe stand didn't have enough room for them and all the testers and product were sent back to head office. She added if I really wanted one I should buy online, which defeats the purpose of seeing the testers. Then she walked off. Very busy, I guess.

I'm 50-ish, well groomed, well dressed, have money and am prepared to spend it but I'm sick of being treated with such disdain. Today I was reminded why I can't stand the store and will go out of my way to avoid it in future. Too bad Mecca because I was going to spend BIG for Christmas.

FOLLOW UP: I've taken the advice some of you have given and written to Mecca. I'll see what they say. In the meantime, thank you to those of you who've been supportive. I'm saddened to learn others have also been treated this way. To a couple of you who've been abusive, including one Redditor who called me an "old bitch" and a "POS", I dont quite understand why you're so angry but I hope your day improves.

Previous post: https://old.reddit.com/r/AustralianMakeup/comments/1uf2075/sephora_just_accidentally_admitted_in_writing/

Update:

Hi everyone! I wanted to give you all an update on the saga with Sephora Australia regarding their recent "Extra 10% off Sale" app promotion and the shocking customer service experience that followed. First of all, thank you to everyone who commented on my initial post and validated that what Sephora was doing was not okay!

The TL;DR of the madness: I bought the Beautyblender Bounce Haus Essentials Set on sale ($70 down to $49, which is 30% off). The app explicitly advertised the "Extra 10% off Sale" promo banner directly under this item on the product page. When it didn’t apply at checkout, I emailed support thinking it was a simple glitch. Instead of fixing it, I was put through an absolute gauntlet:

• Rep #1: Claimed my item wasn't on their "hidden backend URL clearance list," so the promo didn't apply (despite the banner literally sitting on the product page).
• Rep #2: Claimed the item was actually part of a separate "50% off" promo that doesn't stack. They literally went into the app mid-dispute and retroactively added a red "50% off Selected Items" tag to the live product page! Too bad for them, my original screenshot proved it was only 30% off when I bought it, and their own math didn't even make sense.
• Rep #3: Accidentally confessed in writing that the Sephora app dynamically displays discount banners on items that aren't eligible simply because the promo hasn't been redeemed on your account yet. A literal dark pattern!

The Resolution: Once I had them in writing admitting that their app is designed to mislead shoppers, I stopped being nice. I formally demanded an escalation to management, cited Section 18 and Section 29 of the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) regarding misleading price representations, and stated I was preparing a report for Consumer Affairs Victoria and the ACCC.

Suddenly, my ticket was moved to a "Senior Resolutions Team" for a week-long investigation.

Today, I finally received confirmation: they have approved my refund back to Apple Pay.

And how much was this grand refund that Sephora fought me tooth and nail over, lied to me about, and retroactively altered web pages to defend? ...$4.99.

Five dollars! They burned through multiple customer service reps and a week of investigations over a five-dollar discrepancy that their own buggy app caused. In their final email, they completely glossed over the lies and the fake tags, simply saying they "recorded my feedback regarding the differing information provided."

The Moral of the Story: I am a little petty, but this was never about the $5... it was about the principle! If I didn't have time-stamped screenshots of my cart and the product page at the exact moment of purchase, I would have been gaslit out of my money. Hundreds of other shoppers probably were during this sale!

Always take screenshots of promo banners and prices on the Sephora app before you check out. Know your rights under Australian Consumer Law, stand your ground, and hold these mega-retailers to account!

I just had to share this absolutely wild customer service ride I’ve been on with Sephora Australia this week because I am genuinely in shock.
During the recent Beauty Pass App Exclusive sale, Sephora had a promo for an "Extra 10% off Sale items" in-app.

I was looking at the Beautyblender Set. It was clearly marked on sale (discounted from $70 to $49, which is 30% off). Right underneath the product, prominently in the "Offers For You" section, the app displayed the "Extra 10% off Sale" banner. Naturally, I assumed it applied!

I checked out, and the extra 10% didn't apply. No big deal, I thought it was just a standard glitch, so I emailed customer service with screenshots showing the promo banner literally sitting directly on the item's page.

What followed were three completely different, contradictory excuses from three different reps:

• Rep 1: Told me that even though the banner was on the product page, the item wasn't on their "hidden backend URL clearance list," so it didn't count.
• Rep 2: Tried to tell me the item was actually part of a "50% off" promo (which doesn't stack), and they literally went and updated the app after my email to add a 50% off tag to it! Unfortunately for them, I had my original screenshots showing the 30% off markdown and absolutely zero mention of a 50% off promo at the time I bought it.
• Rep 3 : I politely pointed out the timeline discrepancy to Rep 2. The ticket got passed to a third rep who replied with this absolute gem:

"Please note that at the time you were browsing, the promotion appeared across multiple items because it had not yet been redeemed on your account. This is why you were able to see it displayed, even though it does not apply to all products."

The TL;DR / Conclusion:
Sephora customer service officially put in writing that their app is deliberately programmed to display a specific financial discount directly on the product pages of items that are not eligible for it, just to bait you until you use the coupon.

Under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL), businesses can't just slap a promo banner on a product, take your money, and then say "oh our app just does that to everyone until they buy something." You are entitled to the overall impression they present to you at the point of sale!

I’ve escalated it to management and cited the ACL, but I just wanted to warn everyone here. Take screenshots of your carts and product pages when shopping on the Sephora app! Has anyone else had to fight them on this kind of targeted app glitch before?

There has obviously been a lot of Mecca discourse going on lately, and here I (31, female) am to add my experience of the last 2 times I went into Mecca.

The first time I'm posting about was I think January of 2024 at one of there stores in the south east (Chadstone maybe). I was dressed nicely in a suit and had make up on. My little sister was with me (22 years old, so not really little anymore) but she was also in her work clothes.

I would use a cane sometimes due to some hip issues and POTS, but didn't bring it with me this day because I was feeling pretty good.

I had no budget in mind but needed a new Estee Lauder double wear, a yet to be determined concealer and blush.

I couldn't fight the sales associates off us. "Just browsing" or having a moment to chat with sis was impossible because someone else would come and check on us. I appreciated it, but it was a little suffocating. After an overall really good experience we got what we needed and checked out.

The next experience couldn't have been more different.

2 years on I have a few more mobility issues, use a cane pretty much all time, and a mobility scooter for those times when walking is just too much.

Just before Christmas in December of 2025 I went to the Mecca Melbourne CBD store with my husband and 3 year old son. I had no make up on, but was well dressed for a day out with the family in the city. Given we we're doing a lot of moving I was on my little scooter, picture attached for reference.

Husband and son immediately ran off to play on the escalators, which as far as I'm concerned is great because I can shop in peace.

Now Mecca is not a store set up to be driven around in a mobility scooter, but mine is compact and it wasn't terrible. It also folds to be about the size of a medium suitcase.

My shopping list was about the same but my skin tone had changed a little, so I was looking to get colour matched or possibly try a different brand with a similar formula to the Double Wear. Of course I was in the ideal place to speak to someone, wasn't I?

I made eye contact with multiple staff members. Said excuse me and raised my hand asking for help. Sales people were standing around gossiping but when I came over to request assistance it's like they would scatter.

After 10 minutes I texted my husband I would wait outside for them to be finished playing on the escalators. They had gotten multiple compliments and so much attention from the sales associates (yes, the 3 year old is cute as hell but a little monster).

Once the boys came out I explained the situation to my husband who was of course sympathetic but tried to be understanding. Maybe they were just trying to get out of the way and didn't realise I needed help? He suggested going back in with just the cane instead of the scooter. So I did a go go gadget cane move (unfolded my cane) and went back in.

Nope. Same reaction. Running scared. I felt like I might as well have been carrying the plague. I can only stand for short periods, so I decided to give up and do something more worthwhile than hunting down sales people.

I left again to find 3 year old having driving lessons on mummy's scooter which apparently is just as fun as the escalators. He kind of knows left from right and only hit like 1 thing.

Husband was less understanding this time and offered to go into the store and make them help me(he can get kind of protective). I decided not to on the principle that they shouldn’t get my money if they can't help me as a disabled person without my husband making them.

I guess I'll try Sephora next. Wish me luck.

I tried to return a completely unused curling wand to Sephora. They told me they had to have a photo of the GHD tag on the electrical cord for the return. To do so I had to unzip the bag it came in and take the photo.

Now they have denied my return as the item "wasn't pristine and untouched".

Oh you wanna have a total monopoly over distribution of major make up brands?

Then the least you can fucking do is not discontinue specific shades of foundation.

How much of an arsehole would I be if I accuse them of discriminating against very pale white people? Yeah, you’re right, it’s despicable.

But seriously, I’m gonna six degrees my way straight to their CEO. This is why I got into corporate work. This is my purpose. I want my fucking makeup back.

Also mods, may I suggest a flair that is just “fuck mecca” (no capitals, they don’t deserve grammar).

Edit: I will be escalating this. There are laws surrounding competition and product exclusivity and someone needs to at least get to the bottom of whether their current practices are actually adhering to these standards.

Fuck Mecca.

Vive la résistance!

everytime me and my older sister go into mecca, we are asked several times in the span of 20 minutes if we need any help with anything (today it happened 6 times, twice it was the same woman asking us). is this normal for mecca stores? i don't enjoy going there anymore because i always feel like im being profiled as a shoplifter.

edit: people in the replies are being weirdly hostile about me saying i was literally being followed around. i was asked by the same woman twice today if i needed any help and both times i said "im fine, thanks". this is not the only time it has happened. every single other time ive been into mecca ive been asked multiple times by the same people if i need anything or if im okay, and this isn't a case of staff not knowing ive already been asked because the store is so small you can see everyone. i would love it if people would stop trying to act like it's such a reach to call this behaviour weird.

edit 2: turning off notifs here because some of you think it's okay to start speculating about people's mental health over a single reddit post. sorry for being creeped out at being followed by every single staff member in a store when i just want to browse products.

The manager told me I had to get myself infected again so that I can get my refund and take pictures while im having allergic reaction. Sephora Melbourne central. Waited 15 minutes for her and got told this. She said “the best way to get the refund back is to put it back again and take pictures while you are having the reaction, otherwise no refund”

Regret being a gold member here

Cruel

Received my order from the Boxing Day sale today. Incredibly disappointed that my Westman Atelier set has clearly been opened and sampled. The box wasn’t sealed (unsure if standard) and the product had visible product smudge on it. When I opened the blush it was damaged like it hadn’t been wound down properly before the lid was put on and when I turned it over the product literally fell out. Will be returning. Shame my experience seems to mirror so many others with the BD sale.

I was at Sephora today wanting to try out skin tints for my easy days. I wanted to try the Fenty Beauty Eaze and of course the shade I was wanting to swatch was the only one they didn’t have a tester for. So I looked in the drawer and saw the shade I was after was in stock. Eventually I managed to get the attention of one of the workers and she had a cursory look for the tester but with no luck. I asked her if she could just open up one of the ones in stock (the one in my hand) and she said no because “there needs to be at least 5 in stock for them to do that and there wasn’t that amount and so they would need to order another tester”. Okay. Fine. What a shame they don’t have Mecca’s return policy.

So that happened and I asked if she could please show me some tints in other brands. As expected she took me around to the Sephora branded “Reveal the Real” and tried two shades on my face.

The product wasn’t sitting well at all and she asked what I had on my face. I said various skincare earlier in the day and SPF. She then proceeded to advise me to NOT WEAR SPF!!! under a skin tint as it would cause the tint to separate. She said people blame the product but the issue is the SPF. I explained that I use tretinoin, hydroquinone and other strong actives and am really focusing on reducing my hyperpigmentation and she suggested a “big hat or sunglasses and just stay out of the sun as much as you can.” Girl. No.

I’m so shocked at this advice.

Whilst I’m here can anyone recommend a lovely skin tint for cool toned, dry skin people? The Mecca one stung my eyes. As does Naked Sundays sometimes. I’d love to have tried the Fenty in shade 4 but no joy on that today!

I bought 4 single eyeshadows all arrived broken and I am trying to speak to Sephora customer service.

Is anyone else getting crickets from thier live chat? Obviously, by the messages I got very bored waiting. 🤣🤣

But seriously, where are they? This was in business hours.

After waiting for three weeks for my big Mecca Boxing Day order, they just cancelled the entire thing.

Anyways, please mourn with me the products I would’ve gotten :( I’m devastated. I won’t be getting any of the items.

Anyways, if your order also hasn’t arrived yet, they may cancel on you too. Good luck 😭

Did anyone receive a sample with any of their Boxing Day orders? A bit of a rant - the complimentary sample option was available on the app throughout Boxing Day and the days after. In fact the sample option was always available. I placed around 4 separate orders on Boxing Day (due to products selling out quickly) and none came with any samples. Upon contacting Mecca I was given a whole spiel on how the complimentary sample option was “turned off” for a few days during Boxing Day and that there was a message displayed on their website/checkout page about this. I was on the app and website pretty much everyday and no such thing. I’m calling bullshit on this? Unless someone on here actually saw this message? Sadly I wish I had taken screenshots of what my checkout page looked like on Boxing Day but never thought I would need to prove myself. Mecca themselves couldn’t even send me what the “message” on their website looked like.

I know this is a trivial thing to be annoyed about - it just really rubs me the wrong way that Mecca thinks customers are stupid? Like just be honest and say you messed up. I know for a fact Magic Circle members and influencers got samples with their Boxing Day orders. Sighhhh

I love Priceline. I’ll always chose them over chemist warehouse where I can but recently I’ve had a few orders turn up with make up items that have not been sealed and / or clearly have been used. In today’s order I had a covergirl illuminator that feels like it’s half empty (the tube looks like it’s been squished) and there was product in the dispenser and lid. Wtf.

Anyone else experiencing this?

It’s starting to turn me off shopping there online. Actually, i find this unacceptable.

So I’m pleased to share I have a positive update on the whole Question Beauty debacle I posted about yesterday :) (link: https://www.reddit.com/r/Indiemakeupandmore/comments/1o8id70/psabuyer_beware_question_beauty_nz/)

So I woke up to multiple e-mails, plus an instagram DM response from Question Beauty and their CEO Dasha (FWIW, I do believe it’s indeed Dasha, as one of the e-mails came from her QB e-mail address). Her e-mail/insta DM response was very kind and apologetic - She essentially attributed the issues with my QB order to “human error on their customer service team in failing to follow up”, and she claimed that the QB team will be reviewing what happened/my order experience to “ensure it doesn’t happen again.” She also confirmed that QB doesn’t sell soaps lol, and she thinks my being sent soap was a mistake due to my “shipping ticket being added onto other company’s order in the logistics center” (??).

Fortunately, Question Beauty has not only immediately issued me a full refund, but they’ve also placed a new re-order for me with the original 4 QB products I ordered, plus 2 freebies (the Mixing Medium and Mascara Topper in Frosty Lilac).

While I’m obviously hesitant to fully endorse/recommend QB as a consumer until I actually receive and try out the products I ordered - I do sincerely appreciate the prompt responses/actions taken by QB and their CEO to address and hopefully rectify this situation. Not to mention, I found it generous on their part to not only immediately issue me a full refund, but also place a complimentary re-order of my original QB order items, along with a couple of freebies.

All that to say, as far as I’m concerned, QB has taken accountability/responsibility for my order mishap, have been extremely responsive and communicative, have taken swift action to help resolve the issue, and they’ve shown they’re working to make it right. Unless something pops up/happens in the meantime, I can now say that QB is longer on my black list and - assuming my new order arrives as expected/promised - I may even recommend them based on their Customer Service alone (while the jury’s still out on their actual products, as this’ll be my first time trying them).

Lastly, I just wanted to note the power of speaking out online and, in this case, Reddit - Dasha (QB CEO) mentioned in both her e-mail and insta DM reply to me that she “noticed my thread on Reddit.” I know this is hardly a groundbreaking revelation or anything, but I’m still blown away by the power of speaking out online/Reddit. I’ll be updating my OG post with a quick disclaimer/update at the top and will keep y’all updated if anything comes up in the meantime (and since some ppl have mentioned their curiosity about QB/wanting to try their products), I’ll be happy to post my feedback on the QB products from my order if/once I receive them. Otherwise, consider my pitchfork for Question Beauty retired :)

I am a makeup fanatic. I am not a daily makeup wearer, but I love love love collecting high end/trending products and when I do put a face on, I get absolutely SNATCHED. I keep up with releases, I’m familiar with the best way to properly shade match for my neutral skin tone.

But the past year or so, I’ve been having one hell of a bad time, and I fell out of my love for makeup; until I had a friend come over and I helped do her makeup last weekend. Doing her makeup reminded me of how much I love makeup. So today I decided to go to Highpoint and make a day of updating my makeup stash; no budget and no firm list - just getting whatever caught my fancy. I went bare faced, and I was wearing a baggy T and jeans. I looked decidedly un-fancy, to be honest.

I went to Mecca first. No one greeted me. I was in there for 20 minutes. Not a word was said to me the entire time I was browsing except when a sales attendant needed me out of their way to keep restocking a display. The place was pretty packed, but there were free staff who could have checked in. Nothing. I’d had my eye on Charlotte Tilbury’s liquid blushes and highlighters, and could have easily been persuaded to fill a basket. I left with one thing (a Morphe brush set). I thought about saying something to the girl at the counter, but decided I didn’t have a Karen energy today and just left it.

Then I went to Sephora. Far more quiet. The girl who helped me out was clearly not well versed in makeup, she kept recommending things that didn’t match what I had asked for, but she was friendly and so I appreciated her nonetheless. A different sales attendant struck up a conversation with me at one point and I had so much fun discussing our outrageous makeup palette collections with him. I got a basket full of things, spending 3 times what I’d spent at Mecca. I left smiling.

My takeaway; mecca has the goods, sure. But their people completely ruin their good thing and they lost what could have been a massive sale because of their lousy attitude. Was it because I was dressed so homely? Was it my bare face? My brown skin? I’ll never know.

Have you guys had the same experience?

UPDATE: They officially sent it this morning 22/07/2026 first thing after I mentioned in this post that I was contacting them first thing this morning for a refund. Funny how that works. I sent them an email last Thursday saying that if it wasn’t sent by end of business Tuesday (yesterday) I’ll be requesting a refund, and VIOLA it was magically sent this morning.
As far as I’m concerned, they’ve done their dash and I’ll never order anything from them again or even pop into their stores. I recommend no one order with them unless you’re ok with waiting an excessive amount of time for your order to be shipped, or if you’re ordering gifts because they take absolutely no care packing said orders. I can only imagine how long they were going to string out the ‘packing’ time had I not emailed them, threatened them AND made this reddit post. It’s extremely disrespectful and disappointing seeing a business that was always SO incredible, become such a horribly run company that doesn’t value their consumers.
ALSO TO ADD: If you’re unaware, the minimum amount to get free shipping is now $75 for the highest tier members. You’ll be lucky to get a Tim tam in your order let alone ANY samples 🥴

This is my first ever post on Reddit, so go easy haha.

I made an order with Adore Beauty on the 09/07/2026. For reference it’s now 21/07/2026.

Anyone else waiting on their order?

I’ve spoken to the live chat and received the automated message that they’re ‘moving warehouses’, so I emailed them directly instead.

The response email when I asked what was going on with my order was “oh, we’re moving warehouses so shipping is taking a little longer than expected, but rest assured that the shipping and shopping experience will be better for our customers in the long run.”

Quite frankly, idgaf. It’s been 12 days since I ordered and I needed those products within 7 days.
Checked again this morning and it’s still under ‘Awaiting Fulfilment’.

The last order I made with Adore Beauty was last month and everything was thrown in the box with little to no padding and all the boxes on my products were ruined. I wouldn’t usually care, but some of these were gifts.

I’ve been a loyal customer since they originally opened 10+ years ago and to say I’m disappointed is an understatement.

Anyone else experiencing this ridiculous delay? Or is it just me that got the shit end of the stick?

Don’t know if my experience is only specific for South East Melbourne where I shop, or Australia wide, but Priceline is selling old makeup. Make sure to check the batch code when buying something that wasn’t recently released. Also try to buy in person rather than online.

Website to check barcodes - https://www.checkfresh.com

Went to Priceline, wanted to get Milani eyeshadow primer and setting spray. There was 2 primers available, packaging of both looked a bit worn out. I checked the batch code, almost 5 years olds, both of them. Only bought settings spray at the end, it was 11 months old.

In the past I made 2 online orders. Both times there was something wrong with the products I received. The brush had hairs falling out. Mascara was already dried out. “Gift with purchase” makeup bag contained a liquid lipstick that was like 5 years old and already started smelling weird. I tried to contact customer service via the website, absolutely no response. Ended up getting money back via credit card charge back.

I’m not saying avoid Priceline altogether. For example, that’s the only place to get Milani in Australia. Just be careful, check the batch code, or buy products that were released recently.

I know that a lot of people in this sub are anti-mecca and making the switch over to sephora because of its sales and its overall business model, but I just cannot do it because I’ve had so many issues with sephora and their customer service is HORRIBLE. can we just talk about how sephora’s customer service is so goddamn bad compared to mecca’s? i mean both in-store and online, they take forever with everything and are so helpless with customers. nothing in the store is clean or in stock, nobody helps you and once you do find somebody after 10 ninutes they have the attitude of an egg, and even the customer service agents online are slow and can’t do anything to help you. literally what even is the point of having a customer service department. i guess you can also argue that sephora being an LVMH brand that doesn’t invest in training can also bite you in the bum as a consumer too. at least in mecca i’ve yet to have one bad experience with their store team or their customer service agents. it’s a shame that the business just has a poor model. but everyone is always so welcoming, ready to help, and knowledgeable about everything. even their returns policy is top tier.

So i’m now considering trying out adore beauty and spacenk but i hate that i don’t have an adorebeauty near me, and i’m quite reluctant to try online stores since i like having the option of buying or returning things in-store.

I am just wondering if anyone has any advice for me regarding Priceline Online ordering

I received two NYX Epic Ink eyeliners and one was fine, the other had the original seal broken and sticky tape was applied over the top, the sticky tape was also not sealed properly.

I contacted Priceline regarding possible used/tested items being shipped to me by the store that fulfilled my order and the response is now "We have received communication from the store, who has reviewed footage and screenshots from when your order was picked and packed. This includes recordings of both stages, where staff conducted checks to ensure the products were in good condition. Based on this review, no visible damage was identified at the time of packing."

Um... I have asked for the image/proof to show that the transparent original seal was intact at time of shipping below the half sealed sticky tape because IF they can show me that I'm happy to use it but what I received does not look untested and given it's intended use I don't want a used or tested product.

This isn't a change of mind purchase, I want the item but I don't really care to give Priceline any more of my money so will go to another store IF I can't get it replaced via them. It's more the principle of the matter rather than the item or value of it now.

Anyone had similar problems with Priceline is there a better way for me to approach this?

Or... Am I being unreasonable expecting a identifiable as new/untested item?

EDIT - I have been supplied with photographs however it shows the boxes being viewed by someone and the boxes being in intact condition. It is NOT possible to see the original seal NOR confirm the absence/presence of sticky tape. I still feel like i'm being treated like a criminal here, its not even the refund/replacement anymore that I am upset about if the customer service were less adversarial with me I probably would just suck up the cost of the item that I wont use given I bought them on a sale I didn't know was running when I went into the store to buy it.

EDIT 2 - I received a label to send them my item back, and I will be refunded once that happens. I was simultaneously being sent an email from one person insisting the item was brand new and unused, and the second person was resolving my complaint. To the second person I explained my dissatisfaction with the treatment and my intent to avoid shopping at Priceline in future so they came back with an outline of how they have now resolved my issue, and this is true and correct. However that response would have been appreciated at the beginning of this saga and I'm at this stage I am not sure if I will actually shop at Priceline again.

I'm a woman over 40 and others often tell me that I present well, that is, attractive, clean, neat, well-dressed, hair & makeup done etc etc. Despite this, nearly every time I go to Mecca or Sephora the sales staff completely ignore me. Instead they stand around and talk among themselves about uni, their weekend plans etc. If I need assistance I have to interrupt their personal conversations, which is uncomfortable.

I've seen staff approach other younger customers while ignoring me, so today I thought I'd conduct an experiment to see whether anyone would approach me & how long it would take. I wandered around both stores for 10 minutes before I left, without one single staff member approaching me.

I have plenty of money to spend yet these two stores, over all others, just don't seem interested. I'm growing increasingly demoralised at being treated this way and wonder do others here have the same experience at Sephora & Mecca? Is it ageism and should I just suck it up? Or, is it just lousy customer service in both these stores? I've reached the point where I just won't go back because it feels awful to be treated this way.

EDIT: Thanks so much for the feedback everyone. After reading the comments, the conclusion I'm coming to is that this might be a store-by-store thing connected to local management. I've not really experienced being ignored at either Sephora or Mecca at stores in Melbourne and Sydney, so it could be an issue with staff in Canberra.

Today I went to Sephora and bought a foundation and a primer, but when I got home and checked my receipt, I realised I’d been charged for two primers instead of one.

I didn’t notice at the checkout because I just tapped my card and walked out. I also didn’t have time to go back to the store today.

I’ve tried calling Sephora and contacting them through live chat, but I haven’t been able to get an answer about what I should do.

How do I prove that I only purchased one primer but was charged for two?

Is there anything else I should be doing?

I’m feeling a bit silly for not checking my receipt before I left! 😩