Before you buy your next round of beauty products, one woman has a caution about checking the return policy carefully.
A Loveland, Ohio woman just spent hundreds of dollars on pricey cosmetics, then learned she couldn't return it, even though she never opened the jar.
Sales people lure shoppers with free samples
Teresa Tipton says she had just arrived at the mall for a day of shopping at the Kenwood Towne Center.
As she walked by a cosmetics store, she says a woman approached her with a free sample.
"They put the cream on your face, give you a talk, it's all wonderful," Tipton said.
She says the woman talked her into buying two tubes of expensive wrinkle reducing cream and serum, retailing for over $900.
But just for her, the saleswoman said she would sell it for half price. "Don't tell my manager, it's just from me today," Tipton claims the woman told her.
So Tipton put $395 on her credit card and left. But once outside the mall, she got a queasy feeling.
"I got to wondering and got out to the car and said that's an awful lot of money, just for something," she said.
So she went back inside the mall to return it. That's when she was stunned to learn she was stuck with it.
"I said I just purchased this, I haven't even taken it out of the bag, and I just left the mall," Tipton said. "But she told me sorry there's no refund, no return on it."
Surprise! No returns
With some cosmetics retailers, there are two reasons you may not be able to return it.
One is if you open the bottle and use it. The other, which is what apparently happened to Tipton, is if that item happened to be on sale.
"They pulled out the receipt in the bag and it was printed really, really tiny: it said 'No refunds on sale items.' And I said you didn't tell me it was a sale item!"
Tipton insists the sales woman never explained she was buying a non-refundable sale item, telling her it was just a one-time special deal for her.
We checked the store and it appears everything they did was according to state law. A sign by the register said "no refunds on sale items."
Tipton says she now just wants other women to ask questions when purchasing expensive beauty products. "I am mad at myself," she said.
The store manager, however, told us if Tipton contacts him directly, he will see what he can do for her.
We are not naming the store because they have done nothing wrong under the law. But this is a buyer beware to anyone buying mall cosmetics, so you don't get stuck and you don't waste your money.
____________________
Don't Waste Your Money" is a registered trademark of Scripps Media, Inc. ("Scripps").
Like" John Matarese Money on Facebook
Follow John on Twitter (@JohnMatarese)
For more consumer news and money saving advice, go to www.dontwasteyourmoney.com
