SEPHORA — Attraction in Somerset

If I could give this Sephora location zero stars, I absolutely would. This was, without a doubt, the worst customer experience I’ve ever had. I’ve worked in sales and customer service for over five years, and I know what it means to treat people with basic respect. What happened to me was beyond unprofessional—it was discriminatory and humiliating.

I went in to purchase a perfume I’ve bought many times before. I didn’t think twice when I picked up the familiar box and paid nearly $200 for it. When I got home and opened it, I realized something was off—the perfume inside was the wrong scent and clearly not the one I purchased. It was already half empty.

I immediately returned to the store—within 30 minutes. I brought the receipt, the box, the plastic wrap—everything. I calmly explained the situation and said, “I think I was given the wrong perfume.” The staff confirmed it wasn’t the correct product inside the box, yet instead of taking accountability, they looked at me and asked, “Why is it half empty?”

As if I had done something wrong.

I told them I literally just unwrapped it. But rather than help, they refused to process a return. No apology, no attempt to resolve the issue—just cold, accusatory energy. It felt like they were suggesting I was trying to scam them. As if I was lying. I was stunned.

Then I was told to call customer service, which I did, only for customer service to say the store was responsible and had to take the item back. When I called the store again, the so-called manager claimed it was a “distribution issue” and there was “nothing they could do.” No solution. No ownership. Just gaslighting and dismissal.

Even worse, I offered to repurchase the perfume just to make things right and move on—but they still treated me like I was trying to pull some kind of scam. I felt racially profiled, judged, and completely disrespected. I also felt taken advantage of and dismissed as a young woman—spoken down to, ignored, and treated as if I wasn’t credible or deserving of help. It wasn’t just bad service—it was targeted, demeaning, and downright cruel.

I don’t take writing reviews like this lightly, but what I experienced was unacceptable. The staff refused to help, acted like I was a criminal, and made it clear they had no intention of doing their jobs with any integrity or compassion. As someone who has worked in customer-facing roles, I’m honestly appalled.

I’ll never return to this Sephora location again, and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. What happened was not just poor service—it felt like discrimination.

From now on, I’ve decided to purchase my perfumes exclusively from Chanel directly, rather than ever going through a third-party retailer again. Also, I have already sent an email to the service reviews. Looking forward to...

If you need a make-up artist ANTOINETTE is amazing! No matter what your skin tone, complexion, etc. Antoinette will fnd what's right for you. If you can't get Antoinette, then wait for her or, if you have to, get her to recommend someone. Moreover Antoinette doesn't try to push products, but recommends only ones that are going to give you the same effect as when she applied them on you in the store. Lastly, she is just a cool and free-spirited person, whose happiness spreads.

As I love beauty products, I have been to many Sephoras even the ones in Europe. This store is very clean with good lighting and organized displays. However, it does not carry some of the higher end products that are usually available at the Georgetown Store.

My last critique is for Sephora National. Why do I get my email notices later than the notices posted in the store? Also, I received a coupon for the month of July on 07/15. How can I have time to use it when it expires two weeks later? It would be super helpful, if 1) My local store sent me emails about store events 2) If my coupons could be electronically kept on file with the stores, so that when I go to the register, I am reminded about the coupon and asked if I want to use it. ( no more carrying paper coupons in my wallet or waiting to receive a...

Years ago, this Sephora was one of the best locations in the DMV area. I loved to shop there and spent most of my paycheck before I had it planning on what I was going to buy! The brand offerings were numerous and often times exclusive to this location. If it was a new beauty product, you could find it there! The staff were well trained, very enthusiastic, and offered a great customer experience. However, post pandemic, it's gotten hard to be able to exlipse the current shopping experience. Now, the key ingredients-- the individualized shopping experience, coupled with the accessibility to engaged staff (without prodding), making customers feel special, being proactive in helping speed up the shopping process, routinely/consistently checking the stock on the floor to eliminate the need for the customer to alert the staff-- are missing from the shopping experience. What happened? Is it corporate and the decisions being made regarding this location's bottom line? Is it a decrease in customers? Is it staff reluctant to work this location? A reassessment is...