May 14, 2012

Sephora 3 Day Shipping Fabulous for Some, Bogus for Others

I hear a ton of people complain about the ship time with Sephora if they live on the West Coast but personally, I never had an issue.

It takes me about five days total to get my order. So if I order on Monday, it typically arrives by Thursday or Friday.

This is part of the reason that 3 Day Shipping is so bogus…!

If you order Monday it ships Tuesday and arrives by Friday. Big deal that’s how it was for me before anyway!

I guess some folks might think this is fabulous but if you live on the East Coast or just never had any issues with the regular Free Shipping Sephora offered you might feel this is completely a waste.

Now if I ordered on a Monday and it arrived on a Wednesday, that, would truly be cool.

Is Sephora’s 3 Day Shipping deal fabulous for you?

Or just bogus? To me it feels more like five days than three!

Do share!

58 Comments

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • Deb

    I live in the West and it is Major Bogus. That’s right, with a capital MB! Every single time it takes 2 or 3 days to “process” the order, another day to get it shipped and then I get it at the end of the 3 day shipping. I stopped doing it after the second time. I thought the first time was a fluke, but nooooo. BTW, why does it take Sephora so long to process an order? Where do they keep their stock? On another continent? Oh Muse, you got we all wound up with a Sephora post on a Monday morning 🙂

    • the Muse

      that sucks…that’s more like 7-8 days to get it deb…jeez. I imagine they are a bit like amazon and have warehouses in a few places..perhaps one in CA, one in NY? lol sorry!

  • K.B.

    I usually receive my order in 3 days (I’m in Florida); the issue is the length of time it takes for my order to actually ship. Sometimes it’s less than 12 hours later, sometimes it’s 2 days later. I never know what it’s going to be, although I’ve noticed that if Sephora has a sale going on (i.e. Friends and Family or VIB sales), it takes 2-3 days to ship, and then 3-4 days to get to me. What irritates me more is that it takes Sephora about 2 weeks to process my returns. What always made me scratch my head (before the “new” Sephora.com launched) was that free shipping was 3-5 business days, but 2nd day shipping was “within 3 business days.” What a deal! Not!

    (Can you tell I’m a Sephora addict? lol)

    • the Muse

      kb I understand your want about returns, sometimes mine take over 30 days 🙁

      • K.B.

        My most recent return took 2 1/2 weeks. I know that’s less than 30 days – I would lose my mind if I had to wait a month. I always panic that it got lost in the mail and now I’ll never get my money back and oh my God. Thankfully, my town is finally getting a real Sephora (as opposed to the Sephora within J.C. Penney’s) soon, so that’ll limit my online ordering.

        • the Muse

          I wait close to a month and a week to get returns :-/ It’s annoying as hell! plus I feel the same as you, “what if it got lost in the mail?”

  • Lisa

    I order and have it shipped to San Francisco. When I order on a Monday, it does not come until the Wednesday after the Wednesday of the week (sorry if it’s confusing) EVEN when they ship/process it by the day after! I actually think this 3-day makes it quicker because after processing, it arrives to San Francisco by Friday instead of waiting for an extra week 🙂

  • elizabeth

    I live in VA, and my orders always ship from MD so I normally receive them about 2 days after ordering. Once I actually received my order less than 48 hours later. So 3 day shipping is a total non-deal for me. Hopefully it will help those on the west coast get their orders faster though!

    • the Muse

      same here elizabeth, I don’t really see a ton of different so not a great deal for me :-/ I’d be all for 1 or 2 day shipping though ;-D

  • Linda

    It’s awesome for me. I’m I. California. Use to take 8-9 days from date of order and now it’s only 4-5

  • Boone

    Eh, as far as I’m concerned they can send it Pony Express, so long as it’s free. I love makeup, but there’s nothing Sephora sells that I can’t wait a few days (or a week) for.

  • Comrade Garlic

    Some of has do with when you order it. So if you order before 12 EST it seems to process either that day or the next. Also what you order plays a part. Nail polish, remover, perfumes and anything in an aerosol can is a hazmat item. That is not really specified on the website in an easy to find way.

    What bothers me is the lag between ordering and getting a shipping confirmation email. My last 4 orders I got my shipping confirmation after I received my items.

    • the Muse

      that happened to me several times comrade, I agree, annoying!

  • Brooke

    I live in Missouri and it’s really random when I receive it. Sometimes it is 3, but it can also be 4-5 and it doesn’t seem to depend on the day or amount of items, it’s just random. That’s why I usually try to purchase in the store unless I want an online only promo or something. I’m also EXTREMELY unhappy with the return process. I returned an item last September (2011) and I have called every month because I haven’t received a notification for reimbursement. The only thing they tell me is “well sometimes it does take a while to process”. They can’t verify if they have received it or anything. Granted, the USPS may have lost it somewhere and it was only like $12, but it still grinds my gears because I spend so much money there that they can’t even give me any information! I will never return an item by mail again!

    • the Muse

      same here brooke…I used to call b/c I was paranoid now I just let it run it’s course now b/c they aren’t helpful at all with returns so I just have to patiently wait. :-/

    • RC

      Bogus!…I just order my makeup on the 27th and delivery will be on 9/2. 3 day shipping is really nothing. I was hoping I would get it by sat. I’ve learned my lesson. Drive an hour to the Round Rock Mall to stock up rather than order it.

  • Jenn

    I actually like it a lot…I live near San Francisco and if I use regular shipping it takes at least 2 weeks to get a package from Sephora, with 3 day my package is usually shipped out the next day and gets to me 3 days after…so while *technically* it’s not 3 day’s from purchase, for me it is 3 days since shipped.

  • Tammie

    I haven’t ordered online yet (trying to be good and usually I can get these things at my mall) but I am near San Francisco so I think that the 3-day shipping will be helpful in the future…before I thought Sephora took a long as heck time to ship.

    Now Nordstrom needs to do the same.

  • KristyQ

    Too bad they didn’t cut the delivery time for Canadian orders too, although it sounds like most people in the US aren’t getting their orders any faster. I placed an order on April 28th and it was shipped 2 business days later….but didn’t reach the border until May 8th! Now it’s in transit via Canada Post, so I’m not expecting it until the end of this week. This is on par with all orders from Sephora – takes about 3 full weeks! 🙁

    • Nat

      Yeah, getting packages shipped from the states up here to B.C. sucks. I’m actually having stuff shipped to my hotel when I visit San Fran later this month, lol. 🙂

    • Kate

      I’m right on the Ontario/Michigan border and all my Sephora orders take at least 2 weeks to get here, usually 3 🙁 I wish it didn’t take so long for us Canadians to get our orders, we are already paying more money for the proucts to begin with…

  • Sydney

    I had the same issue with the 3 day shipping, and I’m on the East Coast. It took them at least 2 days to process the order, and the order status was not kept up to date throughout shipping. I’m glad you posted this. I was wondering if other people were getting frustrated by this.

    • the Muse

      seems pointless to me…they pimp out three day shipping like I should be excited about it, it’s still a week to get the items..meh burp! ;-/

  • Susan K

    I live about 30 min from Sephora warehouse so my orders never take more than 2 days, max

  • Em

    The same thing happens to me and I’m on the East coast. It’s not as bad as Urban Decay and Nyx though, where if you’re an East coaster you’re waiting a week and over potentially.

    The good thing is that MAC is nearly always a two day wait for me. The longest I’ve had to wait for an order is four days and that was because I ordered on a friday.

    • the Muse

      nyx and ud are awful em, agreed…! I wait ages for a packaging from them. NYX is particularly bad as they take a while to process an order so feels like close to two weeks before it arrives.

  • TK

    I live in Maryland and apparently the warehouse that sephora ships out of is only 40 minutes away. So I pretty much get my order the day it ships. So usually it’s one day for packing and one day for shipping. I end up getting my order in one or two days typically. I was talking to my mother about how the three day shipping is essentially useless to us.

  • Polly

    I live in the Pacific Northwest and placed an order last Tuesday evening and it came Friday morning! I was rather surprised but the three day shipping seems to work out well on the West coast!

  • Andrea

    i work at sephora and even i dont know why shipping is so weird sometimes lol.

  • Lauren

    I’m actually looking forward to ordering something now. With the old shipping, it was usually at least 10 days before I got my package, since I live in a rural area of Washington and the stuff was shipped from Maryland. Plus, the boxes were crushed/ripped/tape pulled off, etc. I had to return a Benefit cream shadow because the lid was shattered, and I still don’t know how USPS managed that. I had to just stop ordering online, even though the closest store is 6 hours away, because I was so frustrated. 10+ days for delivery, and then have it likely arrive damaged? No thanks.

  • Joy

    Damn you, Sephora. Lies, all lies!

    I placed my order on Monday but apparently I wont receive my package until this upcoming Monday. Sure, my math might occasionally be lacking; however, I’m 100% certain that Monday – Monday is NOT 3-day shipping. =(

    Oh how the wait is killing me. I’m dying to try the new “Izak Satin Kiss Twin Lipstick”. Cute packaging + awesome shades + 2 for 1?? = major swoon.

  • K.B.

    I don’t know if anyone’s still checking on this post, but I just thought that I’d mention that I placed an order at the crack of dawn on Friday (I’m talking before 6 a.m.), received the shipment notification on Saturday (I don’t know why they do that, considering it’s obviously not going to go anywhere until Monday), and then my arrival time was finally posted on the UPS website — Thursday. THURSDAY. Almost a week after I placed my order. I’m so annoyed.

    • the Muse

      ugh kb just ugh but doesn’t surprise me at all…east or west coast?

  • AIlene

    I ordered through Sephora for the first time on Sunday July 22nd. I didn’t receive the package until Monday July 30th (3 day my ass!) Anyway, the foundation I ordered was the wrong color and I take it back to my local Sephora (didn’t know we had one) and they don’t carry that foundation there! So pissed. Looks like round two of BS “3” day shipping. Oh, and I looked at the tracking of that package and it made no sense at all.

    Palm Springs, CA, United States 08/01/2012 2:49 P.M. Delivered
    08/01/2012 8:49 A.M. Out For Delivery
    08/01/2012 5:55 A.M. Arrival Scan
    Vernon, CA, United States 08/01/2012 3:42 A.M. Departure Scan
    08/01/2012 12:50 A.M. Arrival Scan
    Ontario, CA, United States 07/31/2012 10:36 P.M. Departure Scan
    Palm Springs, CA, United States 07/30/2012 3:24 P.M. Delivered
    07/30/2012 7:34 A.M. Out For Delivery
    Philadelphia, PA, United States 07/28/2012 7:45 P.M. Departure Scan
    Philadelphia, PA, United States 07/27/2012 11:31 P.M. Arrival Scan
    Baltimore, MD, United States 07/27/2012 9:18 P.M. Departure Scan
    Ontario, CA, United States 07/27/2012 4:40 A.M. Arrival Scan
    Rockford, IL, United States 07/27/2012 2:56 A.M. Departure Scan
    Rockford, IL, United States 07/26/2012 11:49 P.M. Arrival Scan
    Hapeville, GA, United States 07/26/2012 10:41 P.M. Departure Scan
    07/26/2012 4:32 A.M. Arrival Scan
    Philadelphia, PA, United States 07/26/2012 2:56 A.M. Departure Scan
    Philadelphia, PA, United States 07/25/2012 11:41 P.M. Arrival Scan
    Baltimore, MD, United States 07/25/2012 9:23 P.M. Departure Scan
    07/25/2012 4:14 P.M. Origin Scan
    United States 07/25/2012 11:49 A.M. Order Processed: Ready for UPS

    How the hell is it in Rockford Ill and then in Ontario CA within a couple of hours and then BACK to Baltimore??? Even the shipping details lie.

  • Lindsie

    Absolutely bogus! I live on the west coast and it takes just as long as it used to to receive my order.

  • Wendy Nichols

    This post is old so not sure if this issue has cleared up at all. I just ordered last evening, Friday…hope it arrives within 3 days! Yes, they are still pimping out the 3-day shipping; this time for $50.00 worth of stuff & Free Shipping. I’m in PA. We’ll see…but I’m not holding my breath. 😀

  • miz_riz_

    If you do some more snooping around on the Sephora website you’ll find that they actually give longer shipping arrival estimates for the West Coast than for the East Coast. This is because their US offices are based out of New York, and I’m pretty sure because of this they have less distributors towards the West Coast, meaning that shipping will always take longer going to the West Coast. Sorry if this is a letdown, but I live on the East Coast and my packages almost always come within the three BUSINESS DAY window. Keep in mind, if you order on a Friday or Saturday, your package won’t be shipped until Monday at the earliest, because many companies don’t consider Saturday to be a business day (as displayed in the chart on the top of the page). Hope this helps!

  • Andi

    I greatly dislike that Sephora advertises and claims that they do 3 day shipping, when I have not once got my order in 3 days. It is more like 5 day shipping and it is totally bogus that they say 3 days when it never is, especially if you order on a Monday!

  • Kris

    I was on a trip and forgot my murad facial lotion, so I thpught I could just order it at sephora. But: no delivery to hotels. Oh yes thank you sephora for your help. Won’t buy anything there anymore.

  • Andrea

    I know this is an old post but I just had to comment because this kind of stunt annoys me. Sephora is not the only place that dangles this 3-day shipping bait in front of customers only to send the package a week later. I was on a Amazon buying kick last year. I decided to sign up for their Prime program to get free 2-day shipping on a new iPod. I ordered on a Monday and they took about two days to “process” the order. Then they sent an email confirmation estimating anywhere for 2 to 4 days for delivery. Excuse me? How is that 2-day shipping? I think I got my iPod a week later via some complicated process of going through FedEx and then USPS. That also happened to me when I really wanted a book (or whatever) and chose overnight or 2-day. They drag their feet during the “processing” phase and use some convoluted shipping process so it’s basically the same wait time. That’s when I learned to save my money and try to have patience. If I want something badly, I go to the store and get it.

    Sephora does the same thing. I wouldn’t call it a bait and switch per se but it’s rather dishonest. Let’s be real, most people see that “free 3-day shipping!” and are more inclined to buy because they think they’ll have their makeup in their mits in three short days. Nope and nope.

  • Victoria Clare

    I hear ya ladies! Here in NOLA. Dreaming of a contoured and beautiful face. I ordered the Estée Lauder Over Night Serum, Josie Maran Argan Oil, and some contouring brushes. (Had to order my Anastasia of Beverly Hills Contouring Set from her site since it is NEVER in stock on Sephora–this of course will not arrive for over a week due to FedEx being the Pony Express) Any-who! It has been 3 days the only thing that has happened? My order has been sent to the warehouse… What the huh!? That doesn’t make sense! 3 day shipping Bogus in NOLA! I shouldn’t be such a hermit. I should have just driven to the mall only 20 mins max away and bought the products in store. But I felt fun and wild ordering through the mail! Like most girls I love surprise makeup… but I don’t want to wait over a week when I have been told only 3 days!

    The absolutely do this to suck you in and I agree with the above post- it’s dishonest and absolutely was the reason I purchased online!

  • Cindy

    How long will it take for a package to arrive if I live in Hialeah,Florida.

  • Gema

    Hello there! I’m a Spanish girl who have a friend visiting NY. I have ordered to sephora few hours ago.. Will it arrive to the hotel where she is staying at time? (She’s leaving on Tuesday and today is Thursday) Fingers crossed..
    If not.. I guess I’ll have to talk with the hotel in order to ask them to send the package to Spain.. But it will cost a lot of money.. Ehm.. Guess what? I’m just terrified.. 🙁

    • Isabella Muse

      Hi Gema, maybe contact Sephora directly and ask them if it’ll be there on time. I can’t confirm a shipment to a hotel unfortunately, I’m not really sure when it’ll arrive…you might want to ask them directly as that’s where you ordered from., Give the 800 number a call perhaps? Hope this helps!

  • mvp

    Im so surprised that so many ppl have issues with the 3 day shipment, i live in Michigan.. depending on what time I order, I can honestly say I never had a problem!!! Except the 1 time I placed an order on christmas day and it took 4 to 5 days but I think that was due to the holiday hours.

  • Alyssa

    3 day shipping is bogus. It has to be five days. I ordered on a Saturday and it said my order would be here by Tuesday, it is Wednesday and did not come with the mail.

  • Makenzi E.

    Ugh this is day 5 of waiting for my order to actually ship. It’s status has been “in progress” for five days.

    • Mandi

      I’m going through the same issue right now. I contacted CS, no real answer as to why. No real trying to make it right. Sucks, I feel like they are just holding my money, and this was a GIANT order for me (hundreds).

  • A

    I live on the West Coast and it’s total bogus. I’m ordering on a Sunday afternoon with “Free 3-Day shipping” and it’s estimated arrival time… Monday or Tuesday… of the following week! It could be 10 days (6-7 business days) before I see it… Annoying that they are not actually held accountable by what they advertise by…. this is completely fraud.

    • A

      Same person, just an edit…. I’ve been VIP Rouge status for over two years and always buy online. For the West Coast, they NEVER honor the 2-day/3-day shipping… my orders are always way later. And at least Amazon Prime offers accountability when items are shipped outside the prime window (free prime for a month, etc.). Sephora does absolutely nothing…

    • Isabella Muse

      likewise, takes near a week to get stuff for me too and I’m on the East Coast!

  • Mandi

    I ordered last Saturday, and here it is Thursday and my order is still processing..Hasn’t even shipped. I live in Ohio. No excuse for this. I should also add that I am a Rouge member with flash shipping which obviously means absolutely nothing.

    • Isabella Muse

      sorry Mandi! :-/ I don’t get the 3 day shipping thing at all!

  • Daelynne Marsh

    I placed an order at Sephora on the 9th of November. Today, the 16th it’s FINALLY said it shipped. They said on the website there would be delays do to high volume, but it said a 3 to 4 days delay. Was actually a week. Hoping it only takes 3 days now that it’s shipped!

  • Chainlink700rt

    It’s not just your business that misled the general public into believing this tradition, but every business large or small seems to take advantage of the consumer by claiming 3 day shipping.
    I made a order last week, and it’s still not here. If a business says 3 day shipping, and you pay extra… shouldn’t the business take into consideration that it’s been payed for and it needs to be shipped. Let me guess…