I've been a longtime Ulta customer, but the experience my 17-year-old stepdaughter had at this location was extremely disappointing. She tried to use a $25 gift card she received for her birthday, and a seasonal employee (logged in under someone else's ID) mishandled the card and destroyed the barcode. She was then told she had to pay out of pocket for her items. As a minor, she was embarrassed and confused, and this completely ruined what should have been a simple birthday shopping trip.
I contacted the store, and the manager reviewed the video footage and confirmed the employee error. However, she said the store could not make it right and directed me to Ulta Corporate.
Corporate still has not resolved the issue. They required excessive verification even though the store had already confirmed the mistake on video. Their follow-up contained visible AI placeholders, which made it clear my complaint wasn't actually read. My stepdaughter still has not been refunded, she has no replacement gift card, and no goodwill gesture has been offered.
As a small business owner and senior PR professional, I understand how critical proper service recovery is. This has been the opposite. My stepdaughter had to spend her own money because of an Ulta employee's mistake, and despite multiple escalations, we still have no meaningful response.
Because this issue involves a minor, confirmed employee mishandling, and a lack of resolution after several attempts, I have now filed formal complaints with both the Better Business Bureau and the Arizona Attorney General.
I hope Ulta addresses the training issues at this location and improves their customer service processes, especially for younger customers who rely on staff to guide them. read more