GDPR forces Sephora to restrict European consumers buying from US website

Published: 30-Jul-2018

Many consumers in the Netherlands and UK appears to have 'lost' their VIB loyalty points after being redirected to the French website

Sephora has restricted consumers in the Netherlands and the UK from buying from the company’s US website.

Users have been redirected to the French Sephora site instead, but some have lost their VIB points.

The restriction occurred due to the implementation of the EU’s new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which requires that any company holding data on EU citizens cannot do so without their permission and must show it has gone to serious lengths to protect the data.

Sephora responded to concerned users on Twitter and posted: ”Due to recently enacted data privacy regulations, Sephora clients in the UK and Netherlands will now be directed to Sephora France’s website. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause!”

Many users were first alerted to the change by the Instagram account @fyi_beauty under the headline: “Hey @sephora, thanks for banning my entire country from accessing your website.”

The Sephora France website entails difficulties for users, said Jess, owner of the Instagram account. “[It] is very difficult to navigate, not to mention they don’t carry half the brands we love,” she told her 22,700 followers.

“Not only this, those who have spent thousands of pounds and reached VIB Rouge status have had their points/accounts revoked and are unable to redeem any points accumulated - all with no warning!”

Until now, UK buyers could have the full range of Sephora products delivered from the US to the UK, which suits consumers who cannot access a Sephora point of sale in the UK.

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