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According to a class action lawsuit, Ulta Beauty Inc. has been caught reselling used cosmetic, hair and beauty products as well as outdated items.
Lead plaintiff Paula M. Ogurkiewicz alleges in her class action lawsuit that the chain of beauty product retail stores forces strict return quotas, prompting store employees to repackage returned and old items as new.
The Ulta class action lawsuit alleges that these practices expose unwitting consumers to diseases, such as E. coli or herpes.
Ogurkiewicz says that she and other consumers would not have purchased products from Ulta if they knew they were potentially buying used or expired items.
“The company’s marketing and advertising of its beauty products is false, deceptive and misleading to reasonable consumers who believe that they are purchasing new, unused and previously unopened cosmetics,” alleges the Ulta Beauty class action lawsuit.
This is not the first class action to hit Ulta over used makeup. Earlier this year, Ulta was hit with another class action lawsuit alleging the company directs employees to make returned, used cosmetics “look new,” but fails to sanitize them before putting them back on the shelves.
According to the Ulta cosmetics class action lawsuit, many Ulta customers participate in a loyalty program and are drawn to the company because of its liberal returns policy that allows products to be returned for any reason. However, this policy is coupled with pressure from Ulta on store managers to limit the used products that are returned – leading stores to put used products back on the shelf.
“Plaintiff has no way to distinguish between new beauty products, which she would be willing to purchase, and used beauty products, which she would not be willing to purchase,” according to the Ulta class action lawsuit.
Ogurkiewicz also alleges that Ulta markets expired products to consumers without their knowledge. Further, the retailer often deceptively markets free beauty products by providing coupons supposedly redeemable at all Ulta locations; however, the plaintiff alleges that the stores often have no knowledge of the promotions and do not have the “free” products to distribute.
“[S]uch promotions for ‘free’ Beauty Product were in fact deceptive marketing techniques designed to lure consumers into Ulta stores under false pretenses,” alleges the Ulta class action lawsuit.
The plaintiff seeks to represent a nationwide Class of consumers who purchased used or expired products from Ulta Beauty locations, as well as an Illinois subclass. The plaintiff alleges that Ulta’s reselling policy violates various Illinois state laws, including its Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act as well as its Salvage Warehouse Store Act. Ulta is also in breach of contract, according to the class action.
Ogurkiewicz is seeking damages, including actual and punitive, on behalf of herself and potential Class Members. She is also seeking a court order stopping Ulta from reselling used and expired products in its stores.
The plaintiff is represented by Louis C. Ludwig, Patrick V. Dahlstrom, Gustavo F. Bruckner and Samuel J. Adams of Pomerantz LLP.
The Ulta Beauty Repackaged Products Class Action Lawsuit is Paula M. Ogurkiewicz v. Ulta Beauty Inc., Case No. 2018-CH-03006, in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois.
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363 thoughts onUlta Class Action Accuses Company of Selling Used Beauty Products
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I go there at least once a month and I am a Platinum member. Please add me.
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I truly think this is true the reason I say this is because I had went into ULTA last month in March to pick up some things I was running out of when I walked in I had asked the cashier if they sold Morphe she said no I said okay thank you and she said but I happen to have a pallet right here do you want it so I looked at it and I said okay (never looked used) So I bought it and ever since than I have had a rash on both sides of my face which is now going down the side of my face. And yes I did return it and have stopped using that eye shadow.
I was a GM there for 16 years. I know first hand that this IS TRUE. We were reprimanded if our “shrink” was too high. Part of this was called “damages” we were told it was “the most controllable” part of loss in our business. Since we took everything back as a return, it was up to us to make sure we resell as much as possible. It made me sick and now that I am not obligated to protect my job anymore. It feels so good to come clean.
I use to purchase some of their products, till I opened a crème shadow and you could see the indent from fingers . I took it back and the me of trying it and then not liking it ,saying that it was me that was just making up a story and just wanted my money after trying it. I never tried it and I never got a refund for the used shadow . So add me on Robin Bolkovatz
I buy their products add me
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