Hmm. Maybe I'm an asshole then when it comes to returns. Hahaha!
I only buy MAC at Nordstrom because of their excellent return policy. I feel like I pretty much return at least one thing from every collection I buy, but I do tend to buy LOTS from each collection. In fact, I just bought 2 MSFs, 3 lipsticks, 2 lipglasses, and 2 blushes from FoF. Usually, I only return one or two things if I buy that much, but because MAC wanted to be so hush-hush about FoF and not provide ANY blogger samples, I'm returning EVERYTHING but a lipstick & a lipglass. That makes me sad & upset because it didn't have to be this way. No skin off my back though! Nordie's will take it back! (If anybody wants anything, PM me to see if I have it. I haven't returned yet & I honestly hate doing that, but I need my money back for stuff I'm not using, and since MAC restocked lots of FoF last night, I think I missed my chance to pass these on to someone who didn't already have them.)
I don't buy things intending to return them though. They don't seem to do blogger samples anymore, and that's their prerogative, but they keep up these super limited releases. So if I actually want something, I have to buy sight unseen as soon as its released. I am also a WOC, and even when there are blog/IG swatches, they're rarely on a WOC, let alone one with my skintone. So. Either I don't buy at release & pay 2x retail on the secondary market once swatches are posted, or I buy what I'm interested in & return what doesn't work. OR I just live without altogether. Only one of these things results in MAC getting my money. If I can't return, I'll buy FAR less or nothing at all, so that's a losing proposition for them.
As far as I'm concerned, if MAC wants to play, I'll play the game right back. I feel like my returns tell Nordstrom that MAC is doing something wrong, and Nordstrom has the supply chain power to get MAC to change their ways OR charge all those returns right back to them. It's obvious that MAC operates on a bottom-line principle. And as a profitable company, they should, but a bottom-line is meaningless when you have bad PR, and as much as I love MAC, I feel like their PR is getting worse & worse.
If their problem is counterfeiters, maybe they should stop releasing collections in unattainable sell-out quantities. They're the manufacturer, they control their supply chain. I don't need something to be available for all eternity, but if I only get two shots at a product before it's gone forever, why WOULDN'T someone take advantage of the supply & demand situation that MAC created themselves? The other day, someone in a FB group asked about good MAC lippies for WOC. Nobody could answer without a string of LE or discontinued products. How does that help someone new to the brand? I'm in a couple of nail polish groups too & people complain to high heaven about resellers, eBayers, inflated prices, etc, and all I can tell them is "If this has you so upset, please, don't get into MAC makeup because it is INFINITELY worse." Makeup is more fun when you can share it, and MAC is becoming less and less shareable. Hype is up & hype gets people talking, and that's cool, but hype only lasts so long when you can't rely on the company to provide a reasonable supply, consistent products, and good customer service.
