Paula's Choice - amazing products, awful CS

[♥ms.pacman♥]

So i finally jumped on the Paula's Choice bandwagon... after seeing various Youtube experts recommend them for their clean skincare products. i know several here had recommended them. The products ive tried are amazing (moisturizer, toner, hylauronic acid). They do wonders for my skin which is very sensitive, especially in the winter months. I love how they don't have fragrances or irritants. That is probably my biggest beef with 99% of other skin care brands - fragrances and other junk (irritants, alcohol, essential oils) are thrown in and those things tend to worsen my rosacea and acne.


However, only a few weeks in and I'm finding the customer service and website are beyond TERRIBLE. Like god-awful. I thought it was just me, but searching on their FB page, seems like it's a persistent problem?

I went to place an order yesterday, after getting an emails letting me know of some promotions ( free eye gel and free sunscreen for $75 order) . however the website doesn't allow me to place an order!! I have tried on multiple browsers, multiple computers, several times for past 2 days...it gives me a bizarre "adyen" error which after googling is something apparently some error with the software they use for checkout. I tried to call today and find the customer support hours on weekdays 9am-2pm Pacific time. So for me that is basically 11am-5pm, only 6 hour of window i can call. I tried to call today and was on hold for a while before I gave up. I go to call again. And i keep getting emails today that today is the "last day" to get the eye gel promotion, that "i left something behind in my cart" but i guess i am gong to have to miss out, because i cannot place an order.


Has anyone else here had issues with their CS or website? Literally every other company i've bought from provides better customer service, whether it's via text, or chat filtered through bots, or SOMETHING, other than just a few hours each weekday, that require being put on hold for ridiculous periods of time. Website also needs major work too. I have had issues with websites having issues but never for this long and persistent that i cannot place an order. Also, the search on their website is crap. i literally got a sample for something (a tinted sunscreen) in my first order, liked it so much i went to go find it on the website to buy it, and it couldn't find it! bizarre. I searched 3 times with multiple parts of the name, and finally on the 3rd try i got it.

The other thing that scares me is after very brief search, multiple PC customers were getting random amounts (upwards of $250) being charged to their credit card..just totally out of the blue. And calling CS to reverse it was a huge hassle (because it is impossible to get a hold of anyone). That along with my issue leads me to believe they're not that great with storing customer info...

it's a shame though bc the skin products are really damn good. and i don't know of any dupes for the products i am using. I was about to place anohter $100 but their website won't let me.

[Tenasparkl]

Nordstrom carries their products and I think a saw a recent gift with purchase for them.

[AnnieW625]

I tried her products probably 17-18 years ago when they were still somewhat new and Paula was known as the Cosmetics Cop. They products did not agree with my skin (they BHA lotion everyone loves actually made my breakouts worse). But she does have a loyal legion of fans out there; including my sister. I had heard that the original Paula’s Choice company was sold to a new company a few years ago.

https://www.businessoffashion.com/am...t-beauty-brand

I would buy from another vendor, probably Nordstrom, Dermstore.com, Skinstore.com (I have been shopping with both of them for probably 20 years, they are legit and I have never had a CS issue). I would check QVC for probably bogo specials or gwp specials.

Here is a list of authorized vendors:
https://www.paulaschoice.com/who-we-...retailers.html

Good luck!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[♥ms.pacman♥]

thank you both! i should have thought to try to find the products at other retailers. i guess i was lured by the 15% sitewide plus the 2 free gifts, one which was a product i was looking to try

i checked QVC but they don't seem to carry their products anymore.
i did check nordstrom and i think i may buy some items from there. they don't have everything i was looking to purchase but the free gift with $75 purchase is tempting.

i found on amazon they had 3 of the items i was wanting with overnight shipping so that i got that. i don't get the 15% discount that the PC site offers nor the free gifts but at least it's a site that works decently! i was geting so frustrated with the paula's choice site.

[boilermakermom]

I have read about the terrible customer service online. I only use the 2% BHA, and I purchase it at Nordstrom or Amazon so I can avoid dealing with their CS.

[gatorsmom]

About 3-4 years ago I unscrewed a new tube of PC BHA lotion to find the inner seal was partially ripped off. This was one of 2 tubes I had purchased about 6 months before so it had been sitting on my shelf for several months before I went to use it for the first time. I called PC anyway, hoping they would send me a new tube and they did at no cost. I remember thinking at the time how impressed I was with their CS. However, that might have been before the company was purchased.

[94bruin]

I've been a loyal PC for years. I've read in one of my groups their CS has been understaffed during the pandemic. With that being said, I had an issue with a cleanser pump not working about one month ago. I contacted them and they sent out a whole new bottle of cleanser free of charge. I was only expecting a pump.

[twowhat?]

So i finally jumped on the Paula's Choice bandwagon... after seeing various Youtube experts recommend them for their clean skincare products. i know several here had recommended them. The products ive tried are amazing (moisturizer, toner, hylauronic acid).

Which hyaluronic acid do you get?? I remember someone on here posting that their dermatologist says all women really need at 40+ is sunscreen and hyaluronic acid (or something like that) so I need to up my game and add it to my regimen!

I use PC and haven't had trouble with ordering online before. I'd order from Nordstrom but they don't carry my favorite PC product - the lip balm - which I always order several of with whatever Black Friday deal they have, as stocking stuffers and to keep a pot virtually everywhere. And for which I'm becoming increasingly irritated that they won't offer in a stick form.

[mom2khj]

I was a huge fan years ago before anyone had heard of her and her products. Since she sold it, things have steadily gone downhill and I no longer use her products or rely on the site she used to run (beautypedia) for reviews.

I've switched completely to La Roche Posay products and highly recommend them. Bonus, you can get them at Target and Ulta.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

bumping this - i have a $100 worth of products in my cart due to the last day for a sale promotion, i click order and......i get an error. "Sorry, your order cannot be placed at this time. Please call 1800xxxx for assistance". Ugh.

I tried again today thinkning it was temporary site issue..and met with same error. WTF. i'm on vacation and don't have time to be call and be put on hold.

I've never had this much trouble ordering from a website. Their products are really good, one of the few that doesn'nt break me out, but damn. Their website sucks the big one. I feel like 50% of the time i try to order i run into problems and cannot place it unless i get a CS rep involved. That's a crappy track record!