Ulta sends emails with fake sale deadlines, a new class action lawsuit alleges

Abriel Sears and Faith Taylor filed a class action lawsuit against Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance Inc. on Aug. 18, 2026, in Marion Superior Court 1 in Marion County, Indiana.

The complaint claims the beauty retailer sent Indiana shoppers marketing emails with subject lines advertising nonexistent deadlines.

The alleged messages

Ulta emails consumers roughly three times per day and has sent at least 400 emails a year since 2021, the proposed class action claims.

On March 27, 2025, Ulta reportedly sent an email with a subject line saying, "LAST DAY! 50% off Beauty Steals." The next morning, Ulta announced a "BONUS DAY" extending the same sale, the complaint alleges.

The filing claims Ulta sent similar emails in 2023 and 2024. Additionally, February 2025 email told shoppers a $10 discount ended at midnight, but a message the next day said the offer would run five more days, the lawsuit states.

Taylor says she received several Ulta emails at a personal address, including the March 27 message and a Nov. 4, 2023, message announced the last day of a makeup sale that allegedly ran again a week later. Sears says she received two messages sent Nov. 2, 2024.

The plaintiffs cite the Federal Trade Commission's term "false limited time message," which the agency defines as pressure to buy by a deadline that either does not exist or resets.

What Indiana shoppers can expect

The proposed class covers Indiana residents who received an Ulta commercial email whose subject line allegedly misrepresented a sale, deal or promotion during the six years before filing.

As of this writing, Ulta has not answered the complaint and no court has ruled on the allegations. There is no claims process or payout at this stage.