I decided to pre-order some stuff online from MAC‘s upcoming Holiday Collection when I was redirected to MAC Middle East and had to choose from the the drop-down list of countries (Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates). I tried to work my way back to the regular MAC website but that was a fail, since I’m obviously not computer-savvy. Why, MAC, why? I’ve been a loyal customer for years; I practically bleed MAC (okay, maybe not…), but I’ve always favored MAC (even over Sephora!) and this, this is the thanks I get? What exactly is the point of having a Middle East website if it’s just going to be a lesser copy (because as per usual, the Middle East version isn’t going to get updated regularly) of the original MAC website? Especially, since it’s kind of, you know, missing the whole SHOPPING ONLINE option. Imagine if you went to Amazon.com and were only able to see the products and read their descriptions but weren’t given the option to purchase anything. I say again, what’s the point?

This would be a non-issue if MAC stores in Kuwait were actually organized but they’re really not. The way they run things is a mess. As a self-proclaimed MAC-a-holic, I would know. Promising to contact you a day before a new collection is released in-store (because even they supposedly aren’t told until the last minute) they will ask for your name and number and write it down in a book, a book! I mean… in this day and age? What happens when the new collection is available for purchase in-store? The people at MAC will send a mass text, working their way through the book backwards (as in the last person who had their contact info written in that book will get texted first). Sometimes, your name will just get skipped over, randomly. No rhyme or reason behind it. No maliciousness, or ill-intent either. It just happens, randomly. Here’s the kicker, once the book gets filled, they just get a new book (contacts in the old book already forgotten) and you have to start the whole process all over again. I’ve left my name and number in the same book at least three times already and still they managed to leave me out. Surely, there must be a more efficient way. Best of all, sometimes they’ll forgo the mass forwards if the collection is really popular and is sure to be sold out on the first day. Last but not least, a lot of items ranging from the permanent to pro products and even the limited edition stuff, never make it to Kuwait (for whatever reason). This whole paragraph is basically the reason why I used to stalk MAC stores in Kuwait (I’d call and call and visit every other day for weeks, until one day I’d show up and they’d be all like “Sorry, sold out yesterday”), until I just decided to save myself a lot of time, effort, and in some cases money, by just purchasing from the online MAC store (based in the U.S.)… and now that option is gone too -_-

Not to read too much into this but first it was Ulta.com, then Cherryculture.com, then Beauty.com and Drugstore.com and now Maccosmetics.com has joined that list. All I can say is shame, shame, shame (and if I had a little bell, I’d be ringing it in the general vicinity of MAC as well).