Beauty behemoth Sephora has annoyed some of its Australian customers by blocking access to its US website - a move which stops people making price comparisons.
The global cosmetics retailer, which enjoys annual sales of more than $4 billion, began redirecting all Australian shoppers away from its US website ahead of the launch of its local one, which went live at 11am, Sydney-time, on Monday. 
Within hours its Facebook page for Australia was riddled with complaints. Many were incensed they could no longer compare prices.
"To ??? block our access to the US Sephora site so that we can't see how much you are ripping us off? Bloody hell, not a great start," one commenter, Kimberly O'Loughlin, said on the Facebook page.
???"You treat your customers like crap. 'Who cares? We'll make it expensive cause Australians will pay any price anyway'," wrote a poster named Alley Randell.
Another commenter, Natalie Waters, said: "Really, how dare you ... Until you allow access to at least view the US site, you won't get a cent from me."
The deluge of complaints echo the consumer fury that surrounded Sephora's Sydney Pitt St store opening last   December.
It went into damage control after a backlash over revelations it was flouting promises that it would not engage in price gouging.???
Some customers were worried that with the Australian website launch they may have lost VIB Rouge rewards program points.
"Blocking the US site is censorship! ... I am a VIB Rouge member and wish to access my account. ... I have many many rewards due to the thousands of dollars I spend in the US on regular business trips. I will also be contacting fair trading," wrote a commenter, Jinaya Dixon.
Others complained about the loss of access to the tens of thousands of product reviews on Sephora US website.
"The AU site has a fraction of the stock and none of the reviews or product information! I was so excited about Sephora coming to Aus and now I HATE it," commented Lisa Hudson.
"[I] can't even read any reviews. I am another one that feels insulted with this whole website launch and the US site blocking situation. Would we ever be able to use our VIB status and point at Sephora Australia?" asked Yim Burarak Vongchanh.
???Sephora Australia attempted to temper the fury with the promise it would work with the US site on the restriction problem and update customers with a possible resolution.
Sephora operates two standalone stores in Australia - on Pitt Street in the CBD and in Macquarie Shopping Centre at Macquarie Park.
In interviews with fashion and beauty publications ahead of the Australian website launch, Sephora's country manager Libby Amelia said all products would be sold in Australian dollars.
She said the online store would replicate the retail price of products in its bricks and mortar stores.
"Sephora.com.au will be tailored to the needs of the Australian consumer with localised content relevant to the brands that we carry, rolled out across all platforms," she told Harper's Bazaar.
Sephora - owned by leading luxury goods group LVMH Mo&euml;t Hennessy Louis Vuitton -  operates nearly 2000 stores in 29 countries. In   July, it announced it would be opening a shop in Melbourne's CBD.