Ulta's "Rewards" Program?

In Mid-July, I went into Ulta for the very first time. The woman there, though extremely vague about what it offered, encouraged me to sign up for their rewards program. So I did. And since then, I've been to Ulta countless times and have spent several hundreds of dollars in their store. All in just a couple months.

I had yet to be rewarded as a member for my purchases. As I previously mentioned, the employee was not clear on how the program works; and the website claims that with every dollar spent, you earn "fabulous rewards". I've dished out nearly a grand at Ulta in a little over two months without reaping one reward.

Then, yesterday, I received an Ulta October Sale catalog in the mail. Attached to the front cover is a $5 off coupon, for any purchase of $10 or more. I was pretty excited to finally be rewarded for being a member. Then, I read the fine print, which states that the coupon excludes ANY fragrance, prestige cosmetics/skincare, and artistry hair brands. I don't know about you, but I surely don't drive a half-hour to Ulta for products I could find at my local Rite Aid. It's a specialty beauty store, you'd think that this coupon would service the products that most of us do go to Ulta for.

Now, I understand that a rewards program is a BONUS, and I appreciate the generosity manifested in this coupon. But, I personally find this rewards program useless. I've been a Sephora "insider" for a little over a month and have already been rewarded. Have any of you benefited from Ulta's program? I'm not angered or upset by any means, I just don't see the purpose in offering a rewards program only to fail at actually rewarding members.