J.Crew often promotes the ability to pre-order styles not yet available, but shown on their website (like in the J.Crew Collection flash presentation), by calling customer service at 866-739-5944. "Thanks!" to Julie who suggested a great post topic: "Pre-orders: Have Yours Worked or Not?" This is a great topic especially since many of you have been pre-ordering items from the new catalog (that just started becoming available).I have not yet pre-ordered an item from J.Crew. (I have been wait- listed many times, but I have not been on a pre-order list.) I would also love to know whether it is worth pre-ordering items beforehand. Do items come before they appear online? Do you prefer to pre-order over the phone or with a personal shopper? Are pre-orders traceable (in terms of progress and shipment) and is there a possibility of the order being canceled?
If you pre-ordered an item, please share with us your experience (e.g. what item, did it arrive, did it arrive on time)? Also, if you pre-ordered an item before, would you do it again?
I preordered a Maggie jacket. While I appreciated being able to order the item early, it bothered me that there are no tracking numbers or any way for you to trace the order. A few days after I preordered the Maggie, the jacket became available online. Just in case the preorder didn't work, I ordered online as well. The one I ordered online came a full week before my preorder arrived. But at least it arrived!
ReplyDeleteOh boy--you read my mind on this one ALexis. I pre-ordered the Cascading Floral Jacket a while back--when it first came on the collection web page and people mentioned it. I thought it was gorgeous and worth getting on the list. Hmm..now I see people have recv'd theirs and I haven't even a notice of anything! No confirmation that it is being processed/recv'd/order number, certainly no shipping notification. I am kinda doubting they even have the order or something along that line. Do I honestly need to call them up on a routine basis to follow this order that has no order number? It was written on paper and I know they had the order at one time because I called back and added another size so I could make a comparison. What's the point of pre-ordering? It is now on the site, I don't have mine, I gotta call them and have them put me on hold for 20 minutes while they shuffle through to see what is up with my order. Why is it on the web yet mine isn't in my hands any earlier than the average shopper can get online and order theirs? There just doesn't seem to be any added benefit. Hmmm...kinda like their credit card. What a joke. I won't do it again.
ReplyDeletecovert5,
ReplyDeleteI am having the exact same experience with my preorder for the same item. It would have been bettter to order it the day the item became available online instead of preordering! That is how I believe others to have received their jackets before we did.
I had a pre-order placed one time (not by MY choice), and will NEVER do it again. It was my Maggie Jacket...I called the morning they became available online, and apparently they hadn't notified the CS reps that the normal orders could be placed yet. She filled out a preorder for me, even though I could add it to my cart (say what?). Anyways, later that day as more and more Aficionadas commented about ordering their jackets from the website, I called back to inquire about my preorder and was told they could not find it...give me a BREAK!!! After an hour or more total on the phone that day, another order was placed from the website for the jacket. I received it on Tuesday (after ordering on Saturday). I was later billed AGAIN for the Maggie Preorder Jacket that was supposedly lost, and had to wait for days until the charge was removed from my CC after the second order was cancelled. Overall I think the whole preorder process is a complete mess, and shouldn't be offered at all.
ReplyDeleteGood morning everyone! Thanks for sharing your personal experiences. It sounds as though the "pre-order" of items isn't much of an option. ;)
ReplyDeleteI can't believe FFM that you got charged twice! I also find it weird that kitchy7's online order of the item arrived before the pre-order item ordered. Shouldn't pre-orders get fulfilled first? :)
This part of their new and improved automated system may not be fixed yet so they have to do it manually, and papers get easily lost. Why bother doing it at all.
ReplyDeleteAlexis, I got charged twice too on my presale order and two jackets got sent. Luckily, I was able to cancel the second item before it shipped but really-- if I hadn't happened to be online within 3 hours or so since the second confirmation of shipping appeared...I would have had to deal with two jackets and no stores nearby and a big hassle...Preordering should NOT be a hassle.
ReplyDeleteJCrew should not offer this service if orders cannot be processed correctly. I was just starting to feel a bit better since the website fiasco and now I am mad all over again. Time for a little break:)from JCrew...
ReplyDeleteAnon at 7:03 AM: I can't believe you got charged twice as well! What happens if you didn't catch the double charge- would J.Crew have? That makes me a bit nervous about pre-ordering too. :(
ReplyDeleteI am thinking the same thing as Anon at 6:51 AM and 7:05AM, maybe J.Crew should not offer this service until the issues (like multiple charging for an order, losing orders) is fixed. :)
Alexis, another good post. I preordered a couple of itms through my PS and both worked without a hitch. I think it may be more to deal with her than the J.Crew system. Does working with a human instead of the website give a promise of success?
ReplyDeleteWhen the sweaters arrived, yeah I know another sweater, they were great exactly like the pictures in the look book. Fit was spot on and I really like them and they were great value for the price.
Alexis,
ReplyDeleteI was under the assumption that preorders got filled before everyone else and this is definitely not the case. I preordered Nov. 1 and my jacket at still not shipped out on Nov. 8 and other people had been ordering the C. F. Astrid since the 6th. I had to call to see what was going on...it was a mess to say the least and not go into boring detail for everyone sakes. (i.e. I am getting tired of complaining myself!:)
Anon at 8:50 AM: I hope you are going to get CF Astrid! :)
ReplyDeleteAfter reading all these experiences, I am really surprised that the pre-order option has not been the most effective method of ordering an item. It sounds like waiting for the item to come online/in-stores is better. :)
JCrew Guy In Canada: In your case, I think it is your PS. She sounds a-m-a-z-i-n-g! I want one of her too! :)
Wow, after reading all the troubles others had with preorders I feel pretty good about the PS I have.
ReplyDeleteAlexis, I agree it must be her and yes she's wonderful; in fact I am so impressed with ehr I emailed Mickey singing her praises.
You & your PS JC guy . . .
ReplyDeleteJC guy in Canada: Just wondering who is your PS? I am looking for a good one for a long time and yet to find one. If possible could you give me her contact info? I don't have a b&m near me so it would be really helpful to a have a JC associate working for me. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteanonymous at 10:18. Funny that you ask about getting connected with her. Two coworkers aske dthe same thing. I emailed her about it and she actually connected them with someone else. I think she's in more of a supervisory role and thanks why she didn't take on new clients. Luckily for me I managed to get set up with her.
ReplyDeleteSorry I can't help you out. Try calling ina nd getting set up with one. My coworkers are very happy with the woman taking care of them. Her name is Elise.
JC guy in Canada: Hmm...I see. Thanks anyways.
ReplyDeletedid anyone preorder/order the Lacquered Crackle Jacket? Would love to hear a review. It seemed very limited production/ gone fast. Sort of hoping it might come into stores or return at some point but (shrugs), eh, just another jacket I guess. I originally thought it had a collar and was leather from the Collection photo!
ReplyDeleteRe: pre-orders, I ordered the Victoria ruffle stripe shirt and Victoria ruffle silk printed cami in Petite (only online) sizes and had no problems, other than not having an order number/ not being able to check on it. It showed up on my JC Card without any labels so I'd recommend writing down the day of the order for reference.
like FFM, I preordered a Maggie as well. When they couldn't find a tracking number (or anything) for it, I called in a second order (alongside a few other items) a few days later. The second order arrived within a week. The preorder is STILL missing. blah.
ReplyDeleteI would LOVE a review of the crackled laquard jacket if anyone has it or has seen it irl
ReplyDeleteI have to agree Elise is wonderful. She was very helpful when I placed my first order with her. Later I called and left her a message about purchasing a jacket. She called me back with the order "ready" and just confirmed the size and form of payment. She also sent me an email asking if I liked my jacket after it arrived. I was impressed - she was the only person from online/catalog who ever followed up...
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't bother. I did last season, but there's really no way to track and there is no advantages on preordering. It's not like most things are selling out that quickly.
ReplyDeleteAs a PS that regularly places preorders for clients, I would like to share my perspective. When new items become available, pieces are pulled to fulfill preorder requests (in the order they were received). It just takes a while for these preorders to ship out. Preordering is more like insurance. You may not necessarily be the first one to get the item with the preorder, but you are ensuring availability of the item. I guarantee that there are some people who ordered the cascading floral astrid jacket after the Nov.6 release and had their order canceled. This is because there are still outstanding preorders that have priority and they need to make sure these individuals get the item.
ReplyDeletePersonal Shopper,
ReplyDeleteI know there is someone on this blog that placed a preorder for a size 0 ivory on the first day the picture of the CF Astrid showed for preorder online. Hers was cancelled. Also, I know that others got the size 0 in ivory that did not place a preorder so this system does not work.
PS-IF only it worked like you are saying it did...we wouldn't have a need for this topic.
ReplyDeletepersonal shopper:
ReplyDeleteGee... you sound pretty proud that JCrew will CANCEL!!! other customers' orders in order to fulfill preorders.
Why on the earth accept orders more than you have in stock?
And why does it take longer to ship out preorders than shipping out new orders you just received? shouldn't that be prioritized better? Does it truly make sense to you?