As mentioned in the September 8th "News About J.Crew's Return Policy" post (which displays the original return policy), J.Crew recently changed their return policy."Thanks!" to many of you, including mimi.magnolia (in this post), who let us know that J.Crew's website explains the new parameters for returns (also found here):
Quality is our highest priority. Always has been, always will be.I am curious if J.Crew's store associates have been alerting customers to the new change. Hopefully they are. :)
our guarantee
We guarantee our merchandise to be free of manufacturing defects and will accept any defective item for refund or exchange.
All in-store returns/exchanges in accordance with this policy for purchases paid for by cash or check require a government-issued photo ID.
retail store purchases
J.Crew gladly accepts returns of unworn, unwashed, undamaged or defective merchandise purchased in our retail stores for full refund or exchange within 30 days of original purchase. Requests for refund or exchange of merchandise purchased by cash or check must be accompanied by the original receipt. Refunds will be made in the form of the original payment.
telephone and internet purchases
J.Crew gladly accepts returns of unworn, unwashed, undamaged or defective merchandise purchased by phone or online for full refund or exchange within 60 days of original purchase. Requests for refund or exchange of merchandise purchased by check must be accompanied by the original receipt. Refunds will be made in the form of the original payment.
What are your thoughts on this latest change? Did you know about this change? Will this have an impact on your future orders?
So after I saw that the policy was changing I looked at a bunch of my receipts. Unlike 100% of my other receipts, these say "for our merchandise return policy, go to www.jcrew.com". I find it hard to believe this meets state consumer protection laws (what about customers without internet)and it struck me as odd. I haven't looked at ALL my receipts so it occurred to me that maybe they started doing this when they knew their policy would be changing. Seems very odd.
ReplyDeleteI am so not over this 30 day thing, but I feel helpless to even fret about it. Welcome to the new age of consumerism, where returning an item is a privilege, even if you have a receipt.
ReplyDeleteMargaret, very adept point. With that on the receipt, there is no indication of the terms of sale *at the time of sale*.
OT, new items added to FS; jacquard pebble skirt, merino silvana cardigan among others.
ReplyDeleteAlso, merino moto cardi now on promo for 79.50.
This won't change my purchasing from the store; I agree with heidi that (post-glitch fix) final sale has changed my purchasing. For example, I am interested in the merino silvana cardigan, but i am between sizes on cardigans right now so I am not chancing it. And it was not worth it for me to buy at full price.
Cass, thanks for sharing. What is the most efficient way to view what is newly added to promo? Do you just remember the numbers? Do they always put the newest ones at the "top" of the page? (When you click on final sale-women's-sweaters, for example, are the newest sweater additions always at the top?)
ReplyDeleteMeow, the promo stuff just shows up with the new red price under the regular price in the regular category sections.
ReplyDeleteAs for final sale, there is no way to search by new additions, but i happened to remember that these items weren't there earlier this week and just noticed them there.
Hi Meow - there is no rhyme or reason (from what I can tell) to know which are new additions to final sale. They're all over the place.
ReplyDeleteMargaret makes a good point - "see our website" just seems too vague. I don't purchase much from the B&M so I don't know if there are signs with the policy posted.
I think that this change in policy, plus the straight to FS markdowns is not retraining me to pay higher prices (or FP) but rather to seriously think about what I want and in most cases, choosing to purchase nothing. I would guess that a lot of the challenge would be to get the item in the consumer's homes, because then they may choose to keep it, miss the return window, etc. It's when people are just choosing not to buy in the first place that's the problem - and FS after 15 days makes me wary about purchasing.
i made an in-store purchase yesterday--several friendly SAs helped me but not one mentioned the new return policy! plus, after just checking my receipt it says to visit jcrew.com to view their return policy (rather then let you know of it on the receipt). okay, i know in this day and age nearly everyone has access to the internet but if you don't--you'd be in for a surprise if you tried to return over the 30 day limit!
ReplyDeletekinda sneaky, jcrew!
I just returned a couple items to my local store and the SA didn't say a word about the new policy. If it weren't for this wonderful blog alerting us, I would have NO IDEA and would have been caught totally off guard. I think it's such bad business practice to change a policy and not "officially" announce it. Even an email would have been nice...
ReplyDeleteThis doesn't impact me at all. It is extremly rare that I return anything at JC, maybe because more than half of what I buy is FS and thus unreturnable.
ReplyDeleteHaven't been in the store since this officially leaked out, so no one has discussed it with me.
Incidentally, I feel an extra20 or extra30 coming on this weekend. There was a sizable sale update last night, nearly 200 items added to women's.
I always counted on the fact that I could get store credit for returns.
ReplyDeleteThis will definitley impact how I shop now. (Which will be much less.)
I got my Oct. catalog yesterday and there was not one thing in it I wanted. I was disappointed but my wallet was happy:)
I have free shipping on my account through the end of this month. One time code. I hope the final sale goes away by then!
All the SAs in my store were mentioning the new return policy upon checkout.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I don't have a problem with it and think it is ridiculous that some people do -- you still have 60 days for direct returns. Does it honestly take you more than 30 days to decide if you want to keep something or not?
I can live with the new policy but I wish J.Crew could ship a little faster. Most packages take 2 weeks to arrive, unless they are the envelope-style with 1 item. If I want to use the cheapest method it is not much faster going the other way. Shipping returns in time to meet the deadline will mean shortening my decision time or paying for expedited shipping from Canada.
ReplyDeleteI ordered several items from Brooks Brothers on Monday and they are on the FedEx truck for delivery to my house today. Shipping charges are within $1.00 of J.Crew's yet the lag is only 2 days. Bonus that I can return to BB at any time for a full refund if I am not satisfied. I'm just sayin...
Yes, it does sometimes take me more than 30 days to decide. If I purchase a winter item while my size is in stock, it may be a few months before I need the item. So I get to drag out a bunch of winter clothing to make sure my new purchase works with them. I love trying winter clothing when it is 90 degrees outside...
ReplyDeleteI would be fine with store credit, but I do think 30 days is on the short side.
My SA told me about the policy was I was in the B&M last week--I was in on the 16th, and the policy changed on the 17th, from what I read here. She said "Just so you know, our return policy is changing this week." How vague. So I asked exactly when, and she said it was already changed. She also said there would be a mass email to everyone on the mailing list... and I don't believe there has been one. I definitely think it's bad business practice, but as always, am grateful that I found out the info on this blog.
ReplyDeleteQuestion though: Can anyone confirm that any purchases made before the policy was changed can still be returned? I haven't tried it yet, but I need to... and am worried they won't take it. I feel like they definitely should, but you never know with J. Crew... TIA!
@ Jackie: I spoke to an SA last week re: purchases pre 9/17 and she said the policy is not retroactive for prior purchases. They will still honor the prior return policy for receipts dated before 9/17.
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ReplyDeleteThanks, Flowers! :)
ReplyDeleteThe SA told me at the register a couple of weeks ago, but she gave me the impression that the policy was the same online/catalog.
ReplyDeleteI think the new time is fair. I don't think I've ever returned anything I bought in the store. 60 days is fair for online, because you have to deal with delays in shipping, or, for those of us far from a store, an opportunity for a long drive.
What irritates me the most about the policy change is how shady J.Crew seems to be acting about it. If it weren't for this blog I'd have had absolutely no clue that the policy was changing. I've made several trips to the B&M this month, bought a few things on different occasions from different people, and no one has mentioned it. I'm pretty sure the literature on the back of the receipt about checking the website is some kind of illegal.
ReplyDeleteHowever, while the new return window is annoying, I don't think it's terribly unfair. When I order something online it usually takes about six days to show up on my doorstep from the time I placed the order (and I live in CA, most of their packages come to me from NJ... so you east coasters should have a faster experience). I am lucky enough to have two B&Ms very close to me, but even if I didn't and allowed about a week to ship the item back to J.Crew, that would still give me 6 weeks to decide.
The in-store policy is frustrating, but I understand the reasoning behind it. J.Crew rolls out new items so quickly that they are trying to avoid something being purchased and returned after it's gone from the B&M. I'm not saying I condone this business model... I would much prefer they decreased the frequency of their rollouts and focused on producing quality garments that they can stand behind for longer than 30 days, BUT this is the direction J.Crew has chosen to move in.
I'm not sure if people know this, but SA's can use the register to search for previous J.Crew purchases on your credit card (doesn't have to be a J.Crew card), and it is the same thing as having a receipt.
ReplyDeleteSo basically, if you bought something in the store and lost the receipt, you can still return the item if you have the card you bought it with. SA's have done this for me a couple of times without a problem.
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ReplyDeleteI just returned a pair of heels last week on 9/17 and my receipt was dated 7/30. The store manager told me he'd do me a one-time favor to honor me the return saying because I'm a "loyal" customer (yea I spent too much on J.Crew!). I don't think they'd allow any returns after 30 days for in-store purchase period (regardless if it's purchase before 9/17). You might be able to "negotiate" with the store manager to offer you a one-time courtesy return.
ReplyDeleteMy online personal shopper is convincing me to buy through catalog/online since the return policy is still 60 days. I believe some of the SA in stores are still unclear about the change because one SA told me it's 30 days for both in-store & catalog/online purchase. I was like REALLY? She was so assured when I asked the second time! Oh well...
I won't be shopping at J.Crew anymore. This return policy change is an outrage. My associate told me they changed the policy b/c of shoplifters! Are you kidding me? How does a shoplifter have a valid receipt? They won't even honor an exchange or merch credit after 30 days. I WILL NOT BE SHOPPING @ J.CREW ANYMORE. Nordstrom/Neiman Marcus/Bloomie's doesn't do this to their customers.
ReplyDeleteBesides, their clothes style & quality have radically changed over the last year due to their new designer. What happened to good ol' critter shorts, madras, and lobster print dresses?? Peace out, Crew!
^Ya hear that, Mickey?
ReplyDeleteI am mostly floored that they won't offer a merchandise credit after 30 days with valid receipt. That is the most jaw-dropping aspect, IMO. I mean, at least you are putting the money right back in their pockets. And usually..in fact..almost always spending more!
Makes *zero* sense to me.
A lot of ppl mention using Amex now instead of JC Card for return protection. I have an Amex but have never taken advantage of return protection and am wondering how it works?
ReplyDeleteIf you get a FS item from JC and just hate the way it looks IRL, can you call Amex, say you hate the thing and JC won't take it back, and then Amex just credits your account? Or does the item have to be defective? Do you have to send them the item (I can't imagine what they'd do with it--maybe donate to charity??) Anyway was just curious how they handle it because it seems like a policy that could easily be abused.
Also, the no store credit AT ALL after 30 days is kind of bad--what if you wear/wash something twice, and it falls apart after the 2nd wash, but at that point it's past 30 days and they won't even give you a store credit? I have had this happen with a sweater pilling so badly after 2 wears I was just going to throw it out. JC took it back under the old policy but now it looks like I would be stuck.
I believe a memo was sent out to the employees letting them know that purchases made prior to 9.17.10 were *grandfathered* in, and should be subject to the terms of the *old* return policy.
ReplyDeleteCass: I'm pretty sure you'll be able to return defective items after the 30 days. According to the associate I spoke with, they still 100% guarantee their merchandise, which I translate as they SHOULD take it back regardless of the new return policy or time frame.
When I read the return policy had changed, I was trying to figure what it had been previously. I would expect that most stores have a time limit for which returns must happen and 30 days seems to be average. It is unreasonable to expect that you buy something, decide next season that you are never going to wear it, and expect them to take the loss. I don't think that there should be a time limit on return of defective items, but I think that 30 days to decide whether or not you are satisfied with your purchase is completely reasonable.
ReplyDeleteI really do think 30 days is a fair return period. The vast majority of customers already make returns within that time period. But the customers who buy new arrivals, keep them for several months, then return them for a full-price refund when the item is in the clearance section cost merchants a lot of money. And that loss is passed on to the rest of us through higher merchandise prices and lower stock prices.
ReplyDeleteThis was already discussed ad nauseum in the last post on this topic, so I wasn't going to bite, but I am getting frustrated with those who are apathetic or even apparently happy with less flexibility. If most people indeed do complete their returns in 30 days, there would be no need for this "legislation". As a consumer, why would you be in favor of a loss of OPTIONS? What if life does get in the way, and you can't get it done in 30 days? What if you forget about it for 35 days? What if you wear it twice and a hole develops, or pilling, and it's been 32 days? Clearly if most people do not wait 60 days (not months and months, that was never an option), it really isn't costing the retailer much. Besides, if the cost just gets passed on to the consumer, then it isn't costing the retailer anything--those on top maintain their absurd salaries and the profit margin remains the same. J Crew's markup is so bad, I am even less willing to accept this from them than I am from a store like Gap or Old Navy. I guess it just comes down to perspective/worldview on whose side you are on, the underdog consumer or the fat cat corporations. Since Mickey is so obsessed with profit margin now, instead of quality, I am sure this move has to do with hindering our ability to return an item if it goes to a large markdown.
ReplyDeleteCharlottesometimes,
ReplyDeleteIt has been repeated ad nauseum that you can still return a defective item, even if it is past the 30 day limit.
I don't think this is a black and white case of underdog consumer vs. fat cat corporation. You as a consumer are not forced to shop at J.Crew and can happily spend your money somewhere else that enforces policies more to your liking.
I think they they want to avoid people buying stuff FP and rebuying on sale, which is easy to do if you are near a B&M. However I find that the no refund and no store credit after 30 days policy is very restrictive for those who don't live very close to a B&M as 30 days go by very fast.
ReplyDeleteBTW, nobody at the B&M mentionned the new return policy to me. I returned something pre 9/17 and the SA didn't even blink.
I also think that it's kind of illigal not to mention it on the receipt. Other retailers refer to the website for the FULL policy but at least state on the ticket the window to return merchandise.
Actually, the new return limit limits defective items (re: worn and unhappy with the quality) to 30 days, meaning you will only get in store credit after 30 days. It just happened to me, I sent back the linen silk pockets cardi, and since they received it at 62 days (I debated sending it back for weeks or just throwing it away), and because I missed by 2 days I got store credit. Now, it's down to 30 days, HOW IS THAT NOT A DISADVANTAGE FOR US? With the 60 day, if I wouldn't have been so indecisive and did it between days 30 to 60, I would have still received my money instead of an in-store.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, the mail return policy has not changed. You still get 60 days to return something if you change your mind.
ReplyDeleteI just checked the website and this is what J.Crew has to say about defective items:
"our guarantee
We guarantee our merchandise to be free of manufacturing defects and will accept any defective item for refund or exchange."
Seems pretty plain and simple to me.
The key word there is MANUFACTURER, IMO, which to me means if you receive the item and it is defective, not after you wear it.
ReplyDeleteIt does not explicitly state that the item must be unworn to be defective. Everyone obviously has a right to their own opinion on this situation, and mine is based only on my experiences with J.Crew. All of my pieces are of good quality (I've been shopping there since 2004) and 95% of the SAs I interact with are helpful and friendly. So I'm fairly certain that if I ever encountered something that legitimately fell apart after one wear, I'd be able to return it for store credit at the very least.
ReplyDeleteManufacturer defects, in many other products, means as you receive it. But again my point is lost in the details. I'm done.
ReplyDeleteOr, your point may be moot because of details. I guess nobody will no for sure until they find out first hand.
ReplyDeleteMolly,
ReplyDeleteI think the new 30 day return policy is totally ridiculous.
Yes, it does take me more than 30 days to decide if I am keeping an item--liked kitsmommy also stated.
I live in a warm climate and it is going to be 95 tomorrow. JCrew already had winter stuff out several months ago.
I would be fine with store credit. But none is a HUGE turn off. I will still have love for JCrew but won't be buying instore.
I got the red card today. I know I won't use it. Will only buy online as 60 days is totally reasonable for me and my shopping habits.
Summer- can I have your red card :P
ReplyDeleteCass: re the Amex return protection, you must file a claim within 90 days of the purchase. The item must be NWT and you have to send it at your expenses. There is a limit to $300 per item and I believe $1000 per year. I never had a problem with them, you just have to state that you tried to return the item and the retailer didn't take it back. HTH
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ema.
ReplyDeleteNot one SA has mentioned this policy change and it's very shady and bad business practice for a publicly traded company to not disclose this beforehand and make it clear on the receipt albeit have all the SAs mention it.
ReplyDeletewhen GAP changed their return policy it stopped my shopping there to a halt. oh the crappy styles had a lot to do with it as well. but it actually made me think more and i buy a fraction of what I used to. So a customer lost.
ReplyDeleteOnce again, I'm really thankful that you put up this blog and news and everything. Cause... I had no idea about the new return policy until now...
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I don't really think this change would affect me much because I tend to return things within 60 days, usually much sooner and I tend to shop online. Besides, even if you pass the time limit, you can still get store credit, right? We shop JCrew so often, store credit works just like cash, isn't it? :) ...unless their policy changed that as well~
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