Referencing {FAQ}

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

"Looking to VENT" with J.Crew

Preface: A big "thanks!" to Ibi who suggested weekly 'Looking to LOVE' and 'Looking to HATE' posts where we could all "deposit" our best & worst current experiences. I think it is a brilliant idea and will try it out for a few weeks. Hopefully this will help out our fellow JCAs! :)

This is the weekly "Looking to VENT with J.Crew" post, a place to share our not-so-stellar experiences with J.Crew.

If you have recently experienced a frustrating situation with J.Crew, maybe you might be willing to share that information with us in this post.

Please feel free to share your story on almost any topic— including poor experiences with purchases & orders, promotions/ offers, in-store visits, transactions with store associates, etc.

39 comments:

  1. Wow. Maybe JC does pay attention to the bloggies. Would love low $ min. for free ship and free returns. Plus matching promos online and in B&M. Cos we can READ. Online. Like blogs.

    http://effortlessanthropologie.blogspot.com/2010/10/urban-outfitters-ceo-confirms-it-social.html

    Saw this over on Roxy's blog. Anthro has acknowledged the influence of social media and customer reviews. Wonder how long it will take for some of this to sink in over at JC...

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  2. When I go to check out the sale items still say FINAL SALE. Maybe this will get fixed eventually???? Who knows. So not getting excited yet.

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  3. Heidi,

    That is just sad. The We Will Find
    It service is such a joke sometimes. Obviously, whomever did your search did not really do it or care to help you. You just got a lazy CS person. Sometimes you can only rely on yourself! Glad you found it.

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  4. I am Eastern Time. I just tried it and Fall Sale shows up but final sale comes up in the bag. I don't know why.

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  5. Heidi,

    Seems to be in the accessories section only possibly. Have not made my way around all the different categories yet. Sweaters was OK. Try the sashes for $19.99. What do you get?

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  6. I got the email promising a surprise inside my November catalog..I got it in the mail today and there is nothing in the way of a coupon inside. I'm bewildered. Do I just say I never got my catalog? I received my red card last month, so I don't know how the ball got dropped this time.

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  7. *cue weekly vent about shipping costs*

    I'm tired of the % off promos where the shipping and taxes are as much (or more) as the "savings". Even a flat $5 S&H with the 20% (Tal's recently did this) would be better than no free shipping. In this case, I'd rather just use a free ship code rather than pay $18.50 + $14 tax($32.50) on a $175 order (20% off = $35), and be out the shipping costs if the stuff doesn't work out. Sorry, JC - $3.50 is not a sale.

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  8. Every time I save stuff to my shopping cart, sign out and then log in later, evverything is GONE. This has been going on for quite some time now. Why don't they fix it? Also, the stores should realistically start carrying the extra large sizes and not limit that to catalog only!

    Just saying!!!!

    - Marie

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  9. J.Crew needs to allow you to save your shopping bag or have a wishlist like just about every other online retailer does.

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  10. I am sort of laughing here. They must think we are all dumb with the FS/Fall Sale games.

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  11. I think my vent is a J Crew/UPS vent. I order a LOT of stuff from not just J Crew, but other retailers, and the UPS guy knows my address well. Last night an order from J Crew was supposedly delivered to my doorstep at 5:06pm. It wasn't.

    I called J Crew this morning and told them the situation and they had me search in the surrounding bushes, etc. (yeah, that's never happened, but whatever) and told me an investigation would take up to 8 business days. I told them, I thought it was delivered to an address two streets over that has my same house number (this occurred once before). They seemed unfazed, and other than a curt apology for my inconvenience, pretty unmoved. Great. If the order doesn't turn up, what then? That was a $245 order, and what if the sweaters are out of stock at that point? Frustrating.

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  12. Heidi, I've had that experience too and it's so frustrating! Is it such a hassle for CS to do their job (and engender customer goodwill)?

    Second, I am especially irritated JCrew won't find a way to save the contents of one's cart. Again this morning my cart is empty. I didn't log out or change anything in my browser. Fix it already, Mickey! A wishlist or ability to save contents may not seem as important as say, pitching an $800 umbrella, but do you realize how much business you lose this way? I am not going to comb through and find everything that caught my eye.

    Why doesn the chat feature only pop up when I don't want it? And then I have to close to get out of it. But when I actually have questions, they're nowhere to be found! Please give us a direct link or something.

    And yes, shipping costs are absolutely ri-dic-u-lous.

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  13. Lou, JC should have insured your package (though admittedly 8 days is LONG to wait). You should call the credit card company that you used for the order and see if they can do something. Amex and my USBank visa both have purchase protection that reimburses for lost or stolen packages.

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  14. Lou,
    I had an experience similar to yours--my package was stolen from my doorstep. I was SO upset (it was a huge order), but I was lucky and got an amazing customer service rep when I called about it. I had to wait the 8 days for the investigation, but she also let me place an order for everything that was lost using the promo code I had used in my original order, even though the promo was over. There were a couple of things that were gone, but they popped up later and I was able to call her back and use that promo again. After the 8 days, my credit card was refunded because I guess the investigation turned out fine.
    I know it's kind of luck of the draw when it comes to awesome CS reps, but maybe you should call back and hopefully you'll get someone who is more eager to make you a satisfied customer. I hope it turns out okay!

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  15. This isn't really JC's fault at all... but wanted to vent here anyway. I'm so bummed the merino boyfriend sweatshirt in XXS in mansfield blue is already sold out! I chatted to CS online and was told they wouldn't be getting anymore in stock. It hasn't even been out for a week! :( I've been trying to wait until things go on sale to purchase them (for obvious reasons) but I guess I shouldn't have for this one. I love the idea of the merino boyfriend sweatshirts but the XS is too big for me. These new beaded ones come in XXS and the color I was set on is already sold out and there is a very limited quantity left in the other 2 colors... Boo :(

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  16. WHY ARE THE MATCHSTICKS NOT MATCH-STICKY ANYMORE? They were the perfect slim, sexy shape. Now they're all baggy through the thighs and slightly flared in the leg! I miss my favorite jeans!!!

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  17. @Lou: Keeping my fingers crossed for you :) I actually had a JCrew package go missing after seeing that it had been delivered on UPS website. Two days later, I found it in my garage where my husband had put it after taking it from the delivery guy. He had totally forgotten to tell me - in fact, he had forgotten about the package altogether. Meanwhile, I had called CS and been a complete frazzled wreck for 2 days!

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  18. Heidi: I would have been irritated to find those necklaces after being told by CS they were no longer available. And to appear online now is just so lame...

    I wonder if JC even has a way of tracking their inventory? I wonder if the "WWFIFY" is done manual by a CS by calling their "bigger" stores?

    When I call Anthropologie and BR/GAP, they are able to locate the items (though not updated instantly per store) and tell me the store phone number. It's such a pain to track down items with JC especially if they are marked down.

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  19. Yikes,more hole-y cashmere. Took yet another JC cashmere sweater to be repaired this morning. I have decade old AT cashmere sweaters that are stored right with the JC sweaters and no holes in any of them so it's not moths.

    Is it posible that JC has been purchasing fragile, second quality yarn from the famous Italian mill? Maybe that's why the sweaters pill so much and develop holes so easily, and why the mill does not want its name used in their advertising?

    Anyone know if there have been any quality improvements with this year's cashmere?

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  20. Normally I don't complain, but I am so sick of getting different answers from different people when I call J.Crew customer service. One person will claim that an item does NOT come in the size I want, then if I call back 20 minutes later, I am told that the item is available to order. Geez, how hard is it to manage inventory, really???

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  21. Regarding the WWFIFY service, I always go through my PS and I've done many of these searches, almost always with great success. She told me that they search all the store inventory online using the item information. She is always able to tell me what she sees, whether it is available in my size/color or if there is an alternative size/color that may work for me. It's possible since the necklace was no longer online, CS may not have had the correct or complete information for the inventory search so it came up empty. Just a thought. Glad you found what youwanted.

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  22. Having just moved to a new city, I visited my local B&M to browse the suits. They had ONE style in the entire store, and it fit like a sack. When I asked the SA about it, she said they normally only keep one in the store, and that people usually order a bunch of different sizes and return the ones that don't fit. How in the world does that make any sense?!? I for one don't have the funds to order $1000 worth of clothes just to find out what fits and what doesn't. Boo, J Crew.

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  23. My vent is not that angry, but I do wish J.Crew would carry EVERY size they make in-store. It makes little sense not to. Sure, maybe not everyone would buy -- so stock fewer! It'd draw more consumers into the store and I'd probably buy more if I could find it in the store instead of having to pay $17 in shipping costs. That said, for sizes unavailable in the store but available to the online shopper, shipping should be free.

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  24. I am venting about the new return policy!! I just went to a return an item (it is still full price online and in store) but apparently it has been 35 days since my original purchase date. When I got to the register, I was shocked by the policy change and that it was not listed at all on the receipt! It only said to refer to jcrew.com or contact customer service for more information. WHAT??!

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  25. I would love it if J.Crew would open some retail stores in Canada. We have pretty much every other mainstream mall U.S. store in the larger cities, why not J.Crew?!

    When I go back to visit my family in the U.S. I pack my suitcase inside an empty suitcase because I end up bringing back so much stuff from J.Crew and a few other stores that we do have here but it is just so much cheaper to buy in the U.S. I would certainly buy from a local J.Crew here if there was one. Even at the jacked-up Canadian prices.

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  26. Well, the package showed up a couple of hours later. Yay! UPS didn't ring the doorbell or anything, so I still suspect it was delivered to the wrong address. Who knows, I'm just relieved to have it no thanks to CS at J Crew.

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  27. Meme I agree 100%. I love the J Crew sweater styles, but the quality is poor, poor, poor. High quality wool and cashmere should not pill, or get little holes in just a few wearings. In my opinion a good cashmere sweater should last years, without pilling! J Crew is failing miserably here. And no the quality has not improved recently, I just bought a JC cashmere sweater, have worn it three times and it is already pilling like crazy. It looks like I've had it for ten years already. I won't be buying anymore cashmere sweaters from JC.

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  28. I placed an order on Friday during final sale w/ 30% off and it still hasn't shipped. I checked my account several times, but it just shows "released." I called customer service today and asked to have the order cancelled since now the items I ordered have been marked down even further AND are no longer final sale (and I can't believe they still haven't shipped it). The CSR said she couldn't cancel the order because it had shipped, and yet, when I asked if she had any tracking info for me, she said no. Basically, she couldn't tell me anything about my order or where it was. She did offer to put a note in the system indicating that I could return the FS items if I needed to (IF they ever show up). Has anyone else had shipping issues lately?

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  29. CapitolMom, I placed an order last week that hasn't shipped. I wonder if they are having shipping issues. I recall reading at least one other JCA posting that their order from the 30% off sale was not shipped out yet. Seems very odd.

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  30. I placed an order on Saturday that has not shipped. Usually, I would've received it yesterday.

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  31. Capitol Mom and xoxo, make that three of us. Today I received an order that I placed last Friday morning (minus one of the items that was listed on the packing slip, thank you), but I placed another order on Saturday morning that's still listed as released. Makes me a tad nervous.

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  32. Hi. I am having the same problem with a FS order not shipping yet. However about 1/2 hour after I called CS to check on it my order was "shipped". Maybe a phone call gets you bumped to the front of the line?

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  33. Can I vent here about a retailer other than J.Crew? If you think not then please skip over but I'm rather ticked at L.L.Bean.

    I ordered a dog bed and received an email that it was out of stock in the color I ordered and there was no backorder date. So I reordered in another color. Received another email that it was also out of stock, again with no backorder date. The items were both listed as "in stock" when I placed my orders, mind you. So, I emailed to ask what colors are avaialble anyway?! They told me and so I reordered another dog bed in that color. Today I get three emails and one phone call that sum up all three dog beds have been shipped. As per the phone call, apparently there was an issue with their inventory and the stock was there, so it has shipped. This is just crazy as the beds are about $200 each with shipping and I'll have to pay duty/taxes when it arrives here as well. I called when I got home tonight but unfortunately, everything has shipped out so no cancelling, I have to return.

    It's not just J.Crew that has inventory and customer service issues. They could have called me and waited for confirmation to ship, since they told me to reorder and CS could have checked my account to see that I did reorder - TWICE! Terrible customer service, doubt I will order from them ever again.

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  34. I did contact CS wrt my order from last week and they said they didn't have a tracking number, but I should allow 4-7 days to receive it. Huh. It's been 5 days. If I ever received a J.Crew shipment in 7 days or less I would be totally shocked. Usually closer to 10-14 days to arrive here in Canada. I'll check with my PS tomorrow, she was not working this evening. Looked it up again just now, it's been several hours since I called, still sitting at "released".

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  35. @XOXO: so sorry to hear about your woes with LL Bean. They have been the paragon of fantastic quality and CS, even if their clothing is super old fashioned. Their gear is amazing.

    I agree that it would be great to see JC open up some stores in Canada. However with the jacked up Canadian prices, I'm sure JC would just go to town marking stuff up, plus crazy promos... don't think I'd enjoy it except for trying stuff on.

    I, too, indulge in cross-border shopping. With our dollar close to par, it's silly to pay jacked up prices here. When I visited Seattle in September I snapped up all the EB jackets I wanted (they were running the buy a pair of pants get 20% off your whole order promo). The items that I got were recently marked down here, and the Canadian sale prices are still higher than what I paid, even if I factor in the duty I paid when I crossed the border.

    Exception to this is Anthro. Their sales prices are same in US and Canada, so we actually get good deals here.

    Sorry for long post!

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  36. Had to laugh at my husband last night. My November catalog came in and he picked it up and thumbed through. Just a note - my husband couldn't care less about clothes. As long as he has jeans and a robot t-shirt he's happy.

    He went to the men's section and said, "Hmmm...looks the same as every other catalog they put out. Why don't they come up with something new?" Exactly!

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  37. @xoxo: J.Crew is supposed to open up stores in Canada "soon." What I don't like about J.Crew is how petite sizes are only available online. This means that having Canadian B&M stores would do NOTHING for me if I want suits.

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Dear J.Crew Aficionadas & Aficionados: Please feel free (and encouraged) to share your thoughts and opinions. :) However, please note that this is still a personal blog. So comments that are considered inappropriate (e.g. obscene, racist, homophobic, personal attacks, rude, and just plain mean) will be removed.

And now back to J.Crew! :)