This past weekend I overhead a J.Crew customer talking to a store associate about how upset she was to not know about the change in return policy. (For more about those changes, refer to the "News About J.Crew's Return Policy {follow up}" post.)"Thanks!" to Ema (in this post) who shared the latest news about the return policy now that the Holiday season is here:
Ok, so I asked about the holiday return policy today while making a return at the Collection store. Store policy: you will be able to exchange merchandise bought between November 1st and Xmas until January (not sure about the day) BUT only if you have a gift receipt. Your regular receipt won't give you the extention. Kind of makes sense but when buying presents for the immediate family I normaly don't think about asking a gift receipt. Anyway, better then nothing. I bought a gift for a girlfriend today (before asking about the policy) and the gift receipt doesn't mention anything. HTH!J.Crew's return policy is so confusing! Especially with the whole gift versus regular receipt business. Incidentally, I was never told about this new return policy despite making holiday purchases at the store. Oh well!
What are your thoughts on this latest change? Did you know about this change? Will this have an impact on your future orders?
When I was at the Rock Center store this weekend they told me the extended return policy starts with purchases as of November 17. Sounds like a clear policy has not been articulated to the different stores, as usual.
ReplyDeleteAlso, it's kind of shady that they don't print out the return policy on your receipt and instead refer you to the website. They can change the website at any time--are we supposed to go out print out the return policy on the website the day we make a purchase so they can't change it on us after the fact and try to make any changes retroactive? Not cool.
ReplyDeleteJ. Crew just isn't the company it used to be. :( I wonder if Jenna Lyons and other corporate employees who have worked there for years notice and care about the way they're trading in profit margin and stock price for good customer service and quality products? Jenna did get a major signing bonus last year so maybe she's too busy counting her dough while using J. Crew as her clothing candy store and buying her high quality stuff elsewhere. These sneaky policy changes that occur without fair notice are yet another confirmation that I need to continue to spend as little as possible at J. Crew until they get it together.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, they're trying soooo hard to unload their garbage clothing on us. Now they're trying to stick it to our friends and family. But I guess in all fairness, a lot of companies are making it difficult to do returns because the economy sucks and no one wants their junk back. Jcrew used to be a fun store to shop at, now I find ,myself only wanting to shop online because I have the ability to return it in the store. Boo hoo hoo, but then again, jcrew doesn't care about their customers anymore. So much for your promises of being different, Mickey.
ReplyDeleteITA with nomoneyfun. The return policy has really turned me off. Not that there's a ton of things I want. My wishlist is much shorter than days past. However, wondering if I'll be able to keep track of the receipt & date makes me really shy about purchasing. I have everything in one place and put Post-Its on them w/reminders, but days fly by. It's already mid-Nov! 30 days goes by quickly. Plus, why should I have to work so hard to keep up w/their mysterious policies. Ridic.
ReplyDeleteI think their entire return policy, final sales, and lack of disclosure regarding both are completely absurd and ridiculous. Not a good way to do business, IMO.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was Nov 1st and now it's Nov 17th? Get your acts together, JCrew!
ReplyDeleteIt is so shady that JC does not print out their return policy clearly on the receipt. As Heidi said, if it wasn't for this blog I wouldn't have known and how is an average customer supposed to know when the whole transition to this ridiculous return policy was so kept under the rug so to speak.
When BR changed their policy they made sure it was printed in the receipt and I was clear of the changes a month before the effect.
I'm not even considering J.Crew as a source of gifts this year because of their indecipherable return policy. In the past they've been a go-to store for stocking stuffers. To me, stores that stand behind their products don't engage in this nonsense - stores like Nordstrom's, Lands End. ...Other stores like Talbots and AT, their return policy is clear - 60 or 90 days. I also appreciate that at AT, if an item is final sale, it is marked that way on the ticket. No nasty surprises.
ReplyDeleteJ.Crew seems extraordinarily shoddily run. Whoever compared Drexler to Steven Jobs should send Jobs a very heartfelt apology.
A store's return policy should be crystal clear and EASY to follow.
ReplyDeleteJCrew's is not; makes shopping confusing and not fun!
Who knows what actually will come to fruition in the end. Very disappointed in them as a company.
I'm not sure what all the fuss is about. The return policy is clearly stated on printed signs in the store (usually located directly in front of the registers) and final sale items are indicated as such on your receipt...what am I missing?!
ReplyDeleteI heard something similar to Cass. An associate at my store JUST informed me (over 2 months late) that the return policy has changed. This is the 1st time somoneone at the store notified me. I asked why customers weren't informed ahead of time (e.g., like Banana printing notices on receipts 1-2 months in ADVANCE), and why the policy isn't printed on the receipt. I did not receive an explanation other than, "I'm not sure." The associate did tell me that JC was altering the return policy for the holidays, by allowing gifts purchased after 11/16 to be returned through mid to late January. I did not receive a clear end date. In addition, I asked if this was with regular or gift receipts, and I was told it applied to both. I explained that sometimes I don't get gift receipts, or forget, or the gift recipient may lose it, and how does JC plan to address this issue. My answer was that you could still get store credit during this time for gifts without receipts, but it will be "up to the discretion of each individual store and manager," but they "will be more lenient" with the policy during this time. If this isn't the most confusing policy, I don't know what is! As a result, I'm not buying any JC gifts for anyone and I'm not purchasing in store either. If there is something that I really need form JC, I try to order it online and at least I have a 60 day return window.
ReplyDeleteSo I was in the store this week making a return on a "grandfathered" item - that I had purchased before the crazy new return policy (so in theory, I can still return it for a store credit). This was the first time anyone in store mentioned the new policy to me - which is strange becuase I've been there three or four times since the new policy went into place. I told the SA I was aware of it, but this item was purchased before the new policy went into place, etc. She said yes, no problem - and ALSO, becuase I had purchased it online, I had 60 days to return for full refund (we knew that) - BUT, that online returns over 60 days would get a store credit.
ReplyDeleteHuh?
So if I buy in store, I have 30 days to return it, or its final sale. Online, I get 60 days for refund, and unlimited time for credit. I'm going to assume she was confused - but it just goes to show how messed up the whole return policy change and roll out of it has been. If she was correct, why would anyone buy anything in store ever again?
Ditto on comments above, just curbs my spending with them. The return policy should be clear and consistent!
Add to the list of reasons to buy online: no final sale with the 30% (for now anyway). It's not fun to shop JCrew any more, for a whole host of reasons, and that feeling in the customer base is generally what retailers try to avoid. Merchant prince, indeed. Not buying gifts at JCrew this year. Not buying much for me, either.
ReplyDeleteI just confirmed with my online PS. Here is what they wrote:
ReplyDelete"We'll accept returns to a retail store after 30 days with a gift receipt that will come with your purchase; we'll honor exchanges or issue merchandise credits. Any items purchased through retail stores on or after November 15th may be returned/exchanged until January 15th with either the original or gift receipt.
We'll accept returns to the catalog after 60 days with a gift receipt that will be issued as a merchandise credit unless placing an exchange order. Any items purchased online or over the phone on or after November 15th may also be returned/exchanged until January 15th."
Hope this helps! I wish they gave online gift receipts somehow. That would make things better!
This is ridiculous. I think JC knows damn well that their quality has declined to F21 standards and they are adopting the return policies to match
ReplyDeleteIf I want to buy clothing or acc. as gifts, I'll shop at Nordies or Anthro where they always stand behind their products. I really have no respect for JC anymore
I was in the store on Monday the 15th and asked about the return policy for the holidays. There was no sign at the register so I am not shopping at Sarah's store. The SA (likely new for the holidays?) had no idea, tried to look on the receipt (to no avail) and so he asked someone. They said it started that day and went to January 15th. Of course, my items were FS so who cares. Not shopping there for gifts for Christmas though my Hannukah celebrating family will have enough time to return within any window.
ReplyDelete