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.
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ReplyDeletewell for me, this week's vent has got to be the jewel jacquard cafe capris - posted online last Thursday, already sold out... I have tried to track them down and the PS I have spoken to have dropped the ball both before and after their release. Finally, a JC personal shopper told me yesterday that it was released to "select stores". They thought...Why oh why are they still on-line, taunting me? :-)
ReplyDeletesub
ReplyDeleteWMM: Are they doing a WWFIFY search to get you the pants?
ReplyDeleteCS just doesn't know the merchandise. I emailed them about the Gimlet Skirt from the looks we love and was told it was sold out but they would do a WWFIFY to try to get it for me. I said yes. No harm in trying. Well, the skirt pops up online in a full size run and I call CS to cancel the WWFIFY so I can just order it. You know what she said? Her computer was still showing 0 (zero) skirts so the one online must have been a return. Uh huh.
ReplyDeleteWMM-- i've seen you post a few times before about the capris. I really hope you find them. Next time I go to the store, I'll look for you. What size would you need? and is there a way to contact you in case someone does find them? apparently, jcrew has seriously dropped the ball...
So sick of Final Sale... JC is the only retailer I shop at where things come out of my cart when they're marked down.
ReplyDeleteI'm tired of first cut sale items being Final Sale. So much for trying an item out that I have yet had the opportunity to try on.
ReplyDeleteAnyone know when Final Sale is going to end? I feel it is around more often than not this year.
Why is Hutton_chino Final sale at full price? These are new colors that just came out few days ago...
ReplyDeleteMiss JR, that is so annoying!
ReplyDeleteThat skirt is adorable, and it makes me wish that they had styled the Flair skirts the same way, SANS buttons. It really looks to me like it's the same style just without the buttons and maybe slightly more of an a-line shape.
The buttons on the front of the flair skirt are such a dealbreaker for me. That style was in in the early 90's and the 70's and its just not an attractive one to me. Will definitely add the gimlet skirt to my wishlist. I didn't notice it until you pointed it out, so thanks!
I think it's terrible that they raised the price of the Hacking jacket in tipped double-serged wool from $250 to $298. I was waiting for a discount to purchase this jacket but won't be buying it now.
ReplyDeleteI have been trying to zoom in on product images for a couple days now. No matter what browser I use I am unable to, it's like the functionality it down. I find this highly annoying.
ReplyDeleteI filled out a BizRate survey yesterday and went to town on quality issues. The latest thing for me was that I washed a shirt for the first time on gentle cycle (as the tag instructs) and the hem came undone. (I have plenty of other criticisms beyond this hem incident). To their credit, I got an email back from Jcrew within 24 hours that specifically addressed my complaint. But it doesn't really solve anything unless they make a serious effort to change things. I don't want to send back the shirt and get a replacement, I want this sort of issue to be a non-issue! Ahh, 2000 - 2006. Those were the days.
ReplyDeleteHere's the substance of the email if anyone is interested: Thank you for taking the time to fill out our online BizRate survey.Over the past few years we've partnered with world-renowned factories and mills and these partnerships have enabled us to produce a collection of unsurpassed quality at a price that is far more accessible than that of our competitors.
Anytime you have a product that you believe does not live up to those standards, please let us know. If you have an item that didn't hold up after one wash, please send it to our Returns Center for evaluation. If
it is found to be defective, we will replace it or credit your account based on product availability and your preference.
We always appreciate hearing from our customers and I will certainly
pass your comments along to the appropriate team for review.
Liz, thanks for sharing that email. I'm particularly intrigued by the part in which they say, "Anytime you have a product that you believe does not live up to those standards, please let us know." Maybe that's what we need to do in order to send the message that they need to improve their manufacturing standards and quality control! I'd like to imagine that if we were sending our quality complaints directly to JC each time we had one, they would pile up pretty quickly and someone would have to take notice.
ReplyDeleteWatercolor floral scarf in purple. It is so thin and the quality is so poor compared to last year's scarves. Ugh. I can't wear earrings with the scarf anymore. I had a couple of major snags and I know my earrings barely skimmed the scarf! No more scarves at full price for me. Not worth it anymore.
ReplyDeleteAlso on that topic, I was cleaning/rearranging my closet over the weekend and came across my beloved Lumiere sweaters from last year and my lightly worn bling button cardis in assorted colors from the year prior. All went straight into the bin for charity, and while I'm more than happy to donate, I shouldn't have to after only a few wearings just because I don't want to go to work in pilly or grubby looking clothes I paid $78 a pop for. Fortunately most of those bling button cardis I got on sale for something like $27.99 around the holidays, but still.
ReplyDeleteRight now in the FS section, there is a skirt that is listed as "No. 2 Pencil Skirt in Blackwatch Plaid". Call me crazy, but the skirt pictured is NOT a No. 2 Pencil. It has pockets and pleats and buttons in the front. I'm not going to buy a skirt FS thinking that it's going to fit me like the No. 2 and have a totally different skirt show up! They need to get the right name on that skirt asap.
ReplyDeleteI know this is well worn territory, but I am mystified by the wildly different item prices in-store vs. on-line. It makes very little sense to me, and I am now very reluctant to buy anything at JC that is not marked down more than 50% off for fear of feeling like an idiot. I pay full price at other stores when I feel sure of their pattern in marking down their stuff. This seems like something to be fixed. I have two daughters, and JC comprises about 10% of their wardrobe. That % would grow dramatically if I felt more comfortable with the pricing.
ReplyDeleteWhy is it that items from the special sizes (Petites, Tall, 16) are non-returnable when in FS? We do not get to try them in the stores and it's a terrible risk to order something you cannot return.
ReplyDeleteI had a pretty frustrating experience two weekends ago. I bought my sister a scarf online, but it kept saying it wasn't going through and there was a problem. I got annoyed, so I called J.Crew and placed the order on the phone. That evening I checked my account and discovered I'd been charge five times for the scarf! I'm still in the process of getting them to credit my account. I hadn't ordered from J.Crew in awhile, and I don't plan on doing it anytime soon again.
ReplyDeleteI think the person that is designing their cotton/textiles (t's etc.) should be replaced. The quality and options/variety is ridiculous. I refuse to buy another "vintage cotton" tee that after one wash, comes out with a hole or, thread loose and then have the nerve to ask upwards of 58.00 for them. If they claim to have better mills, etc., then someone is blind to quality. I checked out the crewcuts yesterday and their t's, much thicker and better quality. Don't get it. What happened to Jcrew's design team putting effort in beautiful t's that felt like collector items? That was my favorite part about this time of year...the beautiful beading on t's.
ReplyDeleteHere's another rant about tees, but it's about cut, not quality. As a SAHM, I live in my v-neck perfect fit tees, but the new ones I purchased this season are driving me crazy! The sleeves are so loose, especially around the wrist, making it impossible to push them up when I am cleaning, changing diapers, etc. And I do not have skinny arms! It's a small complaint, but enough to keep me from buying any more.
ReplyDeleteI second the comment on the cuffs of the LS Perfect Fit tees stretching out. Impossible to push up or layer comfortably. Annoying ....
ReplyDeleteThe pricing issue has to be addressed. Seriously. Items on the website for full price ( and backordered!) are available in stores on sale and with 30% off. Maisie dress on line 178.00 - I got it for 62.00 after I called and asked for a store search. No idea the darn dress was on sale, or more importantly FINAL SALE! I don't like it and now can't return it. It's just not right that prices in stores and on line don't match. No other retailer that I shop with does this. I know this complaint is old news, but I'm angry.
ReplyDeleteWhitney, I guess they are meaning it fits similarly to a pencil skirt and as opposed to an A-line skirt. I reviewed that same skirt on my blog and was wondering the same when I first saw it. It does have 2 pleats and a zipper in the front.
ReplyDeleteallyson: If you did not know that the dress was Final Sale then I would return it. Someone should have let you know prior to your purchase. Explain that it was sent to you on a WWFIFY search which you thought was going to produce a full-price, returnable dress for you to try on for fit/size. You should be able to return it since you didn't have the option to decline the sale due to it being final, imo.
ReplyDeleteThe sizing on the sweaters is so inconsistent! I recently bought the Betsy sweater in my usual size small, and I'm swimming in it! The turquoise color is beautiful, BTW, but definitely size down.
ReplyDeleteFFM,
ReplyDeleteI have asked for a WWFIFY, but they say there is nothing available anywhere!
Miss JR - you are a doll - if you do see them, I am a size 6 and can be reached at sydforry@hotmail.com.
My life will go on, and I will look for colour elsewhre (BTW- said that VERY dramatically!)
WMM - I haven't heard anything about my preorder. I emailed my PS to ask about them and she said that she doesn't know about timelines either. I'm starting to think that I may never see them either...:(
ReplyDeleteI did order a size 6, so on the off chance that I do get them and possibly don't like them (always a 50/50 with me), you will be the first person I contact!
A few weeks ago I wrote a glowing review of the Technicolor Tweed Jacket. Tonight I would like to take all of it back and then some. I wore the jacket for the first time last Sunday. I noticed while I was eating lunch that the each sleeve had a few raveled threads. By the time I hung it up in my closet, the "few" had multiplied, so I looked at the jacket's construction more closely. I was dumbfounded by my discovery. It appears that a proper seam joins the lining and an approximately 1" piece of raw edged "tweed" that, in turn, was topstitched to the outer raw edged sleeve, so that two raw edges exist, rather than being turned under and sewn to the lining. No wonder it is falling apart! Collection-yes, it probably will be in the Goodwill collection box soon! This to me is quite a testament to the low regard JC seems to have for its customers. DL just may have cured my addiction.
ReplyDeleteWMM and InboxImpulse: I really think you'll be able to find those cafe capris! I called CS once about the Mona Pumps, well before they first came out, when I saw a picture of them on the website in the product shot for a pair of pants. First they told me they had sold out and then after talking to multiple managers they told me that they must have been the model's own shoes that she brought from home for the catalogue shoot! Then finally, well over a month later, they showed up on the website. The dissemination of information within J. Crew is awful, the pants will likely show up in a full size run within the next few weeks - good luck!
ReplyDeleteWMM: Have you tried the J.Crew at King of Prussia PA? They are a collection store and often get items that are online only or limited release. I would also try the Collection Store in NYC. Also some of this stuff rolls into stores a little later than it shows up online. I think if you are persistent you will definitely find them. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteArgh, just about the checkout with the new promo this morning, and the site goes down for "maintenance." Seriously, did they not expect a lot of traffic for this one? So irritating. (That vent out of the way, it's an awesome promo!!)
ReplyDeleteshopwithm: I am able to access the website now.
ReplyDeleteWhy oh why are the shoes so expensive. Even with the ones that are on sale with the promo, they are not worth the price. I wish my B&M had shoes, I know they are so much cheaper in the stores.
ReplyDeletecousy, allyson
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you about pricing differences between website/B&M and with the web it is even more blatant. What can the consumer do to put a stop to it?
Last week the merino cape
was full price on the web--in store markdown to $99. with add'l 30%, can you imagine how upset you would be if you bought it online then saw it in the store??
I decided not to get caught up in these pricing games anymore.
Had a negative experience with CS this morning. There were several full price items that I was holding out for a % of sale, waiting and waiting. When I saw the 20% off promo for opening a JC credit card, I figured I may as well get the % off I'd been looking for, plus I'd been thinking I should sign up for a JC card for awhile now. Of course, a day and a half later, we have the 25% off promo.
ReplyDeleteI have always had very good luck with CS; they've never given me a hard time to apply a promotion/sale when I've missed it by just a day or two. I called this morning and they refused to apply the extra 5% off to my order. It was a fairly large order, and the 5% made a significant difference to me, so I asked to speak with a manager and they still wouldn't do it.
I told them that I just thought that was a really poor way to treat a loyal customer, especially because I could just re-place my order with the 25% off, and return my order with the 20% off. They still said no.
I re-placed my order, and will now have to make a trip to my B&M to return. Not the biggest deal, but really, really frustrating. I just never learn my lesson to always hold out for the better sale, better promo, etc. This has left a really bad taste in my mouth.
Given today's promo, this is the first time in a while I'm going through the entirety of the full price categories and I happened to stumble upon the Paradisa dress. How is this still FP yet available in a multitude of sizes? It is undoubtedly my favorite dress purchase from the summer, and since I paid FP maybe I should be glad it never dropped in price, but I cannot imagine spending $168 for it in October unless I lived in a tropical climate. Maybe it popped back just for the promo? Seems odd to me since we have a little while before resort season hits and I just don't want to be thinking about summer dresses right now, no matter how lovely. But nice for anyone who wanted it and missed out the first time!
ReplyDeleteI know I complain a lot about price differences between the website and the stores as many of us do, and even though I was able to do a return/repurchase of the Flared perfect coat yesterday just before my return window expired, somehow I'm still really bothered that it's $425 online when it was marked down in stores to $249.99 less 30% as of yesterday. A $20 price difference is annoying, but a $250 difference? I love this coat so much, but the idea of a naive non-JCA purchasing it online right now physically hurts me. If I had to put all my JC gripes in a row, I honestly think pricing inconsistencies would be at the front - and mind you I live in NYC and have access to multiple stores which many customers do not. Quality would be a close second ;)
Lia, that's awful! Does that mean you lose your 20% incentive for opening a card if you return the order? If so, I'd cut the thing up altogether and maybe apply again six months or a year down the road when you'll be eligible for the 20% off again. The card benefits are pitiful in my opinion and the interest rates are ridiculous if you carry a balance. Just my two cents.
ReplyDeleteWhy is the online catalogs still not back?! Seriously it is 2011, who has a presence online without an e-catalog? urghh...it's making me NOT want to shop there at all, even though they now have a store in Toronto, Canada.
ReplyDeleteDara - I didn't inquire about that, but I definitely will when I go to return. I am seriously considering just cutting it up and closing the account. I'm so frustrated - even more so now, since I saw over on the 25% off post that someone was given a PA on an order from a WEEK ago! Inconsistent, unfair, and bad customer service.
ReplyDeleteArch, I just found out that I can't return online purchases to the Canadian B&M store. I thought the whole point of increasing the online prices for Canadian shoppers was to align the online and in-store prices so why not let you return in store?
ReplyDeleteIt just makes me so mad cause it seems more and more that increasing the online prices was just a money grab.
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ReplyDeleteMy rant or today... why is the factory shimmy dress (19700) full price but also FINAL SALE? I did a chat online to ask if it's a mistake, and all the rep had to say about it was "yes, it is final sale."
ReplyDeleteI usually don't shop at J Crew because the clothes are cut too slim but loved the Kendall cardigan enough to buy two: one in carbon and one in atlantic blue. It's one of the few sweaters that's cozy without being shapeless.
ReplyDeleteAnd the price is great. I actually don't mind that it's not pure wool because it washes and wears better.
What I'm curious about is why J. Crew doesn't offer buyer reviews. I find buyer reviews to be so helpful when buying online.
I know not allowing for buyer reviews is common among high design sites but I don't consider J. Crew to be "high design" interesting.
Because Mickey Drexler is CEO I assume there's a strategic reason behind the decision.
Very interesting in my opinion.
I am so disappointed in J.Crew quality in the last few months. Every single wool item I've bought has been returned. The double-serge wool pencil skirts that I bought 2 years ago are soft and thick, and this year they've become so much thinner and rougher. Even the super 120s material is thinner and not as silky. It's just unacceptable, considering prices are still just as high (or higher) as before. What happened, J.Crew?
ReplyDelete