Wednesday, January 25, 2012

"Looking to VENT" with J.Crew

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.

35 comments:

  1. *sigh* Ordered a black cashmere scarf during last week's promotion. Even on FS, cashmere scarves can be as pricey as a sweater. So disappointed by the quality of what I received. Scarf lacks the heft of my HO 09 version and is shorter, even though I paid as much as I did for the older, much better quality scarf.

    JC, if quality costs more, than focus on quality and push the price point up a couple of dollars. If I wanted disposable garments, I'd be shopping for this stuff at H&M and Gap.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm disappointed in their jewelry. I have been ordering bracelets and necklaces lately, and this year the metal they are using seems like fake metal. Has no heft. Seems like it's painted on brass-color. Just yuk! And then they charge so much for them :/

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ordered a skirt back in November, wore a handful of times, pulled out last week and saw side seam & lining had disintegrated at bottom (haven't gained weight). Called CS, asked to have another skirt sent in exchange. Dimwit tells me skirt is just outside 60-day window. Well, say I, am I to understand J.Crew products only last two months/five wearings? He proceeds to tell me I can try to send the skirt back and maybe they will accept it/maybe not, and if not, then I will be responsible to have it shipped back to me. Then he starts an order for a new skirt, charges me same price (it was full price - 25% promo when ordered) but then adds that "now it's a final sale" item. Hmm? I look on website and skirt is actually marked down, plus this was during last week's extra 30% off sale. So I ask why, if I'm being sold a final sale item, I don't get the better price. Reply: "Well, I am doing you a favor by throwing in free shipping." At that point I told him not to put through an order. What balderdash.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm getting a little annoyed with the ridiculous prices. $695 for the sequin skirt and that is the US price. I can't wait until tomorrow to see how much they will gouge Canadians.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Quality. It is very hit or miss with JCrew. I bought some things this year that were very high quality, mixed media skirt, hutton trousers in wool flannel. But some things are just lacking in quality, such as stitching on my majesty pea coat, the material is awesome but four buttons have popped off so far. That is unacceptable for a coat that has been worn for 2 months. The zipper in my cords came unsewn. The seem in a couple shirts came unsewn. The leather in my new loafers was so thin and low quality it acquired a very noticable tear on the third wearing. All they need to do is spend a little more money on sewing and go the extra mile. And with shoes, cheap chinese leather is not a substitute.

    I feel like JCrew has somewhat created this problem themselves. Their pricing strategy is so strange that now we all wait until price drops or we play the return-and-buy-back game because their pricing is so inconsistent. This hurts their margins in the end and they need to find ways to cut costs. Message to JCREW: Up the quality and go to a pricing strategy like Brooks brothers. Save the low quality and high volume for the factory items! If it doesn't fix itself I will be forced to to brands like Joes Jeans, Milly, Frye, and DVF to name a few.

    ReplyDelete
  6. pathos, I haven't ordered any JC jewelry for quite some time, with the exception of the Snow Sparkle Earrings ... and they've got the opposite problem, they're too heavy! They pull my earlobes down, argh. In the past few seasons I've seen too much resin and flimsy construction to want any of it, so I've just been sportin' my old stuff.

    I would like to rant that the Jules dress in Ashbury floral is so damn short. If they even sold it in a tall length, maybe I could pull it off. It's a whole lotta print, yes, but I could work it. Just not at shirt length. I want it as a dress, not a tunic. Boooo. I knew something was up when I saw a good five eBay sellers trying to dump it for half of its current price.

    Also, not really a rant, but my colorblock tee arrived yesterday and as I think others have noted, the color on the botton of the Cerise colorway is NOT camel or khaki-like at all. It's a weird pinkish-brown color. It's not awful, it just isn't what I expected.

    I also find the wildcat Natasha top to fit just a touch big through the bust. Not a problem now, but if I can lose 10 or 15 pounds before summer as I've planned, it could present a problem down the line, even though my other tops in the same size will still fit fine. Argh.

    I will squeak in one 'yay' for the rant thread ... looks like there was a decent update to sale stuff overnight. Most of what I clicked on was gone, but I did pick up the purple floral Maisie dress for about $59. I'm comfortable with that price. I hope I love it -- and I hope it ships! LOL

    ReplyDelete
  7. This is a vent about JC but a little bit of a vent about myself. I ordered the tall miller motorcycle boots to replace my fabulous JC motorcycle boots from 07 or 08. They're not good but stupid me, I kept them and wore them anyway. They're not nearly as nice as my older ones and just look crappy. I've found myself wearing my older ones still even though the leather is cracking after 4 years of constant wear and several re-conditionings. Sadness. But it's my own fault for keeping the new pair when I ordered them. I should've just returned them. Le sigh.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I'e worn my deep purple wool Hutton trousers twice and they are pilling at the knees. I ordered these on the pre-holiday 25% or 30% off, so even with the discount they were a fairly substantial price. My 2007 azalea herringbone trousers (a similar weight) look brand new.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I agree with the mixed quality this year. Some of my cashmere items have been awesome (v-neck sweater - minimal pilling!). But then I ordered the black cashmere dress for yes, over $200. Wore it twice and the quality is HORRENDOUS! So terrible! It is pilling so badly and looks awful. I'm taking it back. a $200+ sweater dress shouldn't pill that much so quickly. Sad too, because the cut is adorable and very flattering.

    ReplyDelete
  10. following Hexicon- are the Cafe Trousers in Wool pilling too? I just received a pair in the mail, and my first thought was they would pill after some wear. And wrinkle pretty badly. Any reviews? I'm not comfortable paying $70 for a pair of unlined pants that will look like craft felt in one week.

    ReplyDelete
  11. May I be the first to direct our attention to the "FĂȘte short in gardenshade floral," Item no. 71532? It has everything, silk fabric, high waist, ruffled pockets. Pleats. It's described as "the ultimate nighttime short." Price $278. I was debating whether or not to speculate on who might "need" this when I saw the word verif for the comment : scank. I will put a pic of the word verif on my blog.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Still no wish list. I was hoping, you know, as their new year's resoluton, they'd add a wish list...

    ReplyDelete
  13. I had not had the "wrong item" issues that so many others have spoken of here. Now I can join the club--the rare byzantine blue liquid silk skirt popped back on final sale, but when it was delivered to my house it turned out that they'd sent a navy skirt instead. Needless to say, the byzantine blue skirt is totally out of stock.

    ReplyDelete
  14. WFF, I don't think the shorts are so bad. They're at least a respectable 4" inseam. But I don't know where on earth I'd wear them. And the price tag is pretty insulting.

    ReplyDelete
  15. WFF, you had me in stitches. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I'm still disappointed about that email we received yesterday, where you had to fork over your friends' email addresses in order to preview the spring Collection pieces. I will not give them info in order to see their pretty clothes!! Bad marketing strategy, J.Crew!

    ReplyDelete
  17. I am incredibly frustrated with their suiting! I have ordered several suiting pieces from the website that are shown together and the fabric and color do not match once the item arrives! I even called J.Crew once to ask them were they sure a certain dress matched the suiting jacket and was assured that it did. Of course, when I received it, the color was totally off. I FINALLY found the navy pinstripe jacket that actually matched the skirt and new Emmaleigh dress after 3 unsuccessful tries. J.Crew really needs to get better.

    ReplyDelete
  18. After just a few short weeks of actual wear, my Townhouse Trench has lost two of its gold buttons. Since I have zero sewing skills, I had to take it to the tailor to fix. The remaining buttons that stayed on are very, very loose, so I'm having them all attached more securely as well. Thank goodness the buttons came off in my hand as I was buttoning the coat; otherwise I'd really be SOL.

    BUT, in a "Yay!" within this rant, I complained to J Crew via email. and they responded in a few hours and offered to pay for the button reattachment as long as I provided them with a receipt. I'm interested to see if this actually ends up working out.

    ReplyDelete
  19. sigh...this is the third time in as many months that I've received a wrong item...ordered the natasha top in the wildcat print for the promo price + 30% and received the polka dot one...which is actually full price. They pre-returned and sent me the right top, but now I'm thinking I just should keep the polka dot one since they charged me the promo + sale price for it.

    also re: the purple wool hutton pants...I have these pants too and have not noticed an issue, I've worn them a few times...this makes me sad, I love them!

    ReplyDelete
  20. oh...seeing the button comment reminds me of two things I've been meaning to "rant" about...already lost a button on my icon trench and my stadium cloth boulevard trench lost a button yesterday. I can understand it to a point, I'm busty up top and sometimes my coats aren't as loose along my chest...but I think they should be a little more secure than they are!

    also...has anyone else noticed how itchy the tags are in JC's bottoms this season? I've noticed on my pencil skirts and my pants that they rub pretty badly on exposed skin and I've never had this problem before...wondering if they're not securing them as well or using a lesser quality tag/thread. boo! ok, I think I'm done...

    ReplyDelete
  21. Hexicon, that is really sad about the purple pants. I really want those but I will forget it now. Seriously, what other retailer makes WOOL PANTS that pill!? I didn't even know that the fine wool typically used to make pants could pill!

    ReplyDelete
  22. So annoyed right now! I had been on the waiting list for the talitha blouse in the pretty wreath color for over two months to finally receive it today...with a big stain on the chest! Really J Crew? I'm a card holder, frequent shopper and devotee to the brand and this is how you repay me? Seriously considering shopping elsewhere.

    ReplyDelete
  23. pathos, I have the wool cafe trouser (in cherry) and I've worn them several times and have noticed no pilling and not really much wrinkling. I do wish they were lined, but I don't find them itchy.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Pathos, I have the wool cafe trouser but I've only worn them twice. I have hips and thighs and yet they really flatter. However, I've only worn them twice thus far but I haven't yet noticed pilling. They are rather thin and unlined but I don't mind since my office tends to be on the warmer side. What happens to them during dry leaning remains to be seen. Got them on sale for 75 CDN.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Nicole, how awful about the talitha! It's been on back order forever too. I was hoping it would go on sale but no.

    ReplyDelete
  26. I bought a pair of toothpicks in snowy thistle and they look suspiciously like thay have been washed. They are pilling on the inside and there is a darker color area on the side of the zipper, like a stain that didn't go away. I wouldn't mind that much but the dark area really makes me look like I have just peed in my pants. The only idea of calling cs makes me sick, not to mention that they were a popback so now sold-out.

    ReplyDelete
  27. I'm over the descriptions always telling me that I need to buy more than one color. No, J.Crew.

    ReplyDelete
  28. thanks dagmara for the feedback! I know alot of ladies have liked these pants so I'm all ears on hearing about how they wear.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Final sale updates right after a FS Promo code has expired really gets my blood boiling. It is ridiculous and insulting.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Frustrated with the student discount still - I was in my B&M last night and a teenage boy was not allowed to use his student discount as his mother was paying. I have never been turned down when my mother paid in the past and was not aware that "you can only use the student discount if you are the one paying", which is what the associate kept repeating. I also have been turned down using a student discount on sale items, but not always. They need to come up with a solid policy and then enforce it!

    ReplyDelete
  31. Low quality, high prices, and models who look like they do lots of heroin and never, ever eat.

    ReplyDelete

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! :)