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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ReplyDeleteI'm living in the UK for the next few months and am horrified at the extra expenses tacked on to items ordered from the UK site. Highway robbery. I'd simply order and have items sent to my US address, but, by the time I get back, I'll be well outside the return period. My heart bleeds and my indignation rises for those JCAs who don't have a US option.
ReplyDeleteKikki I was in your shoes for several YEARS with no UK website. I had to order from the website and have it sent to my parents and just take my chances on sizing. j crew had better quality and was more consistent size wise. I was outside the return period on several items many times and just after gave the or paid to mail it back.
ReplyDeleteOnce again J.Crew has screwed up a backorder placed using paypal. It seems to work if there is only the waitlisted item on the paypal order but if some of the order ships and one of the items is waitlisted then it goes into "credit hold" status when ready to ship, even if you have enough paypal funds AND the paypal account is linked to a bank account with even more funds.
ReplyDeleteThis is the second time this has happened and when I called CS and told them to put it through paypal again they said they could not, the system wouldn't let them. I asked them to cancel it then and they said they couldn't do that either, the system wouldn't let them do anything with it. Great.
I think it may be because paypal won't let you split the transaction, you have to log into paypal to authorize and J.Crew can't do that for you after the first part of the order was authorized and has already shipped out.
Am I making any sense? I know it's a bit of a rant but sheesh, don't offer a service you cannot deliver! Of course the waitlisted item is now sold out in my size. Lesson learned, no more buying backordered items through paypal.
I placed an order using paypal and some of the items shipped but one item was backordered. When it was ready to ship I received an email telling me my order was on credit hold. Plenty of funds in paypal and the attached bank account so that was not the issue. This happened to me once before so I knew that J.Crew was not able to process the split shipment/payment via paypal, which is what happened last time. I thought perhaps the glitch was fixed.
ReplyDeleteI called CS and asked them if they could submit to paypal again and they said the system would not allow it, which I can understand since paypal requires you log in to authorize payments. I asked if they could just cancel it and they said the system wouldn't allow that either. Nice. A few days later I got the cancellation email.
Now the item is sold out in my size, of course. J.Crew, please fix your issues with paypal and backordered items. I understand it could be because paypal requires a log in and once the first shipment is completed the paypal order may be closed but if you're going to offer paypal as an option, find a way to make it work.
Lesson learned for me, no more backordered items ordered using paypal.
I'm really disappointed by the amount of items that are imported. Only a handful of belts and jeans are actually made in the USA. How can this be imported?
ReplyDeleteMinor point about the new layout on the website: I keep trying to type in the "Shopping Bag" box when I am doing a search. The "search keyword or item number" box is now just below the "Shopping Bag" button.
ReplyDeleteI'm no website designer, but the placement/proportion of those boxes seems awkward to me.
This is more of an observation than a vent...I recently purchased the Factory nouvelle jacket in cotton and matching cotton pencil skirt. The material was a little too casual for what I was looking for and I found the cut of the jacket very off. I had to go up 2 sizes and it was still fairly snug. I also thought it was cut very long, although that could be attributed to my short torso. Both went back.
ReplyDeleteAnother month - another cancelled order. I'm bummed, but I'm even more bummed that J.Crew does nothing to offer a deal or free shipping for another purchase. I recently received an email from Piperlime alerting me of a cancellation - they included a promo code for 10% off.
ReplyDeleteThe shirt I ordered on final sale has a twin in the new spring line-up; however, I'm holding off since there is no promotion.
Read more about this on my blog.
JCK, I keep doing the same thing, LOL! I thought I must be going crazy or something but at least I don't feel so nutty now. Hehehehe.
ReplyDeleteWow. The Jules dress in Ashbury floral is already down to $119 from $188. Guess they figured out it's too short for most grown women to wear it as a dress!
ReplyDeleteAnd....I'm stifling giggles here...the Natasha wildcat blouse is back up to $98.
Will wonders never cease?? Can anyone imagine the outrage if Target did this on their website, or Walmart? 'Dynamic pricing' my butt!
And another rant (sorry) -- the double-serge wool pencil skirts came down to $99.99 and anything even close to my size in the color I want is gone, gone, gone. Boo hoo. Hoping the heather acorn one will pop back. I've been waiting for these to drop in price forever. :(
ReplyDeleteHOLES!
ReplyDeleteOne of my Perfect Fit tees and a vintage striped thermal both have holes along the seams after 2 wears/washes a piece.
This is the first time this has happened to me and I was outraged. How long have they known about this issue? UGH.
As a New Years resolution, I put myself on a fast-fashioin fast for four months and so far it has been easy to pass on the crewlade.
The waterfloral pencil skirt and cafe capris sre also marked down (but not by much) and in Final Sale already. I guess everyone balked at $228 for a cotton pencil skirt and capris. Not sure many people will want to spend $180 either.
ReplyDeleteThe silk regency shirtdress which was a spring arrival is already marked down by 50%. Maybe because they presented it as a wrinkled mess on a mannequin? I don't ever recall seeing it styled on a model.
HATE final sale! Ordered the drapey sequin tank in "natural" expecting ivory (exactly how it appeared on the web). It arrived today and is silver. The body is natural but it is completely covered with silver sequins-not at all the look I was going for. I was hoping to pair it with some of the brights that are being offered this season. Of course when I called CS, they absolutely refused a return, even though there was a huge discrepency between what it looked like and what I got. I hate that I'm so far from a B&M and am at the mercy of online only. I got a good deal on it, but it's the principal of it that angers me. Sorry, I just get frustrated because I can't imagine another retailer treating their customers this way, and yet I still purchase from them...grrr!
ReplyDeleteJCK - I keep doing the same thing too! I am in the web design business and hello - user testing! :)
ReplyDeleteI tried on several of the new arrival dresses(Jules Floral,Jules Fanfare and the Marla in printed silk )last week and they were all too short! I am 5'3" so a regular size dress should fall at least 2 inches below what is shown on the online model.
ReplyDeleteIt would be quite helpful for the descriptions to include some information about the model in the photo such as "our model is 5'7" and is wearing a size 6".
Speaking of descriptions - the Petra dress is described as falling below the knee yet on the model it looks to be the same length as the Marla printed silk.
@Elaine - I'd been stalking the Ashbury dress online for awhile but it looks so long and frumpy on the (presumably tall) model I've been passing on it. Then I just read your comment about it being too short, and was totally confused...so I went to the Net-a-porter website and realized you are totally right, it's crazy short (and unflatteringly boxy)! How can the J. Crew model possibly be wearing the same dress? Jeeeesh. It's even sneakier being on final sale.
ReplyDeleteLisa G.
ReplyDeleteExactly! I have stopped buying anything final sale and holding strong at one year mark (almost there) so not buying much from J.Crew anymore. It is a matter of principle and money and just plain poor customer service.
@Claire, I think I could work it as a tunic, but I don't want to. Wanted to wear it as a dress, lol. I have a dress made in the same style by, of all places, AT Loft -- I know, y'all will laugh considering I dislike most Loft items -- but it's cut just slim enough and long enough that it works.
ReplyDeleteI'm very sad that I can't buy this dress and wear it. At 5'7" it would be scandalous at my work. Sigh. :(
I also would like to add a vent for high shipping minimums / high shipping cost.
I realized while watching TV last night that overstock.com would send me a dang piece of furniture for $2.95! And that I could buy a pair of socks from Nordstrom.com and they'd ship them for free. And exchange them cheerfully, or give me a refund, if there was a problem -- even if they were on sale.
COME OUT OF THE DARK AGES, dear leader! Arrrgghh! Can't even express how many things I might have bought on a whim, but then I see that shipping and tax tacks on another $10-$15. Boohiss.
Receiving pop-back purchases without tags
ReplyDeleteFinal sale on items that aren't even months old yet
JC is trying hard to get me to stop shopping final sale
Claire, I blogged about the Ashbury dress here before. I am 5'6", for reference.
ReplyDeleteLooking at the August 2007 catalog @ http://thejcrewarchives.blogspot.com I noticed how back then the dream Cambridge cable sweaters were "updated with even more cashmere" instead of angora and viscose. Hehe.
ReplyDeleteand haha! to LauraK, I totally agree.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the Jules/Ashbury dress reviews guys! Going to my B&M tomorrow to see if they have one to try on, although I think I'd honestly rather have the perfect shirt in the Ashbury print at this point. Not that that's on sale of course....but if I buy it full price, with my luck there will be a FP promo the next day!
ReplyDeleteThe name, "ancient fig". The heart throb print. Denim-on-denim. All this navy and yellow that is so 5 years ago. Bubblegum pink sequin calf-length skirts (for $695!).
ReplyDeleteAnd seriously, who would pay $298 for a sequin tank when there are ones in the sale section for $20?!
Take a breather, J.Crew.
I agree on the gripe about imported goods. At this point, I'd just be happy to know that my money wasn't going to China, with its terrible record on human rights.
ReplyDeleteMy current gripe, which is rather minor, is about a set of silk-wrapped headbands I bought in December. It is February 1st, and all three are falling apart. I just spent my evening trying to superglue them back together. If I can afford a decent adhesive, so can they.
:-/
Had an irritating experience at the B&M on 5th Ave here in New York. I picked up some things to try on and had them in my arms as I made another once-over through the store to make sure there wasn't anything else I wanted to take in with me. An SA got a fitting room started for me and asked for my name-- typical J Crew shopping experience. Went in, tried stuff on, took my sweet time, and I decided not to buy them that day.
ReplyDeleteHere's where things went weird: the SA was folding or something in the fitting rooms and was there to take my things right when I got out, but instead of asking me if any of it worked, or if I needed any different sizes, she just took the things from my arms and said, "have a good night!" Imagine if I had actually wanted to buy something?! What was it about me that said, "not buying"? She didn't even ask if I needed anything while I was in trying things on, so it's not like she knew how things were going in there.
Small thing, but it really rubbed me the wrong way. Ever since I moved to NY, I've avoided shops on Madison and a lot of 5th Ave because I've been sort of afraid that they can see my $35 pants from a mile away and treat me accordingly. This experience only reinforced that ridiculous fear and may have lost them some business since I pass that store at least once a week.
There are clearly inventory management issues. It's almost embarrassing that one order comes in 2-5 shipments over the course of a month. Or longer.
ReplyDeleteAnd glad I'm not the only one that has to try really hard to avoid putting things in the shopping bag field. They can sit on it! Yes, like on Happy Days.
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ReplyDeleteElaine, ..."overstock can send me a dang piece of furniture for $2.95!" I LOL at your comment. You slay me!
ReplyDeleteRecently I ordered the Sardinia Espadrille in black and I received two right feet! I was so upset because I have been waiting to find these shoes in black, size 8, on sale and I finally found them. I bought them through my phone because I was so scared that they would sell out by the time I found a computer. It was very devastating and completely ridiculous that they would box two right shoes. Then to make it even worse I ordered the Booker Booties in black, again size 8, and I receive the right foot size 8 and the left foot size 7.5. So ridiculous!!! I called about both items and naturally they were sold out so I had to return them. They really need better quality control in the warehouses.
ReplyDeleteNot a vent about J.Crew but just a heads up that there's a seller on Ebay selling counterfeit J.Crew cashmere. I ordered this season's cashmere sweater dress from J.Crew and wanted it in another color. When I saw that it was sold out in my size, I found one in Ebay. The one I received was a very close imitation--right down to the tags but there was some noticeable differences. The cashmere was almost too soft and thinner, and the collar was slightly different. I noticed the major inconsistency when I compared the tags to the real one that I own from J.Crew. I emailed the seller (daisyhe923) informing him/her that the dress was fake and while I was issued a refund, the cost of returning the dress to canada was not covered even though I had been sold a counterfeit item. Hope this helps a fellow JCA avoid the headache of my experience!
ReplyDelete