"Thanks!" to many of you, who let us know about some recent changes to J.Crew's policy on sending out defective or incorrect merchandise:Jess (in this post) shared:
Starting from this week, if you call in after they send a wrong item, the regular CS will refer you to a certain "specialist" who asks you to ship it back with no prospects that you'll get the refund soon. No it's no longer OK to just drop off the item at your local store."Send back your item and we'll proceed from there". What kind of CS is that???!!! It's your mistake, J.Crew!Allyson (in this post) shared:
I got the same response when I called about the snap breaking off my matinee trench on it's first wear! CS told me to ship it back and they'd "review it." When I asked what that meant, she said they "review" my claim and would either return my jacket to me or refund my money. When I asked how long, she told me it could take several weeks. I felt like she was accusing me of lying! I just hung up. I am wearing it with a broken snap as a reminder of how cheap J.Crew has become. I am assuming that's what they want you to do. Just give up. For contrast, the strap on my son's Land's end back pack fell apart after a few weeks. Called CS, new backpack shipped immediately with envelope to return old one with no charge.Riley (in this post) shared:
I contacted CS to ask for replacement buttons and this was their response: We are truly sorry for the quality issues you've experienced with our Jackie Cardigans. We stand behind our merchandise, so we'll be happy to review the items for defects.In the past, J.Crew was very proactive about correcting any mistakes in defective or incorrect merchandise sent to customers. I remember an instance where I received the wrong pair of ballet flats and J.Crew issued me an immediate refund- right then and there (no merchandise had been returned yet). They just apologized and asked me to drop it off at my local store whenever it was convenient for me. Even though I was upset that I did not get the right shoes, and the pair I wanted sold out, I was delighted how quick and customer friendly J.Crew's response was. It took the sting out of the mistake.
As others have mentioned, they wanted me to mail the item back for them to review. I plan on buying buttons and replacing them myself and will have to find another source for Jackie-like cardigans in the future.
That is why hearing these changes on the new policy- about sending defective/incorrect merchandise to a "specialist", and waiting around for a decision (like going to some type of court to prove your case)- sounds disheartening. One of the reasons I shop at J.Crew and the like (e.g. Nordstroms), is because of their customer-friendly policies.
Personally, I would be really upset if I got a wrong item sent to me and then was told I had to send it in for review because they did not believe me.
Now I understand that customers might abuse the policies. It's terrible and I do not agree with it. However, J.Crew should take steps to note or indicate that on their individual account. The rest of the customer population should not have to be prematurely accused of misbehaving.
What are your thoughts on the recent policy change on defective/incorrect merchandise? Did you encounter it recently?
For as much as they charge for their clothes, there is NO excuse. None. Customer service is #1 in my mind, and hearing these stories really makes me angry. I just got an order in from them this past week without any issues, but if I ever had any, I would be so upset to know this was their reaction. Thank you Alexis for addressing this - I feel like if more of us customers take a stand against it (and blog about it), they will end this practice.
ReplyDeleteThe brand's strategy just seems to be way off in the message that they're sending to consumers.
ReplyDeleteOn one hand, you have the execs (*coughmickeycough*) bemoaning the evils of markdowns and proclaiming that their pieces are these special snowflakes.
On the other, you have their policies saying to the consumer that their merch isn't worth the prices they're charging, whether through final sale or making customers jump through a bunch of hoops to return a potentially defective item.
Odd.
This policy, along with items going from full retail price directly to final sale, really don't add up to a quality merchant IMO. If they stand behind what they sell, why do they give the impression that in fact, they cower behind what they sell?
ReplyDeleteNordstrom customer service is sooo good!
ReplyDeleteI agree with your last paragraph especially. Someone must have abused their old policy, but they shouldn't subject loyal and honest customers to this new policy.
ReplyDeletePerhaps they could put the effort into ensuring that these inventory errors rarely occur in the first place, rather than creating a bureau of incorrect inventory claims that treats every customer complaint as suspicious.
Cate, I agree with you. If their quality was better then they would not have this problem.
Delete@disco george - "special snowflakes." You just made me snort.
ReplyDeleteSorry! Hope you weren't drinking anything at the time! :-)
DeleteUm...NO. I choose to shop at places that offer good customer service and this is not it. I would also never buy anything at full price at JC since I know the quality is not there! I don't know what they're smoking but this is not good business - to piss off a loyal fan base so that they'll look to other retailers.
ReplyDeleteAlexis, I'm so honored that you noticed my comment. I read the JCA every day and love it.Thank you! :)
ReplyDeleteI think the new policy of reviewing quality items/inventory errors as if the customer is a fault is a huge mistake. I'm a good customer and rarely contact CS so I was shocked that I would be responsible for returning a defective item, waiting for it to reviewed ( no offer to replace the item) and then wait to see if the review would go my way ( getting a refund) or if they ruled against my claim and sent the jacket back. I really do feel like they are assuming that the customer is wrong. They need to rethink this policy immediately, especially with the quality issues we've seen in the last few years. It really has made me think twice about placing orders.
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ReplyDeleteA defective pair of valentinas arrived on my door step the other day. I called customer service and they issued me a while I was on the phone and put in an order for a replacement. I'm really starting to think it's all about who you talk to. If I ever received a poor response, I'd probably hang up and call back later to talk to a different representative. How frustrating!
ReplyDeleteMeant to say ”issued me a refund” in my comment above. Sorry!
DeleteI deleted my snarky comment before since it didn't really add to the discussion; just helped me vent my frustration :/
ReplyDeleteI wonder if this new policy is in line with Mickey's thinking that the mall brick and mortar stores should be eventually eliminated. If you cannot return at a store (which I would think would make sense, as a SA or manager could see the quality issue), this newly implemented policy would essentially eliminate the "middle-man" (store). Order on-line, send back via mail, reissued a credit online/phone/charge-back or receive the correct item by mail. Maybe he's just being a "visionary" and thinking about 5-10 years from now...ha!
Of course, with this plan JC could potentially lose some revenue (because most store visits, even for order corrections, usually means one browses the store at least), as well as the good will of many customers. I don't appreciate having to "prove" that the wrong item was sent to me by a review board and I certainly wouldn't like having to wait for my account to be credited until they have done so...
I usually let my PS deal with this and have had no problems.
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ReplyDeleteI agree it depends on what day and who you get. During the last promo I placed an order for the last Jaspe pullover in indigo heather in XXS.
ReplyDeleteI usually wear XS or S....but a kind JCA had reviewed the item and said the the xs fit generously over her 31 week baby belly...So I thought hmmm what if she got a one-off that was mislabeled. So I quickly called CS and asked for measurements for the xs and xxs while I still had the 60 min window to cancel the order.
Now here's the miracle: The CS I got on the phone not only gave me both measurements but OFFERED to make a note on the order that if it did not fit I could return it even though it was FS. Her words were, "We want you to be able to return it if you are not happy since you took the time to call and ask" Wow, I thought maybe things are improving at JC CS Dept. (until I read the tales above).
Anyway, the xxs arrived and fits PERFECTLY, its soft and very stretchy for 100 percent cotton, I love it and I'm a happy camper (which is how it should be) :)
Oh, that makes me happy! I am glad the xxs fits you so well. That top is SO oversized! I now have a much smaller belly and the xs is very "comfy," lol. I definitely don't mind since I look at this top as casual wear, anyhow, but yeah, an xs should not be maternity wear, unless you are exceedingly petite!
DeleteI am glad my review was helpful to you...
That indigo heather color is fabulous, isn't it?
Oh, and I am really glad you were able to get good customer service in this instance. Like you, I am a bit distressed over the other tales I am reading in this post!
You are so cute. I didn't want to mention who the 'baby belly' was, but you got me! P.S.belated congrats on your beautiful bundle of Joy! I often read your blog and your reviews are always so helpful and fun. I am rocking the top with white capris today :)
DeleteThank you.
This is not a new polic.y I was told about sending back an item to review over a year ago that was defective. I think it all depends on who you talk to
ReplyDeleteI think it goes both ways. I've had some defective pants that tore right thru (jersey dream pants- a total fluke) and the CS credited me and overnighted new ones to me.
ReplyDeleteI can also tell you that as someone who sells occasionally on ebay, how buyers will contact me after they receive a perfectly good item and try to shake me down for a few bucks. It's also amazing how if you tell them to send the item back for an exchange or a refund or ask for a picture documenting this, you'll never hear back from them ever again.
There are always going to be abuses in the system, however, if Jcrew is a reputable retailer, which they aren't so much anymore, they should stand behind their handy work.
From the policy change, J.Crew is no longer standing behind their promise to take back "defective" merchandise, which means that they no longer stand behind their "quality" products. I recently received an on-line purchase of the Crystal Mosaic necklace that had TWO crystals missing from the front; it was very noticeable. I took it back to the store and the SA immediately issued a credit, no questions asked. I would have been extremely upset if I had to send it back for a "review" of the missing crystals. Now let's hope that J.Crew doesn't just re-bag the defective necklace and sell it to the next unsuspecting customer!
ReplyDeleteAnother thing I don't understand is that I received a prepaid shipping label via UPS overnight while they could have emailed it to me for free(talks about cost cutting???). Anyway, I shipped the wrong item to the "specialist" today and made sure that multiple pictures were saved on my phone. Let's wait and see. I'll update the story here. Thanks Alexis for addressing this problem. I don't think I'll shop in JC for a while.
ReplyDeleteBTW, isn't it easier to get things done if they can let us email pictures of the clothes/packing, rather than create a separate dept to deal with the stuff? I just don't get it.
DeleteAbout two weeks ago I emailed CS a picture of my brand new Carnation ring - with the carnation gone. It completely broke off the third day I wore it, and when I looked down at my hand, I was wearing a band with two prongs sticking out and nothing more. They responded the next day and credited me immediately. I guess it truly does depend on the rep you deal with.
DeleteI've been shopping with JC less and less because of the quality issues, but had I received an incorrect item on my recent order during the sale promo (which luckily I did not), I definitely would've headed straight to the B&M near my office where I know the CS is great and I don't think I would've left there without, at the very least, a credit for the incorrect item(s). To request that customers send back defective merchandise and wait weeks while JC evaluates it is simply unacceptable; if they properly evaluated their merchandise through the quality control process before they shipped it, this would not be an issue in the first place.
That said, over the years, there have been three instances where JC sent me defective merchandise, pre-returned it for me (only after speaking with a supervisor and being very firm that I would not wait weeks for a refund) and I was told to mail the items back at my own cost, which I never did. One was a bling button cardigan which got a massive hole in the elbow on the fourth wearing, and I sent them a picture so they knew I wasn't making it up, and the other two were for waitlisted coats that I'd waited for for months and months, received what was clearly another customer's defective return and was told by CS that they could only move me back to the bottom of the waitlist if I wanted a replacement (I did, rather than my money back) which was unacceptable to me and why I demanded a pre-return from a supervisor - and again I didn't ship those back because I wasn't about to pay out-of-pocket to do so, and also knowing that the next customer on the waitlist would end up with the same defective coat. These instances are going back 2-4 years, but maybe the policy change was because a lot of customers like me were having the same issues and not shipping back the defective items? The bottom line is that if their quality control was at the level it should be, customers would not be receiving defective or incorrect items in the first place - and to place the burden of correcting the issue on the customer is frankly appalling from my perspective.
Dara, same exact thing happened to my carnation ring, only I got to wear it for 5 minutes and realized it was broken as soon as I walked out of the store. I compared it to the ring I got 2 yrs ago that has similar design, and it's made so much better.
DeleteMy last order from JCrew included 3 items, one had stains on it, the other was the wrong size. It's almost like, how do you make 4 mistakes spelling a 3-letter word. They somehow manage.
I guess that's why they still don't have customer reviews option - who would buy their so-so quality merchandise if we tell the truth?
To be completely honest, I have never had a problem returning defective/wrong merchandise. Late last week, I had two of them; a silk shirt with long visible pulls on the front (I think it was a return) and a completely wrong item. In both instances, my payment was immediately refunded and I was given the choice to either return to a B&M or ship it back to them, on their dime of course. I shipped the items back along with a few others that did not work out and received the rest of my refund yesterday.
ReplyDeleteThe CS rep I spoke with was very apologetic and did a search for the items, which where pop-backs to begin with, so no luck, but it was nice of her to try anyway. She even made a note with my PS (who followed up with more apologies) about my troubles. All in all, great customer service.
Hearing these comments though makes me vicariously mad and worry that this kind of CS will be no more. Which is a shame, because added to their declining quality, rising prices and crazy ridiculous inventory system, this might just be the last straw for a lot of people. Guess there's always the Bureau of Consumer Protection?
I think it's sad that not all of the CS reps are as good as the few mentioned above. I don't want to cross my fingers when I call CS for help.
ReplyDeleteAlso, this may be comparing apples to oranges but I recently received two defective bags from Vera Bradley on two seperate orders. One time the rep sent out a free return label for me and a new item was sent out right away. A few months later the item had to be sent back for inspection; then a new one was sent out to me pending that the whole pattern/items were not defective (which they weren't; I just got a bad one.)
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ReplyDeleteIt seems there has to be a better way to solve what is likely a flawed return process. Before they were essentially taking everyone for their word that they would return the item and refunding the charge but are potentially out the cost of whatever the wrong item is. Providing a free shipping label would be extremely convenient - a lot of people don't have B&M stores nearby so getting to a store to drop off a return could be cumbersome. My guess is that they're losing money doing pre-refunds and not tracking if people actually return the merchandise to the store, defective or not. It certainly is not the customer's issue to figure out. I'm disappointed with the approach that they'll be reviewing things. At this point, I'd take things right to the store and request a refund.
ReplyDeleteI had a wrong item sent to me on Tuesday of this week and called them, the CS person I spoke with immediately issued me a refund after asking some quick questions and before I had returned the merchandise. I dropped it off at a local store the next day so they were in good about handling it in that respect.
ReplyDeleteI'm still not happy with the outcome because I lost out on some great shoes at a great price through no fault of my own. I mailed a letter to the CEO (which I'm sure will probably get ignored or a canned form letter) stating the problem, how upset I was, and how they need to work on their inventory as well as honor the sale at a future date if they want to keep me a customer (meaning selling me similar boots at the sale price I would have gotten if they'd mailed the correct item to begin with) because the ones I had bought were nowhere to be found.
I've ordered many items on Final Sale and honestly this is the only time this happened but it was something I really wanted and I'm not happy about it at all.
I also agree that instead of penalizing the customer, just put extra effort into your inventory and quality control in shipping and stop sending out the incorrect items! The box I got had nothing incorrectly labeled on it to where I could see how a mix up occurred and my packing slip correctly displayed what I had ordered, it was like someone just grabbed a random box and mailed it to me.
ReplyDeleteThis is outrageous considering the amount of times they've shipped me the wrong item or the wrong color. I have never had another company sent me the wrong thing, but it seems to regularly happen with J. Crew. Actually, given how often that happens, this makes me really reconsider ordering online with them again. I've also been burned with the item I wanted then being out of stock.
ReplyDeleteI've become really disappointed with J.Crew. They have some cute styles, but: the quality has seriously decreased over the last few years, the colors in person often are wildly different than they looked online (a problem I don't encounter elsewhere), and their fit is extremely unpredictable, depending on the item. All of these make it difficult to justify their high prices, and ordering online becomes more and more difficult. And, to top it off, I feel they're really rude when you return something in store. If they make it harder for us when they make a mistake, why shop there?
Slighty OT, but I received a Lands End Canvas order recently and every item had a penned "check mark" next to it. Of course, every item was correct and in said box. Wonder if that can't be implemented at JC?
ReplyDeleteIt's odd, but I remember a JCA once mentioning that their JC item came in an Ann Taylor box? Or was it vice versa? Curious to know if JC shares their warehouse with another retailer...
I just had to comment on this one. J. Crew's CS is starting to really make me rethink my shopping habits with them. I order almost exclusively online b/c I don't live close to a store & I wear a lot of petites. About 6 months ago I placed 4 orders within days of each other, and EVERY SINGLE ORDER had a wrong item shipped. One of the items had sold out and couldn't be replaced. Fortunately they issued refunds and reorders quickly, but I was a little annoyed that they didn't go further in making up for their mistake. I've also experienced the dreaded armpit holes in several of their tees and gave up trying to get them replaced after being treated like a criminal. The very nice SA who helped me the first time could certainly see the quality issue, but she didn't seem empowered to actually help me.
ReplyDeleteI guess I've just been spoiled by Lands End and Nordstrom. When a company says they stand by the quality of their products and customer service, I expect their actions to reflect that. But I'm at the stage in my life when I just don't need the headache of trying to deal with quality issues and wrong items. (BTW, I shop at several other online retailers and J. Crew is the only one that has ever shipped me the wrong item.)
I've only had the incorrect item sent twice (although many, many quality issues the last several years) from J crew and customer service has been consistently friendly and helpful in resolving any problems quickly. I do feel for those who have received poor customer service when it was J Crew's fault to begin with- not a good business model... EVER. If
ReplyDeleteJ Crew is listening- please go back to the principals that J Crew was founded on, quality clothing and excellent customer service.
I'll not be ordering from J.Crew anymore. During the last promo I bought several skirts and tops. One of the Button-Front Linen Twill skirts I got was completely mangled. Ripped seams, pulled threads, a button hanging on for dear life. Awful.
ReplyDeleteI called, twice, and was told there was nothing to be done. One person told me it was a FS item and wasn't eligible for return no matter what. The other basically told me I was lying because it was impossible that they would ship such a faulty product.
Unreal.
They've lost my online business, I'm so turned off right now I don't want to purchase their items without seeing and touching them first. Even that won't happen often as the nearest B&M is 3 hours away....
This probably should have gone in the vent post, but it applies to icky customer service.
I am confused by this change in policy, I have twice had incorrect items shipped to me and the error was in the outside packaging not matching the actual contents, purely size not an entirely incorrect item. Once I called got a new item shipped immediately N/C and returned the incorrect item. Is J Crew saying that a customer would purchase something, keep it and try and return something completely different saying it was shipped incorrectly? If that is the case, they should be able to review any order and see if what is being returned was actually ever ordered. I know Bed, Bath and Beyond can scan an item and get credit card information, purchase date and price etc. BTW they have an amazing return policy...lifetime guarantee on all items and returns without receipt/question. The outcome I always shop there...take note J Crew that is how you get and maintain customers.
ReplyDeleteAlexis, thanks for listing my comment :) I don't comment often but come here to read reviews frequently!
ReplyDeleteI have been shopping at J.Crew for years - almost embarrassed to admit how many. J.crew used to make up approximately 90% of my closet and now it is probably closer to 9%.
This is the first time I have been asked to send an item back for review. In the past when J.Crew has sent me a wrong/defective CS would pre-return/credit me and the replacement was shipped out immediately. I was also able to use the pre-printed return label and was never charged return shipping.
These policies, along with poor quality and increasing prices, have me shopping elsewhere. I just bought two charming cardis from Talbots and I hope they hold up better than the jackie!
This does make me scared to order from JC in the future! I have probably placed 12 orders in past year and have received the wrong item 3 times. The package seemed to be labeled correctly, but had the wrong item in it. Each time they were very good about refunding my money immediately and I sent the items back with a prepaid label. I am nervous about this new policy in case they send me a wrong item in the future.
ReplyDeleteAlso I had just ordered the Drea Leopard Patent Peep Toe Pumps in my regular size on final sale and they came way too small, though they were the correct size (7.5). I called customer service and the lady was very nice and sent out a larger size. I was instructed to return the shoes with a prepaid label, and told that I would not be charged return ship fees. She charged my card for the new shoes and I will be credited for the other shoes when they receive them. So I actually was impressed that the girl handled it so well even though the shoes were final sale.
I just had a really positive JCrew Customer Service experience. I had ordered the Heidi dress in casablanca blue and newport navy in my usual size. Casablanca one fit perfectly, but the navy was a nightmare. As soon as I had it on the zipper immediately popped open. In trying to get the zipper back down it detached from one side. Since there looked like no chance of me being able to fix the situation on my own and the zipper on this dress was obviously defective I right away called customer service. I explained the situation, no questions asked they immediately refunded my credit card. Since the item is currently back-ordered until the week before the wedding they said they would let me know in 48 hrs if they could find the navy dress in any store. It is disappointing that the zipper was so sub-par (I've ordered numerous Jcrew dresses and never encountered this problem). However, honestly, I am so impressed at the customer service! This is exactly what I expect from Jcrew and feel so happy that they met my expectations. Definitely affirmed my loyalty!
ReplyDeleteMark,
ReplyDeleteHere's an unusual problem with JCrew pants (and maybe shorts too). The colors are affected by ultra violet light!!
I always use non bleach detergents. After several washings, I noticed that large "splotches" show up but can only be seen outdoors where UV light hits the pants. My khaki pants appear normal indoors, but have large white splotches outdoors.
This problem has occurred in three different pants over the past three years.
Anyone else seen this problem?