Wednesday, October 17, 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.

33 comments:

  1. Is anyone else having issues with the JC website going to an all while screen when you try to navigate around?? I've had this issue in Firefox and IE.

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  2. The november catalog... Could it be any more boring? The same items over and over. Even the same colors from last year ! Ugh I love classics with a twist , but that doesn't mean recycling items over and over.

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  3. I bought a fair bit for my husband and daughters on Sunday. First, the cashier was less than pleasant, second, they wadded the clothes up, no tissue, and put it all in one bag. The men's shirts were balled up. Really, there was no one in line behind me, the couldn't fold the clothes properly? Oh and no one approached me to see if I needed help with sizes.

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    1. That drives me crazy. And it is not only J.Crew. Recently I have taken to ask the SA to fold my purchases neatly. I make a joke about hating to iron clothes. Usually they are a bit sheepish in response but not impolite. Guess it is related to customers who leave clothes wadded up on the floor after they try things on.

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  4. I want to see the nov cataloge......when do the rest of us get it?

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  5. I bought a dress for a wedding this weekend. The Arabella in a Kelly green color. I bough tit in my normal size and the zipper SHOULD have gone up easily. It was not tight at all. However, ONCE AGAIN, there was some sort of glitch in the zipper and it would not go up and broke when my husband tried. I still REALLY want to wear the dress, so I brought it to my drycleaner for a zipper repair. This is the THIRD time I've had a bent/missing some teeth zipper that has not worked. For the money I pay, you need to get some better quality zippers, Jcrew!

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  6. Georgine, I know. I miss the days when they folded everything neating and wrapped it in tissue. Made the whole experience special. I received an item in the mail this week just all scratched up b/c it was put in a simple brown mailer instead of being put in a box with tissue or bubble wrap. I refuse to pay shipping for JCRew when they now do such a crappy job!



    Fishvb24,
    So sorry about your dress. JCrew has had zipper issues for MANY years. I remember back in the early 2000's all the problems I would witness at the Mall of America store on brand new full price dresses. It is crazy! They really should have improved this LONG ago.

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  7. Annoying that I order two pairs of wool cafe capris (Tall) in different colours (red and yellow) and the red fits perfectly but the yellow is too snug. But the next size up will certainly be too big.

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    1. When the wool cafe capris came out last year I remember trying them on in black and camel--the black fit perfectly in my usual pants size and I literally couldn't get the camel ones done up.

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  8. While in the pickup line at school yesterday, I called my local store to see if they could tell me what stores might still have my size in the jeweled collar sweater (so I could call and do a charge send). The sweet SA said lots of stores showed they might have one, but since it was hit-or-miss, she would file a WWFIFY for me, and they would get back to me within 48 hours. I didn't look at my watch at that exact moment, but it was at least 3:45 pm. Laughably, I got home and opened my e-mail to see an 'AFTER SEARCHING ALL OUR STORES (ha!),we couldn't find it' e-mail sent from J Crew at 4:15 pm. Yeah, right. The 'search specialist' must have pulled up the store search and decided against calling through the list. I'm choosing to see it as J Crew saving me money--if they don't want to take my money, I can certainly find an alternate use for it :)

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    1. Wendy, WWWTF is a joke. I just ask the SA to tell me a few stores that could have my item, and I call them myself. Only once did I encounter resistance from the SA, who said she wasn't allowed to tell me, so we played a little guessing game.

      You may hear from WTF again in a few days, because I think the poor-us-we-are-falling-over-tired-from-your-search message is just an automated acknowledgment. But by that time, your item may be gone in fact. I prefer to be proactive.

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    2. WWWTF--That is perfect, WFF :) I'm just really frustrated, ya know? It made me wonder if it was a 'sign' I shouldn't order the sweater, since I've never tried it on.

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    3. Well, the Crewniverse is full of signs and omens. I remember when they used to tell me to buy something. Lots of somethings. Not so much these days.

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    4. I have used the locator service a number of times and it was always successful with the exception of one item. I talk with my online PS and she checks the inventory while we are on the call. We also agree on the price, just in case it is cheaper in-store, or there is a current promo. I don't know why the difference between PS and CS but I always go to my PS for things, unless she happens to be away, and then I call the VIP line, which is actually just the PS line.

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    5. The jeweled collar sweaters are out there, trust me. I placed a WWFIFY on three sizes Saturday. Got one back in an hour, and I called about the other two and for some odd reason I never got an email but they weren't able to locate them, of course right? Well my mom, who has NEVER placed a wwfify in her life, called on Sunday morning for me as an early birthday present, and surely enough they found one a couple of hours later :/. I had emailed my online VPS too and he had found one too (needless to say my fav. cousin received it lol). And these were found like less than 24 hours after my search...so they aren't completely sold out like CS says.

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    6. They don't want to do a WWFIFY or WTF on the jeweled collar sweater because it's on sale. I agree they are definitely out there. I heard a SA tell a customer she could find her a XS, probably without a problem. (snickers)

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    7. I did not have a VPS so I signed up for one. She emailed me saying she can't find it today. She said she can out it on a 30 day wish list? Has anyone used that? Should I just call the stores myself? or do I keep doing a WWFIFY search with CS?

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    8. My vps was able to find one for me a couple weeks back. It really is helpful to find a good vps. She has been amazing for me. As for the jeweled collar sweater it was available early this morning (5am eastern time) in almost every size. So if you can check early it might pop up again.

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  9. Hold onto your hats ladies, but the collection electric plaid blouse and pencil skirt are now marked down. Who'd a thunk it, but it's available in every single size.

    (It wasn't that long ago that JC had beautiful prints!)

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  10. I did a wwfify on the same sweater. I got an email 2 days later saying it was not available. I called again later for wwfify hoping their might be return. She said she can't do a find for an item on sale. I told her I have done it before so she reluctantly took my info. I told her that is not consistent customer service. She said she would only make an exception this time. I guess we don't deserve good CS unless you pay full price?

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    1. ShopLV-I've had the same problems with WWFIFY's. It's so aggravating isn't it? They act like they can't do it, and if you try to call a store yourself they suggest calling the 800 number and placing one. I've told them several times they say they can't do it for sale merchandise and the stores are like "they do it all the time". And I hate when you try to do it via live chat and they act like oh its completely sold out. They just are not willing to try.

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  11. Has anyone had any issues with the Reward System (points) for the J Crew card?

    How often are we supposed to receive rewards? I have had the card since the Spring, and I have spent more than enough money to warrant at least four or five of the Rewards. I'm so frustrated because I check my account online, and it says that I've accumulated all these points and I never receive ANYTHING. Ugh!

    Also, I never received a "new" card in the mail with the 20% coupon that everyone else seems to have gotten. Are people still receiving these or have I been left out yet again?

    Thanks for any insight!

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    1. I never got a new card or the 20% off either. As for rewards cards, I think they're mailed out once a quarter or something... But it always confuses me with how much a should get so I never know if I'm getting what I should be getting. I believe the next rewards cards have already been mailed out.

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    2. Thanks for the reply, Miss JR. I'll keep my eyes open when I get my mail this week. Hopefully I'll have a Rewards Card this time.

      I wonder why we didn't get a new card or the 20% coupon? Strange.

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    3. I applied for the card specifically so I could use it for an online order - I got the prompt in the middle of my order with an offer and decided to sign up. It wouldn't recognize the card in my cart nor would it give me the discount. I finally just placed the order on my normal card. The J.Crew card came in the mail the other day. I don't think I got a 20% off coupon either.

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  12. The collection cashmere long sleeve tee is itchy. I've never experienced itchy cashmere before. Sigh. The collection leopard blouse description and photo shows long sleeves, but the one shipped to me has 3/4 sleeves. Since the sleeves end midway between elbow and wrist, instead of at my wrist, the cuff is too tight. Maybe I got a lemon of a leopard blouse. Double sigh.

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  13. it's very unfortunate that in the sale section of the j.crew website, it's not possible to select for size xxs. what's up with that?

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    1. It was very frustrating for me too, but I found a way around it. A search for 'xx small' in the upper right search bar brings up all items in that size. The sidebar will have a link to narrow by 'sale' - that makes up for the unhelpful sale page :)

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    2. That is a fantastic suggestion (but it is ridiculous that we have to resort to such workarounds)!

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  14. I received my package that was supposed to contain my bargain Blythe blouse in polka dot, but it was not there. I've contacted customer service and am waiting for a response. The blouse looks like it is now sold out online, and I am expecting an "we"re sorry, but this item has been so popular.....blah blah blah"' only to see it pop back next week in all sizes. Has anyone else had this issue?

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  15. Still waiting for the downtown field jacket to go on promo or sale -- I refuse to pay $150 for an unlined, cotton jacket, and I know the price decreased to $50 in prior seasons! Don't force me to buy the BR version, J.Crew!

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  16. I am officially boycotting the M Street Store in DC. I went in today to check out the sale section (nothing new) but they were running the 30% off. I did however pick up an excursion vest (promo now for 25%) I was debating the colors because I will really get much more use out of a black one but the SA said "We don't make it in black." I decided that I would take the navy especially because I could stack my student discount on it. As I checked out, I grabbed the new catalogue and went on my merry way.

    Well, low and behold, they make the vest in black now!!!! I am so frustrated! (Although, I should have suspected that this SA wasn't the greatest when she assured me that the MacAlister Wedge Boots come in a 10 1/2)

    Seriously, shouldn't SAs know more then the customers... Anyways this was my last straw. I have been in on two prior occasions and bought stuff on sale only to hear through JCA that the next day the store started a % off promo.

    Needless to say, I will be taking my b&m purchases to other DC stores!!

    OT, I received a unique promo code this morning (10% off and freeship until Nov. 30) in an email entitled "Here's your first perk" for being a cardholder.

    Anyone else get this??

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  17. I see the Collection Cashmere Blouse has popped back from Fall 2011. Why is the final sale notice appearing when I attempted to add it to the cart. How can this item be consided final sale at 495.00? J. Crew is really on something special lately.

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