SEMI-UPDATE: J.Crew's website has sporadically not been working today (Sunday, 6.29.08). When it is up & running, it runs very slow. Just keep this in mind (and know that you aren't the only going through it.) Good luck everyone! :)
NOTE: Please take a moment to call (800 562 0258) or send an email (contactus@jcrew.com) to check on your existing orders that have not been mailed yet.
I called about an order I placed on Friday (that was "in-stock" and ready to go). The customer representative at first could NOT find the order at all. After waiting ten minutes, she informed me the item is now "wait listed". I have a feeling they either lost or messed up my original order thanks to the "new and improved" website. :(
UPDATE ON THE NOTE: Jennifer called J.Crew and was kind enough to share with us the following (which I am quoting from her comment in this post): "Okay, I just got off the phone with customer service. The reason that your orders aren't showing up is that when they switched over to the new system, they changed all the order numbers." So I guess that is why it is so difficult for J.Crew to find our orders over the phone and display them online.
I will say that I am very sympathetic for all the J.Crew employees who have to deal with the new system and upset customers (like me) who are anxious about their orders today.
Also, if you are not satisfied with the new website, please call or send them an email with your concerns. If they get enough comments, maybe they will appropriately address the issues. :)
Ha ha! They suck! Maybe they outsourced the site upgrade.
ReplyDeleteThis is so frustrating! I cannot believe their new policies and "new and improved" website. The sale section is so clumsy to navigate with even MORE sidebar buttons than before! Not to mention that there are a lot of broken images and empty items (listed items that don't pull up anything when you click on them). I'm hoping that this is just a technical glitch and that J.Crew will fix it all.
ReplyDeleteBUT, I cannot BELIEVE that they are removing coupons from sale items! I don't see the point! If people are meeting the coupon quota with their purchases, why does it matter if the items are on sale or not? I mean, by using the free shipping on 10 sale items, we are clearing them of 10 items that have been sitting in the sale section gathering dust anyway. Doesn't J.Crew WANT to clear out that sale section ASAP? It doesn't make sense to me why hey would be so concerned with sale shoppers using their coupons. Ridiculous!
I'm so sorry to hear that they "lost" so many Friday orders. Luckily, mine already shipped... I hope they offered you something in return for losing your order when you already placed it, Alexis! Do you think it'd be better to call or email CS to complain?
Abijah- they totally suck right now.
ReplyDeleteAmy- I completely understand your frustration. Especially about the codes and sale merchandise.
I waited 15 minutes just to get someone on the phone, and another 20 while she spoke to the manager. My issue is still not resolved. I think it is better to email them today and try calling tomorrow. I am sure they are being inundated with complaints!
I just called b/c they did not ship my order yet: the CS girl was very sweet, but... system is down for them as well, they are not able to pull ANY orders at the moment. I have raised some concerns that we have discussed in such a great detail, and again, the girl was very sweet; she agreed on everything I had to say, but...She would pass the comments to supervisor, and they would have to work it out. I did ask for FS for loyal customers, remove Final Sales, honor teacher/student diocunts on ANY purchase, make website more user-friendly... We'll see...
ReplyDeleteThe checkout appears to be stuck in a loop-- I was going to test out the fs on $150 code and it won't go beyond the shopping cart (when I click on continue with checkout it just goes back to the cart). Now it's down again. Ugh.
ReplyDeleteI sent them an email expressing my concerns. As far as high shipping rates, I told them to not use the "high gas prices" excuse because their shipping rates were the same four years ago when gas was under $2/gallon.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe their shipping rates have stayed the same in two years...someone can check on old catalog maybe but if I remember correctly up to $25 used to be $4.50 or $4.95 and now it is $5.95.
ReplyDeleteJust think of the fact that the site is down again as J.Crew realizing that NOTHING with the new version seems to be working properly. Ridiculous!
ReplyDeleteI just sent a complaint email to CS. I hope they have a lot of similar emails in their inbox so they realize the sheer mass of dissatisfied customers they'll be losing if they continue to treat us so badly!
Looks like the site is in repair right now..hopefully for the better.
ReplyDeleteI have been looking on EBay today instead of messing with a lot of this. I just was too annoyed. The site is down again and I can't check my orders.
ReplyDeleteI keep telling myself I should be saving more. I guess this is the start of that :oP
oh no! I placed an order friday morning and recieved a confirmation email that day, but cannot look it up online. ugh. email sent.
ReplyDeleteI have been trying to call back and "recheck" that I am not waitlisted, as well...only 2 of my items were off of the Final Sale, and the other 3 were through the item# search with a u at the end, so they were not Final Sale, and now I am extra concerned that they will ship to me as Final Sale...glad I made a copy of my order page...now to still get my 15% discount and my items...I have been on hold for 10 minutes so far and nothing...UGH!!!
ReplyDeleteShame on Jcrew! They should have had the old system running while building and testing the new one. I have experienced online shopping website change for other companies, such as anthropologie and bananarepublic. They were all done much more smoothly.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the heads up, y'all. I just sent this email to contactus@jcrew:
ReplyDeleteI wish to join the multitude of loyal J Crew customers in expressing how unhappy I am with your updated website. This comes on the heels of a terrible customer service experience I had recently at your Lenox Square Atlanta store, and I am seriously wondering why I would ever patronize your website or retail establishments again.
I have read horror stories on the web this weekend of people losing their orders placed on Friday due to your ineptly handled website transition.
I have one remaining order with J Crew, #xxxxxx, which I placed on Friday afternoon. I am unable to check the status of it online or by phone (15 minute wait, and your system might be down there also).
I am concerned about you 'losing' this order as I paid for it using a gift card I received following my truly crappy Lenox Store experience.
I AM FED UP WITH YOUR COMPANY. If/when you are able to find this order, cancel it and reissue me another gift card. It was for the amount of $50.
I don't wish to spend any more money with your company, compensatory or otherwise, until you start treating your loyal customers with consideration and respect. I will withhold using this $50 card until this happens.
What I really dont understand is why in the midst of one of their biggest sales of the year they're doing a website upgrade..shouldnt technical things be left for when your site isnt getting a lot of traffic?
ReplyDeleteI think that by doing two big things at the same time theyre getting themselves into a big mess
Disappointed! JCrew's IT department certainly has not done its homework, and it shows. There are so many options now with websites that offer great features, I just don't understand why they didn't approach this with better planning and testing like those other stores. Think of all the revenue they will lose from the mishaps of this weekend, not to mention all the orders that aren't going to be placed because our energies are all going into straightening out the orders that they messed up. How do I trust what they've done with my credit card information anymore? For a high end brand, I really expected a lot more from them.
ReplyDeleteIf you ordered an item that was final sale and tried to get around it, "shame on you" that is not fair to JCrew and I don't blame them for changing their website to keep people from entering a back door to get an item not marked final sale ......on the other hand I agree with all other complaints, many of their other changes are not customer friendly and have annoyed me as well!
ReplyDeleteI feel for you guys with lost orders but I have a feeling all will work out in the end.
Anon @ 12:51pm...you MUST be a J.Crew employee, right??? Any true J.Crew customer would not feel the way you do about the Item searches.
ReplyDeleteAnon at 12:33: You had a bad customer service experience at the Lenox J.Crew?!? I'm shocked! (total sarcasm) They are so stuck up there, that I want to remind them all that they are working retail!
ReplyDeleteI feel really bad for the Customer Services Reps...they must be having a really, really, really, bad day!
ReplyDeleteAnony. at 12:59. Know I am not a JCrew employee. I am a customer just like everyone else mainly here. I just think it is a dishonest practice.
ReplyDeleteNO, not know....bad typing day:)
ReplyDeleteanonymous@12:51:
ReplyDelete"If you ordered an item that was final sale and tried to get around it, "shame on you" that is not fair to JCrew and I don't blame them for changing their website to keep people from entering a back door to get an item not marked final sale"
The very fact that their website somehow ALLOWS customers to purchase the same item on final sale/not on final sale at the same time suggests suggest that it's in need of work. (I've also seen the same item priced differently on one page versus another--am I really expected to pay for the more expensive option?) A good retail website should have consistent pricing throughout. Most of us are not exactly computer hackers...if we can so easily find different prices, different policies, etc...just by investigating various pages on the website, shame on jcrew!
Especially the one's who have been SO nice to me...
ReplyDeleteI emailed JCrew asking for garment measurements. I got the measurements back in an email but it also staed these can now be found on the website...I have no idea where that is found??? Any luck anyone else???
ReplyDeletewebsite is down again, ah well. Nordstrom and saks here I come. Their best deals beat jcrew's any day. Id' rather pay full retail for quality brands rather than jcrew anyday.
ReplyDeleteYes, JCrew' site did need updating as Auryane states...yes, shame on JCrew for allowing multiple ways to find an item. I agree we are not hackers! Just super smart bargain shoppers:)
ReplyDeleteHere's a Boden tip if anyone orders. I have rarely had a defective garment in 4 years...I think once and they did not charge me for sending out the replacment before receiving the defective garment. (if you keep it they will though) They also mail you a return label that I got in 2 days that is prepaid to slap on the defective item. I like/LOVE the fact that I don't get charged a second time and have to wait for a credit....
ReplyDeleteUnder the order verification page (new?), it says,
ReplyDelete"Orders are subject to verification and acceptance before shipping.
We are not responsible for typographical errors that may appear on our website."
... what constitutes a typographical error? I wonder if they will use this as an excuse for the people whose orders said in-stock on Friday, but now are missing/waitlisted?
I ordered stuff Friday, too. When I check the status, I get "Order value number not correct" message. This is the last order they will get from me for a LONG time!
ReplyDeleteI placed an order on Friday.....oh great! I am going to wait and see if it gets delivered this coming week. Usually takes 3-4 days.......then I will panic:) and call them. I think today to contact JCrew would be a waste of time.
ReplyDeleteheather...that is a valid point but I can't see them chancing the loss of an entire days orders....
ReplyDeletealso, the items I ordered Friday morning were not final sale... but now one of them is listed as such. I'm just going to try and sit tight for another day or two. I have an earlier order scheduled to arrive tomorrow (checked on ups), so that should help a bit. :P
ReplyDeleteI placed my last order on Thurs 26th and I have an email Friday that they are all shipped out. That was the last day for me to take advantage of the FS coupon and 25% clearance sale. I was away on Friday and came home Saturday nite and realized their system is down. I did see their new website this morning, having some problems navigating/searching their items.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if J Crew realizes how much money they lose everytime their website is down. Usually is Gap, Old Navy or Banana Republic's website is down, they offer a % discount code to say they are sorry for the inconvenience to encourage their customers to come back later.
webbsuzy, you are right about that coupon from Gap/BR, etc...I have used it before....now, if JCrew did something "kind" like that I think we would all faint;)
ReplyDeleteOkay - Their website is up again. The pages are loading real slow for some reason now..
ReplyDeleteLOL anonymous! J Crew should know they are competing with other retail giants. The CEO is Mickey Drexler and he's originally worked at Gap Inc. and Ann Taylor!
ReplyDeleteI called regarding my order from Friday and the rep explained that she found my order with similar numbers but the last few were different. Due to her efforts, she was able to "find" my order and then provided me with a UPS tracking #.
ReplyDeleteShe also said that the reps were going crazy today. SHe even went to say "I feel this is going to be a LONG day. We are all trying to learn this new system we are on." Seems like they've got their hands full. Way to go customer power!
I hate to say this... but I am still struggling with "Add to bag" bottom. I found at least three bugs. First, I can not add any order to my bag. Second, I can not see shopping bag (even though I click "shopping bag" botton). Lastly, I can not sing in my account (this is terrible). I called CS and she said that we just updated the system so it would work properly tomorrow. However, after waiting for 12 hours, nothing has improved. If it is issues with my PC, such as pop up blocker, they should have "help" bottom with some instruction. I am really frustrated with new system. I can not buy anything online... I will probably not buy anything from J.Crew web site for a while.
ReplyDeleteSlastena & Lynn & Amy: Thanks for calling in and letting them know what you think- hopefully they will take it into consideration! :)
ReplyDeleteAnonymous at 11:44 AM: Hopefully the checkout is working for you now.
Tired Memphian: I know what you mean! This is a good excuse for me to cut spending. :)
Heather: Hopefully your order is fine and mine is the only one that got messed up. I just wanted to "warn" everyone here in case your orders were mixed up and still had time to get the items before they were sold out (like mine). :)
I also noticed that new verification statement. Wasn't happy about seeing that either. I guess they are making their policies very clear to us now.
FabulousFloridaMommy: Hopefully your order is okay too. Good move copying it. :) I also feel bad for the customer reps today. I spoke to one (she called me back a couple of hours after the time she said she would) and she sounded exhausted. I am sympathetic to her and all the other employees who have to deal with the new system and upset customers (like me) who are anxious about their orders.
Anonymous at 12:18 PM: I agree that this change in websites could have been a LOT more smoother.
Anonymous at 12:33 PM: Excellent email- it really gets your point across.
Monica & Amethyst: I also don't understand how they did this website upgrade. It doesn't seem to have been planned properly.
Anonymous at 12:51 PM: I respect your opinion about finding non-final sale items that are final sale. :) However, I personally disagree that it is not fair. I agree that J.Crew may want to change that (and clearly they did), but I don't think it is "unfair". :)
Auryane & Anonymous at 1:18 PM: Good point about different price points for the same item! I definitely wouldn't pay the more expensive price if I found the link to one cheaper.
Anonymous at 1:11 PM: I haven't seen the specific measurement sizes on the new website either. But I will look around some more.
Webbysuzy: I think a coupon code for our troubles today is an EXCELLENT idea. I doubt they will do it, but a great idea nonetheless. :)
Anon #23: Happy to hear that they found your order!!! :)
Anony. at 2:38.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to check your bag just click on where it says (2 items) or however many items you have in the cart.
I somehow ordered last night at 3am...do you girls think I'll get the order? thanks!
Okay, I just got off the phone with customer service. The reason that your orders aren't showing up is that when they switched over to the new system, they changed all the order numbers (I know, I know; it makes no sense).
ReplyDeleteThe person with whom I spoke gave me my 'new' order number, but said that the system was running so slow, he couldn't pull it up to see whether it had shipped or not. He DID say that he hadn't yet heard any complaints about the new website - HAH!tt
anon 2:38, do you have javascript enabled? That could be your issue with the shopping cart, it appears to be operated via javascript. I have been waiting SO long for pages to load that I think I literally could've driven to my local jcrew store and back in all of the time I've spent waiting. I'm also getting the "be back soon" message again....
ReplyDeleteGreat Letter Jcrewmommy! Hopefully they will listen.
ReplyDeleteI am going to email JCrew right now and as if they are going to give us a discount like GAP/Old Navy/BR do when they are down so long.....anyone else care to join in a quick email? Can't get any worse than it is...I hope.
ReplyDeleteHi Erin, thank you very much for your advice! As you told me, it seems Java script issue. Unfortunately, I am not knowledgable about computer. So I sent claim email to J.Crew. Anyway, I hope you can enjoy shopping without any issues.
ReplyDeletesince jcrew has created a new website... This website has all new links and the old jcrew website links no longer work. So once this new site launches you will eventually be able to view old items with thier links. Old website jcrew links are now considered dead links. Why would they take valuable space on thier servers for an old site? They would'nt. Also... Jcrew has properly hired an outside company such as IBM to implement and design the website. So it may take several weeks to fix all the bugs. The old jcrew site has basically been around since jcrew online store opened. Its time for a change. so basically the old jcrew site does nit exist. Therfore its links will not exist.
ReplyDeleteperimeter mall in Atlanta/Marietta jcrew is having 40% off final sale...FYI. I just returned something and the associate was VERY rude! but there are some good bargans.
ReplyDeleteholy cow! i haven't checked this blog for 1/2 a day and i came back to craziness! i can't say i love the new jcrew website...boy, jcrew is getting some great free black box testing today. i feel so sorry for CS...it's not their fault. ugh!
ReplyDeleteand to Anonymous at 12:51 PM. i'm sorry but i think it's totally unfair to have items be *final sale* ESPECIALLY when you can't try something on beforehand. it makes no sense to me. i say "shame on jcrew" for that. and i beleive it IS totally fair to type in an old cat. number to order something...if they fix that "glitch" then great for them but i still think final sale stinks...also because everyone knows that you can return final sale items to the store if you really can't wear them. why bother with final sale and save everybody the stress and trouble...final sale creates a hostile shopping experience...just my 2 cents...peace :)
Anonymous at 3:16 PM: Me thinks you work and/or know someone who works for J.Crew. None of us here knew that J.Crew hired an outside firm like IBM for their website. :)
ReplyDeleteAlthough I generally agree with you- it really should not take weeks to fix all the bugs. Especially with this economic/retail climate. :)
Anonymous at 3:23 PM: Thanks for the heads up at the Atlanta store. (Sorry to hear the cust rep wasn't the most accomodating.)
CCBmum: It has been a bit crazy! ;) I also agree with you about final sale being a bad policy.
To all those who have recommended Boden, please advise regarding sizing. I normally wear a 6 or 8 in skirts - what is that in Boden? From looking at sizing charts I gather it's either UK 12 or 14, but I was just hoping to get input from someone who has tried their skirts, and how they match up in U.S. sizes.
ReplyDeletep.s To Anonymous who berated those of us who tried to avoid the "final sale - no returns or exchanges" label, give me a break. We want to be allowed to try things on, and if they don't fit, return them. Since we aren't, I, for one, don't buy anything I'm not certain about during the final sale. For you to act so offended, give me a break. I second the poster who figured out you're obviously a JC employee.
Jennifer: Thanks for letting us know about the order numbers not working. Too bad I wasn't told about this earlier or a notice on the website wasn't made.
ReplyDeleteJcrewmommy: Excellent email- thanks for sending one! Also, the 25% off is still going on with some of the stores in CT. I am sure if you call your local store, the employees would tell you if they have it still (and it would save you a trip if they don't.) :)
Hi All! I had to hang up with CS after 15 minutes on hold earlier today, but here is my latest CS experience...I decided to run to Publix (the local market in the SE)while my little ones were napping, so I put in a call to CS from my cell phone (planning to put idle travel time to good use). I stopped by Starbuck's on the way(I had to wait about 3 minutes, and THEY gave me a COUPON for a FREE drink on my next visit)...still on hold with J.Crew...drove by the Post Office to drop off the packages to Marisa and Tired Memphian (another 5 minutes)...still on hold...get to Publix, but I am not hanging up...I've waited too long to give up at this point. So...I'm in the Produce Section when my call FINALLY goes through...I FREEZE: afraid I will lose signal after my LONG wait...Amy the CS rep asks how she can help. I tell her I want to check my order from Friday and she asks for my name and email address...apparently they cannot look up by Order # now, but have to check order by order through your email profile...say what??? She says..."I cannot find it here...let me check this other folder...sorry the computer is really going slow...oh no...I am so sorry, but I cannot even sign in anymore...our computers are down again". I'm thinking: YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! I have been to Starbuck's, the Post Office, and now even shopped awhile in Publix WHILE ON HOLD, and she's got nothin' for me...it'd be really funny if it wasn't so annoying! Anyways, I still know nothing more on my order...hopefully by tomorrow?
ReplyDeleteOh yeh...forgot to tell the rep that J.Crew needs to change what the Male Voice says when you are on hold..."If you can't wait, you can visit us ANYTIME on the web at JCrew.com"...sorry, that's just so not true now...
ReplyDeletejcrewmommy: Great letter!
ReplyDeleteI was also thinking about the whole paying full retail deal...I COULD pay full retail for merchandise, but I would definitely have to limit my purchases to only a few items...when I shop sale I am able to buy more, while spending the same amount of money (if not more), which actually BENEFITS J.Crew...they get my money AND at the same time reduce the amount of stock they have to move, before bringing in next season's full price merchandise. Sale shoppers are MAJOR contributors in their market, and it just does not make sense to isolate us.
JCrewMommy: "He was once an educated professional trying to make their mark on the world such as myself and I hope that he has not forgotten it." Give me a break, if you CAN pay J.Crew prices but are not willing to, then you obviously don't want the stuff that badly. Go shop at Kohls.
ReplyDeleteThe website is down again! I am so angry with j crew right now. I love their items for the most part but I absolutely cannot believe that they are not letting us use coupons on clearance items on their website. I only buy from their website if I can use a coupon. I am never going to buy from their website again.
ReplyDeleteNow, now. My mommy always says people that have money keep it because they don't frivolously blow it. Many of us can afford full price but everyone knows 99.9% of it is not worth the full price tag. It doesn't mean we don't absolutely LOVE JCREW.
ReplyDeleteAnon @ 4:28pm - RE: your comment to jcrewmommy...that was SO NOT NICE and very uncalled for. Just because you CAN pay full price doesn't necessarily mean you SHOULD pay full price, nor does it mean you don't want it badly enough...it means you are a wise, well-educated, savvy shopper...now go back to work and fix your crappy website...it's down again.
ReplyDeleteAs I admitted on an earlier post, I bought the Helena Pave sandals this a.m. (but no more, I'm boycotting).
ReplyDeleteIJN-160 didn't work @ checkout. I emailed JCrew & they responded they applied the code to my order.
I have ordered from Boden one time & liked the product but I always spend my bucks at JCrew (& minimally @ Gap).
If you all stop chatting about JCrew please let me know where you are going. Maybe we can talk about investing our unused JCrew bucks in real estate or something profitable ;)
Anonymous at 4:28 PM: Please remember that everyone is entitled to their view/position.
ReplyDeleteAlso, one of the things that has made this blog so great is that we are so nice & helpful to each other- let's try to keep that up when we can! :)
Anonymous at 4:42 PM: I agree with you- we all know the full retail price tag is not worth the quality of the product. :)
Anonymous at 4:38PM: I feel your frustration- hopefully they will be online soon. :)
anonymous 4:28, JCMommy is actually doing something key in economics. The market is dictating that JC prices at full price are too expensive for what you get in return. I buy only on sale because I know that I will have to resew the buttons back on, fix the holes that come after one wash, and shave my sweaters after wearing them once. Full price is for a higher quality piece than what is put out there.
ReplyDeleteGo to my local JC when there isn't much on the sale rack.......crickets.....dust......two people in the whole store maybe. It's just not a smart business model to then raise the prices.
FabulousFloridaMommy: I agree- that it just means JCrewMommy is a well educated AND savvy shopper. :)
ReplyDeleteRach: I am happy to hear that JCrew honored the code to your order.
Everyone: I am thinking about the "future" of this blog and although I will still keep discussing J.Crew, I will probably open the forum to other sites like FabulousFloridaMommy, Rach, and others have suggested. :)
FabulousFloridaMommy: By the way, your story about waiting on hold for a customer rep is awful! It is incredible to me how many places you were able to go before someone picked up the phone- let alone just to tell you that the computers are down again. :(
ReplyDeleteThis post is a different turn on what everyone else has posted so far, but as frustrated as I am with the new website and policies, I have been stalking the Swiss-dot Fontana dress ever since it first came out in the catalog. The website finally has the color I want in my size, but it is final sale and I'm not sure what size I am. I'm normally a four on bottom and a two on top, but it varies between the two. Also, I'm not sure if I want to spend $80 on a sundress that I can't even get free shipping for if I buy more. Anyone have any opinions? Or does anyone know how true to size the dress is? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous at 4:58PM: I have the dress in size 2 and I am normally a size 0/2 on top and 6 on the bottom. I think a size 2 would work out fine for you. Just to let you know, I paid $63 and liked it. Also, I saw it in my store weeks ago for $40. I am sure if your store carried it once, it is probably in the sale section for less. Good luck with the purchase! :)
ReplyDeleteexactly anon. @ 4:42. and FFM: and why pay full price when you KNOW it will most likely be on sale soon.
ReplyDeleteanon @ 4:28: most of us here are loyal jcrew customers who have loved jcrew's style and quality for many years. most people i know want to buy more of what they love so they buy on sale...i'll pay full price for certain jcrew items that i love and don't want to risk being out of stock in my size when they go on sale later on. but we all know that most of this stuff is overpriced so we wait for it to go on sale or price adjust. it's all a game and that's business. they're trying to make money and we're trying to save money buying something we really love...that's the way it goes :)
FFM: i hope your *non final sale* items stay that way! good luck :)
Anonymous at 4:38pm. I take great offense to what you've just posted. Just because I refuse to pay full price for something does not mean that I want it any less than the next person.
ReplyDeleteLet me tell you something. My husband and I are in our early 40s. We have kids in private school and we own a $1.4 million dollar home with only a $35K mortgage left on it. We did not get to where we are by squandering our money. We buy on sale because it's the smart thing to do. Kudos to everyone else who is smart with their money and CHOOSE to shop sale merchandise. These are the people who will have a comfortable retirement one day. Remember, little drops of water make a mighty ocean.
A little off topic but...Final sale wouldn't be so bad if they at least allowed exchanges on items that didn't fit...they wouldn't be losing money due to a return, and the customer would be happier. I just don't understand why exchanges aren't allowed.
ReplyDeleteccbmum: THANKS! My fingers are crossed! :) Can't wait to try out that Joelle blouse!
ReplyDeletesigh...it's times like this that i feel the need to do a little online shopping at jcrew...there are a few items that i've been eyeing and are now in stock in my size...but i don't trust the website now and is it true that the coupons aren't working for sale items now? They did that some years ago and i didn't buy much from them at that time. i hope that's not a new standard practice...
ReplyDeleteanon @ 5:17: i agree with you...AT LEAST offer an exchange or even a merch. credit for those final sale items...
Anonymous at 5:11 PM: Congrats on the house & mortgage- that is a wonderful accomplishment. Kudos to you and your family! :)
ReplyDeleteI also buy on sale because I know the items aren't worth the retail price (and that in a month, they will go on sale anyways). :)
To everyone: Let's not let one person's comment destroy the good will we have developed on this blog. I am really proud to be associated with this blog and the great people like FabulousFloridaMommy, JcrewMommy, Slastena, Rachel, Lynn, Daniel, Abijah, and others (who are responsible for making this a wonderful site!)
Anonymous at 5:17PM: Your suggestion about exchanges for final sale items is a great compromise- excellent idea!!!
ccbmum: hopefully J.Crew will reconsider their codes for regular items only soon. :)
anonymous@4:28
ReplyDeleteThere's no need to be rude. And it's rather psullanimous of you to hide behind an anonymous mask while making such remarks to a regular contributer.
Jcrewmommy is obviously quite savvy--good for her! I can't blame her (in fact, I follow a similar strategy) for waiting to pay for what an item is worth to her, rather than mindlessly shelling out the sticker price. There are jcrew items that are worth every penny of its retail price (I can't be the only one to adore their bella jackets last year!), but many are quite obviously overpriced. Many of us work hard for our paycheck--whatever it is--we deserve the spend it as prudently (or splurging!) as we see fit, without being berated for being economical.
anonymous@5:11
You made an excellent point. While my own shopping habits aren't nearly as thrifty as I'd like them to be, my family also managed to shell a fortune for my education, to pay off their mortgage, and stay afloat through bouts of downsiding and layoffs in this voliate economy precisely by saving a few dollars here, a few dollars there. Choosing to economize on luxury items is certainly not a sign of indigence or need--rather, it can be a very smart and financially secure strategy.
I can't even get to speak to CS!Even their phone system is undergoing upgrading.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous at 5:33 PM: Today is probably not the best day to call them. After reading FabulousFloridaMommy's story about waiting- you are better sending an email today with a follow-up call a couple of days from now. :)
ReplyDeleteI have been trying to check my order status for about 30 minutes now, with no success. The order status submit button just takes you to the front page of the site. So does the My Account button. When it loads at all, that is. I am dreading calling them up because from what I've heard that's been quite a show all afternoon. Lovely.
ReplyDeleteHere are my thoughts on the new website: My fiance is in senior management at an ecommerce firm that does websites like J.Crew's; they have very large clients, and are a direct competitor with Amazon. I am fairly certain that the slowness, broken links, etc. are NOT normal for a website launch. Normally, according to my fiance, sites are tested for weeks prior to launch, and they are actually run parallel to the main site to work out the bugs before the main launch. There should not have been such a long "down time" for JCrew.com, and losing people's orders ... well, let's just say that I do not think this launch has gone at ALL according to plan. And if it has, I am scared for the company.
As to the changes in J.Crew's policy, like everyone else I am extremely disappointed. I am one of those people who have to shop the sale and can't afford the ridiculous shipping charges. I just graduated from law school and have obscene loan payments every month, but I need nice clothes to go to court. J.Crew sales were turning out to be perfect for that. My local store just doesn't have that great a selection; I can never find the great items there that I have found online. I have no problem admitting that I simply cannot afford to pay full price and shipping costs, but honestly, even I if I could afford it I probably wouldnt because while J.Crew's clothes are nice, they are often not worth full price.
It's a shame for J.Crew, because there are many many people who feel this way. I am right now gearing up to write customer service a strongly worded email a lot of others have. I'm hoping that if we all speak out, they will do something about it.
So I'm wondering ... just in case, should we start thinking about other stores to possibly become obsessed over?
I had forgotten part of my other conversation with "Amy": I asked her if they had the day off yesterday due to the updating, and she said that they were at work all day, and kept being told, "It will be up by 1pm...it will be up by 5 pm", etc., etc...you get the picture. Apparently they had no clue what the upgrade was going to entail, and obviously spent very little time in preparation for it, which goes along with it all being so "coincidental" with all of our discussions here...hmmm...
ReplyDeleteI'm a male investor who happens to own J. Crew stock...and a handful of J. Crew items. I'm very surprised at the outrage over the change in some of J. Crew's policies. The website stuff I guess is understandable, but I'm sure most of you will stop complaining after a few months when you get used to the new design. The website situation reminds me very much of the uproar that the Facebook Newsfeed created, even to the point of making national headlines. Facebook is still around, and doing better than ever, despite a group of millions threatening to leave.
ReplyDeleteOne point you should all understand is that the executives in charge probably have a much better idea of what they are doing than most of you. The fact that J. Crew has avoided the same fate as some other retailers in the current economic environment tells me that they are making decisions that are healthy for the company.
Anyways, that is not my main point. The truth is, J. Crew owes people like me first of all. The company is in place to make a profit and reward its shareholders. As a long-term shareholder that has owned the stock since shortly after the IPO, I have therefore been following J. Crew's fundamentals for quite some time. With the healthy margins and amazing same-store sales growth that J. Crew has been able to obtain, I would have to think that the group of people that comment on this blog are not as core to the business as they believe. All of you buying at such deep discounts to full price would not result in the excellent performance of the company in the past few years.
Besides, would you rather have a J. Crew to still shop at in a few years, possibly with the same coupons/incentives back in place or have another year or two of those same incentives but with decreased quality/selection or perhaps even no J. Crew at all? It is a tough market out there, not even just for retailers. If cutting back on some very costly incentives helps the company to maintain its health and its place as a leader among the retail space, then I think they are doing the right thing.
Also, it seems like many of you are not as inclined to put your money where your mouth is as you may be letting on (I believe I read something about starting a support group somewhere?). If you really are successful in boycotting the company over such small changes, then more power to you. I don't really see how commiserating with one another for hours will really change anything though, especially when there are probably twice as many people out there willing to pay full price and when you still plan on buying things, just not as much.
Just my $0.02 as someone with a drastically differing perspective.
I am not trying to be rude here, but I cannot believe the sense of entitlement people are showing. J.Crew can charge whatever they want for their clothes. If they are indeed not worth the full price, then sales will slow and the price will come down as a result. But if people are willing to pay a higher price for the items than you are, then unfortunately you may miss out on the item. That's just how it works. But just because you need clothes for work and you have student loan debt, it doesn't mean J.Crew has to give you quality clothes for the price you can afford. If you don't like their policies or prices, then shop elsewhere, and I'm sure if many people do the same, they will start to feel it and everything will work itself out.
ReplyDeleteAgain, I'm not trying to be rude. I just think J.Crew can do whatever they want... yes, they may suffer but they are free to set their policies how they see fit.
ReplyDeleteLynn-- I see your point and it makes sense. A few years ago when Jcrew started to introduce the luxury collection items ($275 sweaters, etc.) and raised their prices on the staples (especially shoes), people ridiculed them saying that no one would ever buy the stuff...apparently someone is, because they're still doing it! The only way they'll feel the pain is if people stop buying-- so far, it doesn't seem to be a problem for JCrew.
ReplyDeleteHi everyone, I am new to the blog and want to throw in my own two cents of frustrations! I have taken to selling my final sale items on eBay. Perhaps some of you do this too? Anyway, a few months ago I did this and my two items I had up for bid were suddenly cancelled. J Crew had contacted eBay that my photos (copied from their web site) infringed on their copyright. But this is not consistently carried out: you can see other J Crew photos on eBay and other web sites. So if you get some final sale items you don't want, don't use J Crew's photos or they'll get ya for it!
ReplyDeleteHi cheri - I'm just packing up 5 JC items that I eBay'd. I've never used the pics, but be wary of using their item descriptions, because they'll nab you there too. It's a good way to unload final sale merchandise!
ReplyDeleteUmm, Anon. at 5:55 p.m., reality does not back up your contentions. JCG - as J.Crew is traded under - has been and is as vulnerable as every other company. It's share prices have dropped around $15 over the past month, and are about $20 less than a year ago at this time. So so much for that "excellent performance of the company in the past few years" that you mentioned....
ReplyDeletesilver lining: Thanks so much for that tip about not using their descriptions! I did not know the company would police their copyright over the descriptions. I want to say also, I understand why they don't want their photos used, I was just naive using them "because everyone else does it." Would love to hear any tips you have about selling your final sale items, do you start the bid at your purchase price? I know this is way too far off topic. I generally don't make a profit when I sell my final sale items, I just look to recoup my purchase price!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous at 5:55pm: Thank you for your opinion. I appreciate different perspectives on this blog.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I too, own stock (for years- yes plural) in J.Crew and don't appreciate the new practices. I think this will actually hurt them- as they will drive loyal customers towards their competitors. Moreover, one reason for their temporary success during this current economic environment, was their excellent customer service (something they should not change too much). As La Belle Helene pointed out (and I mentioned in another post)- their stock price has drastically dropped in the past few weeks.
Also, I think it is appropriate to share with you a little quote from Sam Walton: "There is only one boss. The customer." :)
Lynn: Unfortunately, JCrew really cannot do whatever they want. If they charge outrageous prices then customers will not pay for them. Although, they can certainly test the waters with a few things. I know your comment was not intended to be rude- its actually very logical. :0)
Here's are 2 things I've noticed on my EXTREMELY SLOW perusal of final sale on the website:
ReplyDeleteI like that they show the catalog image of the model wearing the item in many cases instead of just the item by itself. I like to see the model wearing it and the other items they pair things with. I find I always wear the item more when I plan what I will pair it with in advance!
On this same note, I can't find the "Looks great with..." feature anymore. :( I always liked this feature since sometimes they picked great things you would never have thought of yourself!
In other news, I went to the store today and I bought the brushstroke tie front skirt (I think that is what it was called?) and a headband for $42! The skirt was marked down to $48 on the rack, but then additional 25% off! Yay, I read that someone else on this blog loved it, and I agree. I think I will pair it with that new purple color Jackie cardigan and a white favorite tank.
I still love JCrew, even if they are being jerks with their website right now.
To chime in, I do not think the main point of frustration here is whether or not someone can afford/is willing to pay full price for J.Crew items. I agree with Lynn and anon@5:55, J.Crew can charge whatever they want for their products. However, my main issue (and maybe for a lot of other people also) is that they decided that sale items that meet the price quota for free shipping are ineligible for that perk. I just want to know the reasoning behind that move. If I spend $150+ in sale merchandise, why am I not allowed to use the free shipping coupon? I understand disallowing the use of "additional % off" coupons on sale items, but denying free shipping for sale customers who spend enough to match the minimum required does not make sense to me. Perhaps this is why some customers feel upset-- it is like a purposeful discrimination against those who buy on sale. I am sure there is a reason why J.Crew decided to enact this policy (and I doubt it is to make anyone mad on purpose!). I honestly just want to know -why- this particular policy was enacted, because I personally cannot make sense out of it.
ReplyDeleteAs for getting used to the new website, I am sure most of us eventually will. The problem right now is the speed and the many, many bugs, like the shopping cart not working and the "narrow by size" option not working properly. All of these errors make the website upgrade pretty useless, but I'm sure these will be fixed fairly soon.
I think most of us just want an explanation.
Gee, I wonder if the reason so many loyal J.Crew customers are having trouble getting through to Customer Service right now has to do with service reps apparently logging on here to leave anonymous comments defending J.Crew's practices .... :-)
ReplyDeleteLa Belle-
ReplyDeleteThanks for the update. I was unaware of the recent drop in JCG's price since I don't have my own money at stake...give me a break. The entire stock market is having a tough go of it, but the point is that JCG profit has still grown by large amounts, only their outlook is weak. Stock price is not always indicative of actual performance of the company, but rather the markets expectations of the company's future growth and a host of other factors. It remains that JCG was doing fairly well, especially compared to its peers, until its most recent quarterly report, where despite a 24% increase in profits and positive same-store sales, the stock dropped 15% on the lowered outlook for the rest of the year. However, this outlook still included positive same-store sales growth, just not as high as last year. Same-store sales growth is something not many retailers have right now. Just because you can look up a stock chart of JCG does not mean that you know that much about analyzing the fundamentals of a company. Good luck in your future investing endeavours - hopefully they are guided by a professional advisor.
Best,
Anon @ 5:55
I am new here too and just found this blog a few days ago. I join with all of you in your dislike of the "new" J.Crew website and the policy changes. I wrote the following to J.Crew earlier today and received an answer:
ReplyDelete"I am quite unhappy with your new website (from what I've seen of it)
because currently it is so slow. I understand these changes take time,
so I will try to be patient. However; the new rules regarding No
Coupons on sale items is totally unacceptable. I think most J. Crew
shoppers are well aware that your "regular" merchandise prices are
significantly unrealistic and that by having numerous sales, the prices
are reduced enough to allow one to purchase items at more reasonable
prices. The additional use of free shipping coupons on sale items has
been a huge incentive. Since this is changing, I believe J.Crew has
insulted customers to the point that they will begin to shop competitors
whose policies are more customer friendly. Your shipping charges are
and have always been among the highest of women's on-line apparel. Many
of your competitors have one price for shipping no matter how large or
small the order."
Their answer:
"We apologize for any inconvenience caused by our recent changes. Our
team is working to make these improvements and updates as quickly as
possible. We are confident that you will enjoy these new enhancements
and appreciate your patience while we undergo this process.
The promotions and coupons that are offered to our customers are
generally a $-off or %-off a specific threshold (ex: $20.00 off a
purchase of $200 or more). Unless a coupon or promotion specifically
states that it applies to full price merchandise only, you may still
apply the coupon to an order that includes sale merchandise. If you have
trouble applying a coupon which meets the threshold on jcrew.com, please
contact us for assistance.
We strive to make sure we are servicing you to your highest expectations
and ensuring your experiences with us are truly the best, so your
opinion is very important to us. Thank you for your feedback. We will
pass this information on to our web design team for review."
Dear anon at 5:55, "Stock price is not always indicative of actual performance of the company" - umm, go tell that to General Motors & Chrysler, won't you please?
ReplyDeleteA healthy company produces a healthy profit margin for its stockholders (and FYI, I don't have stock in JCG). It hasn't just been a rough week for JCG, it's been a rough year.
I got the same answer in an email just now...it is obviously the standard response...
ReplyDeleteI am fairly new to J.Crew, but I know a lot of people here are not. There are many loyal customers out there who have been shopping at J.Crew for a long time, and there are many people who have paid much of their hard-earned money to J.Crew. They are the people who are responsible for J.Crew's success, so I have to respectfully disagree that customers should not be upset at J.Crew's changes. No one ever said that J.Crew doesn't have the right to change their policy; they certainly do, and they certainly have. I just don't think that's what this is really about for a lot of people.
ReplyDeleteI don't think this would have been as much of a problem if J.Crew had these policies from the beginning ... I think it just seems like a jab to those who have been loyal to the company and have appreciated the perks the company has given its loyal customers for some time. Just as J.Crew is entitled to change its policy, its customers are entitled to feel disgruntled about it.
La belle-
ReplyDeleteGM is doing so poorly because, despite losing money, they have no plan to get out of the situation. Equity investing is all about the future, not the past. If GM announced tomorrow that they are only going to produce highly fuel efficient vehicles with a proprietary technology that would revolutionize the transportation industry, the stock would skyrocket, despite the fact that they would still be unprofitable, probably even for another year or two. Chrysler is a privately-held company and thus has no stock price for you to reference. Chrysler could be having a better year than Toyota at this point and you wouldn't know it, so I don't see how they have any bearing on the coversation. 24% increase in profits vs. last year isn't healthy? I enjoy spirited exchanges of opinion, but please come armed with more appropriate ammunition in the future.
Best,
Anon @ 5:55
Anonymous at 6:33 PM: Great email! Thanks for sending it- hopefully J.Crew will take it into consideration. :)
ReplyDeleteMichelle: I whole heartedly agree with you- J.Crew can make changes and we have the right to voice our opinions on those changes (for the good and the bad). :)
When I was in Junior High, there was a great quote in one of my classrooms. I don't remember it verbatim but it went something like, "It is the mark of a truly intelligent person when s/he is confident enough to not make those around him feel stupid." The sentiment of that quote always stuck with me.
ReplyDeleteI hope that the visitors on this blog will take the sentiment of the quote in consideration when writing their comments. :)
Ok anon, you just go right on believing GM and Ford and Chrysler are in great shape... you're the only one in the world who apparenlty doesn't understand how dire their circumstances are. GM won't exist as we know it today in another year...meanwhile, to get back to the topic on hand, you're obviously a pretty desperate JC employee of some kind, trying to spin this latest move as a profit-making one.
ReplyDeleteBottom line = JCG is not doing well. They're trying to draw in high-end customers, but people who shop at Neiman Marcus aren't shoppoing at J.Crew.
Feel free to continue posting your great forecasts, but this poster isn't buying it - and neither is anyone else.
On another note, in response to my disgust over J.Crew's tactics this weekend, I returned a skirt I'd bought at $149.99 (before final sale began) plus a $99.99 jacket. So that's $250 I'm delighted to say J.Crew now has lost in profit in protest over this website and shipping code snafu.
My single biggest problems with J.Crew are the ridiculously high shipping charges and their policies during the "Final Sale."
ReplyDeleteThe shipping charges, as others have brought up, are especially offensive, given how many companies offer a flat rate, such as BR and Nordstroms, the latter of which is much higher-end than J.Crew. I've sent an e-mail protesting the rates, and am glad to read so many others on here have, too, since that's the only way J.Crew will know they'd better mend their ways.
Alexis-
ReplyDeleteI will do my utmost to not let my intolerance for blatant stupidity get the best of me in my future posts.
La Belle-
I think you completely missed the point. I was saying that GM is doing so poorly because the have no plan for their poor sales and high cost related to employees and their pensions. GM probably will be bankrupt in the next 5 years if things keep going as they are.
As far as being a J. Crew employee, rest assured that I am not. I work for one of the top 3 banks in the U.S. as a debt analyst (take that with a grain of salt if you want as I know how people can say whatever they want on the internet).
In the short term, JCG is not doing well...but neither is anyone else. JCG got to the point later than most other companies and I believe in the long run will continue to do well. Besides, I would consider most J. Crew shoppers higher-end than most.
Best,
Anon @ 5:55
Anonymous at 5:55 PM: If you don't mind me asking- are you a J.Crew employee? I only ask because your original post you state "I'm a male investor who happens to own J. Crew stock...and a handful of J. Crew items." The "handful of J.Crew items" got me thinking...
ReplyDeleteMost of the visitors to this blog are long-time J.Crew shoppers, shoppers looking for codes, and the occasional shopper new to J.Crew. (I analyze my visitors through a third party source- I know, I am a complete dork.)
But you don't come across as a bargain shopper, nor new to J.Crew.
If you are not a J.Crew employee, do you mind telling me how you found this blog? (Just curious.)
Anon at 5:55pm: You just answered my first question in the other comment. But I am still curious as to how you found this site- if you don't mind sharing.
ReplyDeleteLa Belle Helene: There are many of us, including myself, who don't appreciate the high shipping charges and policies.
ReplyDeleteI am also happy to hear you sent an email- hopefully J.Crew will take into consideration. :)
Alexis-
ReplyDeletePart of my due diligence as an investor is to try and keep up with what is going on with J. Crew, including what people have to say. I Googled "J. Crew blog" thinking that I would find something of some interest and I came across your blog. I just commented because the outraged opinions were somewhat interesting to me. I probably won't comment too much in the future as financial blogs are probably more interested in what I have to say! Good job with the blog though, looks like you've amassed quite the following.
Best,
Anon @ 5:55
That's great to hear, Alexis. I guess I just find it curious they still charge such exorbitant rates, because if I recall, BR switched to a flat rate in the past 6-8 months...so obviously there is a company that has figured out how to cater to its customers :-)
ReplyDeleteAnon @ 5:55: I have to say- I honestly do believe you when you say you work as a debt analyst. (Your comments were definitely rooted with a strong foundation of finance- I have to give you that!)
ReplyDeleteLa Belle Helene: I have to say I never fully understood why J.Crew didn't switch over to a flat shipping rate by now- it would eliminate the need for shipping code incentives.
ReplyDeleteBut who knows, maybe it is something they will consider after all of our emails! :)
Any one can spout off financial jargon...
ReplyDeleteIs anyone else having trouble with the site? It's slower than molasses loading pages, and I can't seem to add anything to the shopping bag. Geez, JC, couldn't you have paid a few employees the money to test this site thoroughly before launch?
I would really like to know who and where these "Elite Wealthy Customers" that are supposedly the "Core Clientel" of J.Crew (according to anon@5:55)are? They must be marathon shoppers to keep J.Crew afloat, since we measly "everyday customers" apparently do not make a difference in J.Crew's performance. I live in an area where homes cost from a half-million on up, yet my J.Crew is apparently one of the stores NOT doing so well, as we always have the best sales. Not to mention that everytime I am in there, all the other customers are only looking at the sales racks, too. The "elite" part of the metropolotin city does not even HAVE a J.Crew in it's shopping district...know what it does have? A GAP and a Banana Republic...I know J.Crew could purchase store front there, but maybe, just maybe the wealthy elite aren't going for the J.Crew Collection and it's more expensive pieces? I keep wondering why, if you have the money to afford the higher priced J.Crew pieces you would opt to purchase them as opposed to Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, etc.? (Alexis had a post on this topic back in May). I DO COMPLETELY adore the majority of J.Crew's clothing, but just don't feel that even if you DO have the money to spend on them, that the quality justifies the price, especially when you could afford pieces that are TRULY higher-end...
ReplyDeleteBTW...didn't J.Crew's stock decline COMPLETELY coincide with the removal of the Free Shipping/No Minimum Codes?
Is anyone else have a problem with the prices of the sale items showing up when you click on the item? I've been looking at clothes in the sale section and when I click on something, only the original price will come up. It says select colors are on sale, but it doesn't specify which ones. I'm not sure what to do.
ReplyDeleteExcellent points, FFM. I was in J.Crew today (to return stuff) and there were only a handful of customers in the store, all of them in the sale section. This was on a Sunday afternoon, so the mall was packed with people. I live in a very pricey area of my state - there is a Neiman Marcus & Saks Fifth Avenue a 15-minute drive away - but I rarely see any customers browsing J.C's Collection pieces. So apparently these mythical high-end shoppers aren't in my area, either, FFM :-)
ReplyDeleteCheck your sales tax too! I placed an order last night and this morning and one showed a tax of 10% and another 9%. My sales tax is 2.9%!!!
ReplyDeleteanon at 7:51, the whole site is imposssible right now. Sizes don't show up, neither do some colors..can't add anything to shopping bag. Pretty bad weekend for J.Crew.com, methinks...
ReplyDeleteSorry, that should have been Metropolitan...:)
ReplyDeleteI dread mailing my stuff back next week for refunds...they'll mess them up too. But I want the refund to come back to my credit card soonest, before the next cycle...
ReplyDeletela belle helene: Let me say that I totally support your position 100% when it comes to J.Crew and their policies (because I feel the exact same way). :)
ReplyDeleteI do believe Anon @ 5:55PM wrote like a finance person (as the general economic points he made were true). I just wasn't sure if he was working for J.Crew or not- but working for a bank totally makes sense to me! :)
I will also admit, that none of us (me, anon @ 5:55PM) really know who the "core customers" are of J.Crew. I suspect it is us, because we buy so much (practically in bulk) and we tend to be extremely loyal. Also I base it on what I, and others see at their stores, like FabulousFloridaMommy and La Belle Helene: I also see a lot of people in stores roaming the sale sections. But I have no real hard data to back that claim up. :)
Anonymous at 7:56PM: Thanks for the tax "heads up". I hope your appropriate tax will be applied in the end. :)
Anyone else has sales tax errors on their orders?
ReplyDeleteCheri, I usually just start out at what I paid or a little lower - I'm only interested in recouping the price I paid for the item. It's hard to tell what people will buy - some stuff goes quickly and some stuff I think people would want, I'd had to relist multiple times. I think that selling on eBay is quite trial-and-error, and it's becoming less seller-friendly, especially now that sellers do not have the option to leave negative feedback. An online JC trading post would be really great! :)
ReplyDeleteAnon @ 5:55: I honestly do appreciate your different perspective and your financial insight. However, I find your attitude to be rather abrasive: you seem to insinuate the we--the regular contributers and readers of Alexis's congenial blog---are somehow below your intelligence level, and below Jcrew's "upper-level-shoppers" target customers. Your snide remark to la belle helena:"Good luck in your future investing endeavours - hopefully they are guided by a professional advisor" is virtually dripping with thinly--veiled arrogance. While I'm not questioning your financial insight--I'm not trained to judge either way, you might want to reconsider that holier-than-thou attitude.
ReplyDeleteAnd finally, your remark: "will do my utmost to not let my intolerance for blatant stupidity get the best of me in my future posts"...seemed to be a blanket insult at everyone who had (rather respectfully, I think) disagreed with you.
Alexis: your patience and diplomacy astonishes me. If you ever plan on running for president...*grins*
OMG! This is so funny to me. What great Sunday entertainment. Male investors putting in their $0.02 and the Mommy’s with the kids in private school! Do we really care? LMAO
ReplyDeleteGreed is the “bottom line”. That’s also why our economy is in the s***-hole.
My comment/peeve is that a company who would search the Himalayas for the best thread, decided to go bargain basement for their new and improved site, that’s now been down for a whole week end. That’s damn hilarious to me.
I’m sure the lawyers will be sifting through this site 2morrow.
122+ comments! Alexis you rock
Abijah: Speaking of funny, your line of "My comment/peeve is that a company who would search the Himalayas for the best thread, decided to go bargain basement for their new and improved site, that’s now been down for a whole week end" is hysterical, sad, and true! :)
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteRegarding tax: the tax includes shipping & handling. Not sure if that applies to all states. If you are used to free shipping you may not have noticed this before(?).
ReplyDeleteAuryane: Thanks for the potential vote for presidency- I would suck at the position, but I appreciate the nice comment. :)
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletecircumfession: I completely agree...J.Crew better be 100% sure it has that "higher-end" clientel established as loyal customers before burning too many bridges.
ReplyDeleteSomeone on Makeup Alley just posted that she received an e-mail from JCrew saying the policy about no coupons with sales items was an error.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone noticed some of the items in the pictures don't match the color swatches? For example... navy pants may show in the item picture but when you look at the available colors only black and khaki available? WTF!
ReplyDeleteI find this stock price discussion pretty amusing. I've shorted both Gap Inc and J Crew Group over the past year (among other retailers), and I've made quite a bit more on my JCG short (JCrew is down 37% since last July and Gap is only down 13%).
ReplyDeleteAlexis I'm anonymous at 3:16 6/29/08
ReplyDeleteIf you knew anything about IT. You would know why the old website links are gone. You can't really just remove them... new enhanced websites = new coding meaning the old will not work. And Jcrew or any other company will not pay to upkeep or store old data.
Love the blog! I just don't agree with the complaint about viewing old item links... they had to be removed sooner or later.
The website doesn't seem to be working to check it out, but it doesn't sound like much of an improvment. I have been buying a ton of JCrew lately but that will end if I have to pay their high shipping rates for sale items. I think I'm going to send in a couple returns too.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know if you can return items from multiple orders under the same label (and not pay another $7.50?). thanks!
Dear Anon 5:55pm, Thank you very much for sharing your ideas. Me too, I am a fund manager (buy-side) who manages billions dollars at a mutual fund company in the USA. I understand what you meant. However, I am wondering whether updating the whole system over the weekend was an appropriate management decision or not... It is too risky especially for retail companies. Weekends and holidays are very important for retailers to generate revenues and to generate positive like-for-like sales (You know that the number of holidays affects like-for-like sales, right?). I bet that J.Crew had lost one-weekend revenues which company could have been able to earn without updating system. We all know that J.Crew is struggling to generate positive like-for-like sales... I'd like to ask managements why J.Crew needed to update system at the risk of revenues for one weekend... I would be very dissapointed with management if they could not provide any reasonable explanation for this mess. Judging by the customers' comments here, I would say that J.crew is losing credibility not only from investors but also from customers...
ReplyDeleteHi, I wonder if there are any mac users like myself. I have been trying to play with the new jcrew website the whole day, but so far nothing works for me. I use both firefox and safari. I cannot add items to my shopping cart. I cannot even login to my account!
ReplyDeleteI do have windows running under mac system, so when I try to shop with IE things works better although very slowly. So I want to know if any of you also use firefox does it work? I would like to shop normally with my mac book in the future.
Buy the way, I just tried to order some sale items with the freeshipping coupon. I was able to use it. Are you sure no coupon can be used for sale items any more?
Is anyone noticing the prices are wrong in the check-out box for sale items?
ReplyDeleteI have a mac and when the site is working its functional. Try rebooting your mac maybe? Remember the site is up and down and going way slow!
ReplyDeleteI think that people should realize that, as has been previously stated MANY times, WE ARE the core group that keeps J Crew going. It is NOT the trickle of "high end" shoppers, it is the people who go online each and every single day to purchase items from their SALE pages. If J Crew were smart they would use this fabulous blog to revamp their website into a J Crew "Camelot" for all the stylish, money savvy ladies and gentlemen who post on this blog!!
ReplyDeletejcrewjunkie :)
J crew just sent this to me... Coupons work on sale items!!!
ReplyDeleteWe wanted to follow-up to our previous reply regarding the difficulty
you encountered when trying to use a coupon to purchase sale
merchandise.
The verbiage displayed on the website regarding coupon use on sale items
is an error that we are now aware of and are working diligently to
correct. J.Crew has always accepted coupons for sale purchases
(provided the total amount meets the coupon requirements) and will
continue to do so.
We kindly suggest trying to place your order again with the coupon, once
the website is available. If you encounter any problems again, please
do not hesitate to email us at contactus@jcrew.com. We truly appreciate
you choosing J.Crew and hope you will continue shopping with us in the
future.
Sincerely,
Angela
Good God J Crew. Get it together and fix your site.
ReplyDeletejcrewmommy: I've also noticed that there are big sellers on eBay and their main merchandise are J Crew items. What I have found out is many buyers who are willing to shell out money for J Crew items are actually buyers who love J Crew, but are outside of the U.S, Japan and Canada.
ReplyDeleteLast month, I listed a dozen of my J Crew clothing from last year that I cannot wear (size change due to a newborn) on eBay. I listed each garment started at 4.99, which I think is a good price since I took great care , and I also kept all the spare buttons if the garment ever came with one. I had many emails from buyers in Europe, Asia and Australia asking me about shipping to their countries. J Crew is more popular than I ever thought.
So there's no shortage of buyers and now that our dollar has weakened as the Feds has cut our interest rate, giving the Euro alot of buying power.
blumre: Thanks for sharing your email to us from your CS inquiry!
ReplyDeleteBased on my observation, J Crew has two collections: The regular merchandise (which can be found online, catalogue and stores), and the J Crew Collection (limited made items, only available online and selected stores). I don't own any J Crew Collections because I cannot afford it. I do live here in New York City and I do notice there are many customers who pay retail price for J Crew. Sale items rarely are in stock, so that's why I shop online. My point is that J Crew can survive on many price points, because there are customers that can afford the luxury and there are those like myself that purchase items on sale. I'm sure there are others like me that don't mind waiting for an item to be on sale and the one thing that I like about J Crew is that they always have new merchandise each month.
ReplyDeleteRegardless of the issues with coupon, high vs low end customers, etc. Just want to post a few more pros and cons about the new system's navigation design, hopefully somebody from Jcrew can see this.
ReplyDeletePros:
1)limit the display by sizes. This is great because I won't waste so much time clicking on an item and find out that my size is not available;
2)rank the display by price. It's easy to see whether an item's price has been changed.
Cons:
1)lots of extra clicks. Compared with the old version, the new website triples the clicks to locate an item and put it into shopping bag...For example, one extra click to display more items or flip through pages; two click for size and color (used to be one). It also triples the steps to check out...shipping info and coupon used to be on the same page, now it's separated. So now I have to click to advance to a lot more pages to check out.
2)display. It seems like the default display for sale items is randomized (types, size, color) and limited to 15 per page, which makes it very trouble some to locate one item. I can't believe that the design abandons the advantage of categorization, which is the most important method for customers to locate items.
3)too many categories. It seems like the display goes two extremes--either totally randomized, or limited to a very specific category. Grouping Ts, blouses, and sweaters together as in the old version is a lot easier for customers who want to shop from all these categories.
Maybe Jcrew want to improves the system so that it's more user friendly, but it does not seem to be the case now. When it provides too many display options, it confuses people. And the rule is: the more steps, the higher possibility that something will go wrong.
Suggestions: If they want to keep all these functions for displaying or ranking, they should at least let registered members to set their own default setting. For example, always display 90 items, always rank from price low to high...I'm really tired of clicking.
Forgot to mention another pros:
ReplyDeleteIt's great now that they put petite and tall with the regular, so that saves a few clicks.
Another cons: many items that are no longer available are still being displayed on the page, which wastes many of my clicks..
I came across this blog last week (I was searching for a jacket) and have been reading your daily posts since. Your tips and reviews have been very helpful. I am a loyal J.Crew customer and purchase most of my clothes there. I haven't talked to CS many times but I must say they always came through for me. I actually called CS this morning and they were very nice and accomodating despite their problems. Maybe because I haven't been using their free shipping codes (except the ones they sent me via e-mail) it is easier for me to stay positive this time. I am sure they are working hard to fix the issues. I am also certain I will be receiveing more free shipping cupons via e-mail. Over the years J.Crew has proven to me that they value my business and I am not going to make any judgments before J.Crew has a chance to make corrections. Really - I can't see things changing too much for me in the long run. The only thing I will miss is the student discount on extra 25 percent off - if that benefit is taken away.
ReplyDeleteWell their website is up again. It's still running slow. I wonder if it's me because I have a Mac.
ReplyDeleteI live in a large city with 4 JCrews. The sale section is NOT the section where you see people shopping. The regular priced stuff goes and goes FAST. That is the core JCrew customer. The sale shoppers are not in my opinion. FFM is a great bargain shopper. But that is not a core JCrew shopper. All I see are regular priced items being sold in my area of 4 large stores. No "trickle" here.
ReplyDeleteI am surprised about all the concern about possible lost orders and not being able to look up past orders. What about patience? The orders will be at our doors in a few days...if not, then call. I have much better things to do with my time and energy than panic and spend time on hold for something that hasn't even happened yet. I am sure a company like JCrew isn't going to loose all Fridays orders. I placed an order on Friday and I didn't panic...
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that people want to bicker over who is their core... I don't believe it's one group over another. Obviously full price shoppers are valued anywhere, but the people making sale purchases are helping things stay afloat.
ReplyDeleteSure there are plenty of people that may purchase full price items due to living in high cost of living areas or being able to afford it etc. However, there are also people in smaller towns that probably like the look but can't afford to purchase at full price or choose not to for whatever reason.
Truth be told, if Jcrew isn't able to offload their inventory that's not good news either. I know for a fact that the Limited sells their clothing to stores like TJMaxx for pennies on the dollar because they can get rid of it quickly and because it doesn't tarnish their in store image. As soon as clothes become available for next to nothing it does cheapen the brand and make shoppers wonder why they are paying substantially more.
I live in Europe and I have been to Jcrew outlets in Maine, Michigan, and Ohio - the stock there seems to be specially made for those stores and is noticeably lacking in quality. Are other Jcrew outlets the same?
The Final Sale does seem to be insulting to frequent shoppers, but it also enables plenty of people who have sworn off shopping there to find that one exception of an item they've been lusting after.
I won't give up shopping there - especially with my great exchange rate, but I do think they need to reevaluate their customer service.
A customer service representative will be with me in approximately 21 minutes. Please hold.
ReplyDeleteI like the time estimate. I know I should hang up now and not ten minutes from now, when I'm really annoyed. I'm not concerned my order has been lost, but I did want my new order number. No biggie.
chini: if you have your order number, then check it online...I was able to access my order placed on Friday, and it IS being processed...YAY! :)
ReplyDelete