"Thanks!" to Christy (in this post) who suggested the following: "Alexis- maybe you should have a new post so that we can vent about popback rejects? You'd think jcrew would read it and go and talk to the Quality Assurance people and get us some quality assurance... " I think it is a great post topic. I know a lot of us have experienced first hand pop-back rejects.Pop-backs involve a bit of J.Crew-lette. Sometimes, an item we have been coveting for months but already sold-out in our desired size/color, will reappear in the Sale section like a beautiful beacon of hope. However, it is never a guarantee that the pop-back will be sent (so we get that dreaded email canceling our order), or that the pop-back item is in top-notch condition. This is because pop-backs often times, include returns. Although J.Crew's quality control is pretty good in general, a few items have slipped through the "system" making us wonder who allowed for it to even be shipped.
In the past few orders, I have found sweaters with holes in them and jackets with stains that were easily removed with soap & water. As of lately, I have been receiving items that are not the items I ordered. In once case, I ordered the Tiered Vintage Fleur Top (Item 19778, $138.00) in size 2 and received an entirely different top in size 0 (with the wrong tags too!) When I returned the top at my local brick & mortar store, I explained that the top had been mislabeled. However the SA didn't seem too interested— she just took the item and plopped in the back counter. I have a feeling someone else got that wrong top too. In all of the cases, J.Crew did offer me the ability to return the items (as "a one-time courtesy"). ;)
What are some of your pop-back reject stories? Did J.Crew help resolve the situation for you? If so, please share! :)
I have gotten a wrong item in the mail once. I had ordered the wool herringbone blazer as a popback and received a completely different blazer. Luckily, I didn't get any flack from the SA when I took it back to the B&M.
ReplyDeleteSomewhat OT - but I have to say, as much as I love JC, one thing that really gets on my nerves is their "as a one time courtesy" line. It's especially maddening when they say it after they've messed up on something! I know that the SA's are all probably following a corporate script but I would like to say, this "as a one time courtesy" line does NOT warm my heart. I don't like retailers to make me feel like I should be grateful that they're doing something for me when I'm paying them loads of money. Especially when it's something related to shipping. We all know that JC is NOT competitive with their shipping fees. It doesn't make me want to like them.
Honestly, I like JC's style but part of the reason I shop there right now is out of convenience. I'm in school and I live in a small town with a terrible mall so if I want somewhat cute stuff, I have to buy online. I picked JC because I can drive to another town on the weekends (when I go to the farmer's market, restaurants) to do returns if I need to. And I know their final sale is (finally!) over but I kind of had it up to here with the longest ever final sale. (at least that's what it felt like)
OK. I'm done venting. I'm trying to lay off the crewlade for a little bit but I'm sure I'll be back. :)
Alexis, thank you for posting this. I ordered a Rayon V-neck Dress and got a package of Broken In Chinos. Both were gray in color, however, different styles, different tags.
ReplyDeleteLast week, I receive a cardigan with a hole in the armpit, with no paper tags. Several months ago, I received a dress with some heavy, heavy perfume (yuck, especially when it's not MY perfume)! I wouldn't even hang it in my closet because it would infect my other clean clothes.
I called to let CS know, and it's always the same canned response. "Oh, we're so sorry this has occurred. Please send it back, or take it to a retail store for return."
They're sorry, they're not sure how this happened, yet it happens more often than not. And as a one time courtesy...(come up with a better line, jcrew)- don't do me any favors if you're going to ship me crap to begin with!
I never ask to be comped anything, just please, please, please look into your q/a and fix the boo boos in the system so that your loyal customers stay loyal.
I recently ordered 2 of the same Crewcuts tees, but in different sizes for my two youngest boys. One appears to be worn with a hole starting under the arm, and the other is completely the wrong tee...they are both going back.
ReplyDeleteThis should be interesting!
ReplyDeleteI've been lucky for the most part with popbacks, but my most noteable one was the cotton tuxedo shirt from the summer. The shirt was okay, but pinned to the interior tag (where the washing instructions are) was a safety pin with about 10 of those "remove before washing/wearing" security tags, and a black Collection tag with extra sequins from what was probably a very expensive sweater!
Charlotte, I agree with you about the 'one time courtesy' line, and I think that is the crux of my issue with JC lately. I haven't been on the receiving end of it myself, but it looks like a LOT of JCA's have. And it seems like JC is just basking in its crazy popularity right now and letting quality (both in the garments and the service) fall by the wayside. Actually, the quality is been on a downslide for quite a while, but with all the positive press they're getting, they're now even less likely to address it. As long as stuff is flying off the shelves, why should they care? I think it's a slick strategy: make the customer clamor for something brand new every rollout, and they won't even realize that the $50 tee shirt they bought two weeks ago is ready for the rag bag.
Quality is declining everywhere, and marketing is working overtime to cover up that fact. I'll still look forward to seeing what JC offers every month, but before opening my wallet I just have to remember what the pieces on the overflowing sales racks at my store look like - about a month after they were rolled out. IMO, they should really be embarrassed about a lot of the quality, but they're just on such a high right now. The 'one time courtesy' is like the slap in the face to anybody that dares to be a discriminating customer and -gasp- expect what they ordered to not have holes, perfume, or used tissues in it!
They just opened a flagship Forever 21 down the hall from my B&M. I'll be very curious to see how similar some of the styles are. I do have to give JC this: At least they stopped saying "We're obsessed with quality..."!
I do not buy popbacks the quality is bad enough on the tees and knits without having the added concern about the quality of popbacks shopwear and people wearing them and returning).
ReplyDeleteI have had so many bad popback experiences that it would take up way to much space (and time:) to type it all up. Nightmare--JCrew's return checks/quality control.
ReplyDeleteMost recent was totally wrong shirt in the bag from what I ordered and the shirt had no tags. Worn? probably.
I have been lucky not to have any quality (i.e. holes, stains) concerns with popbacks, but I do have an odd shipping story. I had a large order and was surprised to open it and find, instead of a tee that I had ordered, a blazer that I had *not* ordered. I decided to wait a day to call CS (I actually had 3 additional mislabeled items in the shipment and knew it would be a long call). The next day, I received a small UPS package containing *only* the tee that was missing from the other package, with no receipt or anything else in the bag. Makes me wonder what was going on in the warehouse....someone realized they forgot to pack my tee so sent it separately??
ReplyDeleteWhen I called CS, I was hoping for some kind of recognition of my niceness for returning a blazer I didn't order...but no. They also didn't seem surprised that it happened. At least they covered shipping costs to return it! :)
I have too many stories to list but would still risk ordering a popback if it was something I really loved. I'm confident JCrew will let you return defective items, even final sale items (from my experience anyway). I can take the one liners as long as they do the right thing.
ReplyDeleteO/t-I have the scarf in the photo and it was a out of season purchase from final sale - defect free! :P
I ordered the tiered brique skirt in a size 2 among other things during final sale last week. It came in a size 8! They told me I could reorder and then ship the wrong size back. They never even apologized! I took it back to my B&M store and the SA said it had been happening a lot. How frustrating!
ReplyDeleteI ordered 5 Crewcuts hair clips for my flowergirls and received 4 plus a necklace! When I called, they had the audacity to tell me they would charge me for the fifth hair clip (again, since I had already paid for five) and I would get a credit when the necklace was returned. After speaking with a manager, they decided they would send out the hair clip without charging me "as a one-time courtesy". I am still amazed that they wanted to charge me for their mistake.
ReplyDeleteI'm still sulking over not getting my Ruffle Front Wool Coat! AND it took them OVER a WEEK to send me the dreaded email about it.... so I could have spent that time possibly ordering it in a size larger or different color... but no... now they are completely gone! grr....
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ReplyDeleteOver Christmas I ordered one of the Dolce popover sweaters in a size XS. When I received it, it was the same color item, marked as a size XS on the shipping bag, but was a Medium sweater on the interior.
ReplyDeleteI brought it back to my B+M and the store manager was very apologetic. She accepted the return and gave me a $10 gift card "for the trouble."
Note: Store managers/SAs may vary. I have returned lots of things to stores in different cities, but this was the only time I got a gift card.
Another summer, I ordered two Boyfriend V-neck tees. One of them looked like it had been caught on a conveyor belt. A corner of the bag was burned and the shirt had a black mark on it. When I returned it, the SA asked me HOW that happened. I said, That's the way it arrived! I do not have machinery in my house. He sort of laughed it off.
Wow, some crazy stories already. I've been pretty lucky with getting the proper popbacks that I order, though occasionally they'll ship a pair of gloves or some socks instead of my item. Why can't they accidentally pack it with a nice new leather purse instead?!?! Anyway, they've been pretty good about doing we-will-find-its for the missing items. And I've also been pretty lucky returning final sale items regardless, so that helps ease the worry when I order from the dreaded final sale. I think my worse horror story is similar to someone else above...ordered an XS dress, the bag said XS, the dress was marked a Large!
ReplyDeleteI have no real popback stories to tell because I rarely can get them (sadness) but also because most of the *very few* I have received have been fine.
ReplyDeleteFor what it's worth, and this may be the wrong place to post this, but as this seems to be the place with the most activity today at JCA, I scanned ten pages from the May 2010 catalog. That said, the catalog comes out on-line sometime in the wee hours of the night tomorrow morning, so this scan I did will be old hat very soon. LOL.
But if you all are still interested in J. Crew after all these awful popback stories, come on over and check it out: http://mysuperfluities.blogspot.com/2010/04/one-day-early-sneak-peek-into-j-crews.html
Oh, and regardless of how long I have had my blog, I still cannot embed html coding in blogger's comments section. Grr. Sorry about the really long link.
Linda,
ReplyDeleteI ordered Dolce V neck for less than $20 weeks ago. I ordered XS, it arrived without a problem. The bag, receipt and price tag said XS, but the tag on the sweater was S. How can this happen? Also in that order was a crystal Symphony bracelet that had a chipped stone (somebody worn it?) and a Crewcuts dress from 2008 with horrible wrinkle all over-like somebody stuffed the dress in a tiny ball and decided to sell it as it was supposed to be wrinkled that way. No I save the product photo when I order a pop back. It wasn't wrinkled at all.
My favorite popback screw up came last year, when the Double Serge Pencil Skirt (the wool one from fall 2008) popped back in bronzed ochre in my size. I rushed through checkout and held my breath until it arrived...
ReplyDeleteI was pretty angry when I opened the package and there was a CORDUROY skirt in there instead. Not only that, but the inside tags had the double serge pencil skirt's item number, as did the paper tags, and it was the same color. SO weird. I don't even want to know how that happened.
Of course, by this time, the skirt I ordered was sold out... but the SA I spoke with on the phone, a man, offered me free shipping if it came back in my size in any color, so a few weeks later I got the deep persimmon with free shipping.
Otherwise, I have never had a single issue with popbacks.
I have had some good popback karma lately, so I don't want to spoil it by complaining, lol. I have been fortunate enough not to have received any worn items, though if "one-time courtesy" is really one-time I have worn it out by insisting that they accept a return on a FS sweater that had been pinned beyond recognition in the photos.
ReplyDeleteI have received my share of incorrect items--3 or 4 times in the last couple of years. But here's what really irked me: A colleague admired something I was wearing, and I told her it was JC. She decided to give JC a try and placed an order--got the wrong item, of course. Way to impress a new customer.
Knock on wood, I have yet to have a popback nightmare, but granted--I haven't really pounced on too many popbacks based on all the horror stories I've heard from you ladies. Just one more example why this blog is SO GREAT!!
ReplyDeleteOT: What is the difference between the Suckered Gingham shirt and the Suckered Gingham perfect shirt? Is there one? Is it just the fit of the shirt that is different? I'm confused...
AppGal - I had the same thought about the shirts. I think they have slightly different cuts, but besides that, the suckered gingham has a chest pocket, and its checks are bigger than the suckered gingham perfect shirt. Those are the only differences I could see...
ReplyDeleteEm,
ReplyDeleteI am guessing that you got the wrong skirt (the tag was from the skirt you actually ordered) because a shameless person bought both, switched the tags and returned the cheaper one with the tag from the more expensive item. I am even willing to bet $10 thats what actually happened. Jcrew just can't check every single tag to make sure it is from the right item.
I actually got a coat which had a tag that was definitely taken off and then reattached. I don't blame jcrew, I blame the people with no shame who do this kind of stuff at our expense.
My only issue with a popback was with a pair of cafe capris in british khaki that had a big black pen mark on the seat (!) The "one time courtesy" line bugs me too.
ReplyDeleteThat being said I shop online (too much) and I have received wrong items a couple of times from Old Navy and once from Clinique. With the Clinique one they sent me someone else's order completely, the other woman's name and address inside. I was kind of expecting them to just tell me to keep it since it was mascara and eyeshadow but instead it took a couple of phone calls and some hassling before I could even send it back via UPS.
The mistakes I've received haven't been due to popbacks but inventory control, I guess Twice I've received the wrong item which was bagged incorrectly. Once it was a knit crewcut jacket labeled as the pea coat, but inside was a large women's merino maya dress. The first time it happened, I got a "sorry, that weird," with no offer to match the 20% promo under which I had placed my order, and that was over by the time the item was received.
ReplyDeleteThe second time, the Maya dress incident, the SA called and had the correct item overnighted free of charg and gave me a gift card "for my troubles." Same store, same scenario, two totally different outcomes.
I haven't had *any* JC quality or order fulfillment problems lately. Strange, but true.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I've had some frustrating problems with other retailers lately.
Ice.com sent a much shorter-than-ordered pearl necklace TWICE and were semi-nasty and totally unapologetic about it. They even tried to charge me a shipping charge for returning the item they sent in error!
Talbots sent the wrong size shoes and a broken necklace. Their customer service was nice about it, though.
And Banana Republic sent me their own version of "the dreaded e-mail" last week. At least they include a 10% off code.
Oh the horror of JCrew popbacks. I got my first one in 2007 when I received a worn tweed blazer with a stain on the elbow and all around the cuff. That was bad.
ReplyDeleteI have gotten so many popbacks that were worn or defective in the past 2 years that I no longer order popbacks.
I got two defective items and one wrong item this winter and that was the final straw. No more torturing myself or putting up with disappointment.
I ordered a Lady Day coat final sale, and when it arrived, it was the wrong size. Ordered a 6 and got a 2. I put it right back in the box and shipped it back, and they credited me for it. Final sale is nonsense - if I order something and its not what I ordered or it's not in new condition, then I send it back. What are they gonna do, mail it back to me and tell me I have to keep it? I ordered all my final sale stuff with my AMEX - AMEX will refund even if the merchant won't.
ReplyDeletei once received a jcrew calf hair belt (from '07 i think) that seriously looked like the end had been chewed by an animal - like someone's pet dog gnawed on it. i took it back the same day i received it so they wouldn't think that *i* damaged it. they were really nice and apologetic about it but i couldn't help but feel like the SA might have thought that i had a pet that did it (i don't have a pet). luckily they had another one in stock and shipped it to me for free even though it was sale since the 1st one was damaged. don't know how the warehouse missed that one! :)
ReplyDeletefunny thing is that the new one i received was a different yet much nicer version than the first one - it had smooth dark brown leather on the reverse side rather than the light nubuck-type unfinished leather of the first one.
I STILL Love JCrew!! :)
dina, thanks so much for the link! i am such a sadsack that i have to wait for the catalog to be in my hands-so no sneak peeks. except for the ones alexis posted last week. i couldn't resist. their destination catalogs are just the best.
ReplyDeletei only have one fs/popback tale of WOE. the blasted silk tiered cami in toffee popbacked very recently. i was so excited! foolish me. i tore the package open to find the cami...in antique stone. the antique stone happens to be gorgeous, but dammit, i wanted toffee. the cami also didn't look, smell or feel used but there were no tags. i called CS and the dude was apologetic but basically said, miss, you're stuck with it.
if anyone wants to trade a toffee cami for antique stone (size 8) please let me know! i normally take a size 6, but only an 8 was available.
I have had so many wrong items with correct plastic bags with the label but here are some memorable ones.
ReplyDeleteHavona tank I got did not even have a tag on it and the flower chiffon was coming apart like rags. I called to complain and all I got was allowing me to return it. Another Anton sweater I ordered didn't even have the inner label so I couldn't tell what size it was. Recently I ordered a necklace and it was clearly worn with scratches and discoloration.
Crewcuts item with a taped on label and a wrong size.
I have never received any gift cards or allowed to keep anything for their mistake. And I despise their "one time courtesy" line. So fake and doesn't do anything for me to remedy the mistake.
My theory about right bag label, wrong item inside... Did any of you return an item purchased online to the store in the original bag and SA wouldn't even open up the package to scan the actual label on the item but scanned the label on the bag only? I am thinking they send those back to wearhouse and wearhouse sees original packaging and does not check inside. They absolutely should though.
ReplyDeleteMegha - I would call CS back and tell them that the item you received isn't the item you ordered and you want to return it. The CS you spoke with was wrong. You did not receive what you paid for, and they cannot keep your money if you want a refund, final sale or not. Period. They probably won't refuse, but if they do file a complaint with the FTC or the BBB.
ReplyDeleteElena, that's what I thought at first... but the actual sewn in tag inside the skirt had the item number for the wool skirt on it, and said "100% wool, Lining: 100% acetate", on an unlined, cotton corduroy skirt. It was so bizzare!!
ReplyDeleteI have been very fortunate. I've bought several popbacks and have never had an issue. One time I had something that was super screwy -- I got an item that was right color but the wrong size AND the wrong item, and it had been mis-tagged with a different item # ... it was all very confusing. But when I returned it, I got back a merchandise credit that was somehow more than what I originally spent. It was very weird, but I rolled with it.
ReplyDeleteReally, truly my only beef with the Crew is that they don't reward loyalty properly. Cardholders, non-cardholders yet fiercely loyal shoppers ... JC doesn't woo us. JC does not realize we will cheat if not properly taken care of. I don't see the awesome promos that Land's End Canvas is doing as cheapening their brand at all. I'm just sad that as someone said, the Crew is clearly riding the wave right now and not worrying about retaining customers or attracting new ones. Cardinal rule of retailing, and they're breaking it. ARRGGGHH.
Thanks everyone for sharing your stories/ experiences with J.Crew. :) There is a strange comfort in knowing you are not the only one with wrong sizes, wrong items, & defective items. ;)
ReplyDeleteI ordered some colleen rose flats on popback and recieved metro boots. Right size, but OH SO WRONG in every other way. The disappointment was bitter.
ReplyDeleteJust want to note I love the image you used, Alexis - have that Adrian felted wool skirt - and oh how it makes me miss the Paris girl, Vanessa, and back when j.crew used lively, pretty, smiling models who look like they have some personality.
ReplyDeleteJ.crew, in my experience of retailers, has by far the worst quality control around. It's the only company where I wonder, as I open a package, whether I'll get what I ordered...
Em, anyone with a sewing machine, basic sewing skills and a complete lack of scruples could have sewn that tag in the skirt.
ReplyDeleteLa Belle Helene, ITA that JC has some of the worst quality control procedures around. I strongly suspect they cut corners by having *no* quality control department, in fact.
And, to echo everyone else, that "one time courtesy" is outrageous when they're being asked to fix their own mistakes. I've been known to totally go off on the cs reps when they use that on me. An apology is in order when they screw up a customer's order, not a snarky comment.
It's interesting to read these horror stories. I`ve never received an item that was damaged or visibly used and I`ve purchased a lot of popbacks.
ReplyDeleteTwice I have received the correct FP item with the correct size on the plastic but the wrong size inside the bag. Both times it was a sweater one size larger so I just kept them and wore them slouchy but I could never do that with a fitted item like a blouse, skirt or pants.
I have received handbags missing the dust bag listed in the product description and J.Crew has always sent the dust bags to me on request.
Once I received a package missing one of several items and when I called CS they credited me right away. It was a popback and no longer available so maybe wasn't actually available in the first place.
I have occasionally returned final sale items for fit issues and have never had the "one time courtesy" schpiel.
I return a very small percentage of what I purchase and I have been told by CS and my PS that I buy "a lot" so that may be why they are so accomodating. I also think that attitude (on both sides) is a major factor in achieving a satisfactory resolution.
I have actually had very good luck with popbacks, and order them all the time if I'm lucky enough to get them. However, my worst "bad delivery" problem was when I ordered a shirt from Target online and received, instead, a CAMP STOVE. It was meant for someone in NY state, and was obviously a Christmas present. I felt so sorry for the person who didn't get their gift under the tree!
ReplyDeletethat happened to me with a bikini last summer. The top was miss labeled. Of course the store did not have the style/color or size so I had to send it back. It was really annoying. The tag said it was one thing as did the order but the actual suit was something else. I was really annoyed because it was supposed tobe for a vacation which it never made it to because of the whole fiasco!
ReplyDeletegrrrr!!
FashionAncient, your story reminds me of an order problem I had with Target a while ago. I ordered a flokati rug. I received a flokati rug, but the rug I received was heavily used, absolutely filthy, and had a JC Penney tag on it. How did THAT fraudulent return get accepted and put back in the inventory????
ReplyDeleteI received my popback item today, the Printed Embossed Lorelei Dress in Wild Blackberry and it was exactly what I ordered. After reading about everyone's experiences I decided to check the plastic bag it came in and lo and behold, the description was for the Audrey dress, but with the same size and color I ordered! Now I feel lucky that I received the exact item I ordered despite the wrong packaging...but I don't think I should be feeling relief about getting what I ordered, huh JCrew?
ReplyDeleteGCA - That doesn't necessarily mean there was a mistake with the bag. For some reason, items on the website frequently have different names than what they're called internally. For example, I ordered the Waterfloral Pastiche Taryn dress, but when it came, the bag said it was the "Regina" dress, and when talking to a store SA about it over the phone, she also referred to it as the Regina dress after looking it up on the store computer, so I know it wasn't just a mistake on the bag.
ReplyDeleteI've seen this on plenty of other things I've ordered, including Crewcuts items and accessories. I have no idea why they do th is, but I don't think we should be so quick to assume it's getting the wrong packaging just because the name doesn't match.
Update:
ReplyDeleteI called CS as soon as I found out the wrong item and defective items. I asked to put a note on the order number mentioning them and waive return shipping. I shipped those back with the return receipt correctly marked and explained.
I checked return status and...
The mislabeled (wrong size) sweater hasn't been returned!! Why would I keep it? I called and got a refund on that one. Also mentioned that my return recept should have all the evidence when someone has a doubt.
Having a different name and number for store and catalog items is probably a way to prevent catalog customers from getting a price adjustment when the item remains FP online but is marked way down in the store. :-(
ReplyDeleteMy biggest popback horror story happened twice with the sparkle plaid tweed pencil skirt. When I ordered it the first time I received a pair of toddler-sized leggings. I called to get a refund, and they told me to keep them. The second time I found the popback skirt I received an awful ruffled bridesmaid dress. This time CS told me I needed to return the dress. My local b & m was flabbergasted at the sight of the dress in a bag labeled "sparkle plaid tweed pencil skirt." I got my money back both times. The third time I ordered the skirt (I know, why would I keep trying) I actually got the skirt. After all the hard work it took for me to get it, I certainly love that skirt today! I still order popbacks because I've never had a problem getting money back on their mistakes. They're disappointing, still (got the dreaded email instead of the pink tweed pencil skirt from this season), but I know I won't have to pay for the wrong item.
ReplyDelete