This is the weekly "Looking to VENT with J.Crew" post, a place to share our not-so-stellar experiences with J.Crew.If you have recently experienced a frustrating situation with J.Crew, maybe you might be willing to share that information with us in this post.
Please feel free to share your story on almost any topic— including poor experiences with purchases & orders, promotions/ offers, in-store visits, transactions with store associates, etc.
Not sure if this is the right place or not, but has anyone had any luck getting them to take back final sale items that do not fit? Even for a store credit? (i bought a couple things online)
ReplyDeleteI took back a final sale sweater and got a full credit . That was this year about 3 monthes ago. The sweater was supposed to be byzatine blue and when I got it , the sweater looked almost black. I called customer service , told them that is not the color I expected , they credited my card and I took the item back to a store.
DeleteMy general impression is that overall store customer service has been better and more accommodating. I have been told, "We will honor online promotions" and staff have gone out of their way to replace defective merchandise. And, I have had pretty good luck returning final sale items.
ReplyDeleteI had my personal shopper find a top for me, which happened to be at a store in my area and had it shipped to me, honoring my 25% discount. HOWEVER, the discount was taken from the full price of the top and it was marked on sale. What should I do? I obviously would like to save $40.
ReplyDeleteGood luck SarahV. Having them adjust prices for in store searches is more trouble then its worth. I have made about five calls trying to get some adjustments like that made, and in the most recent one, they said that they sent the requests to the stores (the actual stores have to make the adjustments, the online people can't) and that I needed to wait at least two weeks...
ReplyDeleteSince they usually include a cash register receipt with your item, I would call the store directly. The stores have access to your account and can credit you over the phone. I have had a SA in the store go to the register and credit orders for me without any info in hand while I was in the store. I said "I can't believe this dress was reduced in store - I just bought it online (sizes not in my store). My favorite SA went to the register, found my order and credited there on the spot. Good luck!
DeleteI will stop in my local j crew tomorrow am, if they can't help, luckily, I can go to the store it came from, it's just out of my way. Thanks for the luck ladies!
ReplyDeleteThe Chiffon Dot Top is going back. It's sheer and needs a cami, but it doesn't come with a cami, and J. Crew doesn't sell a cami separately that's the right color and that would work with it. The cotton camis don't work because the chiffon sticks to the cotton. And apparently no one else sells a navy blue or green silk or satin cami. Such a pretty top, but unwearable.
ReplyDeleteHave you looked at Talbots silk charmeuse cami? It comes in a number of colors and may be an option for you.
DeleteI didn't look there, thank you! I just returned the top, but maybe I'll buy it again eventually on sale if I find the right cami for it.
DeleteWhat about J Crew's silk cami? I own a few of them and they are wonderful as under layers for sheer pieces. They are lightweight without being clingy or adding bulk.
DeleteBlack might go well under the navy top.
Website reviews, J.Crew: Everyone has them but you! Shared elsewhere that Garnet Hill includes the ability for customers to ask a question next to an item, and both customer service and and shoppers can answer. One of the questions by a sweater was "Does this pill?" and CS said, "we haven't seen that - has anyone else?" Imagine if J.Crew offered that level of transparency for its products. Well, of course we know why they don't.
ReplyDeleteMore than that, though, reviews are so helpful for figuring out sizing.
Shameful that J.Crew is such a social-media dinosaur.
Brooks Brothers has the Q&A feature as well, customers are pretty good about answering quickly and BB will typically answer within 48 hours. It's convenient for when you are just curious about something and not inclined to pick up the phone.
DeleteI wonder if J. Crew shuns social media transparency because they DO carefully monitor sites like JCA ... and are well aware that the brand gets five times the number of comments on the "Vent" threads like this one as it does on the "Love" threads. Among self-identified brand aficionadas!
DeleteEntanglement: Loose Buttonhole Threads
ReplyDeleteThe buttonholes on the Perfect shirt in tartan item 35236 are improperly sewn, and every button except the collar gets caught in loose threads. JCrew sent me another shirt, after it went through "quality control", yeah, right, but it has the same issue. The Factory classic button-down in plaid in black, item 23225 is identical to the retail version, with exception to having a pocket and less of a thread count, so it lacks the sturdier feel of the retail version. (Speaking of thread count, the current retail version feels less substantial than last year.) At least the factory 'discount clothing' shirt can be unbuttoned without grooming every hole for wild threads.
Next up, I ordered a Perfect-fit mixed-tape cardigan item 29176, and the cardi remains closed, with the buttonhole placket laying on top of the buttons, secured closed by loose buttonhole threads.
Last but not least, I received a shirt that had obviously been washed and returned to JCrew. No tags, the seams were puckered as though it went through the dryer, and the red stripes had bled onto the white areas of the top. Nice!
My liberty shirt had the same issues. Plus the cotton is thin and not that nice. Way over priced for material and button hole issues too. Lots of loose threads too
DeleteNot a vent, but I noticed the the double-cloth slim trench that I bought last week dropped significantly in price last night. I called customer service and got a price adjustment with no problems! Looks like quite a few coats were added to the sale this morning, so there are some good deals with the 30% off.
ReplyDeleteMy burgundy Tippi has pilling across the bust and bottom of the sweater. I've worn this less than 10 times. Has this happened to anyone else? I'm sad because I wanted to order a few more sweaters, but now I'm hesitant....
ReplyDeleteYes, my Tippi pilled prematurely too - started after just a few wears, no washes. Others seem to have better luck, which is I why I tried one after swearing off JC sweaters, but I'm not buying them anymore.
DeleteI have 6 tippis(and one on the way) and no pilling at all.
DeleteI have some slight pilling but it's hardly noticeable and I wear my sweaters at least 1-2x a week since I bought them.
DeletePnewelljr (reply not working)- if your final sale items were purchased online, you MAY be able to get a return by calling the website CS and having them make a note on your account, which the stores can access via your receipt. They will give you that "this is a one time courtesy" spill but at least you can make the return/exchange in store.
ReplyDeleteSomeone had previously mentioned that the B&Ms will accept an online FS return/exchange as long as there was no additional discount (25%, 30%) given but that did not work for me and I had to contact CS online. I guess it depends on the store and your relationship w/the SAs. Hope this was helpful and good luck!
I agree. My store that I used to frequent did not take final sale merchandise back either. The SAs knew me well but followed policy.
DeleteThe washed out photos are really getting annoying. Purchased some pants that didn't even look like they had pockets in the brilliant light white environment of the J. Crew website. It not only did have pockets, they showed through terribly and ruined the look of the pants. Can't we just have real pictures without wash out, pinning and photoshopping???
ReplyDeleteI did a charge-send for a scarf from a Factory store. Wrong scarf arrived. Called them. They were going to refund all shipping and send the right scarf. Great! Takes them TWO WEEKS to get the scarf to me -- the store is literally 50 minutes away and this is the West Coast so no Sandy issues. I shipped the wrong scarf back -- it has been returned to sender because the address is wrong -- the address is the same one on the receipt. AGHHHHHHH. It's the scarf saga that will not die.
ReplyDeleteI'm loving & wearing the Cece leather ballet flats. Which reminds me of how inane it is to have "secret sales." Not one SA told me about the 30% off Ceces promo that was going in-store on a week or two ago. I read about it here and forgot about it while in the store. I missed out and so did J Crew.
ReplyDeleteI think J.Crew does a poor job of getting this information out to their store employees and an even worse job at in store signage. I have been coveting a pair of the Cece leather ballet flats. I feel like they will really complete my basic shoes for everyday and weekends while the weather is still mild in Ca. and not rainy yet.
DeleteThis is one of my main peeves: why do any of us know more than store staff about: pricing, promotions, sales, etc.? There was no store signage about the percent off $150! I asked when I was looking at an item over $150. A customer next to me was shocked since she too was looking at an item over that amount (OK we were at the jewelry case!)
DeleteHonestly, it makes me so frustrated that I sometimes leave! There are so many missed markdowns! And why isn't their computer system somehow able to catch everything?
It "odd" because most of all the other stores at the mall bombard the shopper with their specials of the day. JC never tells you about the 150 deal available in store you'd only know about it if you get the email.
DeletePercent off $150?
DeleteRebekah sometimes they will send emails offering a percent off when you spend 125 or 150 and its either instore on online, but it is never really publicized once you get to the store. I just find it odd you really need to read the fine print on your emails
DeleteI've had enough crewlade! I'm so fed up with the quality of Jcrew clothes that I'm done! I'm trying out Rugby ( by Ralph Lauren), Castaway Clothing, Vineyard Vines, and Flat Iron (by Brooks Brothers). They quality is so much better not to mention the customer service is great! OT but my son loves Dog With a Blog on Disney channel. The mother on the show wears lots of Jcrew.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI don't know if anyone else in Canada has had this problem, but with my orders I've been getting regular bills from UPS for taxes, etc.! Last week, J. Crew Factory sent me an email advising me that I may get a bill, that they're working on it, and to ignore it. I did, in fact, get a bill! I'm a little worried to just ignore it, so I think I'll contact UPS anyway. Has anyone else been experiencing this?
ReplyDeleteI haven't ordered from Factory since the site split but I used to get bills from UPS for WWFIFY items that were shipped to me from U.S. stores, even though they went to the warehouse first and were then redirected. My VPS told me to ignore the UPS bills and I did. It's been several months since the last one. Never received a follow-up bill for any of them but I filed them away with my J.Crew receipts, just in case.
DeleteI received the same thing and they told me they were having a lot of these issues with the new factory site. I paid the bill and then scanned and sent the bill to j.crew customer service. They reimbursed me the cost and said they would continue to do so if it ever happened again (ie: didn't get the CS snark about it being a one time favor or anything like that)
DeleteInstead of my elephant necklace popback, I received...someone's wedding dress!! Good grief.
ReplyDeleteOMG!!!! That's a pretty big mix up.
DeleteAnd I believe we have a new club-house leader for "wrong items" sent. I mean, I'm gobsmacked.
DeleteThat's as bad as when I went to McDonald's and ordered a cheeseburger for my son and got 2 buns wrapped up with nothing in between them. Hello?????
DeleteOh no!! Somewhere there is a bride cursing about an elephant necklace :-)
DeleteTell us the truth...did you try it on? hehe
DeleteI received a dirty Striped Silk Cami. It was a popback so I can't re-order. If I return it and buy it again on a popback, I'll probably get the same dirty one again. I'm unhappy because I absolutely love this top.
ReplyDeleteMy pencil skirt pop back (from retail 2011) was clearly worn... Fuzzy, no tags, and even had the inner security tag cut off! No more extreme pop backs for me. I immediately returned it and the SA was nice.
DeleteThis isn't exactly a vent, more a question...
ReplyDeleteI just received the retro jade Jules and love it --- the color, the fit, the length (I'm 5'3), everything. I also got the gray Factory Jules dress, thinking I'd love that too and not wanting to pay the extra $20-30 for retail. However, the factory dress has a seam that goes all the way across the back horizontally (it continues on the front where the pockets are). The retail dress has the horizontal seam on the front but not the back and it is so much more flattering. I was going to return the factory Jules and buy the retail one in gray, but checked the online picture just to make sure --- and it looks like the retail version also has that seam on the back!
Can anyone who has or has tried on the retail Jules dress in gray tell me if it has that seam on the back? I can't figure out why it would, since the retail Jules in retro jade does not, but want to make sure before I order and return the factory version. Thanks!
One of the managers at the collection store in NYC at 79th St. tried to tell me today that you can't combine the 30% off with the teacher discount. She said that all the stores that do that are breaking the policy. Of course, they gave it to me as a one time courtesy but her attitude and the lack of consistency drives me crazy!
ReplyDeleteThis happened to me too at the store in Grand Rapids, MI. The one associate who was helping me in the fitting room said he would do it when another associate interjected and said that I could not combine offers. I have done this in every single J.Crew store I have shopped at all over the country, so I was prepared to put all my merchandise back, especially when that other SA was so snooty. I got my teacher discount and my additional % off, but it the lack of consistency is irritating.
DeleteThat store in particular has a bad vibe in general. I'm sad it's the closest one to me. I never get greeted in that store, and most times, I'm left to wander around the store with no one offering to help me. Last time I was in there, I had an armful of clothing, and no one ever asked me to start a fitting room, so I put all the merchandise back and left without making a purchase.
My big vent is still international pricing; I live in Tokyo. I have been avoiding purchasing from J.Crew since it's launch. I expect to pay more in shipping and understand they have to give Fifty One a cut but the mark up is huge. For example I want excursion vest and at the present exchange rate I will pay $64 more than it is on the US shopping site. That's just not friendly J.Crew
ReplyDeleteWhich excursion vest are you looking for? I have the green one in size XXS that I'm looking to sell.
DeleteLisa, how much do u want for your vest (if the above poster isn't interested to be fair��)?
DeleteJapan is really, really far away! Unless they have a warehouse there, I'm not really surprised that the clothes have a high markup.
DeleteMy general vent is the sizing. Some people are tall. Why so few tall items? Sleeves are short, length is short. My specific vent is that the hacking jackets aren't sold in tall this year.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite J Crew item for winter is the flannel lined Chino's they no longer make them in ladies talls the past few years which is very disappointing
DeleteGenny, I am also disappointed about that. I am glad I have hoarded three pairs of talls from 2006 and 2007 but when it is time to replace them, don't know what I'll do. Talls are needed, even if you aren't super tall but want to roll the hem a little to show the cute lining!
DeleteYes. I have 2p airs that fit from 2009 and 4 pair, two fleece lined!, that no longer fit but I cannot part w/them just in case:-) I tried the reg length once and too short. Plus like u said, the whole point is to roll and show lining! TALLS NEEDED
DeleteOops. Not 2009 I meant 2007 like you!
DeleteMy general vent is the pants. Why are all the cute or interesting pants capris or the pants do not come in tall sizes?! Some of the capris are very cute and I just wish they came in regular pants....
ReplyDeleteI'm considered tall by most people- 5'9"- but I can't buy most tall items from JC- especially pants- because their tall sizes are waaaay too long and big. I never even heard of a 36 inch inseam but that's what is considered tall by JC. But even if I were to shorten them slightly, the crotch bags and sags. So I stay away from tall sizes. Oh- and don't even get me started on the boots. Why are the calf sizes so BIG?! Even the ones that are not extended calf sizes are too big. So I can't buy them.
ReplyDeleteI'm 5 11 and if I hope to wear heels at all with pants, a 36 inseam is a must.
DeleteSnagged The Jeans Store jeans in my size (is that a pop-back), but when I finally got them, they turned out to be at least a size smaller than the regular J Crew jeans. WTF? Back they go.
ReplyDeleteI just talked to a CS rep via live chat to get a price adjustment on an item I ordered Sunday, before the 30% off sale, and the rep told me they can't apply promotions to previous orders. I've received a price adjustment before on an item that newly became on sale. Has anyone else been able to get an adjustment?
ReplyDelete