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.
Hi, been lurking for a while, and this is my first post. Anyway, I ordered from Factory. I ordered three items, and when the box came today TWO of them were wrong. One was the wrong color but the right item and size, and I don't mind keeping the one that came. But I ordered from Factory patent flats and got... J Crew Macalister wedge boots! Anyway, the Customer service rep was very nice and is overnighting my flats since I am leaving town soon. I kind of wish she'd told me to keep the Macalisters since they are in my size, but I guess you can't have everything. I noticed that the shoe box has the right label on the side but the wrong one on the bottom, which corresponded to what I ordered. And the bag the turtleneck I ordered had the right color on it. I had heard they were inconsistent with online order fulfillment, but this is ridiculous. At least my pencil skirt came and was the right size and color, and fit. I don't have a Factory store I can get to easily (in NYC) so now I have to make time to drop the Macalisters in the mail at the Post Office. Bllah.
ReplyDeleteI am totally fed up with J Crew sizing games. I used to be very consistent within certain pieces (pencil skirts etc) and now I just never know.
ReplyDeleteI called to ask for the measurements of the Liberty perfect shirt and apparently the size 2 is supposed to be a bust of 36" I wondered if I should go back to what used to be my usual 0 but having read reviews that this ran small I went with the 2. Well, it's barely a 34" bust. The shirt is gorgeous, and it just just fits (and has a bit of stretch). But if it were to shrink at all it would be a total loss. Argh! Why have measurements for every item if they're not at all accurate? I had this problem with the new pencil skirts this fall as well. sigh.
I know. The sizing is off to me too on these liberty shirts. I have size 8 from 2009 that fit great. I got a 10 and it just fits. Another one is tight under the arms. I think I need to send them both back. Ordering a 12 just seems silly!
DeleteI finally got my hands on those snakeskin Collection Sasha pumps and gosh, the toe boxes are tiny. They are completely sold out and I just don't dare to try ebay.
ReplyDeleteMade a big online order during one of their 30% off promos. When I got the order I realized it was missing the popcorn sweater I ordered. When I emailed customer service, they refunded my $ right away but didn't offer to ovrenight it or respond with an apology or anything! Was disappointed bc I wanted that sweater.
ReplyDeleteQuality quality quality!!! I was at my local b&m and all the cashmere in the sale section looked awful! Pilly, stretched out messes. I can't believe they would have it on the floor, let alone for the prices they were asking.
ReplyDeleteAlso what is with the short torsos on all the tops? Super unflattering.
Yes to both of these points. The price point for the quality is just insane. I like the windowpane trench but the quality is not nearly as nice as my 2009 duffle coat (19647), which is lined in acetate(also has Thinsulate lining) and is just so well made. The windowpane trench is lined in poly and the wool is not as thick or warm (I noticed a couple of pills on the factory-sealed one that I ordered to try on before FS is back) - and at $425 is over $100 of the duffle coat's original $298 price. Do they think we're all price insensitive, or just stupid.
DeleteThe short torso tops are terrible and unflattering (and I HAVE a short torso! What do other people do?), and is their new quality shortcut masquerading as an "of-the-moment" design choice. I have a feeling it will be around for a while. Ick.
The JC promo-palooza has taken its toll on the fulfillment process. I ordered a tankini "set" for my daughter and received the bottom only. Then they cancelled an order on a shirt.
ReplyDeleteOn the one hand, the CS was nice enough to remove the charge from my account, but I found it puzzling that they never apologized. No one was rude, they were just so harried that they could barely handle the call.
It seems that the back-end cannot keep up with the volume that the sale frenzy has wrought...
I too have been frustrated with sizes this year! I have ranged from a 10-14 a M-XL. That's straight up ridiculous. This is kinda rolled into the short torso thing too. All the tops I really liked this fall were SO short and I had to size up. Crazyness.
ReplyDeleteI was at one of my local stores and as I was checking out, I was told all items were final sale. I knew for a fact this is not true (plus I was just told that it was not final the day before by another employee). When I explained it should not be Final Sale and they should double check, I was met with resistance. But I held my ground. When I had to step back into the store, I found the associates bad mouthing me because of it. Needless to say I was beyond disappointed. I was not asking for anything extra, just that the terms of the promo be honored.
ReplyDeleteSomething changed with the new 30% off promo. The wishlist promo that was in effect earlier, I took advantage of in store and I asked if sale was final sale, and they said no. But since the celebrate promo started, each SA has been reminding me that anything sale is Final Sale. So I think the terms of the 30% off definitely changed. Regardless, I do think it's kind of ridiculous how the sale section is not marked as such, and you could probably buy something online and return to store without the final sale hassle.
DeleteLisa & Cousy: after my experience, I did call JCrew who once again confirmed that nothing should be Final Sale right now, including sale items. The person also told me if I had any more issues, that I could call JCrew back.
DeleteEw, I don't like to hear of store associates bad mouthing anyone and *especially* not Alexis!! That irks me. I am going with the terms online, which specifically mentions that the discount will be applied at the register and make no mention of final sale. That would've been their opportunity to do so.
DeleteThey should be scanning a 30% off code for a global promo that doesn't mark items ending in .99 as final sale. The discrepancies between stores are the only thing that are consistent.
That's awful. Even if you had been wrong, they shouldn't be bad-mouthing customers.
DeleteAlexis I'm so sorry that happened to you! That's totally mortifying. Anytime I've ever had a bad interaction at J. Crew (or even Madewell) I've sent in a complaint via email. The managers have been really great at addressing the problem and of course, apologizing and ensuring my subsequent visits were not like that. I spend way too much money at both stores to not be treated with respect!
DeleteThanks everyone! I was a bit mortified that the store associates were talking about me. I could tell they were a bit too when they realized I came back. Again, just frustrated that the promo says & some employees say one thing while other employees say something different. Especially when the latter group could easily have clarified the situation without me feeling like I was asking for something extraordinary. Thankfully this post is a good place to vent my concerns. And thank you all for listening and sharing advice! :)
DeleteAlexis, geez don't they know who you are and this blog drives a ton of business. I have constantly asked about sale items in my B&M's in the last few weeks. I was told no in one on Monday and today was told yes but I could get a gift receipt. I just checked my receipt says nothing about final sale but the gift receipt says 'Valid for exchange/merchandise credit only'.
DeleteCousy, I think if it is Final Sale they have to state on the receipt or the terms printed on the receipt are in effect.
Sorry to hear this happen to you I have never had this happen in a store in the US but I had it happen to me at a different store in the UK after I left I came back and heard an employee bad mouthing me. I immediately confronted her about talking about me when I was in the store still! then I went home and called the company. After I explain the situation the company completely agreed that I was in the right they sent me a gift card for the store and the employee was reprimanded. on my next visit the employee also apologize to me and said it would never happen again. at this point I was a regular customer for over 2 yrs who was in the store at least 3 to 4 * a week as it was on my way to and from school and work
DeleteAlexis: I am also sorry to hear that this happened to you! It really is very uncalled for and quite rude of the SAs to do, especially when they were wrong to begin with. I think you should consider emailing Mickey Drexler about it, or at least speak to one of the managers at the store, and let them know what happened.
DeleteJRSConifer: Interesting that one store mentioned it while another did not! I have been reading similar comments from JCAs in other threads on this blog that they have been told different things. Kind of crazy!
Delete(original) Genny: Your story is terrible! I am sorry to hear that happened to you. Good for you for sticking up for yourself!!!
FFM: Thanks for understanding! It is too bad the whole thing even happened. I will most likely be avoiding the store for awhile. At least it will be good for my budget.
Alexis - when I made in-store purchases on Sunday I was told by the SA that the items were final sale but there was no FINAL SALE on the receipt, which I think is a legal requirement.
ReplyDeleteCan anyone confirm that it has to be written on the receipt? Maybe that is a state-by state thing...
I know this is a common complaint but it is so frustrating that that online and in store prices are so different. Was the newish Mall at Chestnut Hill location near Boston this morning and they had a very well-stocked sale sections and tons of flats (Cece, Mila, Nora, Classic Ballets) in many colors and sizes for $49.99. They are all different prices online, but none that low.
ReplyDelete(PS - to even out the vent, the sales staff were super helpful and nice there!)
My vent is that the live chat option is often not available. I swear the only one that jumps on is Tammy J and that's late at nite.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering about that....most of the time, the link is not active, but if I refresh the page or click out of a selected size on an item page enough, it will become available. Is there some trick to this that I'm not getting?
DeleteOn the plus side, once I did chat with someone, they very pleasantly started a WWFIFY for my cancelled order, and it's shipping today. That went smoother than I expected!
Lol! Gigi this is funny because I too have just seen Tammy during certain times!
DeleteIt's always there when I DON'T need it, and unavailable when I'm desperate ;)
DeleteAlexis, I hate to hear that you had a bad experience! I've been very lucky with the staff at my closest B&M--they're always nice about double-checking prices and haven't once mentioned things being final sale when I've made several purchases during the past week or so. But there seems to be some staff members out there who really do not like to be challenged in any way about prices or policies. And to my mind, that's corporate's fault. They should have consistent pricing and policies on-line and in-store and be very clear to stores about when things are final sale and when they're not.
ReplyDeleteThanks Lauren, I completely agree with you about having consistent policies! It is funny, because I was at another J.Crew store and they took the additional 30% percent off a sale item without telling me or having it be Final Sale. So go figure!
DeleteI also agree that it probably depends on the staff member- some don't mind double checking while others don't want to be bothered.
And one quick vent of my own: why are J Crew's shoes sooooooo expensive? They're nice, but they're not THAT nice. It irks me.
ReplyDeleteThey are expensive, but I've been told by several shoe repair persons about several different pairs of J. Crew shoes that they are really high quality shoes. I love the leather soles. Shoes are the first thing I look at when there's a promotion. Sale + promotion and the prices are not that bad.
DeleteWhy do the dark wash jeans have to smell sooooooo bad that it takes two to three Washings to get the dye/chemical stench out when ordering on line. And why does my iPad want me to put Washington instead of washings?
ReplyDeleteReview/vent: Excited to order the jewelled brooch a couple of promos back. Received it yesterday and it came out of the box was missing 2 "gems" (they were rolling around in the box). It's beautiful, but heavy, and for the same amount of money I can get something similar on Etsy.
ReplyDeleteI had this problem with the Crystal Color Statement necklace - it arrived half way out of its box and was broke in two places. Since it wasn't made the same way it was featured online (pieces were soldered on rather than attached with jump rings), I passed on getting a replacement. When I went to the store to return, they couldn't find me it in the system because apparently, my credit card hadn't yet been charged. The SA said it would show up in a couple of days, and I could leave the necklace and he would return it at that time. I thought, "Are you crazy?!" If he forgot to return it or it got lost, I would've been screwed out of $100.
DeleteVent about bad shopping experience last Saturday night at the downtown DC store: sales associate ringing me up was over the top rude. It started with attitude about not being able to look up my card (normally there's never a problem if I forget it), followed with an attitude about me asking if they had a shirt in my size in the back. Finally after three tries and two sales assistants, they "locate" my card, but say they don't have the shirt. I tell them I'll just take the smaller one anyway and I get an audible sigh. Fast forward - the guy rings up everything but forgets to give me the 30% off. I'm sorry, but we're talking a lot here, so of course I'm going to say something. When I do, I get no apology nothing. He then rings it up again, but this time I notice that the long sleeve tees are coming up at 26.50 when there's a sign right next to the register that has them at 19.50. I point this out and again, he sighs and says nothing. By this point, I ask my boyfriend out loud if I'm being rude or something and again, the sales person says nothing. By the way, there was a manager standing right next to him that refused to say anything either. In the end, checking out took me about 20 minutes with tons of attitude. I've been a loyal j.crew customer for 15 years...I feel like I should write a letter or something, but do I address it to the store itself or to the company at large?
ReplyDeleteI'd say to the store itself. It would probably have more effect that way.
DeleteJust an FYI - If you send an email on Jcrew.com, they do take it very seriously. I recently had a bad experience in my local store and sent an email to Customer Service on the website. I expected to get an email back from a Customer Service rep, but was surprised and pleased to receive an actual phone call from the "Marketing Manager for the Pacific Northwest". He took my complaint and frustration very seriously, was VERY helpful and understanding, and could not apologize enough. Like you, I am also a loyal customer and pretty big spender in my local Jcrew, and I know he was able to see that through my J.Crew card. He not only asked me for my personal advice on this store, but he sent me a hand written apology letter and sent me a gift card in the mail. (I never did receive an apology from the manager in my local store, and to this day she avoids me when I go in.) In the future - definitely take it up through J.Crew and not your local store. Hope that helps :)
DeleteJ, I am responding b/c I love the d/t DC store, however, no one deserves that kind of treatment in any store especially when you are spending your hard-earned money. I would definitely write a letter/email (whatever) to the store mgr, regardless of the fact that there was a mgr there during your checkout process. And then I would write to the district mgr and the regional mgr (or whoever is next in line) and let them know my complaint. It is ridiculous that you had to encounter that kind of treatment, regardless of the dollar amount you were spending or the method of payment. We all experience problematic S.A.s at some point, but I would not tolerate that attitude as a15 yr. customer. You have probably been a loyal customer longer than that S.A. has worked for the company. Just one person's opinion...
ReplyDeleteI was told the same thing: Final Sale on 30% off sale items. I was even willing to pay the marked down price without 30% off bc it was a gift and wanted the recipient to be able to return or exchange if necessary. SA was snippy about it. Also told that student discount could not be used with promo. I've never been told that.
ReplyDeleteSt. Germain,
ReplyDeleteSince the promo is a global one; all of store you cannot use your student discount.
My vent...I did not buy some items this week simply because the petite size was higher in price/not on sale and the regular was. Example: DREAMY COTTON PANT - 10129 $34.40, 17701 $45.00. I asked for a credit on a coat earlier this month for the same reason. But hey J Crew, petites take less material than regular I am not paying more for being vertically challenged.
ReplyDeleteThis irritates me too! I feel like they are picking on petite girls...first, I can't even buy the petite sizes in the stores and now I don't get in on the sales..boo.
DeleteI end up buying a lot of my petite stuff now at Banana Republic just for the fact I can try it on in the stores. Sorry, that was a side note. :)
I also hate that they don't carry petites at the stores so we can't take advantage of in store sales!
DeleteWhen do people predict that final sale will be back? last year it was before Christmas around the 22nd. I am wondering when the current promo ends tomorrow on Thursday night if final sale will come back on Friday or what do people think?
ReplyDeleteHi Genny - my guess is that FS will be back as soon as people can't get delivery in time for Christmas, so probably the 22nd or 23rd. It's a bummer for people that get JC gift cards for Xmas.
DeleteWhen they start their final sale, are prices generally lower than they currently are? Do you know if they mark down items that are not currently on sale? I've been eyeing a blazer but even with 30% off, it's too much to spend on so I am hoping it goes on sale after Xmas. But if it doesn't then I am out of luck as they won't have % off promotions. Any thoughts from your experience shopping at jcrew?
DeleteFinal sale just means you cant return it (the sale is final). Things will get cheaper and there will be more % off promos. So you may want to purchase what you want, make SURE its right, then return it to a store. When the price gets to what youre willing to pay, buy it againbut know you won't be able to return it.
DeleteI just opened a package, was so excited to get a grear deal on 5" chino shorts ($11!). But they were a full 2 inches bigger than the ones i have! They sag off me and i cant size down, theyre a 00. Lame :( im done with vanity sizing and things not fitting.
ReplyDeleteJust opened my package to discover my shirt was covered in what looked to be both both animal and human hair. GROSS! I'm so disappointed in items being sent that are the wrong size or completely wrong, defective, and now clearly worn. Ugh. I've not had this many issues with other retailers...I don't get it.
ReplyDeleteI'm so tired of warehouse issues with J. Crew. I order online quite frequently, and they screw up my order about 20% of the time. No apology, no expedited shipping, no % off on my next order. Just a week ago, I received a purple schoolboy jacket in lieu of the tweed dress I had ordered. Then the following day, I received e-mail notices regarding a recent return, and realized that one of the items in the box had not been credited back to my account. (I keep very meticulous records of all my returns to the warehouse, so I had no doubt they missed the item.)
ReplyDeleteI called customer service, and after holding for 10 minutes, was told, "As a one-time courtesy, we will credit you back for the missing item but in the future, please don't put multiple orders in one box." Frankly, I was insulted that they were implying that I was trying to cheat the company. They are doing me a FAVOR by correcting their mistake?! And furthermore, I told the CSR that I will not stop including multiple orders in one box since they charge $5 - $7.50 for every return. I live an hour from the nearest retail store and I can't always take my items there. In this particular return, I had 6 items in the box from 5 different orders. I don't think it is particularly challenging to figure out how to handle that return.
At any rate, I'm done ordering online from J. Crew. As soon as my last return clears, I'm closing my credit card account. I'm tired of giving so much business to a company that refuses to address their service issues and take responsibility for them.
I agree. Had similar problems with several returns.
DeleteI've had the same problems. I ordered petite 00 lady day coat in yellow only to receive a funnel coat in blue in size 12!!! What in the world? And by the time I received the order, lady day coat in my size had been all sold out.
DeleteThe signs in the store I usually shop in had "FS" in teeny tiny print. It's the same sign they always have, seems its always FS on the sale rack ;-(
ReplyDeleteForget ordering any popbacks over the phone. By the time I'm questioned, frisked and fingerprinted, it's gone, gone, gone... I don't know what I was thinking. I should've just ordered it and dealt with the price adjustment in-person. Next time...
ReplyDeleteHas anyone tried to wash the pixie pants? By hand or otherwise? I don't really understand why they're dry clean and wondered if anyone had had any luck.
ReplyDeleteI wash my pixie pants with my other laundry. They come out perfect every time!
Delete