Wednesday, November 17, 2010

"Looking to VENT" with J.Crew

Preface: A big "thanks!" to Ibi who suggested weekly 'Looking to LOVE' and 'Looking to HATE' posts where we could all "deposit" our best & worst current experiences. I think it is a brilliant idea and will try it out for a few weeks. Hopefully this will help out our fellow JCAs! :)

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.

70 comments:

  1. i ordered a coat recently (one of the double cloth versions) in the salt color. when the coat arrived, the bag covering it had a sticky residue. when i took the coat out and tried it on, much to my dismay it reeked of a chemical smell and felt very slightly sticky on the inside. the only explanation i can think of is that the coat was previously returned and dry cleaned by jcrew. i just don't find this acceptable. an item like that just shouldn't be sold to anyone. needless to say, i returned it immediately and didn't bother getting it exchanged.

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  2. I am just disappointed with J Crew's transition from being preppy for mens to being a high end urban outfitters more or less. While they keep trying to drive home that everything is 'heritage' and 'classic' I think it is more about the trendiness for them at this point. It used to be that everything just went together at Jcrew and now everything contradicts. I do not want to wear workwear with my white bucks and repp ties. I am glad they offer the basics like the sweaters, dress shirts, chinos, but what is with all the junky looking stuff. Its not about effortlessness anymore- the guys in the catalog look like total losers- just completely contrived and trying so hard to be cool. Like a guy in grey selvedge jeans with a white vneck shirt, beard, moto racer jacket, and a toboggan. Really???? This may be a personal preference here but I was raised on Jcrew since I was 10 years old. Believe it or not they had a kids line back then for just a little bit. I'm 23 now and frustrated as hell. If anyone has the spring 2004 catalog- those were the days. Those were the days.

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  3. Diana, it was probably residue from J Crew's bed bug extermination, lol. Sorry, that's creepy, but I couldn't help but think it after I just read the other post. :[

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  4. Just curious- has anyone else noticed that online orders, particularly during a promo are taking longer to ship? Is it just me? I was used to having orders shipped usually next business day, or within two business days max. This was true for years until about half a year ago...now it sometimes takes almost an entire week before my order gets shipped, strange?

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  5. I sent back a few returns last week and they charged a $5.95 smart label fee for each item, instead of the $7.95 for the entire box. My PS is taking care of it and having the charges refunded, but how ridiculous that it even happened in the first place, not to mention that now I have to wait even longer for that credit to appear.

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  6. FFM: wow, that's just madness at the warehouse accepting returns. Maybe they aren't properly trained or are they thinking customers' wouldn't catch that?!

    I wore my vintage bateau top in olive green for the 4th time and it has developed holes on both underarms! My other pink one and the pewter I've worn even more is fine but this one at the underarm seams is just so sheer. I'm so upset since it can't be exchanged. I'm hoping with my receipt I maybe able to get store credit at least. It's just so tiring shopping with JC...

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  7. Tired of overpriced under-edited tees. "Voir la joie" does not mean "see the joy." It means "to see the joy," which is at best an incomplete thought. If one wanted to tell a friend or friends "see the joy," one would say "voyez la joie" or "vois la joie."

    Sorry for the picking of the nits but the correcting of the grammar is the second favorite national indoor sport in France (the food criticism and the smoking being tied for the first place).

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  8. wellfedfred, I think that the masquerade tee from last year also had some big grammar mistake in it (can't check because I returned it). The worst for me was the "Tale e' vita" tee from 2008 which sounds like the Google translation of "C'est la vie". It's supposed to be italian (my best guess at least) but nobody says "Tale" for "Cosi'" (like in "Cosi' fan tutte") and even if you wanted to use Tale there should be an article before vita (they saved some beads here). Correct sentence is "Cosi' e' la vita" and even that sounds weird because one would probably say "Cosi' va la vita". Sorry for the lesson.

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  9. Mille grazie, Ema! How did you like the "Buena Notte Bag" (item 29477)?

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  10. ugh, J. Crew, I want your tights, but I don't want them to run or snag.

    http://www.jcrew.com/womens_category/accessories/hosiery/PRDOVR~31352/31352.jsp

    Am I hallucinating? Are they REALLY trying to sell these tights with runs in the picture???

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  12. The overall state of J.Crew makes me wish Drexler would be visited by three ghosts: The first, the ghost of j.crew past, would be swathed in lovely tweeds trimmed in jewels and warmed by quality cashmere in colors that delight, showing Dear Leader how it was when j.crew was at its finest; the second, the ghost of j.crew present, would be a wan, open-mouthed creature, barely visible beneath piles of pilled cashmere and unravelling ruffled tees, clutching the year’s stock report in her cold hand; the third, the ghost of j.crew future, tall and imposing in a cashmere cape from some mill in Italy but actually weaved at a Sri Lankan sweat shop, hinting at the folly of continuing with disposable clothes sold under indecipherable return policies.

    Dear Leader awakens, throws open a window and yells, “you there, yes you. Get me the finest cashmere in all of Kashmir and bring it forth to the ablest artisans. Let me once again fill my stores with quality clothes that make shoppers merry.”

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  13. I'm aggravated with the lightning fast markdowns on new merchandise. (I know this has been mentioned before.) I bought a sweater and it was marked down almost immediately. I was back in another store when I noticed that- but, of course, I was one day outside of their 7 day adjustment window. Now I'm trying to decide if I want to return the first one I bought and rebuy it at a lower price... I don't even want to go in to look at new arrivals, just because I know they'd be marked down in another week or so.

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  14. I just feel like right now, J. Crew is selling disposable clothing. And they cost a fortune!

    I grew out of Target and Forever 21 because I realized that quality was worth paying for -- I wanted pieces nice, unique, and high quality that I could keep them forever, but the pieces I get from J. Crew last about 5 washes and then they need to be tossed!

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  15. Thank you, WFF! That has been bothering me since I saw the tee. And I am not even French.

    Barbabelle, I love it!

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  16. jbird,

    That is why I decided to sit out this 30% off sale. I know the prices are going to go even lower and I know I will be mad. I know a lot of people on this blog seem to be buying but I am willing to wait. I know December should bring some big sales/markdowns since JCrew has not been doing so well. Willing to wait b/c quality is no longer top notch so I need bargain prices!


    Barbabelle,

    Great post! You made my morning just picturing what you described:)as I drink my tea.

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  17. Barbabelle - luvv it!
    Sadly, I fear that the Spirit of JCrew Yet To Come may be the Trustee in Bankruptcy...

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  18. Actually, WWF, the infinitive can be used as an imperative in French, so this is ok. But as Ema mentioned, the famous masquerade t from last year had a blunder: "du ce qui" instead of "de ce qui."

    All this to say, JCrew, we love you, but please proof your foreign-language graphics.

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  19. Sorry, that's WFF! I should proof my comments before posting :)

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  20. Maggie: Are you talking about the Polka-dot back-seam tights? I saw that too - I was like wtf?

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  21. My mom and I both have J.Crew credit card accounts (which we are now closing.... read on to see why). We often pay our bills in the J.Crew store because it's easy and you know for sure they get your payment. In October my mom went to pay hers... Oct 6th, I believe. It was something like $40. She paid it, then she gets a bill a few weeks later saying she has not paid it. Turns out the SA credited the wrong account. BIG MISTAKE, I'd say... imagine if it was for a huge amount of money.

    She called WFFNB, the "bank" that J.Crew uses. They told her oh, ok, it's under investigation, but they have to find out where the money went before they can credit my mom's account. EVEN though it is clearly J.Crew's fault. She faxed them proof that she paid, and called multiple times to try to get it resolved. They said it should take a week.

    A few days ago, so over a month later, it was not resolved. How do we know? She got a bill with a $25 LATE FEE. Really, J.Crew? Needless to say, she was pissed. She called and they said to disregard it... but why on earth would they charge it in the first place!? We went to the B&M where she paid it and got more of the same run around, although they apologized. Finally the store manager got to the bottom of it and they found out where the money had gone. I don't even know if they have credited her account yet. And for all the trouble, nothing.

    The bottom line is, it was a big mistake by a J.Crew SA and instead of immediately crediting my mom's account, they dragged it out for 6 weeks for something that was their fault and even charged a late fee.

    So... we're both closing our accounts. Neither of us spend $500/quarter anymore anyway.

    I'm thinking of getting a Gap/oldnavy/br card since they seem to have really good deals for their cardholders. Can anyone speak to that?

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  22. I ordered the dark blue pencil skirt using the red phone, I was sent the lighter one and I was wanting it for a specific event. Easy mistake, but clearly I'm disappointed.

    Also, I bought a bunch of tights when they went on sale. Needless to say, the first ones I wore gathered at my ankles during my commute. Annoying and not cute.

    Well said about the "urban outfitters" comment. I remember around age 15 all of the excitement I had looking at the JCrew catalog...back when it was tee shirts and tee shirt dresses in colors that I never saw at stores in the mall, huraches, barn jackets and so on. I'm now 37 and I've seen JCrew go through many transformations. I still shop there for pencil skirts, ballets, and suiting...the rest of it is a mess that doesn't appeal to me. most of it looks like leftovers from a yard sale! I won't even get started on the costs OR the sickening expense of shipping.

    I've said it before and I'll say it again...Mickey thinks if Jenna tells us to wear a bird on our heads we will all do it. An overpriced bird with frayed edges the ravel, sequins that aren't appropriate for work, and in a drab color that does nothing for your complexion....but it's a JCREW BIRD never the less.

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  23. I have a stack of J Crew knits that I can't wear because they got holes within 2 or 3 wearings. I'm so tempted to package them all up and ship them back to J Crew. I just don't understand how so many of their knits (tees, tanks) could be made with such poor fabric. My Target tees don't have holes!!!! I now stand in the JCrew store and hold the garments up to the ceiling lights looking for holes. And I find plenty! So sad.

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  24. Since last week's post, I've placed two additional online orders, both under $50. Did I pay shipping? Noooo . . .

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  25. Amy, I've seen the French infinitive used as an imperative in recipes and road directions… the context on this T-shirt doesn't work for me

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  26. Em,

    I have had a GAP/ON/BR card for years. Yes, there are great deals that come in the mail. They come in all forms but the latest one from ON was buy any adult item and get a child's item free. My hubby and I bought 5 things total and got 5 girls items free. It was really good and I got to use a 10% off survey coupon on top of that!

    You also get good free shipping deals as well.

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  27. WFF, if the command is not directed at a specific person, the infinitive is fine.

    I really enjoy your comments, BTW (as well as really everyone's. I hope JCrew is listening!)

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  28. j crew is playing pricing games again. i posted this the other day in the "20% off knits and tees" post but it really belongs here. i was at b and m store the other day and saw the skinny ultra-lounge pant with the 20% off "tee and knit" promotion but the pants were marked $59.50 while online and in the catalogue they are $49.50 (and, btw, were not on promotion online during this sale). i contacted customer service and the rep, while very nice, gave me the run-around. first, that the different prices had to do with how much inventory they had, compared to online. then, when i pointed out they were not on promotion with other tees and knits, she told me it was b/c pants are excluded as opposed to leggings (even though the un-sweat "pant", very similar and a "pant"! was included in the promotion). ultimately, nothing came of this. i expected at least that she might get the pricing discrepancy fixed and honor the promotion. oh well. i can't say i'm surprised. customer serice, quality are going down while pricing is going up.

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  29. WFFNB is a horrible "Bank." I do not have a J.Crew account, but I do have a Crate and Barrel Account. My Crate and Barrel account has a zero balance (I don't shop there very often) but I charged one thing as a wedding gift, and I got a call 'reminding' me that my payment was due soon. WTH? It is ridiculous. This 'bank' is nothing more than a glorified debt collector who doesn't care about customer relations. J.Crew should drop them as their carrier.

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  30. i hope this helps with some of the price difference aggravations:

    i print out which items i want from the site and make note in the cataloge... if i see the B&M is higher, i show them the print out or cataloge shot and ask them to match it.... otherwise i red phone it. if the B&M is lower, but doesn't have my size, i ask the red phone to honor the price difference.

    they've done it for me every time.

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  31. My vent is that JC has apparently decided to stop sending me catalogs. I have a JC credit card (though after Em's story, I'm not sure why) and I make occasional purchases, but I haven't received a catalog in a few months. My husband, on the other hand, hadn't bought anything from JC in a couple of years until he picked up an item I had on hold on his way home from work. And yet he received a catalog today with a coupon for 20% off online purchases. I wonder if I'd get better treatment if I canceled my credit card and stopped buying from JC.

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  32. Em: I don't have a BR/Gap/ON card but I sign up for their e-mails and they seem to be having specials all the time.

    OT - Tommy H. has just sent me a 40% off coupon in the e-mail and I intend to use it this coming weekend. They have some very nice stock this winter, ever since they re-designed the Tommy line.

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  33. Em, sorry you had such issues with the credit card payment! That is very annoying. I have a card too, but always pay my bill on-line. (As an aside, I took a seminar on identity theft and they said that one of the easiest ways for someone to steal your identity or access your bank account was through checks. They said on-line was the "safest" way these days. I've paid everything on-line ever since. I will say it is easy and gives me a little more peace of mind.)

    I also have a BR card. I got it when the card first came out as I did most of my work shopping there and am now considered a "LUXE for life" cardholder. It's really a great perk. I never pay shipping on anything . .no matter if it is Gap, Old Navy, BR or Piperlime. Their rewards seem to be more generous and frequent and have longer expiration dates. And yes, you also get a lot of special discounts. If you do a decent amount of shopping there, I'd definitely sign up!

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  34. Lol, Genny, guess I wasn't clear! It was a continuation of my post from last week. Free shipping from *other* online retailers! If all these other sellers can do it why can't JC?

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  35. Amy and WFF - you're inspiring me to pick up my dusty French books from high school. I really enjoy the language even if I'm really bad at it!

    As I said in another post, my vent is that J. Crew took all the cashmere out of the Nashville store - even thought it's a big seller. This right before Christmas! So glad I got my warm honey cardigan while it was still in the store. I want to get a deep coral, but now I can't see what the shade looks like IRL.

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  36. himmiefan:

    I saw your last comment (at another post) re: cashmere being sent away from your store.

    Last time I checked, Tennessee can get MIGHTY cold in the winter. Heck, even Florida can get cold (see last winter's temps--even someone used to the cold would have had to pull out a coat on some of those days they had down that way).

    J. Crew pulling them from your store to send to a store in the "colder" parts of the country make about as much sense as pulling all swimwear from the northern stores in the summer to send to all the stores in the south.

    Anyhow, whatever the reason, I feel your pain...the cashmere this year has been real lovely (I have the shell and that new cowlneck), so hopefully your store can get some at some point for you to experience in real life.

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  37. Hexicon,

    That is funny! Now I get it:) LOL. Yes, other retail stores are offering free shipping no minimum specials ALL THE TIME! JCrew should too-Maybe even do the lunch specials that several stores are now doing????

    Dinagideon and himmiefan,

    JCrew took the cashmere out of one of their MN stores as well. Ridiculous! They did this a couple of years back so nothing new for them to do this...I don't get it either but they must know what they are doing from a marketing stand point.

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  38. Fabulous Florida Mommy,

    Glad to see your post as it is good to know about these mess ups. I have a box to return as well and it is good to know I better check carefully when my refund goes through! Thanks.

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  39. My store took all of their lace tees out so they could be shipped to NYC (Columbus Circle, I think). I have no idea why - but think that shipping items from place to place to place contributes to their sometimes shop-worn look.

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  40. Em- I have been very happy with my Banana/Gap/ON card for 6 years now. They often offer extra deals off sales, like extra 10%, or 40% off 1 item on Wednesdays. I can't recall if they are always for cardholders, but I know I feel like they treat me pretty well as a cardholder for whatever that's worth.

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  41. Allison - I've looked up WFFNB online and read nothing good about it. J Crew should definitely move to a new credit card provider when possible.

    Em - Love my BR card. I'm Luxe for life as well. FS on the Gap bands any amount, anytime. I get my rewards when I earn them each credit card cycle and they are good for 1 year at the various Gap brands. Cardholder sales are clear, advertised on fb, the websites, email and via mail. There are very, very few exclusions, if any. Piperlime returns must be done via mail and a label is provided for free return shipping. You can return Gap/ON/BR merch to any of those stores. I don't think you can make a pyt in-stores, but of course you can online. It has a high interest rate as other retail stores, but I love my card.

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  42. I wandered into J Crew yesterday to return an item and had a reward card that I was looking to spent. Walked out minus the returned item and nothing else. I could not find a SINGLE ITEM that I wanted. It was a sad day for me.

    There are other retailers out there with better quality and pricing. I was looking to buy the Long Benny blazer, but couldn't justify over $100 on a blazer that's not lined (yes, I know I missed the in-store sale). But then I found a wool blazer at Zara for $79 that's lined and tailored beautifully. J Crew, if you don't give me good quality at reasonable prices, there are plenty who will.

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  43. Forgot this vent...sometimes when I make a purchase online at J Crew, it double posts. And sits there for a couple days on my card. Total PITA if I've used my debit card. I think it happens if I have the wrong security code entered in and I have to re-submit my order. If you didn't get my full card, why is it showing up on my account? It's not fun having $250 x 2 sitting on my card when only one is going to go thru. I called cs and they removed it, but it popped back up again. Hopefully the one charge will go thru and the other will get released tonite. They've been sitting there since late Sun nite.

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  44. I shop at the International Mall store in Tampa Florida and they have sent away all the cashmere several times in the past. They usually get some in the first fall roll outs and then ship it out sometime in late October or early November. In other words, they expected us to buy cashmere in August (Hello - it's 95 still!), but had none available when we actually start having cooler days in October and November. I am not sure what the status is this year as I long ago lost interest in their cashmere due to quality issues.

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  45. Thank goodness for Polyvore. I just returned from JCrew where I returned the Severen Lace mini-http://www.jcrew.com/womens_category/skirts/partynovelty/PRDOVR~29148/29148.jsp. The SA knows me. I was in the 30 day window, hadn't worn the skirt, and told her it was too pricey to risk few wearings. When I got home there it was on PV with the markdown price-thank you CDP. I'm so pissed that they didn't say it had been marked down. Now it is on hold, but I feel idiotic going in to re-buy it-since they know me. Maybe I'll red phone it or call my online PS.

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  46. I feel very valued as a Talbots charge card holder! Just now I got an email saying that for charge card holders the 25% off sale and free shipping starts a day early for us!

    JCrew really needs to take note! Talbots is getting all my shopping dollars this month!

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  47. JulieStyles - The severn lace mini is on sale? I just looked online and it's still $138. Am I not looking in the right place?

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  48. Gigi, that has happened to me too, several times -- double-posting of an order. I watch it like a hawk.

    Incidentally, my extra 30% off + FS order arrived this morning (less than 2 days, impressive!) and everything is present and accounted for. Will try to report on anything noteworthy this evening after I've had a chance to try on. :)

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  49. Summer, apparently the talbot's code is working one day early for everyone. I'm not a talbots card holder but was able to use my code after hearing some reports back from other JCAs about it working.

    In other sale news, AT is now having an extra 25% off their sale stuff online, and the F&F 30% off code works on top of that (apparently they won't combine the codes in-store). Free ship at $100. I got 2 pairs of trouser pants, an embellished top, a silk dress and two merino cardigans for a total of $224 including tax!

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  50. dinagideon, Genny, and kitsmommy - The whole thing makes me want to march over to AT and spend my dollars there! They've got a gorgeous coral v-neck I've had my eye on.

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  51. On Sept. 4 I bought a suit at the Denver store. I was between a 0 and 2 in the jacket, so the PS suggested I take home the 0 and use the red phone to order a 2P to have shipped to me. On Nov. 5 I STILL hadn't received the 2P so I called J. Crew to find out the order was cancelled without notifying me (apparently bc it got backordered til Feb.). And in the meantime their return policy changed to 30d, so now I'm stuck with a $500+ suit that doesn't fit perfectly. Thanks J. Crew.

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  52. I do agree that J. Crew should get with the game--so many other retailers offer major discounts (30%) AND free shipping practically every week! Definitely draw my business in.
    Also, what is up with JC sizing? Just got in a cardigan today in XS that is a better fit for my 4-year old than me. Sometimes I wear an XXS other times I have to go up to a M. And the same style jeans fit completely different each season. Ugh!

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  53. j crew has to pay quarterly dividends in order to keep shareholders happy. this need for short term success (profits) trumps long term customer concerns. That is why thinner material is used, and corners are cut. The philosophy of j crew is form over function. They understand design and good looks will carry them in the short term. At least that's why Donna Lyon received a $1 million bonus last year from Mickey Drexler.

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  54. Lizzie, that's awful. But for the pieces you have that don't fit, the policy that was in effect *at the time of purchase* is what JCrew is bound to. I haven't had a problem returning things purchased before the new policy took effect.

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  55. Cass,

    Glad for the blog and all the sharing but it is a little bit disappointing that it works for all; I mean it was nice for Talbots to try and offer a special perk for cardholders.

    The sale items I want are not online so I called my "local" store about 25 miles away and they got what I wanted off the floor and sent the whole package to me for the extra 25% off and $6.00 flat rate shipping. Nice job, Talbots! That is the only way for me to shop is sale prices with additional % off:)

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  56. Just received a pair of chinos from J. Crew with a BIG stain, looks like bleach, on the front near the crotch. I can't believe they actually packed it up and sent it to me like this and expect me to keep it. Incredible. Really not keen on ordering from J. Crew again after this.

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  57. Lady Cardigan,

    I hear you loud and clear. JCrew has no quality control nor do they seem to inspect items before resending them out. I have received so many weird items over the years....it has gotten worse though IMO......

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  58. Himmiefan,

    I just received an order from AT that I placed last week that included the cranberry cashmere cardi and a short (but not indecently so!) black and ivory tweed skirt. I also ordered a dress that is beautiful, but too big. Overall, thumbs up on the quality. So far I have been very pleased with their cashmere this year.

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  59. Great! I've heard only good things about AT cashmere. Their cranberry is also a pretty color.

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  60. bre-the lace mini is another in store only mark down.

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  61. jbird, this may be how you already do it, but if you just go buy another one at sale price, then another day return it with your older receipt. It's less awkward. I find the JC employees to be very accommodating when confronted with the issue, even if it has been over 7 days. I usually say, straight up, if I can't price adjust I would like to return and rebuy it. Feels confrontational, but done with a nice tone, it works.

    Em, YES, GAP or BANANA card! I have a Gap Visa (not just the store card) and if you spend over 800 a year in their stores (all three) you get silver status, which is free shipping all the time, no minimum. Plus, you get cash card rewards pretty quickly, I want to say for spending only $250, it's 5 points for every dollar spent at Gap/Banana/ON/Piperlime/Athleta, and 1 point for every dollar charged anywhere else. Once you reach 1000 points, it's a 10 rewards card. I'm tired, but my math equates to $200 spent at Gap/BR/ON and you get a $10 rewards card. There are a good number of cardholder sale previews or perks, even if you don't have silver status that provides the free shipping. 10% Tuesdays are nice:
    Save 10% every Tuesday
    • 10% off at Gap, Old Navy and Piperlime
    • $10 Reward Card with a Banana Republic purchase

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  62. Wool Acorn, you should. They will likely credit you, but more importantly, they will know consumers are irritated and "we're not gonna take it, no, we ain't gonna take it, we're not gonna take it anymooooooooore" Those of you in your mid to late 30's, name that group.

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  63. Lauren PhD, they are probably trying to take care of what they see as "duplicate mailings" to the same address, as it kills trees and uses resources.

    TIGHTS! Girls! Go directly to Kohl's! The Apt 9 and Vera Wang tights are great, and affordable, sometimes ridiculously affordable when they have a 30% coupon. Even Target has nice ones. I used to use Marshalls or TJ's for the hosiery they have, all were name brand and nothing was wrong with them.

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  64. I don't get why NONE of the J Crews in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro are going to carry cashmere. It's MINNESOTA, BRRRRRRRRRRRR.

    Gigi, I would think about not using your debit card for shopping. If you card number was to get shared or breached, your funds would be wiped out. If you use a regular card, you are not liable for any charges a crook might make. I know online shopping is safest, but I just don't use my debit card for anything but ATM use. Let them steal my credit card number, not something that equates to my bank account (boy would they be disappointed anyway).

    Lizzy, take it all back to the SA at JC and explain what happened, they will take it back, no problem.

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  65. Recently tried on the grey sherpa-lined hoodie from J. Crew in a size Small. It fit a bit tight but nothing too crazy so I grabbed one in the olive color and went on my way. Associate told me it was final sale, whatever, I already tried it on. I get home, try it on...the OLIVE color is significantly smaller. I couldn't even zip it up and could barely fit in on my arms. Keep in mind I'm a XXS-XS, solid size 0 at J. Crew. For some reason these hoodies run RIDICULOUSLY small. For the first time ever, I need a medium at J. Crew. I'm just really upset that I cannot return it.

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  66. Lisa,

    I would still try and return or exchange it for another. Go into the store ASAP or call your store and ask to speak the the manage and explain what happened. Ask for the exchange in another color or size and say at the least you would accept store credit. Good luck. Just be pleasant but firm.

    No matter what the store I always try and item on anymore. Even in the same size/color and item can run differently.

    I tried on a leather jacket at Macy's. Exact same jacket; both size medium. One I could barely zip around me and sleeves were shorter. The other medium was fine.

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  67. No cashmere in MN? That's crazy!! It's not exactly balmy there in the winter.

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  68. Speaking to the odd pricing - usually I see real pricing differences when things go on sale in store/not online, or the other way around. But the other day I was looking at the Bronson suede booties, and in store they're marked $198. But online they're $250!

    And with the tights - it's not just the polka dot back-seam tights. I bought the nude back-seam tights in store, took them out of the package and put them on, and there were those weird horizontal snag-looking lines all over. What crap! Needless to say, they went back.

    Funny - I've found a few things I've loved enough to buy this fall, but now, even with the sale, I'm not tempted to grab anything except a single belt and headband (which are actually a great deal, and they're gorgeous - if you're in the B&M, check them out). Maybe its the FS...

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  69. I really, really wish that J. Crew would STOP using that model who is currently featured in the collection slideshow on the website. I am SO SICK of her half open mouth/deer in headlights expressions! She always looks slightly surprised, and never appears to smile. UGH!

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