Best & Worst of 2013 - On-line retailers - YouLookFab Forum

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Best & Worst of 2013 - On-line retailers

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

Vix's poor experience with Saks.com got me thinking. Also Anna's thread about shipping charges in general. Who are the best and worst in the world of on-line retail? Care to share?

My best of 2013:
-Shopbop, free shipping both ways, trendy merchandise, enough sales to keep me coming back for more. I've asked for and received price matches several times with no attitude.
- Nordstrom, same as above and much longer return privilege.
- Urban Outfitters, Yes! Free shipping both ways if you purchase a (reasonable) minimum amount. Returned an item 3 months late, no attitude, gave me a store credit for full amount. (I am ok with store credits.)
- Revolve Clothing. Same experience as UO but shipping is free.
- Amazon. They often have really great prices so the inconvenience of printing your own label is something I can deal with. My SIL has "prime" and swears by it.

This year, I have had bad experiences on eBay (really bad), Barney's, and Lord & Taylor. The latter two did not believe my address was accurate (do you think I know where I live?) and so refused to ship to me.

So there's my list. Any other places you recommend/avoid?

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Shopping

50 replies

Latest reply was from Kat

Aquamarine

Veteran

The usual suspects for me:

Nordstrom
Zappos
Amazon Prime
Eddie Bauer....they were really good with price adjustments and waiving shipping charges as I tried on boyfriend shorts last summer and waffled between sizes. I was impressed.

Catnip

Veteran

I love Zappos. I've ordered shoes or whatever one day and received them the next day, and you have 365 days to make a return. My other favorite is Nordstrom for the reasons you gave.

gryffin

Veteran

Agree with all of the above, esp amazon.com for pretty much everything.
Big thumbs up with Aquamarine, for zappos.com. I also like Bloomingdales.com - fast ship and very fast returns and credits.
Land's end also excellent for kids and swim shirts.
I've had no issues with Neiman Marcus and when a cs told me specifically told me they would price match (even the NAS price - who knew!!)
Peruvianconnection.com - also has some really nice things and no problems with returns to date.
JPeterman.com - had cool things in the past. Not much lately catching my eye but nice quality and I check them out occasionally. Easy returns.
That's all that comes to mind right now. Great and really helpful post. Thanks Cocolion!!

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

I have only tried Zappos once, I do like their video reviews. Also thanks for the Edie Bauer story Aquamarine, always good to know of any new-to-me retailers.

ETA -- Gryffin we cross posted Peruvian Connection that is an interesting addition! And good to know that Bloomingdale's offers fast shipment and fast credits.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

6pm does not price match/adjust if the item changes on their site, and returns cost, but things are so deeply discounted, I feel it is worth it in the end.

Calvin Klein really disappointed me when the condo # was left off my galaxy print shorts order. The said they couldn't deliver which is fine, but then, even with tracking of the shipment going back to them, they could not re-send it out to me. The item sold out in my size and never was listed again. My shorts somehow arrived in their warehouse and yet no one who checks stuff in can say when or where? OK . . . won't be buying from them again.

Pretty much eBay is buyer beware and I try to never spend more than I am comfortable losing, honestly. But usually I have very good experiences. My one thing to avoid is non-returnable items. I'm learning that one slowly.

carter

Veteran

Amazon Prime is worth its weight in gold.
JJill and Ann Taylor are great because I can return in store (although there is a shipping charge if you don't want their credit cards)
WHBM and Chico's are always free shipping with the loyalty card, plus they can also be returned in store.
BR was pretty fast and offered a free shipping special on those cream colored jeans. I was able to return them to the store.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

Oh, I forgot to add, some places like Target and JCPenney told me I could only return in store, not through the mail. Fine if you live in a city, not so fine when you are 40 or more minutes away from said store with no car of your own (why do they think I bought online in the first place??)

Makrame

Veteran

Totally agree on Nordstrom, Shopbop, Amazon Prime, Zappos - quick and painless (well, not so quick with Nordstrom - their shipping can be a bit sluggish - but I am so happy with the customer service, good return policy, and price adjustments, I don't mind slow shipping).

I just started using free Shoprunner membership offered by an Amex card (free 2-day shipping and free returns); used it for a couple of Brooks Brothers orders and have been very happy so far - coupled with the good customer service at BB, it works out well.

I also like GAP/BR free shipping on orders over $50 and free returns - shipping is a bit slow but returns actually get posted very quickly. I have only been to a bricks and mortar GAP/BR once or twice last year but have bought and returned a lot of things online. Very convenient.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I'm going with the usual top three retailers because truly, they go above and beyond and no one comes close to achieving their levels of customer service. In no particular order.

Nordstrom
Amazon Prime
Zappos

I also want to give Shopbop, J.Crew and Zara a shout out. They have been an absolute pleasure to order online from this year. Netaporter sends your stuff in the most beautiful packages but they take a long time to ship and refund - relatively speaking of course.

I haven't received bad customer service from any retailer this year, so I was lucky.

Liz A.

Veteran

I like all the usual suspects already mentioned.

Not a super fan of:

Shoebuy - shipping is slow, and so are returns
6pm.com - not even discounted return shipping, and it adds up if you're returning shoes, must return in original packaging or it takes forever.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Within Canada my favourite is Zara, hands down. Super fast and convenient.

Next would be BR/ GAP -- I can return in-store without too much difficulty or return by mail. The option is nice. And since I know how the merchandise fits me, pretty much, I can tell in advance what I'll be getting.

ETA: A shoutout for Club Monaco, also. Super quick delivery and nicely packaged; returns in store a snap.

If I am shipping to the US for pick up there, I love Nordstrom's. I have a long return window so can order a bunch of things, try them on in the US, and then send back immediately (for free) if they are not correct, OR bring them home for contemplation. Brilliant.

I have not yet tried Shopbop but I see it in my immediate future.

Thank you, Denise!

MsMary

Veteran

Amazon Prime is super, super worth it!

I love Nordstrom but I do feel like their shipping is quite a bit slower than almost everyone else's.

I've had really good experiences with GAP and Banana Republic this year.

Zappos is in a class by itself for speed and convenience.

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

THey're a small company, and shipping and returns aren't free. But they have good customer service. I have to give a shout out to solestruck.com
I'm pretty much team store. I have to pay $5 to receive a package. Returns even if they are a free are a colossal pain in the rear for me. I only order if I'm really sure the item is a keeper. But I'm willing to forego free shipping and returns for unusual merchandise.
When I lived in the boonies before the onslaught of online shopping I would stock up when I visited the city.

Jewell

Veteran

Very helpful post!

I LOVE Zappos! They ship super fast and offer super easy returns. Amazon is another long-time favorite. I've had good experiences with JCP, too...free shipping to home or store and easy in-store returns.

The Old Navy/Gap/Banana Republic family won me over with excellent customer service this year. They offer free shipping with min purchase (which includes all three stores e.g., a $20 item from ON and a $30 item from GAP combine to meet the required min) and free returns. I bought a jacket from ON and cut the tags when I thought it was a perfect fit. It fit fine over thin tops, but when I wore it over a sweater, I discovered that the sleeves were uncomfortably tight. I returned it about forty days after purchasing it, worn and without tags, and received a full refund.

No bad experiences that I can recall for this year

ETA: I did make my first "No Returns Accepted" ebay purchase this year, only because of ebay's buyer protection. Fortunately, I didn't have to use it. I don't, however, think there will be any more of these type purchases in the future.

Sveta

(website)

Veteran

Like Suz I would award Zara the best Canadian shipping award but so far everything I have ordered went back (at least it was painless )
I really like BR /Gap with free shipping and returns AND TALL SIZES! So this is where my award goes for compassion with us taller gals! Gap is very good now as a lot of styles come in tall / regular/petite. BR still have to improve to add more tall sizes to at least match US site.
Club Monaco is good too. I just tried JCrew for the same price but I wish they provided prepaid return labels adn then deducted the cost from the refund - it makes it so much easier!
When I am shipping to US Zappos and Nordstrom are my heroes!
Now I would like to nominate a BAD shipping experience award to Theory.com because they do not ship to Canada and don't even accept non-US credit cards if I want to ship to US address. Boo!

Gaylene

Veteran

BR and J Crew are my online friends in Canada. I order for both me and my husband from both these retailers with nary a problem in returns, refunds, and price adjustments. It helps that I've tried on enough of their items in the stores to have a reasonably good idea of the fits. Shipping takes a couple of weeks but it's easy to track items so that helps. Club Monaco is also good, but I find their fits quite variable so it's more likely I'll have to deal with returns.

I want to like Nordstrom but the cross-border hassles and horrendous return issues make it an unpleasant experience unless I am almost 100% sure of an item.

Figleaves (UK) has been a really pleasant surprise. The packaging is small so I've never been assessed duties and using padded envelopes for returning bras/undies means that return shipping costs stay reasonable.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I have to be the lone exception for Gap I guess. I had a giftcard with an exchange. They handle exchanges like returns plus a new purchase. In other words, the return must be processed before the giftcard could be used for the exchanged size. That would be well over 3 weeks, and perhaps the other size sold out by then. I had to pay out of my pocket and use the giftcard again at a later date.

Peri

Veteran

I know this is not really OT because it is not shopping and retail, but my worst customer service experience this year has been AT&T. That company is in a class by itself in awfulness.

All of my clothes shopping has been trouble free though, despite quite a high rate of returns.

Vix

Veteran

Great idea for a thread, CocoLion!

All of mine take returns, refunds, and shipping times/costs into consideration.

On my NO list:

As you noted, Saks.com Why I won't recommend shopping at Saks.com

On my MEDIOCRE list:

Gap (though to be fair, it's online ordering with return to store, so it could be my store)

On my OK-to-VERY GOOD list:

Ann Taylor
Banana Republic

(both have slow-ish shipping and minimums for shipping but if you return items from an order that had some complicated "spend X to get Y discount" they don't recalibrate and charge you more)

Onlineshoes.com
6pm

On my GREAT list:

Nordstrom
Amazon (though I miss endless.com)
Zappos
Second Base [camisoles]
Lands Ends (bonus points for ability to return to Sears)

Also, while I've only ordered e-gift cards from Sephora.com I've had clear communication/fast processing to recipients. [Hint: great for last-minute holiday gifts]

Gracie

Veteran

I'll join the band of Zappos fans - all my purchases and return have been hassle free and fast. I also like Nordstroms and the way they pack the garments. DSW is good too, with return or exchanges to store. Amazon I'd great. Overall, I do prefer to shop in actual stores. Thanks for the topic, Cocolion.

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

Thanks for the replies. It looks like there are a lot of good experiences, many more good than bad, in the US and Canada at least.

I should emphasize that my bad eBay was a result of one seller. I have had great experiences with others. I purchased a pair of used Rag & Bone jeans, the seller specified measurements but the actual measurements were 3" bigger in the waist and other places. But I didn't figure this out until after wearing them. I got them DRY CLEANED in preparation for a return but eBay sided with the seller as I had "altered" the (used) jeans by dry cleaning them. In past years I purchased 10-20 items off eBay each year. After this experience, none. So even though it was the seller I should blame, the fact that eBay sided with the seller made me not trust eBay, so they lost my business. However I will probably post more things to sell on eBay. I try to be a customer-is-always-right seller, because I work in a service job.

Diana

Veteran

Yes, definitely Zappos, Amazon, and Nordstrom are my tops.

I am disappointed in:
Anthropologie - they are always canceling orders due to lack of stock and they changed their online cart system so that now it is abysmally slow, at least for me. I still like their stuff though, but I try to only shop in the store these days.

Gap - I keep having snafus with online ordering and just quality control in general. Getting sent the wrong size, getting things that were clearly missized, etc. And I had a pair of pants that split a seam (a crotch seam no less) on their first wearing - I just sewed it back up since I did like the pants and the fabric was not damaged. My husband just also had a pair of Gap pants that the zipper broke on, only 1 month after he purchased. He is going to take them to the store and demand his money back. Please note that this poor review is only for Gap; I've never had a problem with BR, piperlime, or (although I don't shop them much) ON.

Bloomingdales - nothing wrong with the shipping or the items, but their CS is terrible. Their CS number is entirely automated menus and I could not figure out any way to talk to an actual person. I did finally get a response by emailing.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

Wow, Denise! I've had measurement discrepancies and we either agreed on a discount to cover tailoring, or a return, or in one instance the lady said to just keep it, as it wouldn't fit her either (that one was funny actually :)) I'm really surprised that eBay considers cleaning an item voiding the terms of sale.

kkards

Veteran

It's interesting to see the mix bag on the gap. I've had great experience with them, BR and athleta. It seems I'm close to one of their warehouses, and I almost always get a package in 2 days, even though I didn't pay for express delivery. And then there was the morning I forgot to enter the discount code. Called them and they immediately processed the discount. & in store returns& exchanges have been easy.
Made my 1st shop bop purchase a few weeks ago, they delivered just you would expect an amazon company to. Will be ordering more from them in 2014!
And of course Nordstroms. Not the fastest shippers, but they will go out of the way to find what you are looking for, and returning is so easy!

DonnaF

Veteran

A shout-out to Nordstrom which has always given me a price adjustment if the price of something I've purchased online has gone down. I've had a few weird situations, like an order sent without the return slip and another whose price went up after the purchase, but they were taken care of at the bricks'n'mortar store and I was expecting a bit of a delay with the item that had no slip.

Another to Zappos which replaced DD's boots after the zippers broke after a few months. A zipper tooth broke on one of the replacement boots, so I definitely think it is a North Face quality control issue. ALSO: When I first started to use Zappos, I ordered a LOT. They made me a VIP member which means I get all my orders in two days with no extra charge. I suggest calling or emailing to ask what it takes to become a VIP. The worst they can do is deny, right? Or say you have to wait?

Amazon Prime. DD who is in college gets Amazon Prime for a low price, but she doesn't get the video streaming or whatever it is called. She qualifies because she has an .edu email address -- which she doesn't need to use for the account. I order from her account and have stuff sent to our home address.

Another *Best* is Rand, *my* UPS guy. I'm always disappointed when another service delivers or when he is on vacation. He's the best.

Windchime

Veteran

I'd like to put in a good word for Kohl's. I placed an order with them on Black Friday; because of terrible wintry weather in the south, the order arrived three days later than stated. To my surprise, last week I received a voucher for $25 of Kohl's merchandise and a letter of apology from the CEO. (I hadn't complained.)

Debra

Veteran

Well.....for any Aussie ladies out there, I have purchased a few times from Birdsnest and the service was fantastic

Peri

Veteran

Mostly feel the Nordstrom love, but I've had two bad experiences with them lately too.

I really wanted a particular on sale sweater, and purchased it...said in stock and available, and then I got notice that the order was canceled. Then it showed up again, so I reordered, and this time it got as far as an email saying my purchase was being shipped. And then cancelled again.

So mad this has happened twice and that both times they told me I could have it! I've been stalking, but it hasn't shown up again in a week.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Came back to add something. Most frustrating website would go to The Bay. If I actually manage to find something that I like (not easy on the website, even when they are stocking some good merchandise) the online "display" and information is pathetically useless and the site often freezes. If I DO place an order the shipping is nice and quick and returns are in store and convenient. But the antiquated site makes me crazy.

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