As *many* of you have noticed and mentioned, J.Crew's website seems to be down yet again. :( Hopefully, the site will be running smoothly soon. :) However, considering this has been happening often (unfortunately, it feels like too often), I am not sure if it will. :(Have you been able or unable to order online? Do you think the website issues will get better, stay the same, or become worse in the next few weeks? :)
Jcrew is my favorite store but they really need to pull it together. Between down websites and nothing in the stores, I am curios what exactly they are giving 30% off on? The tank tops and tube dresses that apparently everyone will wearing in 20 degree weather? I WANT to spend money in this store and there is nothing in small sizes or their website is down. How many people feel the same way I do?
ReplyDeleteI am very happy to be a fat/normal size 12 :P
ReplyDeleteHad no problem ordering a lemming this morning.
The website cannot handle the traffic this is the 3rd time TURKEY, HOHOHO, and now JINGLE,has caused the site to crash. I can only imagine what it will be like the day after Christmas.
ReplyDeleteJennifer D: I agree with you. It is very frustrating! If I see that red "gift gurus" statement one more time I'm going to go crazy.
ReplyDeleteI got a sneak peak from a super insider for the coupon code that starts at 12:01 AM on Dec 26th..... PANDAMONIUM!
ReplyDeleteAnon at 7:36 PM: Can you share more details? :)
ReplyDeleteJennifer D: I hear you! The only boot-cut cords left in my size are yellow (brings back memories of seventh grade when I wore yellow cords to school one day and a boy in my class said "did you pee in your pants?").
ReplyDeleteI am officially on the verge of "breaking up" with JCrew!!!
Maybe the Dec 26th sale will be a GOING OUT OF BUSINESS sale!!!! :0
ReplyDeleteAlexis, ha ha, yeah PANDAMONIUM was a joke...... 100% of frustration and free shipping of items you didn't order. Hopefully I'm wrong though!
ReplyDeleteAnon at 7:54 PM: Well done- you got me! ;) Incidentally, I really do think J.Crew will have some *awesome* deals post-Christmas. :)
ReplyDeleteSince we are talking about the day after Christmas sale here I am wondering what to expect. Right now pretty much everything is on sale. Even new arrivals are on sale. There is not too much stuff to choose from to use the 30% discount - which is a wonderful discount (it even comes with the free shipping on orders over $150 ). So what do you usually get at J.Crew day after Christmas sale?
ReplyDeleteThanks
Hope the site comes back up soon! I wonder if they'll extend this promotion for an extra day like they did HOHOHO?
ReplyDeleteHi all,
ReplyDelete***SIGH***
Yes, I too have discovered the joy that is the JCrew inventory system. Earlier today, I recv'd an email confirmation for an order I placed this weekend. Somehow the CS on the red-phone decided to charge my purchase to my visa & send it to my mailing address instead of my JCrew card & usual shipping address. Of course, when I called to correct the info & kept getting the "We're sorry, our system is down, please call back" reply.
I've had even worse experiences with the online support. So I (eventually) got a hold of someone who could fix it. Luckily, everything from the weekend was delayed, so it wasn't that difficult a fix.
Even so, I'm so very disappointed & frustrated w. Jcrew right now. So much so, that I found myself asking one of the supervisors "Do you want to discourage all your clients to the point where we just give up & go away?" during a particularly frustrating "we will find it for you" experience.
Oh, that reminds me... Does anyone have tips or suggestions on how best to follow up on a "We will find it?" I was pretty burned by my last exp & I'm not sure I would like to try it again. Most esp. now that they are only doing it for FP items.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
TIA,
Heather:D
It really is too bad they are still having these website issues!
ReplyDeleteGood for me though; I'm trying to hold out till after Christmas to order anything else anyway ;)
Have the sales been pretty great after Christmas traditionally? I think these promos are pretty awesome but I think (hope) I'm getting a GC for Christmas so I want to wait to use it.
As I know, jcrew stores do not precisely track which items they have. They pretty much rely on people's memory, especially for almost sold-out items. Therefore, their "find it for you" service can not be effective. If you have time, what you can do is calling individual stores across US by yourself. If you do not have much time, you can call several places which usually have more items, for example denver, dellas etc.
ReplyDeleteAnthropologie's inventory system is a bit better than jcrew's although isn't perfect.
I'm so nervous - I spent a boatload of money this morning (and saved a bunch too thanks to 30% off) but I never received a confirmation email and now I'm worried it won't go through. I did receive a confirmation on the website, but of course I didn't write the number down. I emailed JCrew but haven't heard back yet.
ReplyDeleteI hope nothing got messed up with the order... I used gift cards and would hate to miss the 30%. Did anyone else have that problem?
Tanya, I also did not get any email confirmation after my morning purchase. However, my Order seems to be updating in the system, when I check it on Jcrews website. I'm sure it is fine.
ReplyDeleteHeather:D, did anyone give you a reference number for your find it search? I remember getting one on a search done pre-upgrade, and any searches done after the upgrade were able to be referenced under my online account. Did you ask a CSR to check on it for you?
ReplyDeleteTanya,
ReplyDeleteI placed 2 HOHOHO orders and never got email confirmations. I received a shipping notice for the 1st order last week. Not sure if all the items are there until I receive it tomorrow. Not sure what will happen to my 2nd order at all since I've heard nothing about it.
You could log on to "my account' when the site is up again. Click, 'order history' and I guess that would be your order confirmation!
I seriously wonder why I put myself through this.
Good luck,
Alison
Yes, I'm worried my beloved med. blue herringbone ecole jacket that I ordered after it suddenly popped up this morning was just an apparition.
ReplyDeleteMy order will be sucked down the black hole that is the J Crew inventory system.
Hmmmmmm.......day after Christmas sale I think will be 30-40% sale with prices reduced further than they are now. It will go back to being final sale very shortly after Christmas I bet!
ReplyDeleteCan someone tell me their experiences with exchanges? I bought a lovely jacket and it was j.crew.com/catalog only, but I think I should have ordered up a size. However, I bought it using my HOHOHO discount so:
ReplyDelete1) If I return it, will it mean J Crew will apply the lower discount level to the rest of my order?
2) Can I get it exchanged, despite the fact that its not instore?
Is there a way to do this without losing a tonne of time with shipping and returns? As in, can I go to a store and have them put the order through? I'm worried the jacket will get sold out!
MJ: you should be able to call, explain your situation, and then do an exchange. When I bought my Fiona with HOHOHO, I got the only size that was left, but then my size came back in stock. I called to ask if I could change my order, and they said it was too late, but they sent another one to me (at the discounted price AND for free!) so I could try both sizes.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I believe you get to keep your discount even if you return some items.
MJ: Call CS and tell them you want to place an exchange for the jacket. They will place a new order for the size you need at the price you paid on the original order, and they should ship the new size to you for free. Then you can just return the wrong size jacket to your local B&M, unless you want to mail it back. HTH! :)
ReplyDeleteOOPS!! Sorry Rosie! I didn't see you already posted to MJ before I replied. :)
ReplyDeleteGot a package today....with everything correct :) Used the 25% code posted as an image.
ReplyDeleteThanks to those who helped me with the cafe capris (maybe bugpin and gigi??). They fit PERFECTLY!!
how many times can the website be down? honestly.
ReplyDeleteI had a question - has any aficionada seen the red/dark pinkish (with a bow on the side) patent leather headband at their b&m (priced $18.50)? been trying to find one and i think i waited too long :( TIA
also, Alexis I had an idea for a post - something along the lines of seeing j crew out and about in public (NOT famous people, with what happened last time...but just everyday experiences with regular guys and gals). personally i have and have seen some cute ideas!
I cannot stay up any longer to order. If I awake in the morning and the dress I have been trying to order for the past couple of hours is not available... I swear, I'll scream.
ReplyDeleteMost of my packages received last Thursday are fine, but problems coming back since Friday. in one package I received Friday a tee was replaced by a pair of trousers.
ReplyDeleteToday, one sweater is missing from a package. The item was clearly circled on the packing slip, but I guess they didn't notice and still charged me for it.
I just received an order from HOHOHO missing an item and found out that in addition to the website being down, the phone system is also down. No phone orders, no access to customer service. Can you believe it?
ReplyDeleteSeriously, what's the point of having all these promotional codes when you can't even get on the site to check inventory and colors? I mean sure I could place an order through the phone but I don't even know what's in stock and what's not...or all the style numbers and color names. *sigh*
ReplyDeletei'm sorry, i'm new to blogging...but what does b&m mean?!?!?
ReplyDeleteI just received the second of three HOHOHO orders. Although it was just a suit, everything was correct but I wouldn't put it past them to send me the wrong size. Also, used my 25% card for the final time tonight. Scored a pair of wool twill university pants in camel for $36! The SA was actually going to give me the card back. I begged her to keep it because I would only go to another B&M and try to use it. Between TURKEY, HOHOHO and this card, I've spent way too much in a three week period. :)
ReplyDeletejessica, why don't you just call and place your order via phone?
ReplyDeleteBrick & Mortar (an actual J. Crew store, not online/catalog). :)
ReplyDeleteIt's really disappointing that JCrew does not address their IT issues. They could at least take one major issue at a time and work on it but it seems like the same problems keep occurring. To have the website and their own CS system down is just ridiculous. Hopefully the store systems don't crash too.
ReplyDeleterosie: i thought of that, but I want to try and stack discounts (JINGLE and teacher's) and I am not sure they will do that with a CS Rep.
ReplyDeleteAlso, someone just mentioned their phones are down as well. I have to get up at 5. I was ordering the dress for my husband's Christmas Party (in Jan.) LOL! :) The store had nothing to offer so I am trying to go this route, with no luck. I hate spending money on myself, but I cann always return in Tampa (about 50 miles away) if I have buyers remorse.
So here's what I don't get. The website and inventory system used to work fine and now it doesn't. Why don't they just go back to the way it was? Seems like they took about 50 steps backwards and they're upsetting a lot of customers because of it.
ReplyDeletesocialworkerinhighheels-
ReplyDeletei was just about to post the EXACT same thing you did. phones are down, too!! (you get a message saying that the phone reps may not have access to the system and to call back!)
Thanks FFM and Rosie for your advice. I call them up and they agreed to send the new size. I hope it fits, otherwise I'll be quite sad!
ReplyDeleteOn a different note, has anyone noticed that there are different tax rates charged on website orders and phone orders?
I was actually at the store exhanging a cardigan while online was down, and it slowed down returning the cardiganat the B&M, but it worked. They were able yo look up my receipt with my bankd card, which I thought was really cool since I didn't have my recipt with me anymore! There also was a 20% card that someone had just brought in and used, so an SA I know let me use my 25% off card, the 20% off card that she had gotten from another customer, and I got 30% off the sale items. I got the glass button cardigan in champagne for about $25 and some PJ's for $17! Now, I promise, I am done until after Christmas!
ReplyDeleteSorry, totally OT! To any fellow San Diegans...FYI, both of Fashion Valley's back entrances are closed off due to flooding. If you're planning on hitting the mall tonight, the only way in is Friars. I gave up since I was only going to use my 25% off card at JC one last time. I took it as a sign that I don't need anything else!!
ReplyDeleteI just checked the glass button online and it is $39.99, while mine said $59.99. Except they don't have my color online. I wonder if I should ask them to price match anyway.
ReplyDeleteI placed an order almost 12 hours ago and just got the email confirmation. They had a huge amount of things on sale, it was insane to go through all 900+ items.
ReplyDeleteAmelia, 30% + 25% + 20% and you want to price match??
ReplyDeleteI am starting to feel badly for J Crew- I want them to do well and keep making awesome clothes, but the competition is tough these days in retail and to have your website down this much in the busiest month of the year has got to be costing them millions!! Seems like they should have taken a really hard look at the website and its performance this Summer and made some changes. I am confident that any department in my company that underperformed like the Technology team at J Crew (or whatever company runs the site) would be long gone!!
ReplyDeleteit's back on!!!!
ReplyDeleteanon @ 9:58 - do you work for J.Crew? Either way, you should learn to spell my name.
ReplyDeleteIf you were able to get your hands on one of the cotton T-Shirts that go for about $125 on ebay, would you sell it? If you had only paid 10-20 on the website?
ReplyDelete. . . . And the site is back down. I'm going out to my balcony for a primal scream. I'm disgusted
ReplyDeleteit's back down :(
ReplyDeleteSite is down again with the dreaded "Stay Tuned.." note. After staying late at work just to try to place an order and after giving up b/c the site was running so slow and then coming home to have it completely down, I am at a loss as to how a huge retail company can afford to be down for hours on end during the few weeks of the year that give them hope of being profitable!
ReplyDeleteBetsey
thanks sweetmint :)
ReplyDeletethe site if finally back up...does anyone know what's their schedule for updating the sale section...i know it use to be every a.m. but now it's more random!?!?
ReplyDeleteI stayed up late and got a couple of rose tees. Even I didn't get them, you probably prefer to sleep instead of waiting for them to show up at 4:00 am.
ReplyDeleteanon-
ReplyDeleteDo you mean the rose tees that are the same type as the "sieze the day" tees? And how recent was that? thanks!
the most recent one I bought was on last saturday. not every time I got to receive them though.
ReplyDeleteFor all of you that don't like the e-bay re-sellers I appreciate them for the most part. If I REALLY want a J Crew item that I did not have the time or energy to find I can almost always find it on ebay! Isn't that the beauty of ebay? I am willing to pay for some one else to find the stuff I want.
ReplyDeleteSite is up again??? I missed that one.
ReplyDeleteI normally trust J.Crew but they have become ridiculous lately with online ordering. Twice I ordered the light blue classic peacoat (and the order went through on my debit card!) only to have them tell me, oh well actually we don't have that coat at all!
ReplyDeleteAlso last week they randomly sent me a cashmere coat that I never ordered, wasn't in my size, AND charged my credit for it. Completely ridiculous
anon @ 10:44, i don't have a balcony but i am screaming with you this damp New England night. THIS IS RIDICULOUS. for 6 hours now i have tried repeatedly to buy stuff from jcrew. either that stupid message is on (and dare i say it's really insulting to read that even the best sites have issues) or the site is up and i manage to put 1-2 items in the cart before it's down again. when the site is back up again, those items are no longer available. AAAARGHHHH.
ReplyDeleteyou know j crew should go back to the 1993 method -- no website. regular catalogs. special sale catalogs. a phone system that worked. items of great quality that lasted forever. prices that weren't bloated. or maybe sell online on amazon or ebay. cos clearly they can't manage an internet portal.
i'm really disappointed -- i expected better under mickey drexler's leadership.
j. crew owes its loyal customers a better fix than this. i've been one for 16 years, but the company may lose me soon.
the site's back up. :) **i'm crossing my fingers and putting things into the cart fast.**
ReplyDeleteOT, has anyone ordered the madeline coat in the bright berry color, please? what does that color look like in real life? is it more hot pink, more magenta, really bright almost neony pink? i think it could make for a lovely bright winter coat, but i have yellow tones in my skin, so i'm worried a magenta shade won't look right and/or the color might look garish. i'd appreciate any feedback. thanks!
Anon@ 10:53 - what time zone are you in? You said you check the site at 4 am.... :)
ReplyDeleteGracefully, I saw just push the trigger. I bought the Madeline in the hthr majestic earlier in the day. If you don't like it, just return it. Shipping is free.
ReplyDeleteThe thing that I have disliked the most about the sale section is that it continues to display items that are already sold out on the website!! It is so frustrating to keep clicking on items, only to be told repeatedly "We're sorry. This item has been so popular, it has sold out." ARGH!!!! Perhaps this is their tactic to get shoppers to buy only regular-priced items.... Boo.
ReplyDeleteI received an email confirming my order. Everything on there is listed as open. On my account page, the whole order is listed as released.
ReplyDeleteWhat does open and released mean?
TIA!
i was able to get the cotton carte de la france tee in slate between the up and downs of the site. I wish I would have had more time to add to my order and get the discount with free shipping. I was afraid that if I waited the shirt would have been gone .
ReplyDeleteDo you think I can email them and add to the order, then ask to use the new code?? It would prob have to be a really nice rep....
ringspun beaded dog tee stock updated
ReplyDeletehoundstooth bow cardigan just updated
better get them now though!
Anony@7:36 pm
ReplyDeleteYou are a riot! and you "got" Alexis to boot:)
Too funny. Thanks for my daily laugh:)
Thanks Anon @ 4:16! In the end, it's all just clothes, so if we aren't smiling or laughing (at least mostly) what's the point? :) Now bring on the pandamonium!!
ReplyDeleteLetitia
ReplyDeleteThey are doing rolling updates, so all day randomly, when ever thet get returns processed and back in the system.
I was able to snag a XS Fresh Clover Elizabeth halter by randomly checked one night at 8pm and just happened to do a refresh right as it updated. As soon as i bought it was gone from the website, so just keep refreshing pages and hoping your size pops up!
Ameilia-
ReplyDeletethose glass button cardis are $39.99 in stores and ringing up $59.99--so you have to watch it and point it out!
Also-stores are TOTALLY being effected by the computer system and they are pissed! It is making running business really difficult and could really be the doom of J Crews positive existence. The SA's are really angry and feel the new system is not an improvement at all. I had a long conversation with mgr and SA's last night and they tired of it all.
Hi again,
ReplyDeleteWell, that transaction that should have been fixed yesterday wasn't. I had to call again & re-request that they correct the billing & shipping info. Also asked them to PLEASE update my info.
At least the CS was helpful. I had such a bad experience chasing down a "We will find it for you" (14 emails, 8 phone calls & over a dozen associates)lately that I'm really reluctant to use the online support for anything.
At one point, I wrote out a carefully worded email regarding my disappointment & frustration. I noted that there was no continuity of service, that I had taken it upon myself to keep a data log & do my own follow-ups. I expressed my loyalty to JCrew & decision to continue to recommend the B&M in the area to my students. I also noted that I considered the whole experience a poor investment of time & energy. I got a boilerplate "We apologise for any inconvenience" reply from associate #13. Gee, thanks for proving my point so effectively :}.
So, the "we will find it for you" is off my list of options. I think I just may get in the habit of calling around to B&Ms in my area. They're usually very helpful. As for the frequent site outages - I guess that's part of being an online shopper - regrettably.
I think everyone is getting a little frustrated, including some JCrew staff. The CS staff on the phones & SA's in store do their best, but it's got to be hard on them as well. I just keep reminding myself that it's not the individual person at fault. It's just a really, really, BAD system.
Hmmmm... Maybe that can be their next shirt logo "Buy - JCREW Experts Only!!" with a black diamond design.
Anywho, thanks for listening one & all. I must admit it helps to know that I'm not the only one who thinks the system needs help.
Good luck out there!
Heather:D
Heather--that is really rotten to go through the trouble of even telling them all you have done only to get a very informal, impersonal reply like that--ludicrous.
ReplyDeleteThanks bug pin!
ReplyDeleteI know. I wonder how someone can do that without at least acknowledging the absurdity of it all. Sometimes it seems like we're trapped in a bad SciFi plot...
"I'm sorry Heather -- I can't let you do that"
I'm just so very grateful to Alexis & Bloggers such as yourself. It's good to know that other folks are running into similar problems.
I love the clothes & the great outfits folks like FFM can pull together from each line. I guess it goes to show the level of devotion well made / cute clothes can generate. Hopefully, the system will improve soon!
Heather:D
thanks snow....
ReplyDeleteMJ -- I have noticed that tax rates differ between online and in-store purchases. I think the federal law is that an online retailer has to charge state tax on a purchase if that retailer has a physical store in the state to which a package is shipped. So, when I order a J. Crew package and ship it to myself in Chicago, I get charged the 6.25% Illinois state tax because J. Crew has retail stores in Illinois. But if you ship to a state without a physical J. Crew, you may not be charged state tax at all.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, I don't think there's any law regarding the more local taxes, such as city and county taxes. If you shop in a J. Crew store in Chicago, you end up being charged 10.25% in tax -- state + city + county + district (yes, it sucks -- if you get a 10% off discount, it almost covers your tax). If I shop online at J. Crew, however, I'm only charged 6.25% in state tax and not the additional taxes. There are several times I'd rather order online and pay the $18 shipping. For a $500 order, those extra taxes end up being $20, so I come out a little bit ahead. And if I get free shipping, even better! And if my package arrives correctly, well, that's the best of all. :)