Zulily

I just placed my first order with Zulily. My sister is pregnant and I found some hilarious onesies that I had to buy. When I went through to purchase those items I saw the offer they have for masterpass. If you spend $50+ and sign up for masterpass they will not only give you free shipping, but will also take $15 off your purchase. After filling out all of the masterpass information my card was charged for the full amount with shipping included and I didn't get a $15 discount. I called the customer service number on their website thinking that it would be an easy 5 minute call and everything would be solved. The woman listened to my situation and asked if I had, for sure, filled out the masterpass information, I said yes. I was then put on hold while she tried to figure out what she could do for me. The solution she came up with was that she would zero out my shipping and then I could have a $15 credit applied to my account for my next purchase. A credit to my account? The money shouldn't have been charged on my card in the first place and the best they could offer was a credit? I told her that I wanted the money put back on my card and her explanation of why she couldn't, was that masterpass is a new thing they are doing and so there are still bugs. Apparently those bugs mean that they can't refund anything, even if you are charged incorrectly, so the only option is a store credit. I was so frustrated by the end of the call that I cancelled my order. That is essentially stealing and i'm not interested in supporting a business that treats customers so horrendously. I will not be placing any other orders with Zulily.

Bought a lot. It had such potential from the pictures, but while the seams were okay, the fabric was, what I would consider to be, very thin, poor quality fabrics. Items were from India and made in China. I thought I was supporting small American venders. I ask for a return label and with it I got a sincere apology from a very nice customer service person (it's not her fault, she was actually doing her job well) as the higher ups make plenty off of unhappy customers.) I got commentary on how they save ME money by having return shipping, restocking fees and such. Not seeing is since they have my money and I will never see a refund, but that lovely store credit. If you dare to send it back, just know, you will pay them to take it back in restocking fees for that in store credit that rewards them for poor quality. That is the rub, loosing money and still not having anything worth while to show for it. So basically, I paid them $13 to reward their clever business model and I still have a heafty store credit and no desire to buy from them ever again. They get you going and coming. You want it, you pay to get it to you. You don't like it, you pay to give it back. It is a win win for them I bet the restocker is not getting paid for every item they put back on the shelf. I usually just stay away from venders with such policies. I am as mad at myself for not reading the policy first. I would have never ordered from them. Hopefully you can at least go in with your eyes open.My disappointment is a bitter pill since there is money I would like to have back that will be there to pay yet another shipping fee for something I will likely be disappointed in. Stay with children's clothes that you can, verify are made in the US if you can't resist the tutu's. I have seen good stuff for children, but very "similiar" womens can be found for a fraction straight from China on ebay for $5.00 - $10.00. At least there you know you are getting what you are paying for. When you hold up the clothes, the proportions are very small for American sized clothing, so be aware. I ordered bigger and they are still small proportionally to my regular size. Go with the vendors that see the value in a happy customer.

This site presents itself so nicely. It draws you in to the point of near addiction in some cases, including mine. I had the alarm set on the app (or maybe it did it by itself) that goes off at 9 am and says "Time to shop Zulily" in my phone screen. I'd check the site 5 or 6 times a day, and find ALL the ways to shop.

Everything is professionally photographed and it all looks so lovely, of such great quality and you just gotta have it! I bought several shirts, a jacket, a step on trash can, a toilet paper holder and two pairs of Toms shoes.

I have gotten the toilet paper holder and one pair of the Toms. I'm still waiting on the other pair. Why didn't they ship together? Who knows?

I found this site yesterday and my heart just sunk. I don't have money to lose on ill fitting and ill made items so I picked up the phone and called them. I said that I had read this site and was horrified to see that the quality of clothing was poor, and that most times they didn't fit and that I was on a fixed income (who isn't?) and told them I wanted to cancel all clothing items. I'd take the trash can if it will ever get here and I want the other pair of Toms.

To my amazement they cancelled the clothes and my refund is processing. Amazing... simply amazing. And better yet, the Toms that I've watched stay stagnant on their "way to Zulily" are magically preparing for shipping! As for the trash can, well, it'll get here eventually. I wish it would hurry up tho---I got it to keep my kitten out of my bathroom trash!

So, all in all, Zulily has it's good and bad qualities. They did accommodate me in my time of hysteria and they did magically get my shoes moving. Some things are priced fairly and some are crazy bad. I can do better with my prime account on Amazon. It just depends. Like with anything else you have to shop around.

I will say this... if you didn't know about their policy and how they acquired their merchandise, and that it was a long wait to get your things, it's your own fault for not reading! This is not Zulily's problem, it's yours. You must read all the fine (or in your face LARGE) print!

So, just be a savvy shopper and don't let them sucker you in by their pretty pictures and magical words. And if you get something that is of poor quality or doesn't fit, CALL THEM and tell them. What have you got to lose?

1. Interface should be more user friendly
2. More refinements by category i. E. price, size, color, etc. I like to be able to see prices from low to high, etc. It seems like you had that at one time.
3. Imported good's size charts are not reliable for USA customers. Generally, always too small.
4. Believe customer when products are damaged, ill fitting, sized incorrectly and allow for free prepaid returns and refunds in manner paid, NOT STORE CREDIT.
5. Devise some way to ship fast. We wait 10 or more days for items to be shipped to you only for you to ship to us. It's ridiculous. You allow BOXED to drop ship.
6. Package items better with bubble wrap or whatever is necessary for item to arrive in good condition. I ordered some bras for my granddaughter and the underwire was warped because it was sent in a thin plastic bag.
7. There's more to life than TUNICS. Good grief.
8. If you have to change strategy from new products daily, then do so. Since brick and mortar stores are closing, you need to up your game. Same old brands are redundant.
9. I've shopped your site since the beginning when you were selling children's items and maternity items. You've evolved which is good but just not good enough to be sustainable imo. I on your site daily and do not purchase nearly what I used to buy due to reasons I have listed above. Your company used to be unique and had it's own little niche. Now, it seems as though you are trying to run up against the big boys (although you've been bought out years ago). You can't: Not on price, availability, delivery.
10. You need some young bright smart people who are hipped to the ecommerce to shake things up by doing their homework on what is your target market and sell to them. But slow shipping, inferior products, refusal for consumers to get a refund just store credit, having to pay to return the inferior products in some cases, lack of better vendors does not sit well with me and I am a somewhat loyal customer, will not keep you in business and remain profitable.
11. Since I'm a plus size woman, check out the brands on COEDITION'S site. I'm sick of your current brands except for a few.
12. Wish you would find better uniform brands than French Toast and? Polo. This year I shopped at Jcpenney online. If you can get with a good brand with good prices with fast shipping and free returns, parents/grandparents may shop on the site. School supplies are another matter. Your prices are ridiculously high.
I know that I've been critical. Hope you will take what you need and discard the rest.

I am now boiling mad. I've read the reviews for Zulilly... apparently my experience is not unique. And I have not heard back from anyone. Here is the email I just sent to customer feedback.

To: *******@zulilly.com

I've decided to forward a message I just emailed to customer service.

I am from Seattle, my experience with Zulilly.com has been dismal, your website states:
How we're different:
We work with thousands of different brands and we don't store inventory. Working this way helps us keep prices low, and it means we can offer fresh products every day. Our usual time from order to shipment is 10-14 days. Perhaps you should say something like... Our goal is to have your order completed within 10 - 14 days. Your experience however, might be different.

Here is the email:

ORDER #s

Hello,

I'm emailing to try to get shipping information.

My order(s) were placed 10 days ago, and so far I've received one item. (Which by the was was disappointing, I considered returning it but frankly, I have little faith in this. Com)

Last week I called to try to get an idea when my purchases might be processed. The representative was very polite and stuck to the script but was not able to give me any idea on what to expect/when.

I told him that I shop almost exclusively online because we live in the country and our options are very limited. We discussed your immediate competition, Amazon and the stellar service they give. He pointed out that I'll save a couple of dollars per item through Zulilly. Whoop, whoop. Big deal.

The three above referenced orders are pretty good sized orders... having said this, unless I can get some specific information about when I can expect delivery, I can tell you, I will NOT shop this online store again.

As I previously stated, I have considerable experience shopping online and have NEVER experienced anything like this. Put yourself in the shoes of your customer. You've just ordered quite a bit, and you are eagerly waiting shipment. Tick-tock, nothing. You call customer service to be told in detail how Zulilly works and the bottom line is... we have no idea when you will get your packages. In the future, you will want to consider shopping for the upcoming season, not the season you are in. WHAT?

Guess what folks... it's 2015. Not happy, not satisfied... Just looked at the order status, once again... no movement.

This is ridiculous.

Sue

6/22/2015: Follow-up

I finally received a partial order over the weekend. Leggings are fabulous and shoes adorable. The other items are as others have stated, cheaply made but doable. They will maybe make it a season, so the price is appropriate. I may use them again for shoes and leggings... customer service (the actual servicing) is poor at best. If you choose to use Zulilly, be prepared. Don't spend a lot because if you don't get the item, it's no great loss. If money is tight, DON'T.

Zulily has been a great shopping experience in the past but the quality has declined and shipping time has gotten to an issue. Waiting over a month to find you have waited for a thin dress that, after the first wear has holes in it is not great. Their marketing is genius. The way they rotate products/lines are clever and it keeps you coming back. I really liked having unique clothes and got great compliments. Some product lines are very notable and sell out quickly. I love Suzanne Betro and White Mountain for example. Quality and reason pricing and items get shipped quickly. Love it.
Recently OXO was featured. Lots of their items sold out quickly so I checked Amazon, only to find the same products a good $10-$15 cheaper and with 2 day shipping vs Zulily's week+, it planted seeds of doubt.
I have also purchased a few dresses that were a polyester material and were fine, but the material was just okay. Now I see the same material in so many dresses in different styles I really don't like my dresses anymore and the polyester annoys me when I wear it. Some things only come in (forgive me) European or Asian sizes now so one has to be careful and check the sizing, particularly if the model's face is half cropped out and she is tiny. If she's on a rooftop the quality is most likely inferior. The descriptions are vague and many people learn by experience, like me. I now check the material on things I am interested and scrutinize the pictures.
Apparently Zulily wised up to this and is now asking for consumers to review products. With competition from wholesalers like Asian company AliExpress now selling directly to consumers, if you know these products you can see the similarities and know the long shipping time means it's being shipped from somewhere like China to Zulily first, then onto the customer, me. I don't want to wait over six weeks for a swimsuit or jacket.
I will say their return process is easy and wonderful. The caveat is if your order is six things and they all come over six weeks and the return window closes, you may be screwed unless you call and let them know. It costs $8-$9 to return items, so you want to wait until you have several to make it worthwhile. If not, I just sell mine on Facebook Marketplace for the price I purchased it.
Overall I love Zulily and I have an addiction. I shop and put things in my cart and sometimes I wait and see if they are still there the next day to curb myself. Or I will "favorite" items and see if they comeback around. You have to be judicious, but if you really, really want something unique-you better snatch it up quickly! It may never come back and then buyers remorse sets in and you want to fill that sadness with something else that you probably don't need.
I do need a clothes drying rack.
Did I mention I'm a Therapist?

Experience!
This was my first time ordering from Zulily. I ordered a lace skirt, a tunic dress and a board book for my son. The prices were half of what I could get them anywhere else. When my items arrived the skirt was ripping at the seams. I called immediately and a real person answered immediately. I loved the skirt and worried that I would have to send it back and I wouldn't be able to get a new one due to limited stock. I could definitely repair the skirt, but that's not the point, I paid for a brand new item so it shouldn't be coming apart at the waistband. Because I didn't want to return it and planned on repairing the skirt, I assumed to not get very far and really only be able to notify them of the issue. Well, To my surprise, they not only refunded my item with my choice of store credit or otogonal payment method, but they also gave me $10 in store credit on top of that. No returning hassle needed. My issue was solved in less than 5 minutes and I couldn't be happier. Not to mention, the customer service ladies I spoke with where incredibly kind! For People complaining about shipping times, Zulily have to wait for the item to first ship to them and then they ship it to you. So, it is understandable that shipping times are a bit longer than other places, however this is not hidden from the customer and I knew before I had ordered because it is stated in their shipping and returns policy. Besides the Rip in the skirt my items where exactly as I expected them to be and of great quality. All the sizes were as stated in the sizing information. When ordering online it is crucial to check the sizing info. I am almost ALWAYS a medium but according to the sizing info on the dress I bought I was a large, so that's what I ordered and it fits beautifully. I will definitely continue to shop with Zulily, great finds and a great price with prompt and curteous customer service!