Irene N.

I had ordered several items. Most were Gilt brands, which Gilt describes as "exclusively on Gilt. It was created in collaboration with our preferred brand partners to bring you great style at an accessible price point."

PRICES HIGH, GIVEN THE LOW QUALITY
Even though I hadn't ordered clothing from Gilt before, I associated them with high quality at great prices. So I was shocked when I received the items and saw how cheaply made they were.

MISLEADING RETURN POLICY
Some Gilt items were not returnable, others were not. Gilt clearly states when items are not returnable by stating this on the item's description page. I'm always very, very cautious about ordering non-returnable items, particularly when it comes to clothing, because of the risk that the items don't fit.

I was on the fence about 2 items, but bought them because I knew were returnable. However, one didn't fit and the other was super cheaply made, and when I went online to begin a return, there was a message next to each of those items on my order form that said "This item has been further reduced from its original Gilt price. It is final sale and non-returnable." I wish I had taken a screenshot of the item's description page, because I these items were changed to "non-returnable" status *after* I had purchased them.

ALSO, note that there's a $9.50 restocking fee. It's listed on their website, but you have to hunt for that info. I didn't see it mentioned on the order form *prior* to my ordering, which I think is a bit deceptive. It was my responsibility to double-check that prior to ordering, but I don't know of any other large merchant that charges a restocking fee nowadays -- in fact, quite a few large companies offer **free shipping on returns**, particularly if you make a sizeable purchase.

GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE
I must say that I had a great customer experience, though. When I explained my situation via an online chat with a customer service rep, he did allow me to return the items at a Saks Off 5th store for credit to be used at Saks Off 5th. Not what I was hoping for, but I thought that was fair.

Bottom line, I'm going to limit my Gilt purchases to items of brand names that I'm familiar with and are of a quality level that I trust.