Frances B.

Update: Super slow return processing! I contacted the company to ask about my return, which tracking showed had been delivered five days before. The response was this: "Please allow 2-3 weeks from the return shipped date for your account to be credited. Depending on your bank, it may take 1-2 billing cycles for the credit to appear on your statement." Two to three weeks to process a return? Never buying from these people again!

Johnny Was is one of those companies that makes you pay for return postage. They sent me an item of clothing that was defective a quilted piece with broken threads in a prominent place. So I emailed them and asked for a return label. Usually when a customer receives a damaged or defective item, a business will send out a prepaid return label when that is requested. But what does JohnnyWas.com do? They demand photos to prove that the customer isn't lying:

"Please attach photos of the damaged item to this email. Once we receive your photos of the damaged item, a prepaid shipping label will be sent to the email address we have on file."

Really? I understand when companies do that for things damaged or broken in shipping, since they may have a claim they need to document and they need to instruct their warehouse employees on how to pack shipments. But for defective clothing, which was packed and shipped in that condition? It's insulting. It doesn't matter whether this request for photos is based in mistrust (I assume it is) or whether they want a record of the flaws for their quality control department (they can take their own photos when the item is returned, so I'm not buying that excuse). I won't be shopping here again.

Another update: Nordstrom has begun issuing some refunds as e-gift cards, even to longtime Nordstrom card holders! They don't tell you why a particular return will not be credited back to your account. They just make that decision when they receive the item back. And you cannot apply the amount to your account: you have to use it for a purchase. This is a blatantly dishonest and non-transparent way to do business! Truly awful company!

Update: I discovered after Christmas that an item I'd purchased online never showed up. Tracking said it had been delivered. I sent an enquiry to Nordstrom and was told it was too late to look into this. No accommodation because of my long relationship with the store. Just a giant Eff you. So, right back at you, Nordstrom! You lost a loyal customer. The company has totally lost sight of what made them stand out among deportment stores. It's idiotic to throw away a reputation that was hard earned, by your daddy... or was it granddaddy? The spoiled offspring of the late Nordstrom patriarch have squandered what the founder worked so hard to build for them. Shame on them.

Another annoyance: I received a $55 lipstick that was broken (the stick of lipstick was snapped off inside the case). I arranged the return on the website, but contacted customer service through Chat for assurance that the mess of a lipstick would be accepted for return. The assistant was nice enough, but could not guarantee that I would be refunded. Really? I have never returned a cosmetic item in three decades of shopping Nordstrom. And they cannot trust me in this? I detest this store now.

Original review: I have been a Nordstrom/Nordstrom.com customer and account holder since the 1980s. I am now a Level 3 or 4 member, so you know I buy a lot of merchandise from Nordie's! I am so frustrated with them lately, though, because their once high level of service is now absolutely terrible. In the last couple years I have received too many expensive items that were simply thrown into a box with no padding (arriving damaged and scratched, or so rumpled they needed to go to the dry cleaner), and shopworn items that are soiled and smelly. When I complain about things like this I always get a boilerplate "sorry" email, but that's it. No apology credit, or immediate return credit to my account so I don't have to wait for the returned items to arrive in the warehouse (that immediate credit was the practice in the old days, for long-established customers, but no more). The most recent annoying thing was a $300 pair of earrings, which had been backordered for some time, arriving scratched up and destroyed because they had been bashing around the box in shipping (due to stupidly poor packaging). The earrings were sold out by that point, so they cannot be replaced. I shipped them back using a Nordstrom label, and ten days later they are still tracking as "in transit"! I am still waiting for my money. The customer service communication stinks these days, too. A month ago I returned a $1100 designer coat by mail, and never got an email confirmation (usually they send out a "we have received your returned items" email). They never notified me that the item had been processed. I had to follow, up on it myself.

They are falling apart, slowly, it seems. It's very sad because this used to be a family-owned company that cared about loyal customers and maintaining the highest standards of service.

I have shopped on Farfetch for years. They are a safe site to purchase items internationally, since they handle all the customs forms and courier scheduling. Sometimes designer goods will even be a bit less expensive obtained overseas because of a good exchange rate and no sales tax or VAT. They also require that their vendors to meet a standard of quality, so your items will almost always arrive nicely wrapped and presented. I recently received something that was not up to that standard, and Farfetch arranged for a return even though it was past the return window by the time they got my communication on the problem. I recommend Farfetch without hesitation.

The review is for S&L pricing only, as I have never purchased from the site. I do a lot of online shopping, and sometimes I see the same merchandise sold by different vendors, at wildly different prices. This is the case with S&L. A Moroccan pouf that they currently sell for $498 is available on Amazon for $169.95. It is the same item, I know, because I bought it from Amazon and I recently saw the S&L one at a consignment shop (the shop notes the source of their consigned goods on the tags). I've suspected this of S&L before, but have not had proof, before now, that they were selling and marking up the exact same goods as other vendors. Now I know It's true. Buyer beware.

The results are in. I filed a dispute with my credit card bank, and in the interim Ivan at Chairish issued me two $25 apology reimbursements. My dispute was approved by the bank. So unless Chairish comes back within X days with a viable argument to show why I wasn't cheated (not going to happen), the remaining charge (minus the reimbursed $50) is forever negated. This is precisely the reason most credit card contracts include at least some degree of consumer protection! Even PayPal has a buyer guarantee. I encourage abused consumers to fight the good fight. It may take a lot of time to present your case, but it feels good when you win.

I have many R&B pieces in my home. I can count off thirteen at the moment, and may have more than that. Over many years I have purchased case goods, benches (one custom), tables (one custom), and bookshelves from them, and all have been excellent quality. Their delivery service could not be better. I have a long, winding driveway that is not accessible for the huge delivery trucks furniture companies use. I always request a step-down service to deliver with a small truck. The last time I got a R&B table delivered (with a heavy stone top), the dispatcher or someone else messed up and sent out the full-size truck. The delivery guys parked down on the main road and carried the table and the stone top up to my house. It's about a quarter mile walk uphill! They could have passed on delivering and rescheduled for a smaller vehicle, but they went to all that trouble to keep the delivery appointment. That is great service. The few times I have had a problem with the quality of a R&B piece, the company has swapped out a replacement without fighting me on the issue. Highly recommended for quality merchandise and top-notch customer service!

The only time so buy from HauteLook.com is when they have flash sales for a couple jewelry designers I like. So I am buying merchandise I am familiar with. I have had fairly good experiences buying from them, although I really hate the way your shopping cart times out. The thing to know about these flash sales (and this is true for all outlet sites like this) is there are items that are truly on sale styles from previous seasons, or designs that have been discontinued and items that are made for specifically for outlet stores and flash sales. I have not bought fake goods from hauteLook (that I am aware of), but when you see the same items appear on each and every flash sale it's a clear sign that those are the "fake sale" click bait items. So you need to know your merchandise. I have returned items to HauteLook without any problem, and have gotten my return shipping paid for when something was damaged in shipping.

I purchased a pair of "vintage" porcelain lamps, which arrived damaged, and a framed piece of "vintage" artwork that was not at all how it was described or shown in the listing. Zero for two. Do not recommend, at least for their "vintage" (a fancy word for used) offerings.

Bluefly has a 14-day return limit, after which their site will not generate a return label, and the customer has no other recourse because they have zero phone support. I ordered an item that took more than two weeks to get to me, so it was past the allowable window for return when I received it. Default final sale, possibly by design on Bluefly's part. And I am out almost $400 because it is too large for me. Steer clear of this company! They are extremely dodgy.

I have several DWR pieces in my home. I have had good and bad experiences with ordering from this company. The good thing I can say about them is that they do correct any problems that arise, and they don't leave the customer taking a loss. The bad thing is that you might have to fight for your rights. For example, I received an upholstered DWR chair that had been damaged in shipping (cracked wood frame). The damage was slight, but the piece was pricey and I had paid for perfect! So I demanded a return and full refund. They tried to discourage me from returning it, but they gave I when I pushed back. So if you stand up for yourself you are fine with DWR. Their delivery fees are high, it sometimes they offer deals on that.

I have used this service for numerous orders, over many years. All of the outdoor cushions they make for me last for ages. Every custom cushion I have ordered had been precise on size and shape no mistakes. The cording is done beautifully. The fabrics are high quality and so is the padding. They can be expensive, especially when you do custom shapes, but they produce a high quality product. Very dependable, ethical company.

I ordered a linen-covered X-bench from Ballard, and received a bench so poorly executed that I donated it to a charity shop. I had opted for an upgraded fabric and studs on the bench, so it was one of their more expensive offerings in that line. Not a sale piece or a second, but fully custom. The fabric that covered the legs on the bench I received was buckled from being stretched unevenly, and was obviously creased and loose (it should have been taut and completely smooth). The padding on the seat was uneven higher on one side. The cording around the edge of the cushion was wonky and uneven. The entire thing was just slapped together. The company said they would take it back (no help on how I was supposed to pack up this very heavy bench, since I had to tear apart the box it was in to get it out), but only to remake the order. They refused to give me a refund. Given the poor quality of the example I had before me, I passed on the second try and just donated the thing. Even looking at it made me angry. The icing on the cake was that when I wrote a negative product review on their website, Ballard killed the review!