STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Drew wrote:

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relrel wrote: while i do think that this policy sucks and unfairly penalizes too many people, there are a ton of stores who have this exact same policy. there is actually a company that does the compliling and tracking of people... called the return exchange. you can go to thier website and request a return/exchange report on yourself to see where you stand if you like. the website to do this is: http://www.thereturnexchange.com/consumers/index.htm   on thier website they have this stated: "Returns cost retailers profits and customers—but they don’t have toAccording to a recent National Retail Security Survey, approximately 9% of all retail returns are fraudulent—costing the retail industry about $16 billion per year." so, while it might suck to get blacklisted, you should be able to call bluefly once you have your report and ask them to take you off your list. it should be just a matter of unchecking a box on your customer screen. i know that this sucks, but if stuff like this wasn't done, imagine how much retail would cost? i worked retail for six years (and i know a bunch of people out here as well did) and i would have loved if my company did this. we had a huge problem with it and no matter how often i told the customer to leave, then corprate would call right up and force me into processing thier return. anyway...im sorry you got blacklisted, but contact the company and see if you can get your report from them. bluefly should be able to unblacklist you! So you don't think it should be different for online stores?  I mean how can you fraudulently return something when you have a packing list proving you purchased it?  And if something is returned that is worn, then simply don't process the return and send it back to the customer after informing them, and charge them return shipping.

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I'm not really for or against blacklisting- honestly, as an honest consumer, its extremely annoying and insulting.  But- there are a ton of different ways to make fraudulent returns- espec in big places like this where the employees don't know all the merchandise.  People sew in the wrong tags into things- for example- they could buy a $350 Tracy Reese dress thats called, Tracy Reese black strapless dress- go to Target and buy a $20 cheapie black strapless dress, then sew the Tracy Reese tag back in, package it in the labeled bag, and get their money back- then they could keep the expensive dress or sell it for some sort of profit.  This stuff actually happens ALL THE TIME. 

Drew wrote:

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 I'm amazed people even have the gaul to do it.

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oh the stories i could tell...it would make your hair stand on end. i worked for a well-known cheap shoe store, we can call it laypess, and they agreed with whatever the damn customer wanted. no. matter. what.

im talking the guy who would buy a new pair of work boots, wear them for a couple of months, and then bring them back all beat up and want a new pair cause they fell apart too soon. he did this for about a year till finally our dm told us we were "allowed" to tell him to the the hell out of the store. but he is by no means the only one.

i think in the past stores have let people walk all over them and used the "the customer is always right" policy which screwed them in the end. now the pendulum is starting to swing the other way and they are going to get screwed again, because they are alienating good customers.

just be leary of anyplace that wants your driver liscence when doing returns, that's how the return exchange company works, it's tracked through your dl#. but let's not even go into the security issues of giving out your dl#.

actually maybe those of us on here that are upset about this should all email bluefly to let them know just what kind of business they will be losing. 

mara, i might post that on the lucky forum as well so it will get some more traffic.

Mara wrote:

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unreal!  i called the CS line as well and they were incredibly rude to me. they said they would pass my comments on to management, but at this time, cannot continue servicing me as a customer. drew, thank you for calling as well! i hope they lose alot of business- nothing is worse than bad customer service. i'm sure i could easily create a new acct. but i do not want to give them any more business at this point! relrel, thank you for posting that info and that returnexchange link. i can completely understand banning people who take advantage at stores like nordstroms, where they'll take anything back. people that abuse that can easily buy things, wear them, return them, etc. and have a ton of new fun clothes to wear all the time. but that's NOT what i was doing or anything close! it's just ridiculous and i am incredibly insulted. 

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if i was in your place i would feel insulted too. you really are being punished for other people's actions. sorta like two bad kids in class are smarting off but the teacher assigns extra homework to every one. im just flabberghasted that the cs can't just look at your customer account screen and go "oh, yes, i see you are right. you do have a good return to buying ratio. we are sorry about this. let me rectify the situation right away."

hmm, you actually have me sorta scared to buy from online retailers now. i do tend to return stuff from online stores because lots of stuff doesn't fit the way it looks like it should from a picture. im gonna start calling retailers before i buy. i wonder if anthro, uo, or delias does this?

i just called bluefly cause i wanted to complain as well (note: i haven't ever bought something from them...but this still sucks. sisters in solidarity!) and they said that:

1. this is a completely in house thing...they do not work with any tracking company like the return exchange.

2. this is a new policy and will be put onto thier website under return policy as soon as they can. (bullshit...im pretty sure it's illegal to not have a written policy if it is against standard practices)

3. calling won't do a lick of good because the people who answer phones are "agents". the only way for your voice to be heard, and the only way for you to request your name to be taken off of thier list, is to email them.

 

My email to them:

"Hello, I have recently informed by another of your customers that you have a
limitation on the number of returns a customer can make, and once that limit is
reached no more orders can be placed.

My first question is what is this limitation?  Is it based on a percentage or is
it a flat number or dollar amount? 

My second question is why isn't this policy posted on your site in your return
policy?  This seems like a plicy that your customers should have notice of.
Perhaps they would be more selective in ordering if they knew they would be cut
off after too many returns.

My third question is how you expect your customers to always know their exact
size or fit without trying something on?  Unless I am missing something...you
don't have a brick and mortar store, right?  Additionally, a person cannot
inspect the fabric type or exact colors without seeing the item.

I do not know of any store that currently penalizes customers for wanting to try
on too many items or no longer allows people in their store or to purchase if
they do so.  I know many people that don't know what size to order and will
order two sizes...or have an event to go to and will order a couple different
styles.  That same person will want to return the item that does not work out.

I realize that there are many people that may abuse return policies, but I feel
like this kind of policy is penalizing LOTS of honest, loyal customers.  My
biggest problem is that your customers get NO notice of this policy until AFTER
they have been blacklisted.  Why not give someone a warning?

I appreciate you reading my email and look forward to hearing your answers."

Bastards! here was my email:

I recently heard from a friend about your new policy of blacklisting customers who make too many returns--a policy, I might add, which went into effect without notice or warning. My friend did not discover the policy until her recent order was abruptly cancelled.

I don't have any idea how an internet-only store that doesn't offer its customers the opportunity to try on clothes or even see them in person can pursue such a policy, but obviously that's your prerogative. Especially given the fact that customers themselves pay for returns, so it doesn't cost the company any extra money when an item is returned.  So I will be exercising my prerogative not to shop with bluefly any longer. Please remove me from your mailing list immediately.

I hate to use the b word but I am boycotting Bluefly. I am still boycotting Express since they instituted this policy. I have actually never bought anything from Bluefly but merchandise is marked up so much in all retail stores to cover returns, stolen goods and other loses. For an internet store NOT to except returns is unacceptable. They have lost my business which they never had and never will have.

nyc_shopgirl wrote:

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I hate to use the b word but I am boycotting Bluefly. I am still boycotting Express since they instituted this policy. I have actually never bought anything from Bluefly but merchandise is marked up so much in all retail stores to cover returns, stolen goods and other loses. For an internet store NOT to except returns is unacceptable. They have lost my business which they never had and never will have.

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i think i might have to join in on this. in general i think bluefly has a high mark-up for what it is. but this is just ridiculous and seems so counterintuitive. obvs people that return a lot are people who buy a lot of stuff there. they are just punishing loyal customers.