Oh good lord. That’s what I said when I got off the plane after a blissful week+ getaway with my wonderful fiancé. My blissful state quickly gave way to several emails from community members, plus two upset emails from personal shopping customers. Upset about what you ask? Anthropologie’s increasingly shitty customer service.
Sorry to put it so bluntly, but the situation calls for such swear words. I am amazed at how quickly the goodwill of Anthropologie’s cute Holiday 2018 collection has turned into a pure dumpster fire of horrible business decisions. That’s before I talk about two more emails in my inbox from the Urban Outfitters ‘dispute management department’ (one from Anthro and one from Free People, Urban is the parent company of both).
Firstly, let’s talk about the community emails I received. In large part everyone who wrote was disappointed in Anthropologie’s choice to hold an extra 50% off sale promo this past weekend, but making all purchases final sale. Anthropologie is far from the only retailer to do final sale on bigger discounts. That part doesn’t bother me. What bothers me is that so much of Anthro’s stuff is online only that it seems crazy to tell customers they can’t return an item they’re taking a chance on. Further, the quality issues have not been solved at Anthropologie, so a customer may very well receive a previously worn item, an item that has been damaged, returned and somehow put back into the queue for sale, or — as in my case — the wrong item altogether!
At the same time that Anthropologie is tightening its fist around its return policy to a rather Draconian degree, it’s also making more and more items final sale. Is this really a wise business decision? Hang on, before I get to that…
…let’s talk about the other thing I’ve received a bunch of emails about. Several people have reached out to me (sometimes mistakenly thinking I work for Anthro, which I do not!) about either an item missing from their Anthropologie order or receiving the wrong item altogether. Alas I myself was a victim of the latter and it’s turned into pure hell. As I shared in the comments of this post, I had ordered a coat during Anthropologie’s Black Friday sale, and I received…a pair of shoes. Not willing to chance the shoes getting lost on the way back to Anthro’s warehouse, I brought the shoes to a NYC Anthropologie and returned them in person. The store couldn’t give me a receipt (there’s no way to indicate wrong item received in Anthro’s system which is another great business decision) but the store was very helpful and promised to reach out to Customer Service on my behalf. Which they did — later that day I got a thank you message from Anthro’s customer service for returning the incorrect item I’d received.
Now Anthropologie is claiming that they never got the shoes, and I am livid. I’m not alone either. I’ve received at least 12 — TWELVE — emails from customers in the same boat as me, including two of my personal shopping clients. We all received the wrong item in our orders, we all either sent back or returned the incorrect item to a store, and ALL of us received a terse email from Anthropologie saying our accounts are on hold until we return an incorrect or altogether missing item. In two of the cases Anthropologie is claiming their warehouses never received the item they sent back. Great customer service!
Likewise, I received an equally terse email from Free People about a hold on my account. Free People, who you may remember from the same comment as my wrong Anthro order in this post sent my order to the wrong address, claimed it was my fault, and then told me rudely to file a claim with my credit card company because they would not be refunding me for their error. So, I did file a claim and of course my credit card company told Free People that duh, they were in the wrong. And now Free People has put a hold on my account until I pay them the money for an order they sent to the wrong address.
——
So quite plainly, it seems to me that Urban Outfitters as a corporation has adopted a stance of “We hate our customers and don’t trust them.” This has at least been my personal experience since Thanksgiving (ironic). I mean, I’m just a Managing Director at my job but doesn’t this seem like a really dumb business decision? I don’t know, maybe a retailer should be treating its customers with respect and gratitude? Just an idea. Maybe I’m crazy.
As someone who has passionately loved Anthropologie since 2003 and spent probably close to $50k there, and certainly over $10k at Free People, plus all the money I’ve made for them via personal shopping clients, movie/TV shoots and so on, it’s shocking to be treated this way. Who has time to deal with idiotic customer service decisions for days? Especially when there is no way to reach an executive customer service rep who can actually think off-script??
I can’t even muster anger about it anymore. I’m just sick of shopping being so hard at Anthropologie and Free People. It shouldn’t be hard to spend money! It should be a joyous, enriching experience that makes me excited to shop there again as soon as possible. I work a day job. I’m planning a wedding. I’m caring for my Mom. (And I know that you community are also living busy lives.)
It’s a total first world problem, but I don’t want to have to deal with crappy final sale policies. I don’t want to have to deal with increasingly hard to follow return policies that don’t make sense when the quality of items are not that great. I’m over having to wrangle with un-empowered, poorly trained customer service reps and policies that don’t make sense. I spent yesterday returning every non-gift I’ve purchased from Anthro and Free People since Thanksgiving. I couldn’t even look at that stuff without feeling burned.
There are too many other great shopping options out there. I’m putting my spending dollars to retailers that 1) reward me for shopping there, 2) show appreciation for me being a loyal customer and most importantly 3) have customer service and quality control! I can’t tell you how awful it feels being treated like crap by two brands I’ve loved for so long.
I’m OVER IT. I’ll still talk about Anthro here because I know y’all love them, but I canceled my Free People partnership/sponsorship and I can’t imagine buying anything from Free People, Anthropologie (or BHLDN, which makes me so sad with my wedding coming up) for a good long time. I just can’t be one of those Influencers who lies through my teeth when brands treat us like crud for the money. It’s not worth my moral compass being knocked off of True North.
So no. No more Anthro or Free People purchase until they fix this crap.No I’m not using my January birthday discount at either store. Happy Birthday, Eff You seems to be their message anyway.
I want to show them with my wallet that I think their customer service sucks, I think they’re alienating loyal customers, and I’d rather spend where my money is welcomed and I’m not made to jump through hoops if an item doesn’t work out.
I know you have thoughts community. Please feel free to discuss in the comments. (I have a super heavy January travel schedule, but will join the discussion as I can!)
Roxy, thank you for making the community aware of what is going on! I have not bought anything from Anthro in a very long time (I too have been a fan forever!) I have a pair of joggers from Free People (a Stitch Fix splurge) and now I'm hesitating even contacting Free People (actually my best bet is to contact SF directly in this case and their CS is amazing). I know you are so busy Roxy but thank you again for taking the time to bring us all up to speed on these major issues! A company cannot survive without great customer service!
So disappointing but not surprising. I see a lot of influencers using Aerie, Nordstrom, Loft etc and never anthro-they are really missing out!
Roxy, I think this may be my first comment on your blog. I've been a fan since 2011 and love you and the community here. I've appreciated that you have continued the blog even as many others have faded away. I can't wait to read about your wedding! I have been married for 15 years but will live vicariously through your planning.
I want to say I think it's awful the way Anthropologie and Free People are handling their errors with you. Sadly I am not surprised because my sister went through this exactly. Two years ago she placed an Anthropologie order and received a necklace instead of a sweater she'd ordered. She contacted customer service and they said to send the necklace back. My sister did, and then like you Anthropologie put a hold on her account a month or two later saying they'd never received the necklace. I think she wrote a letter to the Anthropologie CEO and he finally fixed it. But by then she was over Anthropologie. It left a bad taste in my mouth too.
No one likes being made to feel like a crook, Anthropologie. Least of that a loyal customer.
UGH! I agree. This is so painful. I grew up loving Anthropologie and hoping one day I could afford to shop there.
Finally, when I was 25, I worked there for 2 years (2013-2015) and grew the most beautiful wardrobe. I spent my entire paycheck and loved it. I made amazing friends (very few of whom are still employed by Anthro)
It's so sad now to see how far Anthro has fallen. It's like falling out of love with someone you once thought was so special.
Please remember who you used to be, Anthro – please bring back classic silhouettes (although, let's all be grateful the cold shoulder look never took off) gorgeous print, amazing fit and quality. I can only imagine what it's like to work at Anthro now. When I was there, we were told by our manager to try our hardest to say "That's no problem!" and make magic happen in the store. We had so much love for the brand, that it was easy to be helpful to the customers. I feel bad for the customer associates now. I imagine they're being trained to say, "No! … That's a Problem!"
I hope Anthropologie does something to win their customers back. Free shipping with no minimum would be a good start! But it seems like they're only creating policies to alienate their customers. What happened with all these surveys they sent out? Was the response, "Please take away your amazing customer service!!!"
But there are some other great stores out there that I love, like Mata Traders – an ethical fashion company, with very cute designs, that could really use our love!
I am so happy to have stumbled across this post! I was feeling like I was going crazy! I too ordered a bundle of merchandise from Urban Outfitters. Upon receiving my merchandise the most expensive item was all together missing! I’ve worked in retail for 10+ years so I was pretty confident when it comes to these situations. I called customer service immediately. Thinking my situation would be received with an apology in store. Instead I got a “we are not responsible for missing merchandise once it leaves our warehouse.” They provided me with the weight of the merch once it left their site. To me this provided no proof as one of their warehouse workers could have easily weighed the merch, printed the label and then take whatever merch they wanted to out before shipping it off. I had asked for them to review footage of the date and time my package was shippped. Once again, “they are not responsible”. They had told me to take it up with my bank and file an incident report. Of course, once they disputed I got my money back. But now, I have been hit with the lovely account on hold until I pay my funds. As if I was going to be shopping with them again! Urban has been my main stop shop for everything! But, in this degree of retail apocalypse I will gladly put my money with a company that puts value in their customers instead of one that punishes them for their own mistakes. Thank you thank you thank you for writing this!
I was at a Chicago suburb store and mentioned to the sales person how unhappy I was with the final sale decision and she said if you want to be able to return, you can buy at 40% off, not 50%. Has anyone else been told that?
I def. would have verified this w/a manager if I had made a purchase… but found nothing I wanted to buy which has been the case for quite awhile and makes me so sad.
Wow – just wow!!! Hope they see this blog and make changes. And apologize.
It does feel like a love affair gone sour. I had the same experience but also paid $55 in duty which I could never recoup. I was eventually credited for the item I never received but that took at least two months and numerous phone calls to customer service. After that, I have never ordered online. I used to find Free People customer service exemplary but recently they just seem rude. Roxy, I am so sorry to hear that you too have had such awful experiences given the incredible support you have given to both branches of the company. I hope that it is sorted tout suite. Sad, so sad.
Thanks, Roxy, for sharing both your experiences and that of others that have opened up to you (or vented) about their experiences. This past weekend was pretty much the nail in the coffin for me with Anthropologie too. I've been increasingly unhappy with them for the past few years, but when I peeked at my wishlist to see that a few items I'd been coveting that had sold out full price months ago were not only back in stock, but were on sale AND 50% off but FINAL SALE I closed out of the site and deleted it from my saved sites. That was just IT. It's not fun anymore, I'm not buying much there anymore (or rather, not keeping much of what I buy), and of the 5 items I've kept that I got there this fall/winter, 1 already looks like garbage, and the other wrinkles so badly it's embarrassing to wear. As Marie Kondo would say – their clothes no longer give me joy.
I also had a bad experience last month where an item was misdelivered and I threatened to call my credit card, and like you I was told I'd be banned. Fortunately the piece did show up eventually, but I promptly returned it because I was so angry. I should have put the brakes on then – any company that resorts to extortion as a business practice should not be worth anyone's time.
I read UO's last quarterly report a while back, and it looks like these obnoxious practices are working out for them financially. I wonder if this is what's emboldening them to take even harsher measures. It's going to bite them in a big way in the long run. They're steadily losing their long-time customer base, and the market they are chasing (debt-ridden millennials and still-dependent on parents Gen Z) with shady incentives like Afterpay (here's a great article on Afterpay and what it does: https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/1/14/18178772/… ) is gong to collapse when these groups inevitably have no more money to borrow or spend.
Wow! I’m speechless!
Bummer Anthro. I think they are checking our patience ( loyal customers like me). But it’s definitely enough. Their horrible promos and return policies ? I’m keeping myself away from definitely online orders as well as anthro till the time they fix everything
This is a big bummer but anthro really needs to get their shit together.
I had not even realized that the sale this weekend was final sale. I am glad I did not order anything online, I would have been sooo pissed off and SOL. Thanks for staying on top of this. My money goes more to Madewell and I find tops on ebay. Anthro is really moving in the wrong direction! I even bought a chair on the Black Friday weekend, which I had been thinking about for months. I saved on the shipping because it was at an Anthro & Co store. Otherwise, I have only bought a little since then and no plans now!
Roxy, you have inspired me to return all my Anthro and FP non-gift purchases of late. Enough is enough.
I'm not even angry at these dumb business decisions anymore- just a shrug and a sad walking away. I've been going into the store once or twice a month just to see if anything good from the website turns up returned in the sale section but my (ridiculous and unreturned) loyalty and patience are pretty much gone. Final sale on things that aren't even that marked down says to me they don't have faith in their products and just want to offload them for the cash. Ugh.
The SA was telling people on the weekend that it was because anthro has never offered 50% off like that (right, not like every January since that store opened in 2012?) and also failed to actually inform me it was final sale until the purchase was completed! (I only bought a Tiny dress because it actually was on super sale)
Certainly those old warm fuzzy feelings are long gone. So frustrated for all of you that have had these long-term issues because of THEIR shipping errors! That sucks!
Oh so true. Roxy, you are speaking all of my thoughts as well. I hardly shop there anymore for all the same reasons..and well, yes, it still makes me sad. If I want to get back a bit of the days of old…I head over the the Bridgeport store because its still the small boutique vibe..( the clothing quality is another old subject but..) Yes. the CS is horrid. I dislike the store downtown and hardly go there anymore. They have literally ruined everything that was EVER good about this store.
It makes me so sad, but I completely agree. I used to love Anthro because they were SO customer focused, and they had beautiful high-quality products that they stood behind. Now, I feel like their products are missing the mark in style and quality, and their customer service has been just abysmal. A big order of Christmas presents I ordered was misdelivered to the wrong state (which the tracking clearly indicated – a random shipping dock where someone signed for it). I fought for weeks to get them to either refund or reship my items, but they were incredibly hard to deal with and it probably took 15 calls. Eventually they got returned to Anthro by whoever received them, and they still refused to refund my money while they “investigated.” It’s such a weird choice to assume your customers are wrong when they have an issue, but I’ve gone from spending thousands there to cutting ties as well.
They once told me my account was on hold because I went to my credit card over their mistake. I LAUGHED at them, hung up on them, and the next day ordered something to see if the account really was on hold (the order went through). So this threat is not new but only seems to be used when you have the nerve to go to your credit card company to resolve an issue.
Recently I went over my orders from the past year and was surprised at how little I actually ordered. Probably 25% as compared to previous years — why the decrease??? Because their clothing is shit!!! (I don't mind dropping a swear word)
Thank you Roxy for leading me out of the Anthro abyss 🙂
Good for you, Roxy, for standing up for yourself in the face of this rude treatment and backing up your stance with action. For YEARS you have helped Anthropologie and Free People promote their brand and products, and this is the treatment you get? And the saddest thing is we've all been there, as the comments above attest. So…In the spirit of solidarity and shared frustration, I'm standing beside you and avoiding all Urban Outfitter brands for the next 3 months, minimum (January is my birthday month as well). It's true, like you said, that this is a first-world problem. But wrong is wrong and the way we protest customer mistreatment, crappy service, and eroding quality in this system is with our pocketbooks.
I have had a similary weird issue. First, I learned both from Nordstrom and Anthropologie that you cannot use the return slips they send (they items disappear into the great black abyss). You need to go in your order history and start the return there as the item is then tracked from drop off (it can also be from the slip sent but the one you create is linked to your account so they know you returned it). Then, get a tracking slip when you drop the item off at the shipper. I ordered a dress in two different sizes (as I was not sure which would fit, needed it for an event and it was online only). I returned via USPS with tracking the size I did not choose. The item was dropped of at anthropologie and signed for but I could not get a credit. They could not find it. I must say though giving the tracking number with their signature did finally get me the refund. How can you not get a refund when they are the ones who clearly lost it at their location (even CS could not argue it was not received). I must admit they tried to say it may have been received and there was in issue but in the end I won. Maybe I am banned, who knows and really I don't care much.
Roxy the exact same crap has happened with me ! They have blocked my account for not returning a dress. I have even sent them a image of the shipping label and they won't budge. I have spent $30,000 on anthro in the past 5-6 years but will not be spending a single dime there ever again. I sold my gift cards on Ebay as I can't tolerate them anymore.
So sad how they are determined to destory themselves soon. I can see it coming
I was luck in that USPS in this case gave me the signature so they could not dispute they received it. Now they are even taking pictures in some cases so the tracking number is key in the returns. To be fair, I have had the same issue with Nordstrom which is how I learned as I had to eat a $200 jacket from them.
It feels almost like Anthropologie got bought out by another company and got gutted and rehabbed from the inside-out. The people who made it special are all gone and it's another team steering the ship, using the Anthropologie brand. It's not *REALLY* Anthropologie, at least not at the core, but a shell of what was.
Makes it easier for me to detach myself from my prior fondness for them. I've had a lot of fun tracking down things I'd wanted in years past on the secondhand market.
Me too!!! And at a better price than I would have originally paid!!!!
Yeah – I've bought waaaay more vintage Anthro than new this year (wearing some now) and it's so much nicer.
Anthropolitan, I'm having so much fun doing the same.
What sites do you find good selection? EBay and Poshmark?
thats kind of what I've been using
Yes, both of those.
I've also got a richness of consignment shops in my area – those are great sources too.
Guys, I am selling just about everything I own right now and that includes a large Anthro wardrobe acquired 2008-current. Please feel free to check out my Poshmark closet, I’m @starrynight24 Prices are totally negotiable. Roxy, please delete if you aren’t cool with this! I would just love my stuff to go fellow Anthro lovers that I’ve in a way gotten to know here on your blog. I’m adding more and more every day I have some time.
I did buy 2 items during the 50% off sale. A candle and a dress that I'm taking a chance on, however, just received the first email cancellation notice for the candle and as the dress has yet to ship, I expect a cancellation email to be coming soon. Honestly, I'll be relieved. It's time to move on to companies with products they will stand behind and who offer excellent customer service. Garnet Hill comes to mind. I wore a sweater from GH last night that is at least 5 years old and had two people ask me where I got it. It still looks brand new. Roxy is right, it's silly to have to work so hard to shop at Anthro!
This is an interesting article from 2002: https://www.fastcompany.com/45703/sophisticated-s… that talks about Anthropologie's rise to the top (a bit of a long read but illustrates how far they've strayed). “One of our core philosophies,” explains Anthropologie president Glen Senk, “is that we spend the money that other companies spend on marketing to create a store experience that exceeds people’s expectations. We don’t spend money on messages — we invest in execution.” I point this out because not only has their customer service gone down the toilet but also their store experience got flushed as well. They are now selling all of their one of kind displays in the store. Has anyone else noticed this? I haven't experienced terrible customer service personally. My biggest gripe is the crappy clothing and boring store appearance. It now looks like every other store in the mall.
I well remember that article, and always thought it was the special leadership vision that made Anthropologie what it became, and when all those people were replaced by industry insiders who only looked at quantitative data and run-of-the-mill trend reporting this new path was set.
Now it is a race to the bottom. The few items of high quality are online only, but so well hidden that it is pure luck finding them, unless they are a store return. I can't even find enough to fill a page on my wishlist, and those items are online only. One of the stores I visited in Virginia looks like it will be closing soon, and a newer on outside of Richmond hardly has any people in it when I walk by (I rarely bother to go in)
The customer service issues are becoming the final nail in the coffin.
I couldn't agree with you more, Eina, and well put. "A race to the bottom" is accurate and now it's just a case of sit back and watch the Titanic sink. I'll say it again; It's a shame. I used to have to hold myself back from purchasing too much, and now I can't hardly find anything that I want to purchase. When I do go in, it's a 10 minute walk through and I'm done. Nothing there to get my attention. Do they need an entire stationary department? No. Bring back more clothing into the stores. Do they need an entire beauty department? No. Bring back more clothing into the stores. Do they need an entire candle department? No. Bring back more clothing into the stores. Okay, I think I've made my point. But a second point is by now I'm so frustrated by shopping there that I'm done. It's just unrewarding and that's not good for any retailer.
Oh man…fortunately I haven't been sent any wrong merchandise or had my account put on hold, but I'm worried about a pair of shoes I recently returned by mail!
I too have spent THOUSANDS at Anthro over the last 10 years, and I'm disappointed by the customer service changes of late.
My troubles recently with Anthro have included: their revised PA policy, the fact that some stores say they can do free charge-sends while other stores say charge-sends are no longer done, their customer service line which can't locate items in the United States for me (I have to call individual stores and ask them to search their own stores and in their area, but I can't call the entire US, so I guess I'm not buying those hard-to-find items anymore!), not being able to return shoes in-store (ugh, I hate dealing with mailing packages and just HOPING they arrive and that my money is returned in time), and of course, final sale. I can't buy things final sale when the whole point of online shopping is being able to try things on and return them if they don't fit or aren't high quality. Sigh!
I didn't realize shoes can't be returned in store anymore. And they still don't have proper size info, or even correct material description.
I agree that along with decreasing quality and increasing prices along with no sense of “ individuality” or “ uniqueness” in their items, their policies of late suck. While my closest three stores have great Personal shoppers, I do notice a high turnover of managers and sales associates. The store closest to me has had at least 4 store directors in the past 2 years. Most of the managers are nice, but some are lazy and don’t care. I do tons of ship to store ( I refuse to pay shipping!) and at least 1/2 the time, they can’t find the items, the items get cancelled, the items don’t ship or take weeks-like 4 or more!- to get to my store, they ship the wrong item…. it’s just a crapshoot and I never know what’s going to happen when I go to pick the items up. I only ever keep 25% of what I’ve ordered due to fit, fabric, not as described, etc. and I’m sure they hate me for returning most of it but I don’t care-then don’t offer ship to store. Plus I feel like 1/2 the SAs don’t feel like looking for backstock on items that may be in-store. Do they want to make a sale or not?
I miss the beautiful embroidered sweaters, whimsical tops, ladylike skirts. Think it will ever come back?
And ps as for the PA policy, whenever possible I just rebuy it and return it. Ethical? No. But it’s lame that they changed the pa policy.
A few months ago I ordered a dress online. I received a bathing suit with a receipt for someone in Nebraska. I don' t live anywhere near Nebraska, and the name on the receipt was not mine. I called CS and they resent the dress and advised me to return the bathing suit. When I took it to my local store and explained the situation, the sales clerk called CS and they advised her that my dress went to Calif ( nope, don't live there either), and had been returned to a store there a few days earlier. A few weeks later, I received an email stating that my account was closed and I was banned from shopping because I never returned to dress to replace the one they resent. In case this is hard to follow… that was the dress I never got. The one that was sent to CA and returned by someone who no doubt did not get whatever she ordered.
Last week, I returned a sweater that was not the one I ordered. Same color, but nothing like the one I ordered. I also returned a shirt that was not what I ordered. The clerk was reluctant to take it back because it didn' t match the receipt or my order history. This is more than just fluke errors, but a pattern of poor quality assurance and customer service. Very sad to see the decline of a once great retailer.
How about the pilling???? All that cloudfleece stuff pills and washes terribly. So does many of their sweaters as of late. Cheap!!!! Stuff is crammed in their sales room, falling off hangers, missing buttons/ beads, with holes! So very disappointed.
Pilling, holes..etc.
This is "complete dumpster fire" status. I never thought Anthro would get this bad even after I lost confidence in their style and material.
When I moved into the city a few months ago, they banned my new address saying that my "zipcode was a high fraud risk." Meanwhile my neighbor in the same building was getting packages from them. I emailed pictures as evidence but naturally CS wouldn't rectify the issue.
Now after reading what you all have been enduring I can see that I was done a huge favor.
I smell a huuge lawsuit on the way.
Lindinha – banning an entire zip code doesn't sound legal. I googled it and what companies shipping to high risk areas are advised to do is to get extra verification from customers – there was nothing about refusing to ship.
Thanks Anthropolitan!
I figured this couldn't be legit but I don't have the desire to fight them on it. They've won this round (or lost depending on how you look at it).
Totally get it – you shouldn't have to be the one trying to convince them to let them have your business – it should be the other way around!
I am honestly shocked they have not already hd a ton of lawsuits. I rented a place in Chicago and shortly after I moved in, I learned my specific address was banned. The previous tenant had some issue with the company so they canceled my orders any time I placed an order. It was super annoying because i loved antro.
I think I know what might have happened here! Did this happen right after you moved?
Credit card companies allow merchants to check if a customer's submitted billing zip code matches what the bank has on file for them — if it matches, your zip code is "verified", if it doesn't, you fail zip code verification. Failing zip code verification is very often correlated with a credit card being stolen (because the thieves don't often have access to the correct billing address). It's not *always* correlated though (as in your case, where you probably just hadn't updated your address yet!), so sometimes a bank will allow the transaction to go through anyway, and it's up to the merchant to say, "hrm, the bank approved the charge, but this zip failure still makes us feel nervous that you're a fraudster so we're going to reject it ourselves." It sounds like that is what Anthro did. They did NOT ban your whole zip code, and I wish they had taken the time to explain the decision to you properly instead of saying that, because you could have fixed the issue quite easily.
Thanks for your insight Anjali! What you described happened to me at the gas pump a few times after I moved and it was super annoying.
In Anthro’s case, I can actually use my cc (with “fraudulent” address) to checkout online if I use the ship to the store feature. I’ve been doing that since Black Friday. But if request shipping to my address then my order gets immediately cancelled which is indicative of an Anthro block.
So while I doubt that everyone in my zip code is blocked it doesn’t seem to be the credit card itself. One thing I haven’t tested yet is ordering something in the store and having the item ship to my address. I could try that just out of curiosity. CS told me it wouldn’t work on Black Friday and I never bothered to check because it’s still inconvenient.
I ordered something over the weekend from the sale and I expect the cancelation notice any time now. Sigh.
All of these horror stories make me reluctant to want to purchase anything again from Anthro's online store. I think reporting them to the BBB and your state's consumer agency might be in order if they are playing this "you're banned because we screwed up" game. That might get the head honchos' attention.
You are SO spot on in every single thing you said! Thank you for your strong and confident voice. I agree that speaking with our wallets is the best and maybe only way to let Anthro know they’re losing their loyal following.
Wow, I hardly I shop at Anthropologie anymore (this is in and of itself insane, in 2008 I was basically direct depositing my paychecks to Anthro, and in all of 2018 I bought one item, a comforter), so was totally unaware that they had resorted to final sale. Personally I'm still reeling from their return policy overhaul, and was not prepared to see them go the J.Crew route on top of that!
I'm even more disappointing to hear about the insane customer service issues though. That was one thing that set Anthro apart for many years, and it sounds like even that is disappearing. TBH, part of me suspects that the shutting down of people's accounts is not just mulish retaliation to customers who dare address order issues with their CC companies, but perhaps due more to mild incompetence. Merchants frequently (and justifiably!) shut down accounts associated with fraudulent credit card disputes, because that customer is probably using a stolen payment method. But it sounds like they're just broadly shutting down accounts associated with any type of dispute, including benign product not received/refund not granted disputes, which is just foolish.
These days, I'll browse Anthro's new arrivals page once every couple months, but with only the occasional cute clothing item to be found and the hostility to customers, I think I'll stop bothering to do even that.
Good luck with wedding planning Roxy! Excited to see your planning process and choices 🙂 (And in place of BHLDN, may I suggest Nordstrom's wedding boutique, who were a dream for me to work with! They even flew in gowns from a designer's London boutique for me when they didn't have samples in inventory.)
Direct deposit…lol. Yes, same for me. I LITERALLY could have been doing that back then too. Ugh. EVERYTHING was pretty much amazing.
That was me too st one time. I got banned once over an item I didn’t receive, credit card charged. I emailed Anthro to no avail. I reached out to Amex, who credited me. Item was under $40 bucks. Next thing I’m getting banned for going to my credit card company. They hadn’t responded to me and … I emailed Corp and spoke to a few people and got it cleared up, but what a nightmare, like I was a criminal after spending thousands there. My ENTIRE wardrobe was Anthro at one time. Now not so much.
I was a loyal loyal anthro shopper for 7 straight years and thousand of dollars later they shut down my account without even giving me a fair warning. At some level, I am offended and also very upset that they haven't provided any options but a nasty email stating that we shouldn't contact them ever again. I don't think they ever took into account an overall spend or provide other options – in store shipping etc. As an ex-ecommerce product manager I would think they would have considered that rather than losing customers.
In any case not bothering with them any longer – stitchfix, nordstrom, madewell are excellent and hopefully will continue to stay that way. More savings for me in the end.
I'm a former employee. The directive was "Make this the most amazing shopping experience the customer could ever have." She should be gobsmacked – utterly astonished and astounded. Over time it all changed. It pains me to reveal that. I left over a year ago and am working at a small retail chain that still very much believes in customer service. Trust me, it's as much a pleasure to work there as it is for our customers to shop with us. I feel sorry for everyone at Anthro who has to enforce these awful new rules. I also have a feeling they lost a lot of good people because of them.
Reading Roxy's post and all of the comments makes me so frustrated for each person(s) who had had to go through ridiculous experiences with Anthro, It's just not right. Back in October, I made an order to Anthro for a butterfly ring and some Christmas decor for my tree. I actually received the ring in a thin plastic mailer wrapped in 1 piece of tissue paper! My ring was completely smashed flat! Who the heck sends a ring in a mailer with no protective wrapping? I was so frustrated and appalled that someone would send an item of jewelry like that. Then in a larger box, I received a large roll of glass ball string lights and some garland. The glass balls were packaged in a cardboard round tub and there was bubble wrap wrapped around the middle but not the top or the bottom where the glass bulbs were exposed and not protected. At first, I didn't notice that they were broken into hundreds of teeny tiny pieces on both the top and the bottom, it was a massive nightmare trying to clean the tiniest shards of glass that went EVERYWHERE. I have had issues with damaged items in the past from Anthro but this just put me over the edge. I wrote them a handwritten note about these issues with the items I returned but I doubt it did anything. Though thankfully they did accept my return (as they should!). What their CS is doing, and the practices Anthro has been doing lately is just wrong and has to stop! I'm over it as well as many of you. I truly hope they listen to their customers and get it together, but I'm not holding my breath. It's really disappointing and sad.
Thank you Roxy! I haven’t spent a penny there in a year outside of a gift card I was given for my birthday. The trends are lacking the whimsical creativity that made the brand, the quality nose dived, and the customer service is horrendous! I do hope you continue your fashion blog showcasing other brands and stores worthwhile of our hard earned money.
On the positive note, while customer service via phone (and maybe in many stores) and mail sucks, the crew at the Anthro in Short Hills are still great. Very willing to help. I recently was in SanFrancisco and that store was wonderful also. So there are some nice stores out there. Zara in SF had a huge sale and poor customer service but we did do most of our shopping there as the sales were insane. Quality also not there but what do you expect for $17.99.
Hi Shari- I miss folks at SH store. Only stepped foot in Boca Anthro I think 2x in past 18 mos. That is a record.
I don't go much but when I do, they are super helpful. Jennifer is still there. I must say the folks in San Fran were great. My friend and I went for a walk and she needed something and anthro went to their stock room to get it (just a pair of tights). Boca is one of the places Hubby and I want to check out for retirement and if so, will give you a holler! Looks like you are enjoying life there.
That is good news about SH store. Is Nicole still there? Hey, please do give me a holler for sure. 79 today. Beautiful weather.
I have not shopped at Antro for 2 years for the exact reasons you describe!
I literaly used to spend a few hundred dollars there in a single month, but the quality and nightmarish customer service got me to stop.
I still hope they turn things around and rethink why and how they were once amazing.
So sorry to hear so many of you are experiencing these issues. I have not but that's because I shop in store mostly and haven't ordered anything online (which is necessary for my petite sizes) in many months. Hearing all your stories, I don't plan to either.
My main issue with Anthro is the cheap quality yet premium prices of so many of the clothes. I can't tell you how many cute tops I have been attracted to but walked away from because of cheap fabric. I look at them and think I'll spend $88, wear it twice, wash it, and then trash it.
I did buy a jean jacket (the one with the black and white knit sleeves) for about $50 from the sales room in December, but that's the only non-candle purchase I made most of last year.
I had almost the same thing happen recently. I ordered two items from Anthro that shipped separately. One arrived, but did not fit, so I returned it. The second item never arrived. Anthro refused to issue a refund and told me I would have to reverse the charge with my bank – but when I did they put a hold on my account. Then Anthro told my bank that the refund for the item I received and returned was actually the refund for the item I never received – so my bank reversed the reverse charge and gave Anthro back the money for an item I still do not have. I am now in the process of re-disputing the charge through my bank (which will probably result in yet another hold on my Anthro account). And this is not the first time I've had customer service issues with Anthro – they also put a hold on my account once because I returned an online purchase to a physical store (?!?). It feels so gross to be treated like a criminal by a store where I have spent so much money over the years.
I ordered last Friday when I saw that it was 50% off. it wasn't until I finished my order and was looking back at the site that I noticed it said all sales final. they've never had final sale before so I'm praying everything I ordered will fit. they already cancelled two of my items :(. I hate to let go of you anthro, but I haven't bought that much from there recently. been buying from nordstrom and Madewell and loft now.
Worth noting: Hillary Super has been the President of the Anthro brand since sometime in 2017. This is when everything started taking the death dive downward. Her prior experience is with companies like the Gap, Old Navy etc. It is no wonder Anthropologie has strayed from its original concept if that is her reference point. I do not have any knowledge or opinion of her but the timing seems indisputable. On the other hand, the Terrain stores look like the Anthropologie of yesterday. The Glen Mills store is a magical place. Their customer service is outstanding, in person and on the phone. Strange that there would be such a difference within a brand. Perhaps the President of Terrain should take over Anthropologie as well. A quote from Super's bio on the last page of the September '18 catalogue: "She has led her team in overhauling the product assortment, expanding into brave new categories, and improving service." So it would appear that perhaps we can thank Ms. Super for all the recent changes that we abhor: mainstream clothing, big name designers, dismissal of visual staff within a store, lousy return and PA policies, etc. Such a shame.
I live near the glen mills terrain too ?
If I lived closer I would live there in my spare time. Such a beautiful happy place 🙂
Agreed! Anthropologie is so different than what it was that originally drew me. As we've all mentioned, too much has changed, quality, customer service and design being the top themes. I've been looking for other stores that at least attempt to match the whimsical and beautiful nature of Anthro's previous offerings, without paying absurd prices. If anyone has suggestions… including starting a new Anthro that is the old Anthro.
Agree 100%. So far, everything I've seen that's similar to old Anthro is in the hundreds of dollars per item price range. I find that Sundance Catalog, Johnny Was, and similar bohemian stores, which are often recommended as replacements, have an older vibe.
Those are great brands! I have a hard time though, fitting into those brands, being very petite. Thats one of the things I used to love with Anthro – the petite sizing offerings that were truly true to size vs. vanity sizing. 🙁 White House Black Market occasionally has nice pieces that fit, but their range and style can't compare to vintage Anthro.
They also use a lot more natural fabrics: silk, cotton, and wool, not acrylic and polyester.
Vernacular is a local store that seems more like Ruche clothing than Anthro but still has a good vibe; they have a small online shop and seem to be growing all the time.
https://shopvernacular.com/
It's so sad. With many other retailers experiencing similar changes, I'm actually running out of places to shop for clothes. Maybe it's a first world problem, but it's still a real issue many other women I talk to have experienced (including those who don't follow fashion blogs). Maybe spring new arrivals will bring new life to some brands, I don't know anymore.
Wow – Anthro has finally fallen into the black hole. They had every chance to save themselves. If they had only listened to their customer base and stopped treating them like crap……..
Personally, I haven't had any bad experiences with Anthopologie, or with Free People. But I feel, after reading Roxy's post, and then all the comments, and seeing the patterns, that has just been because I've been *lucky.* That's not a good thing. I order all of my clothes online–since I live in an isolated rural area, the nearest stores are over an hour away–and I'm fine with paying my money, and taking my chances. And really, over the years, I have had very few purchases not work out. But I do expect that I shall either get the garment I purchased, or I will get a refund, and I'm not willing to take chances on that.
If this many people are speaking up about the exact same issues with them, then I have to wonder how many more people are out there stewing in silence. If the most loyal and long term of customers are leaving, then it must be so much easier for the casual customer to just shrug and walk away. It's not as though the poorly made garments (so much acrylic and polyester going on there) at laughter-inducing prices are much enticement to stay.
Time only moves in one direction, and the days when Anthropologie made clothes like this– http://bookpretty.blogspot.com/2014/09/librarian-… not come again. But those clothes are still out there, and all pricing and aesthetic advantages aside, I must say I feel better purchasing the older Anthropologie clothes from individuals running small businesses via ebay and poshmark than I do from the actual corporation.
As for those clothes I did buy from them, I shan't be returning them. I have worn them all several times, and while Anthropologie might not have standards, I still have a few. But otherwise, I'm shrugging and walking away.
I just saw the link in the above post doesn't work. Maybe this will be an improvement: http://bookpretty.blogspot.com/2014/09/librarian-…
OMG – these are so classic and still so pretty. Maybe time has come for me to just start my own thing with cotton and silk garment and not poly acrylic stuff. This is perfection.
Oh, I LOVED the catalogs and clothes back then! I guess I should be glad I spent "too much" every month at Anthro back then – those clothes are so classic and were worth the many, many times I wore them (and still do)!
Yes, these were the most beautiful clothing and if they made these types of designs now with good quality as they used to, they would be doing so well! I would spend much more. I wish I knew where some of their designers went so that I could follow them wherever they are now!
So sorry to hear about all these bad experiences! I've had a few here and there but I didn't realize that it really represents a shift in the attitude towards customers for the entire company (I'm referring to Anthro, I don't shop at FP or UO much). I actually went to your blog this morning because I had a disappointing CS experience today and was wondering if others experienced similar issues – and came across this post, how timely. I called to asked for price adjustment on an order that I placed yesterday and is still "processing" – and was told that since it was already on sale when I bought it, no further adjustments can be made (even though it hasn't even shipped). The CS representative's attitude was not pleasant either (though I understand they are just doing their job). It was a small amount of money anyway, but it sure took away the fun of shopping for a treat.
I just saw that the White Plains, NY store at The Westchester is closing for good.
I suspect that there will be a lot more store closings to come.
An order I placed says it is out for delivery in Dayton nj. PS I don't even live close to there. And it is a large order.
Oh no. Did you ever get! Was shipper Lasership? I had an issue around the holidays. One order arrived promptly ( both ordered within 30 min of each other) and other was MIA for a while …..tracking showed nothing. Lasership of course…..finally arrived. CS didn’t really seem to care.
replying to Lou:
The trend to lower quality started well before Hillary Super's tenure, under David McCreight. Both the type who rose through run-of-the-mill (running down a business) retailing. Once the original visionaries of a special company are gone, and the company is publicly traded, only short term results count. And we know how that ends.
You can look over past posts in Roxy's excellent blogs to follow that downward trajectory. Really, it all got much worse when that lucky combination of Johanna Uurasjarvi, Glen Senk, Keith Johnson left the company, starting in 2012. Then the other fantastic designers and probably more of the buyers were gone too.
On the bright side, new companies are founded all the time, so we're sure to find a new Anthro somewhere out there.
Eina, you make good points. David McCreight's background was Carmax and Under Armour If I remember correctly. Not exactly in line with Anthropologie's quirky creative vision. One thing I keep wondering though: how are the owners okay with seeing their original concept of Anthropologie disintegrate?
Clearly yes as the UO founder is still heading the company and must have played a big part in the personnel changes. As far as the creative heads, they've all moved on elsewhere, but I do wonder what they think of this.
as for the dividend?…..
I had a similar issue with receiving the wrong item twice but with the correct label on the plastic bag and I tried explaining the issue to the sales associate at the Anthro store but she gave me an attitude by saying "That's SO weird that it happens to you ALL the time. It never happens to me." I was annoyed by her attitude but brushed it off and told her "It's unfortunate but I do not know why it is happening to me. How is it my fault?" HOWEVER, I am completely livid when every time I now enter the store (it's a smaller sized Anthro), she's there following me around and whispering to another sales associate as if I am doing something wrong because of Anthro's mistake on my previous order. I no longer go to that Anthro because of how uncomfortable she made me for doing nothing wrong. Way to lose a long-time customer.
Hi all,
Been reading these comments with interest. Store closings, poor customer service, really bad stock tracking, no holiday catalogs, is Anthro in financial trouble?
Their last quarterly report was positive, so at the moment, no. We'll see how long that lasts.
Buyer Beware: Sale is Final Sale again at 50% off. They cannot give it away.
How embarrassing.
I'd like to mention a store that has great customer service. Boden. I recently returned 2 items totalling about $130. Boden sometimes takes a while to process returns being based in England but after 3.5 weeks I still hadn't got a refund. So I emailed them and they said they never got the package but issued me a full refund right then with no questions asked. I've had other encounters with Boden customer service and they have all left me happy. Another time a 4 month old top got a hole so I emailed them and they gave me store credit in the amount the top cost since it was no longer in stock.
I've had great success dealing with Boden's CS, too! Plus, the clothes are great quality and once you've figured out your sizing – easy to order. Returns are easy. No hassles. I love using the chat feature – the people I've dealt with have been very knowledgeable and pleasantly helpful.
I’ve also had good experiences with Boden.
Everything new that has come up on the site for the past few weeks has been a white poplin top or a sweatshirt. What is going on??
Yes!!! I just got their email for 50% off new items (Wear now/wear later) everything was sooooo beyond boring. What is going on?! I shop at Anthro for unique pieces. Probably for the best…it’s January and I need to save after the holidays!
These sudden burst of promotions (40, 50 percent off) are reminiscent of The Gap, especially since they seem to be more frequent. It was mentioned in a previous post how Anthro's current president came from there… Just makes me wonder even more about the direction Anthro is heading in. The longer the merchandise sits in the sale room the crappier it gets and promotions on stuff that should have already seen a markdown, well…. I can't even comment further… its just like one gigantic eyeroll.
I feel sort of sad reading this (as well as all the comments), like we are all saying goodbye. Haha. Like a lot of people, I used to buy a lot from Anthropologie but now not even bothering to browse or visit the store because I find nothing I really like. Since I’ve lost interest I haven’t been following as closely, so I had no idea about all these changes with return policy (like the shoes not being able to return in store?) and final sale and now these customer service issues! It feels like it’s nearing the end… that makes me a bit wistful because the store used to be somewhere I really took delight in shopping at. Sigh.
me too…. i was right across sidewalk from antrho after "girlfriends lunch" last week…. friend said " ya wanna go look at antrho first?" me: " no .. lets get outtta here and beat the traffic…" WHAT??? if I was anywhere NEAR that shopping center i stopped. And NOW that center charges to PARK! first 2 hours free then $$$
Barbara, the same thing is happening to me! I don't hardly bother to stop in anymore except to return something I bought online that doesn't fit/is cheap material. And it is a bad feeling when you order online, and get all happy and hopeful about the things that you ordered and then they arrive and: they don't fit/are cheap material/look bad. Now you have the added extra work of going to the store and returning. It's just a headache. I much preferred the old shopping method where most everything was in the store and you left with armloads of goodies. Now that is what I call Shopping Fun.
Same here….50% off, Xmas gift cards and nothing I even wanted to try out and order… Just looked at the Feb "Peek" and nothing caught my eye either except a $78.00 hair bow???? What…I seriously thought I looked at it incorrectly initially. The person who commented that the new president came from the Gap and that the current sales, etc reflect it… made so much sense…makes me truly sad that my favorite store is so awful these days in every way.
I think the highlight of the preview has got to be the Naples Dress. It looks like it could double as a slipcover for a couch. https://www.anthropologie.com/shop/naples-dress?c…
Yikes. I usually like the Seen Worn Kept stuff too.
I almost feel like they are playing a joke on customers…how horrible and expensive can we make things that customers will foolishly purchase? I just cannot imagine a buyer or designer would look at these clothes and seriously think people will buy them…I am not trained in fashion but I love style/ fashion and seriously confused about who makes these selections and why they keep bringing the same ugly overpriced clothing out each month. I know this topic has been analyzed to death…but it continues to bewilder me.
The gorgeous model even looks nostalgic for better days when she used to wear pretty Anthro clothes instead of sad sacks: https://effortlesslywithroxy.com/2011/10/eye-cand…
God I love that sweater. Wish I had bought it.
you can find them on eBay or Posh regularly.
Hideous! No other word for it.
It should be illegal to call that a dress. I genuinely feel bad for the model and she is obviously cringing as well!
That’s a ridiculous dress in my opinion according to Anthros standards ( well what it used to be) lol
Good lawd. I'm finding myself at a loss for words as I take in the waves of ugliness emanating from that bag they are calling a dress. It would be overpriced if they were only charging ten dollars for it.
I cannot imagine a lifestyle in wish those clothes would be OK to wear. They look too uncomfortable for casual and not appropriate for most offices. They do not look flattering even on models. Awfully overpriced for the most part.
Author
Hello everyone! Just checking in to say 1 – I have been reading all the comments on this thread — keep it up! And 2 – I have one more trip to go, back the first weekend of Feb and then posting shall resume!
So much great discussion here, I’ll reply to as many comments as I can when I’m back home.
Here’s a new one: charge sends are only done with an anthro gift card. So if the size doesn’t fit, you can only return for store credit. Sounds like it’s time for mass complaining.
That has been the case in Canada for several months now. It "allegedly" has something to do with credit card fraud but this is the case even if you are in an Anthro store so I don't see how that makes any sense at all. They just keep on digging their own grave. Good luck to them. They seemingly don't want anyone's business.
AGREE! I was IN store and using a gift card i had for more than a year that i wanted to use…i am confused now as to what exactly they did but they had charged by card instead of gift card for item they had to order….the whole point was I WANTED TO USE UP THE GIFT CARD! after much discussion back and forth with manager they returned the item and repurchased on gift card. whew! ackkkkkghhhhhhh
It's been that way here in the states for a while, too. Another reason I'm backing off. I used a gift card for something in November – the store sent the wrong item – my problem! Not theirs! When I was able to get to a store to return the item, I got store credit only. Honestly, I was trying to get RID of the gift card/store credit!
I have had a few stores that will send just with a credit card but that was earlier in 2018 so that may not be their standard anymore.
And when I finally got the plunge and ordered items on sale…this morning (and lmost a month later) all 3 items were cancelled. Go figure. My best friend called to tell me they cancelled all of her items this morning too. ?
See? Now that is just crazy and has happened to me numerous times. It is so annoying and with the technology available today there is NO reason for that at all!
Bought earrings that came in a thin see though envelope located outside a warehouse box containing a plate. Earrings broken. That's one. Ordered a fun teal dress and received a white one. I informed the customer rep and she was rude AF and acted like I was making it up. Brought it to the store almost two months ago and this week got a similar email with a hold on my account. I was told to call the store I returned it to and ask them to call customer service, since I threw the return receipt. I've noticed that Anthropologie expects the customer to do all the work for their screw ups. Their stores seem to only have shirts and I have to order the majority of my dresses online now. I'm returning a lot due to poor fitting and quality. I've been waiting for one dress for close to a month and the send by date keeps on getting pushed back; it was in stock when I ordered it. Winter will be over by the time I get it. They haven't had any fresh cuts in weeks and I'm beyond frustrated.
Update to this. I foolishly wanted to try on some dresses, since they're nowhere near me (my store only has GAP type attire, so pants and shirts), and got my order cancelled not one by twice within seconds. Received an email after the fact telling me that since they couldn't reach me by email, they cancelled my order. I was in a rage and called the store the next day. The Anthro clerk from the store I go to told me she called them to tell them I returned the dress (since that's what customer service said had to be done). I called the Customer Service Line and the lady told me that yes, they did receive the call from the clerk, so they would clear my account. WTF? SO I HAD TO ACTUALLY CALL TO GET THIS DONE? THIS HAPPEN WEEKS AGO. I HATE THEM!
The FOUR stores within 20 minutes of my house ALL have only GAP type attire. No dresses, no fancy stuff. I was thinking the other day that in the old days, I had been conditioned like a rat to go to Anthropologie as much as possible because I was rewarded each time with amazing clothing that I loved. I couldn't stop going in there. And in the past couple years, and definitely the last year, I have now been conditioned to not even stop in because I know it will be a disappointing experience and I will leave empty handed. Strange how everything did a complete 180.
Well, I couldn’t afford Anthro when it was incredible.id go in and dream. Now I can afford it and am presented with crap. An item I finally was able to order hasn’t been shipped yet but still shows it’s going to ship….by 1/31. Today is 2/4.
Sounds like time to say goodbye. There are so many places to buy clothes and Anthro clearly isn't working on many levels.
I am a former Anthro employee and longtime fan of the brand. I worked for the company for 4 years.
First off, during my interview, my store manager and I talked about YOUR BLOG. We knew who you were and how important your blog was for the company’s exposure and fan base. You of all people should be treated with respect by Urban.
Fun fact: the company has tried to cut corners and costs in many ways that the customers are paying for in terms of quality and service. When you order online, you think that you will get a packaged, never-before-worn item from a company warehouse. However, to cut costs, the store associates at the actual brick and mortar stores are filling out those orders whenever possible. The employees shipping your item have little to no training on packaging and are not provided with proper stock of packing materials. Instead, they reuse packaging from store shipments. Really, the only supplies they are given is maybe bubblewrap, tissue paper, butcher paper, and those plastic shipping bags. These same associates are pressured to finish all online orders ASAP. When it comes down to it, are they going to be immaculate in packaging/standards thereby being viewed by the manger as a slow aka underperforming employee or just get it done by the allotted time no matter what?
Side note: that store you took your shoes to should have been able (back in the day they would never have sent you away without completely solving your issue) to just return your order and then then make it their problem by fixing their inventory to reflect they have those shoes and are missing that specific coat you ordered. Then it’s their problem to work out with corporate.
As an employee, I can also see why they are making such drastic changes to their policies. Unfortunately, there are A LOT of customers that took advantage of their old return policy. We would get items that were a decade old and worn that customers would return. Since the company policy was a “yes to everything, the customer is always right” one, we would accept these returns and send the items back to corporate. Also, price adjustments were simply ruining the company’s profit. No manager stuck to the “two week” policy in order to make customers happy, so women would come in or call into the store with just their old receipts and have us look up each item in our system to see if the price has lowered since the last time they received an adjustment. The company doesn’t have to assume all customers are out to take advantage, they can simply stick to their rules like a two-week price adjustment and not resort to final sale items. As a longtime fan of the brand, I simply could not work for the company anymore because of all their changes which only focused on cutting costs. I could not lie to customers anymore that I was loving the items in store because in the back of my head I simply hated the unflattering styles, the poor quality and tailoring. It’s extremely frustrating to know they could make more money by just going back to former standards and include extended sizes. They would regain their old customer base (which is now gone) and gain new ones who’s sizes aren’t currently offered in their overpriced, cheaply made items. I’ve lost such respect for the fact that the company has yet to become more diverse. It’s a company founded on loving and promoting women, yet there is no excuse for continuing to exclude a large percentage of women.
Phew, your article has really inspired a rant.
Am now waiting for a dress to be canceled. Apparently, when I ordered it, there weren't enough, per the rep. I asked her if she could guarantee me I would get one because it's currently on sale in the London stores and I will just get it there, if not. Of course, she dropped the call. I'm going to the store today to let loose.
Contacted Anthro – told dress would be sent to me MAYBE in March. I cancelled. Eff them! Told them how disappointed I was and wasn't even offered a discount or anything else to appease me (not that I wanted one to shop, because I'm done for now). They seriously don't give any effs about customers. Even tweeted my disdain. No response. Other retailers are on top of you whenever anything negative is tweeted. Not Anthro.
I received the Boden catalog yesterday in the mail, it was extremely cute.
Last fall, I started receiving all these random orders (made by other people) from Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters. The first couple times it happened, I sent the items back but after repeated calls to Anthro/Urban to alert them as to the glitch in their system and them telling me to continue going to the post office with my own gas and returning THEIR mistakes, I was done. I threw all the crap out (the orders were always ugly clothing items, in huge sizes, or worthless things like $5 sunglasses.) Finally after months it stopped but I can't imagine what those customers were doing as I was getting their orders! They were probably pissed.
I jokingly complained to my husband that I wish I had gotten someone's velvet sofa or headboard! Naturally, I'm not that lucky.
Unreal. They're useless. I returned something yesterday purchased via paypal. Refund still not on paypal. They told me they issued it and to call paypal. Refunds usually show up the same day. I'm livid.
I am noticing a weird trend with Anthro and PayPal. Two times I have not had the correct amount credited back to PayPal. The gals at my store where I returned the items acted like, oh well. I said, that's not right. It was $18 less both times than it should have been. I asked them to call Customer Care right on the spot. Customer Care could not tell them why the amount was incorrect. So the store ultimately had to give me the difference in cash. Kind of wondering about what is going on.
I am glad you pushed them to fix this issue. I had problems with anthro and paypal about 5 years ago and I stopped using it with them.
Customer service rep told me to be quiet because she couldn't concentrate and couldn't figure out why I was given less money. I'm returning the other items purchased.
I cannot even believe this.
Believe it. It happened.
Another thing, I would have just returned everything. I know it's wrong, but I am so pissed off right now with their service, I want them to go bankrupt.
Happy Valentine’s Day to all u lovely ladies ❤️?????❤️?? enjoy ur day
You too, Nam!
You two, too! Here's to a love-filled spring for all of us!
Thanks evb❤️
Thanks Anthropolitan❤️
Hello fellow "used to love Anthro" people….question…on a blog I sometimes read she said that Anthro. is going to start having plus sizes? Has anyone else heard this?
YES! #APlusByAnthropologie – launching March
Thanks
I recently returned everything that was still within the 60-day return window… just because. Just because I didn't absolutely *love* the items (quality for price just not there) and i was sick of hearing about all the customer service nightmares. I told the SA exactly why I was returning and how it was all over the blogs about this horrible customer service and issues with returns and missing orders and she was completely clueless about any of it, but appreciated hearing about it. The store, as per usual these last couple of years, was nearly dead empty of any customers. I don't give Anthro more than another 5 years max. here in Canada, tbh. They've already shut down their store in the highest grossing mall in all of Canada… sign of what's to come, I'm sure
I don't see Anthropologie surviving long in Canada either. They seem to have completely lost their way. The staff, for the most part, are lovely but the drastic changes in policy and the lackluster stock in the stores have sealed their fate. Many of the older sales associates have gone on to other things which makes me feel they no longer have faith either. They tend to be located in high rent districts and the stores are massive and recently there are too few customers shopping in them even at busy times. Online ordering is a bust for many people because, not only do they screw up people's orders on a much too regular basis, the customer more often than not has to pay duties and shipping for items that may not fit and there is no way to recoup that.
Totally agree that they may not have long in Canada — especially because they never managed to get any warehouses up here to deal with that duty issue. And for the same reason (no warehouse), a huge part of their product line–furnishings, lighting, etc.– is not available to us, online or in store. Shame because we could use more mid-price home decor/furnishing options up here and I think they'd do well.
There's a 20% off promo on tops today, but the few things I was eyeing were too expensive even with the promo and I couldn't combine with a different promo that was emailed to me earlier.
The March pre-shop is up and there are some great things in it! https://www.anthropologie.com/preshop And there's a plus size model on the banner pic but I don't see any plus size clothes yet.
I wondered the same thing…looked at the dress she is wearing and only see it up to a size 16…do you think they are considering a size 16 in more items…their new plus line? If so, then the hype has been for nothing
Evb, I would be curious as to what catches your eye. I was disappointed in these offerings. Maybe I am missing something.
I'm with you. I did not see anything I liked.
Same. Things that look ok in small photos are immediately ruined once you click on the link /specifically the Virginia dress. It looks like something I’d have found at forever 21 10+ years ago). So much Viscose! And poly! And rayon!
I’m Obsessed with the begonia blouse!!!!!!!!!! Lots of pretty prints.
Just saw this on the new plus size line: https://www.glamour.com/gallery/anthropologie-plu…
They literally sent me a dress with a blood stain the size of the palm of my hand. Nuff said.
Ugh…SO GROSS!!
I went to Rock Center to purchase a jacket on sale. I wanted to apply my birthday discount onto the item but a red haired store associate said the 15% coupon cannot be applied to other offers including sale. Thanks a lot anthro, I am removing myself from your stupid perks program since it's literally useless. I asked the same sales associate to email me a receipt of my purchase but she e-mails me an exchange instead (a different transaction number so she basically rang a new transaction which is useless if I actually want to make a return).
Two weeks ago I found an item in California using the store locator. I called the store and said their inventory does not show the item but another store in California does. The associate told me they are lifting the ban on charge sends so stores can send and she encouraged me to call. I called that second store and yes, they do have that one item perfectly in my size but no, they do not do charge sends (not even gift cards as an option). I am so unhappy with my recent experiences. Contemplating deleting app after I look through my closet and make returns. 90-95% of my closet is anthro but that will stop now.
I know this is old but I just saw it – I also came here to vent about ANOTHER recent issue with Anthro and saw that I was definitely not alone. They have been going steadily downhill for years, sadly. I agree with others that said that it's no longer fun to shop there. I used to go in and spend way too much, and now that I can afford them more than I could 10 years ago I want less and less…most of the time nothing. I miss the quality, style, and quirk of the old Anthro, not to mention the customer service they USED to give. I haven't gone into a store since the BF sales, and that was only to do returns. I saw a few cute things in housewares but nothing I had to have. And when I did shop around that time of year I only bought some of the natural beauty items online (they don't carry them in store) and stayed away from the clothes. Like, far away. I never scroll through their site anymore, and my husband used to want to schedule an intervention for my Anthro site browsing habits. 😉 Even on the rare occasion when I do browse and find something even the least little bit cute (why so many boxy cuts??) I click on it only to find out that it's rayon or viscose, whose texture (and quality) makes my skin crawl.
My closet used to be 90% Anthro, but certainly not in recent years. Fortunately I've been decluttering my closets lately and don't really need anything new, but if/when I shop for something it's at J.Crew, Banana Republic, Madewell, or eBay & Instagram for classic Anthro pieces. Also on that note, after this last round of decluttering my closets I'm selling a TON of classic & vintage Anthro on my Instagram at @the_mustard_closet, mostly new items with & without tags and a few only worn once or twice and have lots more to list in the coming weeks too. (Roxy please delete if this post isn't cool). 🙂
Maybe Anthro will get it together the more customers they lose, but I won't hold my breath. And sadly I don't think I'm all that upset about it if they don't.
I'm a Perks member (whatever that even means anymore). My birthday is this month, but I haven't received a birthday discount code yet. I have been eyeing some dishes and decided to go for a full set today since they're on "temporary" special now (for maybe a month already, haha), and I threw in a shirt to meet the ridiculous $150 free shipping minimum. STILL GETTING CHARGED SHIPPING.
I guess because the dishes are labeled "no additional offers apply," it means they don't even count toward the $150 purchase requirement that's part of their MEMBER PERKS PROGRAM? I'm saying "I guess" because I don't even care enough about any of this crap to contact CS. I just won't buy any of it. Happy birthday to me – look at all the money I'm saving (or, more likely, just spending somewhere better)!
Can we all agree that 15% during a b-day is pathetic? I'm hating them so much lately.
15% off when they regularly have 20% off days and 40% off sale seems like a joke, especially since it cannot be stacked. I rarely use this perk, and agree it should be updated or discarded.
I ordered two coats, I see one of them on sale on my shopping cart. It's sold out now (of course, when nice items go on sale, they sell fast). I asked the current price of both coats and they said that, since they're sold out, they don't know the price anymore! I asked a price adjustment and they lied saying that there is no price adjustment to give, when I clearly see the current price of one of them in my shopping cart and it's on sale now. I didn't see anything on their price adjustment policy on their website saying that the item has to still be available for them to give a price adjustment (on a full priced purchase that went on sale within 14 days). Of course, odds are the item on sale will be sold out when people reach out for a price adjustment. They are hiding the current price to avoid PA requests.
And I had an order of an expensive dress and two sale dresses and I got… three sweaters on the mail. Can you believe it? What a relief to know that this is happening to other people, I thought I was cursed!
Does anyone have a photo (print screen) of the Countryside-Coat (that now changed the name to Helene Berman Riding Coat)? It used to be style number 4133345030008, but now it shows as style number 71965701 (I am pretty sure this is a mix up with the same coat on their UK version of the website). I need the screen shot of the current price to verify if it's on sale, since they will not answer me. The price of sold out items are shown in the "save for later"section of the shopping cart, or in the shopping cart itself. I'd really appreciate if someone could send me the screen shot of this coat with the current price.
I’m at the point that I will only buy things sent to my store. I live two blocks away from one. They don’t want us to buy things only on sale anymore is what I get from Anthropologie. They want their full price customers. Inventory had always been an issue that they need to fix as I’ve ordered multiple things just to get cancelled. Poshmark seems to be the place to go. I want cute original boots like years ago that fit any gal regular, petite or plus.
welllllllllllllllllllllllll my recent and most likely last experience> was in the carlsbad store ( no petites) tried on cute sale t shirt but too big…" does this come in petites? and in what colors?" answer> black and white. GREAT! I order both. When I got home I looked online, read reviews and saw that it is NOT BLACK.. it is a dark slate gray ( learn your colors anthro) I called and cancelled the BLACK, later I got a confirmation of my cancelled order and they had cancelled BOTH> I called back and told them I WANTED the WHITE> She said no problem and re-ordered it. Never got a confirmation. The gal on phone sounded like I woke her up from a nap by the way. Exasperated I sent an email to CS explaining what happened. after a week they replied and told me to CALL CUSTOMER SERVICE! the end! it was a cute tee…on sale…. however most likely they would ship some other oddball thing.
i know this is old but i came here hoping you’d do a follow up to this post and warn new brides off of ordering through BHLDN. My horrific experience with their return process has me swearing off all the Urban brands FOREVER. I am devastated at the level of customer service from what used to be my favorite place to shop.
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Oh no I’m so sorry to hear this!! I’m a bride to be myself. What happened??
The in store experience was fine, the appointment seems rushed but the associate is very helpful and knowledgable about the gown selection process. I ended up getting my wedding dress elsewhere but I loved a lot of the dresses and simple gowns for smaller events like my engagement party, bridal shower, and rehearsal dinner.
I knew anything labeled a "gown" comes with a $15 per piece shipping charge on top of the regular shipping price is but I was willing to pay it because I fell in LOVE with a tea length gown that would be perfect for my engagement party and another gown I wanted to try because why not have all the options right? So I ordered 3 dresses, two of the first dress because I was between sizes on the sizing chart and I wanted to be absolutely sure to get the right fit.
With the gown fees I paid $60 in shipping, not sure what the $15 fee is supposed to cover, the gowns were folded in garment bags topped by a thin strip of bubble wrap. I tried on the dresses immediately and then put back the two I decided not to keep back in the box the EXACT way they arrived to me.
It took two weeks after I shipped the dresses back (a week after the tracking confirmed they accepted delivery of them) to receive confirmation of the return, but the confirmation was for one of the two dresses in the box. Puzzled I emailed them immediately to see why I was only receiving a refund for one item and I was told they only received one. Freaking out and knowing they were both in the box I kept pushing at them. It turns out the person logging the return accidentally refunded me for the dress I kept instead of the two I sent back (WTF?!) and they would issue the refund for the 2nd dress immediately. When they did refund me for the second dress it was less a $75 restocking fee. When I inquired about why I was charged the fee when it was sent back in IMMACULATE condition, I was simply told its because I used the UPS return label they provided and that's the fee. ???
The worst part about it is after I placed this order(but before I learned of the horrific return process) I had placed another one for a cute jumpsuit, that ended up not fitting my frame. I thought because it was not a gown, I could return it to a BHLDN store but no, ANYTHING ordered through bhldn.com must be returned via mail. It's been 3 weeks since I sent it back, no confirmation of receipt, no refund, no communication whatsoever. The jumpsuit cost just shy of $400.
Of course after the fact I looked up the experiences of others and this is just how the run their business. This coupled with the recent drop in product quality and customer service at Anthro has me so heartbroken but ready to move on to a company who values my time and my dollar.
I've completely given up on Anthropologie. You order a full price item and they ship you a stained, ripped item that was completely trashed in a store. They have zero quality control and both on the phone and in person they are as rude as can be about it. A refund does not clean the slates when you ship me an item so damaged no one would have the balls to sell on ebay.
I love your website and congratulations on your up coming wedding!! I’m so excited for you!
I found your website while I was searching for other experiences that maybe some others have gone through with Anthropologie and I found out this is happening a lot! I was so upset at Anthropology canceling my order just for trying to order some little earrings because I was linked to my daughters account who they blocked and neither of us no why
This was done.. both of us had been always in good standing with them… I called customer service and they said that their tech department will get back with us within 48 hours and we are still waiting…I don’t want to do business with them anymore and I don’t want any of my information on their site. I want to cancel my account but when I try to change everything on the site it still keeps my email address on it and the block they placed on the address is locked in blue.. how did you cancel your account with them? Thank you so much for being here!
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Their customer service team is now notoriously slow. The only way to get a response within a timely manner is to reach out to their executive leadership team. I can't tell if the email you gave for your comment is real, so if you email me I can help you with the email addresses you'd need to contact.
Hi Roxy? thank you answering my post and also for posting my comment.. I sent you an email?
Roxy, would you be willing to send me that contact info? I cannot reach anyone there and I am dealing with quite a bit of frustration regarding my account.
Nancy! Did you get your account fixed? Or did they not help you?
I came here to read Roxy's take on Anthro's plus size launch, but after reading her blog post and all these comments I can understand why she's taking a break. I've never had a bad return experience, but my Anthro love has been waning for years. For me, the changes started when they stopped putting clothes on mannequins and started putting them on models. It always seemed dishonest to me because a model can contort herself in ways that hide a piece's flaws that a mannequin can't. And then Anthro got away from fitted dresses and went towards empire silhouettes. They are cheeper to make (no zippers) but cost the same to buy. And then they changed the shopping bags from the white with red writing to bags with color splashes that seemed to indicate a branding change: The old bags were classy, vintage and feminine. The new bags are…NOT particularly classy, vintage or feminine. The window displays got less elaborate. There was less effort to display one-of-a-kind (aka vintage) decorative items. The latest branding change is the plus size line. Is it possible to be classy, vintage and feminine and be plus sized? Of course. But it's not on brand for what Anthro was in it's heyday. "Thin adjacent" is the unspoken brand element of any clothing retailer who uses size 2 models. If Anthro clothing had been size 00-26 from the start, I don't think they would have been as successful. Urban could have started a plus size brand separate from Anthro, but from what I hear plus size customers didn't want to be relegated to a separate brand. They wanted ANTHRO clothes and the Anthro label in their size. ( I would too.) But the Urban executives didn't do this plus size push over at Free People or Urban Outfitters. It makes me think that Urban wanted to get into the plus size market and they're okay with sacrificing Anthro's "thin adjacent" element to do it. They've already sacrificed other brand elements, so why not?
I am truly offended by Anthropologie. I have been shopping there since they opened in the early ’90s. I can't fathom how much I have spent there since they are my go-to for EVERYTHING. I purchased a dress online this summer. It was close to $400 so I was expecting quality. Sadly, it was coming apart at the seams so I sent it back. But I still wanted the dress so I simply exchanged it. Or so I thought. I received the new dress and the quality was fine. But months later, I received a notification saying that my account was suspended. Apparently, if you exchange a damaged item, they refund your money and then re-bill you for the exchange. I had no idea as I do not check my bank account as often as I probably should and they did not send me communication regarding this exchange. They claim there was an issue with my payment but this isn't even possible, as I used a debit card with overdraft protection. I decided to return the second dress rather than pay again. I followed up and and it was confirmed that the dress had been received yet I am still blocked. I have tried repeatedly to order items and each time my order is immediately canceled. Now the items I selected are sold out. Who blocks someone from SHOPPING with their compnay? Someone who is sending MONEY along with an order. It’s nuts. I have called several times about the suspended account to no avail. They have made me feel like some sort of criminal and I am so disappointed to basically lose access to my favorite all-time store.
Foxy, did you ever get this issue resolved? I’m in the same boat as you with an incorrect item sent and an account on hold And tried calling a year later to try and resolve and got the same response that I got a year ago. Was wondering if you or anyone else has had better luck?
Like!! I blog quite often and I genuinely thank you for your information. The article has truly peaked my interest.
Доброго вечера!!!
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Пока!
Fast forward tot he end of 2022, I can tell you that Anthro is up to the same crap if not worse these days. It's like they have forgotten that they need repeat customers to stay in business. I recently filed a complaint with the BBB on my issue. I kid you not, they clawed back an e-merch credit from me that is worth MORE than the amount they decided I owed them for a fraudulent gift card that I bought on a resale site not knowing it was fraudulent. AND, they are threatening to ban me as well, like I'm the crook. It's not like I can't find the designers I like somewhere else. It's not like I don't have the money to buy the things I want. For me, it's not worth the ill will I feel doing business with this company any more. Such a shame.