Gwynnie Bee

Love Gwynnie Bee. I'm trying new clothes I would have never tried on in the clothing store. So convenient!

I have used Gwynniebee off and on for a few years. I agree with many other reviewers who have said that the shipping times have lengthened in the past year or so. Oddly, I think it's ever since they moved to Ohio. You would think it would be faster from there because it's more central. Not sure if it's advertised this way anymore, but they used to advertise 2-day shipping. The problem is that they don't always prepare your box until they receive your last box and they don't use 2-day shipping on the return bags. The woman I spoke with when cancelling my membership said that part of the reason they take a long time to get things to me is that the system is showing I still have items out... I don't see how this is my fault since I don't mark things as returned until I have dropped them at the US mail in a blue box. I live in Illinois, which is fairly close to Ohio, so I think their problem is actually with US Mail... Also, when they say 'we've started prepping your next box, it often still takes 5 or more days to reach you because they have processing time before the shipping time. You will see right on their site 'shipping label created' and they won't actually ship it for days more... anyway, because of the long turnaround time, you would need to order the high volume memberships to always have a variety of things from GB checked out. A couple of other gripes: they no longer allow you to cancel online. I think any subscription service that allows you to subscribe online should be required to allow you to cancel online. Also, I used to regularly get item upgrades and I haven't gotten one at all since I moved to Illinois and resubscribed.

I signed up but I've never ordered anything. I have tried to cancel my membership but it never gets canceled

Lousy I have not been able to contact abreal person a waste of money do you get it. Terrible customer service

Quality control definitely needed, disappointment in the waste of a shipment. Last email for shipping delay went umanswered.

I have been a customer since 2012. I have really loved this company at times but recently they have shown a marked slow down in shipments and horrible customer service. See the email below that I submitted regarding my most recent missing shipment issue.

Hello,

I'm writing because I because I did not receive the package sent to me on 8/5/16. According to the Gwynniebee site as well as the USPS website this package was undeliverable because of an incorrect address. Please follow this link

It is clear that the address sent by your company used the zip code ******* vs the correct ******* that has been part of my account for months and was the address that was correctly delivered to last week. The extremely nasty people I spoke to on the phone today from your company stated that it was my responsibility to call the post office to find out what happened. I was informed by the post office via the recorded line that there is no additional information that can be provide to me other than the mailing address was incorrect and this the package is undeliverable. The package will not be redelivered to me because it is currently being returned to YOUR address.

I am unclear why a subscription service would not make any effort to resolve or help resolve or take responsibility for this mistake. I would like my August 2016 fee returned or I would like an immediate shipment of another garment to my correct shipping address.

I'm including your buying an PR departments in this email because I want someone at your company to learn how horribly rude, inconsistent and unresponsive to your customers. Over the course of the hour, I was placed on hold for approx 20 minutes. A male rep put me on hold for 8 minutes and never returned to the phone. To make matters worse I received an email stating that my issue was "resolved" and "closed" and that I would get an email survey - which I never received.

I had this service for awhile and had a generally good experience. I loved the clothes, bought some dresses, and while it was expensive, the variety of stuff and quick shipping made it generally worth it for me. About 18 months ago, I got a new card from my bank when I got married and combined accounts with my husband, changed my name, etc. I decided not to renew my payment information with GB to save some money (I'd just had a wedding and was about to start a career change involving going back to school, so I just didn't have the expendable income). I got a new job recently and was excited to renew my account with GB, so I logged in today and entered my new card info to get it rolling again. I started adding things to my closet, even went to their store to scope out deals on items that had been previously rented. I was about to check out from the store with a few bargains, and my card got declined. Huh? I checked my bank account and GB HAD CHARGED MY CARD OVER $1400. I don't even have that much! So my card is now overdrawn over $900. I immediately called customer service and she explained that because I never technically canceled, the monthly fee kept accruing and it just went ahead and charged me for the past 20 months even though I was not using the service during that time. She said she would put in a ticket for a refund, but it takes up to 48 hours. So until they can process whatever it is they need to process, I am beyond broke. My best friend's bachelorette party is tomorrow and I can't even go now. And this never would have happened to me if I hadn't RETURNED TO THEIR SERVICE. I am so disappointed. How can a company operate like this? They have nothing in place to stop your card being charged when you're no longer using their service? That's just irresponsible. I was not offered any kind of good faith deal to stay a customer even after this SERIOUS inconvenience. I also got no confirmation email that my service was renewed, my account was being reviewed by customer service, I would be getting a new box, nothing. I was so looking forward to getting new cute stuff to wear too. Bummed out, mad, and will have to cancel a service I actually LIKED until this whole fiasco.

** I originally gave GB a poor review (read below), but I found that once I explained what happened (took a few attempts with different customer service agents), they did make an effort to make things right. Meanwhile, I've had a chance to try out more clothes, and my impression of the service overall has improved. It is fun and helpful to have a service shipping clothes and cleaning them given how chaotic my home/work life is. The added expense makes life a bit less challenging, and I've appreciated how quickly the selections change, and how great the choices in the store are (which I think can't be accessed unless you are a GB subscriber). I do wish the shipping were a bit more consistent - the 2 day priority shipping is averaging more like 4, but that's not something i can fault GB for.

*****

I rarely post poor reviews, but my experience with this company - even after giving them an opportunity to change my mind - should win an award for worst customer service. In a nutshell, after waiting 3 weeks for a dress that I purchased from their store, I wrote to them to inquire about why it was taking so long. Their online store advertises that shipments will be made within 2-3 days. In response to my inquiry, they apologized, gave me a 2 week rental upgrade (which is really like 1 week because of their shipment policies). They also said they would either issue a refund or ship the dress promptly. The dress arrived today ONLY it isn't the dress I ordered, and it certainly won't fit the event for which it was intended. Instead of being a dressy, winter dress, it is a casual, summer dress. It's a dress, in fact, that I accurately described as "hideous" when I wrote to customer service (and documented with a photo,).

How did customer service decide to handle this situation, even after hearing that I found the dress hideous? They said they were sorry, and that I'd be issued a refund in 4-5 days. They also said that I could keep the (hideous) dress that they accidentally shipped to me. Gee, thanks.

No acknowledgment of the fact that I had purchased the dress for a special occasion. No effort to make up for the month-long wait that culminated in the shipment of the wrong dress. Just - hey, to make this up to you, we're going to let you keep that hideous dress we shipped to you by mistake. Fantastic. Seriously, the worst customer service I've ever received.

I love Gwynnie Bee! I have found so many wonderful clothes. It is like having an unlimited closest

Today, i received my 3 orders, and so far i am very happy with them, Thank you

They will bill you even if your "closet" is not full. The most ugliest clothes ever, I signed up, and realized they were not my forte. Later, I noticed a couple of charges for $85.91. Filed a complaint with the BBB, they arrogantly maintained their position with the "terms of service." An existing "terms of service" DOES NOT MEAN IT'S CORRECT OR ETHICAL. This is outright robbery. They have a long complaint history with the BBB. Speak up if they're stealing your money out from under you! Then complain to the Federal Trade Commission, NY District Attorney and the NY State Department of Consumer Protection. Put a stop to their shady billing practices, shut them down!

http://www.bbb.org/new-york-city/business-reviews/womens-apparel-retail/gwynnie-bee-inc-in-long-island-city-ny-*******

---

Update 12/28/2015- To the Gwynnie Bee rep who replied here today, save your cue-card. You guys fought me to the very end of the BBB complaint, and you continue racking up complaints to the BBB, as recent as six days ago. Imagine that!

http://www.bbb.org/new-york-city/business-reviews/womens-apparel-retail/gwynnie-bee-inc-in-long-island-city-ny-*******/complaints#breakdown

Even your warehouse personnel can't stand you guys! You treat them like $#*!, and don't pay them enough to handle garments that reek of some random person's rotten funk! The positive reviews are about as phony as your customer service. I can imagine the countless labor violations you've smugly acquired.

https://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Gwynnie-Bee-Reviews-E*******_P2.htm?filter.employmentStatus=REGULAR&filter.employmentStatus=PART_TIME&filter.employmentStatus=UNKNOWN

---

I am honestly shocked to see so many negative reviews, because joining GB has been the best fashion decision I've ever made in my life. But let me respond to some comments others have made.

"The dresses don't fit". Really? Because there is a sizing chart for nearly every single item. I've used it- and my tape measure- and I've been 100% successful. That sounds like user error to me!

"Shipping is too slow". A few things. First, if you notify when you are returning, they prepare your package right away. I have had my new package sent within 12 hours of notifying, which means they did NOT wait to have the item in hand- they trusted me to be honest. Second, GB pays the post office for speedy delivery. If USPS is not making good on the three day delivery, they should be accountable. Thirdly, did you contact GB? Because they offer an item credit (meaning they send an extra item) if you are unsatisfied.

"Clothes are cheap". No they aren't. They aren't runway high fashion, but they are a far cry from discount store 'cheap'. They are of a much better quality than what you would typically find at department stores.

"They charged my credit card on a free trial". No. They did the exact same thing that all companies do- they ran a 'pending' charge to ensure that the credit card is usable. Call your credit card if you don't believe it- they'll explain it to you. The same thing happens with pretty much any monthly subscription that you join.

"Clothes are expensive". I agree. That's why I just rent instead of buy.

I think GB has been AMAZING. I used to have absolutely no idea how to dress myself. Ever since I gained weight into plus sizes, I pretty much gave up any hope of looking nice. Since I'm a teacher, that was bad news for me. But as soon as I joined GB, I read up on my body type, took my measurements, and browsed the recommended clothing to flatter my body type. The results have been life changing, and that is not an exaggeration. The usually frumpy teacher gets at least three compliments a day now. Sometimes from middle school students. Do you know how rare it is to get compliments on clothing from middle school kids!?!?! I would absolutely, definitely recommend GB to any plus sized woman. Plus it's a free trial, so what is there to worry about?

So like some other reviewers, I had a few unpleasant run ins with customer service this past year. Once, they took over a week to ship new clothes because they said I hadn't returned my last clothes. They took a while to update my email address, and once or twice they made a mistake and blamed it on me. Luckily, both times, they reviewed their records and apologized for their error and rushed me new dresses--they're a small company, so I don't expect perfection, just honest answers and a best effort to make things right. Oh, and once I washed a dress I paid around $70 for and the colors bled, and they refused to compensate me because they said I should try before I buy--now I know that includes washing, and not to trust their care labels.

Unlike some other customers, I've never had an issue with ratty clothes. Some of the items are a little on the cheap side, but you can pretty much tell which garments are high quality from the photos, and there is a decent variety on spectrum from $20 dresses to maybe $200 tops. Once, only once, I got a dress with a funky odor, but overall, I'm pleased with the condition.

Lastly, about the turnaround time, it can take several days for them to ship. I don't know, but I suspect they hold out to ship a few dresses at once to cut cost. I thought about leaving the service over the turn around time, but when I thought about it, and after they made an effort to make good on some of my customer service issues, I went ahead and upgraded to the most expensive plan. It's worth the $200 a month for me. I literally wear a new outfit every single day, and for the first time in my life, I'm a total fashion plate. Everyone raves about my beautiful dresses, and my coworkers and students look forward to what I'll wear next. The service is a lot of fun, and I've learned a lot about what looks work for me by trying outfits I would never have bought before.

So if you're willing to go in for the best plan, you can use Gwynnie Bee as your entire wardrobe at almost any size. The sizes are not inaccurate. You have to take the time to read the size chart for each outfit, and it is very accurate. Buy a measuring tape, and you're good to go. But if you're opting for a smaller plan, don't expect do get turnaround several times a week. Buy some anchor pieces and enjoy the service for a fun addition. It's not super reasonable to expect to have a complete wardrobe for $50 a month. I could never afford a wardrobe this varied if I had to buy the individual pieces.

I love the service, and I hope the company continues to grow bc it's a great option for ladies with a little meat on our bones! If you're sick of wearing black and brown all the time, seriously, check it out.

I signed up for the free trial. Waiting to see what happens next and hoping for the best.

$83. And I received nothing. Free browsing is not free.