• JC Penney

JC Penney

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Overview

JC Penney has a rating of 2.1 stars from 521 reviews, indicating that most customers are generally dissatisfied with their purchases. Reviewers complaining about JC Penney most frequently mention customer service, credit card, and order online problems. JC Penney ranks 94th among Department Store sites.

  • Service
    93
  • Value
    79
  • Shipping
    75
  • Returns
    70
  • Quality
    71
Positive reviews (last 12 months): 4.8%
Positive
1
Neutral
1
Negative
19
35
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How would you rate JC Penney?
Top Positive Review

“JCP rocks it!”

L D.
2/6/24

Overall, JCP is the best shopping site anyone can visit. They have quality items and a great value. I have been shopping at their brick and mortor stores for a long time, now my online experience is wonderful. Nothing makes me more happy than to browse their website (my go to place for fashion, beauty, home and gifts). Everything I need is just a click away. There is no question, if I order something from JCP it will be a quality item. I have never been disappointed. My favorite brands women's clothing LIz Claiborn and A.N.A. I have only had to return someting once, it was simple as it could be. Customer service talk to people in a respectful manner and are willing to help explain returns etc. JCP is a no stress place to shop. Thank you JCP and keep up the great job!

Top Critical Review

“Customer Service & Coupons”

Chrissa S.
8/23/24

I will start by saying that I have made many JCPenney purchases. Within the past 3-4 months, my experiences have been spiraling to a fast decline. I online ordered a pair of shoes. I received a box with the correct size, but the shoes inside were of a different size. In order to process a return - I would have to pay $8 to return them by mail, or drive 1.5 hours to return it back to the store. Why should I have to pay for their fault? Most recently, JCPenney had a promotion called the Gold Coupon Giveaway that went on August 1st-4th, 2024. I revealed 50% off coupon code. I ordered 11 items. 10 days after ordering, I check on the status online. 2 of the items says "Cancelled." The other 9 items say "Backordered." I called customer service - as they apparently do not have a chat feature - to inquire why I didn't receive an email/notification of the cancelled items, why I haven't received a refund, how I somehow picked out 11 items that are all basically not available for purchase, and when they anticipate the backordered items would be back in supply. I got put on hold for the CSR to inquire about the refund, he told me, "It looks like they forgot to push the refund through." I asked why I hadn't been notified of the items status update, he told me, "We don't do that." How is it possible that I picked 11 items that are all not available? He said, "We are overwhelmed by the orders that we received during that promotion, and our suppliers is out of 80% of the items ordered." Should I expect to eventually get the 9 items that are on backorder? He said, "Likely they will be cancelled." Great! For those that utilized a coupon, and their entire order gets cancelled - do they get an extension/exception to utilize the coupon? He said, "Nope. We are cancelling orders that had the 50% coupon used." It has been 3 weeks since I ordered - all items have been cancelled now - no refund still to date, no email communication. Be wary. Their marketing and customer service practices are less than couthful. I am picturing law firms putting out an abundancy of commercials for compensation, in the near future - for mal-retail services rendered by JCPenney.

Reviews (521)

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credit card (29) customer service (177)
Thumbnail of user patriciag10
Alabama
13 reviews
50 helpful votes
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June 12th, 2012

I've been shopping at Penney's since I was swaddled... lifelong customer.
Was especially beloved in the 80's when buying school clothing, and I still miss the Big Book and holiday catalog. OK, yes, we all shop online now...
I thought the outrage over their new 'everyday pricing' was a bit silly, if the prices would be as good as what anyone could manage with a coupon.
What I've noticed since the change is: NO MORE OUTLET (bummer) and the online inventory - where did it go? There isn't half what they used to have... click on an item, and it is only available in one or two sizes instead of the full range. If only a few things, no big deal... but while trying to select something for either myself or my daughter - I couldn't. Nothing I wanted was in my size or hers. She's a kiddo 7-8, and I'm a Medium. Geesh.

I hope this situation improves, because I've always appreciated the sort of things I could purchase from Penney's at a reasonable price, knowing I COULD purchase it from Penney's... now, not so much.

Thumbnail of user pavithirap
California
1 review
0 helpful votes
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December 6th, 2015

Hi,
I wanted to alert everyone on the tricky billing policy that JCPenney has for their customers in- store. I had purchased a couple of items on Nov 26th(Thanksgiving day) and made use of the in-store coupon of $10 that they had provided for the customers who came in for the door buster sale, towards my purchase, which applied to all items on my bill, per line item. Yesterday when i went to return many of the items except one. I noticed that when they returned the amount to me $10 was not applied towards my new bill, instead only that portion i. E. $1.89 was applied and when i asked them for an explanation I was shocked to hear what they had to say. They told me that $10 was applied to the bill on that day, but since u returned most of the items, you will be eligible only for whatever was applied to that item. This is ridiculous, then what is the point of me going for the Door Buster sale, if i can't make use of the coupon they gave me as a privilege. Is this how JCPenney repays me for all the loyal shopping that i have done with them since long? I'm totally disgusted with their customer service and will think twice about ever shopping with them again. The manager was also so rude to us, which really made me furious and think what sort of a reputation JCPenney is trying to build amongst their customers. Guys watch out!

Thumbnail of user fadis4
Florida
1 review
0 helpful votes
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December 12th, 2016

I just wanted to share with you the great customer service that I received from your employee Farrah at the Florida mall.
She was able to assist me with my requests and inquiries. Thank you Farrah.

Thumbnail of user anner33
Missouri
3 reviews
2 helpful votes
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June 11th, 2016

I've been disappointed with JCP's customer service in the past for not replacing a defective jacket. However, I give my kuddos to Armon, a sales associate in the shoe department. I had purchased a pair of tennis shoes during the Black Friday sales. Within 2 months, the sole of the left shoe came unattached and constantly moved around. This had never happened to me in my 47 years of life. I don't take much time to shop, so I kept dealing with the inconvenience. After 5 months, I finally came into the store to see about replacing the tennis shoes. Without any hassle, Armon looked up my purchase (since I did not have the receipt) and was quick to say I could replace it. He said he'd make it right and provide a significant discount if needed. However, I found the exact pair of shoes so he easily made the direct exchange. THIS is an example of good and appropriate customer service... no hassle, quick, friendly, and focused on benefitting the customer. For that reason, I continue to go back to JCP.

Thumbnail of user marvia
New Jersey
9 reviews
1 helpful vote
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February 13th, 2017

Had never been their before, but the recent black friday doorbuster sales got me crazy & running to a JCPenny outlet. Got great stuff at great prices!

Thumbnail of user bevj1
New Jersey
20 reviews
12 helpful votes
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September 14th, 2015

I have shopped at JC Penny for years for bed sheets, curtains and other bed and bath items. It is a great store for that type of merchandise. JC Penny also has good jewelry sales.

Thumbnail of user chrisj204
New York
1 review
0 helpful votes
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December 3rd, 2017

I made a purchase on black Friday and found the items for half the price at Kohls. No problem right, jcpenny price matches within 14 days if you have the ad? BULL$#*!! I go to the store and they tell me they don't price match. After going home and looking it up it says to call for online orders. When you call (AND WAIT FOREVER) I'm told they do price match with Kohls, Great right? No, shetakes the item numbers from me and looks up the current price at Kohls. When I tell her I have the ad from Black Friday she says I have no way to verify that price.
The items will be returned and I will no longer deal with this lying company!

Service
Thumbnail of user johanm90
Florida
1 review
0 helpful votes
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September 9th, 2023

JC Penney is using a company call ontrac for delivery company sends a text message stating address is incorrect, then forwards you to a web site to enter personal information, once this is done there is no more communication with this company all you get is this message " 403 FORDIDEN " the number for costumer service *******000 does not accept calls. Be care full with using on line orders with JC Penney this is a SCAM. Called JC Penny they told me once my order was sent back by the carrier they will refund my money, but were is our personal information going?

Service
Shipping
Thumbnail of user same47
California
1 review
1 helpful vote
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July 31st, 2013

I haven't been inside a JC Penney store in years but I do still buy basics from their online store. Teeshirts, underwear, Pjs, socks, bathrobes, towls, sheets. Now that I think of it I really buy a lot from JC Penney. I kind of still love it.

Thumbnail of user cecilm69
Virginia
1 review
0 helpful votes
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June 15th, 2023

Why is it that every time I see your adds on TV it's all black or Mexican people. I'm white and live in Texas and this is the united States, not Mexico.

Products used:
Nothing

Service
Value
Shipping
Returns
Quality
Thumbnail of user chriss100
Georgia
7 reviews
2 helpful votes
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September 17th, 2015

Jc penney has good value and multiple designers now in their stores. When they went to no sales they lost customers but now that they have sales again good shopping is available again.

Thumbnail of user noreena3
California
1 review
3 helpful votes
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February 12th, 2017

Very very slow people working on the return desk. Like trying to punish the customers trying to return merchandise. Poor customer service, rude and arrogant staff. Unfortunate long term member.

Thumbnail of user gailm535
Kentucky
1 review
0 helpful votes
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October 1st, 2021

I use online ordering very often. I had not ordered from JC Penney in several years however I found a left over gift card so went on line to use it, I ended up ordering an additional amount and my order came to about $42, my order came and I received one earring out of a set I wouldn't have purchased on a good day. I called customer service and after speaking with a foreign phone bank I was promised a refund. When I actually looked at the order I found I had been charged $85 dollars for the $42 order. I called back and they told me they would not credit back to me because their sale code didn't register. I asked for a supervisor and before the supervisor another phone she was berating customers who complained, she apparently did realize I could hear her. I told her I usually shopped with Macys and I had never experienced such poor and rude customer service. Macys and most other stores ship free unlike Penney's who charged me $8.95. Everything is going back to the store for a refund and this is a never again shopping experience.

Products used:
None am returning to store

Service
Value
Shipping
Returns
Quality
Thumbnail of user vasphines
Rhode Island
1 review
0 helpful votes
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September 5th, 2023

I was home at 9:45pm I received email saying that my order was delivered 9:45 pm I was home no one ring my doorbell I checked my front door no package was there, I contacted JCP and I said I didn't receive any package JCP asked me to send police report and I did, called several times still can't get my refund. I regret ordering from JCP

Thumbnail of user kw655
Alabama
1 review
1 helpful vote
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December 6th, 2023

I ordered a black hoodie from JCPenny in XL. It arrived with a security tag firmly attached. I called JCPenny and they agreed to send a new one in white since they were out of black, and the nearest Penny's is 2 hours away. They said to get rid of the black one which I did. What arrived in a package with an enclosed label and a label on the clear plastic bag that both said XL white hoodie. The clear bag was torn at the bottom, inside was a size Small plain white t-shirt. I called and they said to donate the t-shirt to charity and they would refund my money since I told them I have no one in the family it would fit. I don't think they believed me but pacified me with the refund. I told my family we should never order from JCPenny online again after this double bad experience with online ordering. Which is sad because JCPenny has always been my husbands favorite store. My husband and I argued about it because he grew up loving JCPenny and has always loved JCPenny. JCPenny abandoned our growing, thriving city and now this.

Products used:
None

Service
Shipping
Returns
Thumbnail of user marthaw17
Oklahoma
5 reviews
0 helpful votes
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February 13th, 2015

I love to buy my lingerie and my children, grand and great grand kids clothes. Wonderful to buy from. The latest in trendy little girls clothing like "Snow".

Thumbnail of user martyp26
Canada
1 review
2 helpful votes
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June 1st, 2018

I placed an order - item on sale with mfr rebate. They confirmed the order and even sent me an email saying "order has been shipped - with a tracking number" UPS never received the item. So I called in and they told me they lost the item. They re-ordered - and after I complained that due to their screw up the mfr rebate period had expired - a supervisor discounted my order = to the value of the rebate.
Fast forward 3 weeks...
They send me an email "your order has been shipped" with a tracking number. Again the item never reached UPS (when I queried the tracking number) - I called in and they advised that the order has been cancelled due to product no longer being available. Supervisor told me no substitute item available "Too bad so sad - case closed"
An hour later they send me an email "Your item is back in stock" if you wish to re-order. I try to re-order - out of stock.
What a screwed up company.
Sears in Canada went bankrupt partially due to sh*tty service like this. JC Penny is headed in the same direction.

Thumbnail of user maryv58
California
4 reviews
5 helpful votes
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October 2nd, 2016

Since it was a a builky item, which it wasn't, a bedspread, they are charging me $45 to restock something that I didn't like. Will never buy from them again!

Thumbnail of user scottm142
Indiana
1 review
0 helpful votes
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February 6th, 2016

I feel compelled to write about my Incredibly negative experience with J. C. Penny, specifically through purchasing furniture through their online store. We decided to purchase furniture through J. C. Penney's online store, as we had recently bought our first home and we wanted a store with generous financing options. We bought a sectional couch and bedroom set, including bed and frame, through them. The initial payment was made on 11/24, and the first sign of trouble was the amount of time it took to get any of these pieces delivered. It wasn't until mid to late December that we received even a portion of our furniture, and of course their delivery guys ended up beating up our walls on the way in to set it up. What's more, when they delivered the couch to us, it was the wrong couch. The delivery guys had to pack it back up and bring it back out our front door--we ended up cancelling that order, as at that point we were convinced JC Penney was not competent enough to fulfill an order.

The coup de grace was that, as of our current statement, we are apparently being assessed interest on what was supposed to be a 0% interest promotional purchase (Nothing is truly free, and I am sure we paid more for these product precisely because they were qualified promotional purchases). It seems JC Penney was trying to scam us out of interest on part of our payment, hoping we wouldn't notice.

Needless to say this will be the first, and last, time that we will be buying from JC Penney. This company needs to go ahead and die already--it's time has come and gone.

Thumbnail of user joannen
New York
76 reviews
293 helpful votes
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July 28th, 2011

Awesome service-Awesome value-Awesome sales. What more can you say about a company that has been in business for 110 years next April 2012? Happy Shopping!

Thumbnail of user tiredo3
New Hampshire
1 review
2 helpful votes
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July 11th, 2014

Have had two online shopping experiences that sucked. One about a month ago purchased a bathing suit top. 2 weeks prior to going on vacation. Had it shipped to store so I could get it in 4-7 days per internet instructions, not including the weekend. I know that. Called the store on day 7 and was told we don't get a shipment for another 8 days. Nice. Should of mailed it to my house. NOT. Last week ordered a suit for my daughter and decided this time to pay for shipping to house and yet again. Jcpenny is dropping the ball on customer service. It took them 1 hour to say order is processed and the next day shipped. Today I look online for tracking and my bank and nothing. I get an email this am and find out they didn't process the order for 5 days. 1 bathing suit, 5 days to process and 5 days to get shipped out. Done with online ordering. They need to get their acts together due to even Walmart can ship faster and process stuff faster. Boy even the gap store shipped my order in a total of order and process and ship in less then 8 days. Total with everything. WAke up Jcpenny or you'll continue to go down the tubes customer and fininical wise.

Thumbnail of user jeano10
Arizona
1 review
1 helpful vote
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March 29th, 2017

I ordered a bed frame that went on half off a day or so later. I called to cancel or ask for the new price. I was allowed neither. I called again a few days later after I found the price again on line. I was elevated to a supervisor named Mike who told me I already got a good deal(actually, I didn't). He was very argumentative and indicated there were no notes on line about my previous discussion. He eventually told me I could refuse delivery and I wouldn't be charged anything. My husband watched the delivery person punch in the codes that MIke said he would do. Mike also said he would "personally take care" of the return. Well, yesterday I called( has been a couple of weeks) and nothing had been done and no notes were on the screeb(as he had promised). The last person I spoke with gave me her name and worker number(something not mentioned previously).
Whereas the first person said adjustments were made all the time, Mike indicated they never were. When I pointed out the new price and coupon currently advertised for the item I ordered, Mike indicated the coupon was only for bedding. I sat there while we spoke and punched everything in as if I was ordering the bed and guess what? The coupon took!
I can't imagine a supervisor not knowing who coupons work, or not having the intellectual curiosity to do what I did while speaking to him(he declined when I pointed out what I had just did and the coupon worked). He also lied and made no notes on the screen and did not take care of my return.
For a company on life-support, this isn't how you treat people.

Thumbnail of user connies102
California
1 review
0 helpful votes
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July 29th, 2017

I had my haircut at the JCPenney in Visalia California and it looked like she used a weed eater on my hair I must say it is the worst haircut I have had in my life and I am over 50 years old do not let this woman cut your hair she is the only African-American woman who works in the Visalia JCPenney salon and you will regret it. After you get a haircut there people are going to think you got drunk and used the hedge clippers to give yourself a haircut I wish JCPenney would get people in there who knew what they were doing they're going to get a lawsuit one day

Thumbnail of user pats250
New York
1 review
0 helpful votes
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October 22nd, 2017

Purchase a pair of Sketcher online, however, two days later they told me that its on back order which is fine. Then the canceled the order without calling/text me, no apology. Went in my email looking for something and I saw that my order is canceled they no longer have the item.

I call and asked for a manager, this young lady name Shawnese were so RUDE to me. When I ask her for the manager she stated "I AM THE SUPERVISOR " she refuse to let me speak to someone other than her rude $#*!. Will spend my money with JCPENNY AGAIN!

Thumbnail of user darlenef238
New York
1 review
0 helpful votes
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September 30th, 2023

I went into JC Penney's In Strongsville, Ohio, today to return a purse that was defective. I had one of the worst retail experiences I have ever had in my life. I somehow lost the receipt but it was on my charge so I didn't think it would be a problem. Obviously it was. The associate who was handling returns told me that I'm not able to return it without my receipt even though it's on my charge. Of course. I questioned this. When she insisted. I asked that she get me a manager. At that point, you became irate! She told me she would get a manager and that she would not wait on me because of the way I spoke her. She kept muttering under her breath. But loudly enough to me to hear the whole time before the manager got out there. I honestly only asked her to get me a manager. When the manager arrived, he told me the same thing, and he also told me that if the item was over 60 days old, which you disabled 3 months old, corporate would not return it even if it was defective! It's no wonder that store was completely empty on a Saturday afternoon. They were literally about 5 people in the entire store. I also told him how she treated me and he told me that he could not believe that she acted like that. Period. No, I'm sorry, no, I'll talk to her, just that he couldn't believe she would act like that. In other words, he accused me of lying! Needless to say when I got home, I cut up my charge card, threw it in the trash and I will never walk into a JC Penney's again.

Tip for consumers:
They basically have no return policy at all. Buyer beware

Products used:
Bueno purse. Lining ripped after only a couple of months.

Service
Value
Returns
Quality

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