var json_comments = new Array("
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Jacob Schumer
April 23, 2009 2:34 AM
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I think at some point if a rude comment is really funny, it is not only forgivable, it makes the company entirely in the right.

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10 replies
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Cyberxion101
April 23, 2009 8:50 PM
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@Jacob Schumer: So does that mean that all I have to do in order to be found correct in every argument is to be the biggest douche-bag possible? I think I can manage that!

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Russ Savage
April 23, 2009 3:00 PM
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@Jacob Schumer: ooccaasssiiioonnaalllyyy.. if done in taste. this isn't acceptable.. and neither is paying 184$ for jeans.

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smackswell
April 23, 2009 9:28 PM
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@Russ Savage: Jeans are an investment. $184 is reasonable if you don't want to look like you're wearing JNCOs.

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anduin
April 26, 2009 6:25 AM
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@smackswell:
hahaaa I wear armani knockoffs from Russia, its great, I have a friend who goes to visit his family yearly and he brings me about 4 pairs of jeans for about 18$ a pop lol I`ve walked into armani and found the exact same jeans and theres no difference XD

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PLAAND88
April 24, 2009 8:41 AM
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@smackswell: I'm sorry, could you repeat that? I couldn't hear you over the crazy.

$80 for a pair of Levis is borderline unreasonable as far as I'm concerned and I have a sneaking suspicion that designer jeans aren't nearly as durable.

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Raekwon
April 23, 2009 2:32 PM
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@Jacob Schumer: How does Facebook always seem to get their useless comments in first? Does Facebook have some sort of First!!111!! app I don't know about?

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Sherlock Homo
April 24, 2009 4:51 AM
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@Raekwon: He knows! We must neutralize him before he tells the others!

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nerdtalker
April 23, 2009 3:13 AM
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@Jacob Schumer: Jacob, what have you been doing on your knees?

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Radi0logy
April 23, 2009 3:16 AM
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@nerdtalker: copyright infringement is decidedly UNfunny

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mythago
April 23, 2009 2:44 AM
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@Jacob Schumer: The comments here weren't particularly funny, so your point is what?

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Radi0logy
April 23, 2009 2:39 AM
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$184 for jeans?? For that price they better give me a bl.. er.. nevermind.

But yeah, if I paid 184 bucks for jeans and they were that rude to me you'd better believe they wouldn't hear the last of it until I had my money back. Regardless of the fact that I'm a fat pasty white guy with hairy legs. I can be stylish too!

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2 replies
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brandymb
April 23, 2009 3:52 PM
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@Radi0logy: $184 for a pair of pants! I wish I had that kind of money to throw away! I've been wearing $12.95 Costco jeans for years and they're just fine for me.

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Joe_Bloe
April 24, 2009 2:49 PM
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@Andy misses his 360 :(: Kirkland, same brand as the jumbo box of frozen taquitos you buy for Superbowl Sunday.

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jmhart
April 23, 2009 2:39 AM
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Wearing $184 jeans for an hour is a lot of use...especially if they were too tight. They'd be all streched out for the next person.

Sure, the rudeness wasn't appropriate, but does it take an hour(or more?) to know they don't fit?

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8 replies
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Anonymous
April 23, 2009 4:15 PM
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@jmhart:

Actually, when I sold designer denim, I would often tell my customers to wear the jeans around the house for an hour or two after purchase. Many styles have a highish spandex or elastin content so they will stretch to conform to the wearers body, but they need more time than anyone would want to spend in a fitting room to reach optimum fit. I would advise customers to get the smallest size they could zip up if the elastin content was 3% or greater then send them home to wear the jeans for an hour or two and invite the customer to bring them back if the jeans were still too tight after that. I had very few returns and didn't hesitate to take a jean back that had been worn in house for an hour or two. Quality jeans should return to their original shape after a few hours anyway with that little wear - it's no worse on the merch than being tried on by 5 people in store.

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snowburnt
April 23, 2009 2:37 PM
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@jmhart: I guess you've never had expensive jeans. They wouldn't wear badly in an hour unless they were marked up crap. I've got a pair of Lucky jeans and a pair from buckle that I've been alternating for the past 4 years, still feel brand new and are no less worn than when I bought them.

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Randy Treibel
April 23, 2009 4:23 AM
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@jmhart: Actually no it's not. I'm a fairly metro guy with a huge walkin closet of clothing and dozens of shoes and often i'll tryon things and be 50/50 about them. Then about an hour or two later i'll realize that they aren't worth the money or are not ideal. But with this said i leave ALL the tags and leave them in MINT condition. I also only purchase from places with a liberal return policy if i can't try them on instore.

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OprahBabb
April 23, 2009 10:33 AM
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@Randy Treibel: It's a little different for girls jeans to remain in \"mint\" condition when worn even if for just an hour as they are more form fitting than guy's jeans tend to be.
If only we were all so lucky.

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pecan 3.14159265
April 23, 2009 1:34 PM
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@OprahBabb: This is more so if the jeans are too small. If they're too big, there's really no stretching taking place. If they fit her just fine, and she's not trying to cram her size 6 self into a pair of size 2 jeans, then I don't see how the jeans could have stretched so much in one hour, especially when brand new jeans tend to be very stiff.

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trujunglist
April 23, 2009 8:47 PM
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@pecan 3.14159265:

Uhh, the jeans are called hot skinny jeans. It's reasonable to assume that stretching did occur based solely upon the label name.

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gerrylum
April 23, 2009 3:35 AM
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@jmhart:

She wasn't wearing them to see if they fit. Read her statement. She was wearing them for an hour while she tried them with different tops to see if she liked the wash, which she realized she didn't. THAT was why she returned the jeans. She doesn't say anything about returning them because of fit.

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mandy_Reeves
April 23, 2009 4:24 AM
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@gerrylum: um yes she says for color and fit is why she returned them.

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DePaulBlueDemon
April 23, 2009 3:10 AM
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@jmhart:


That part is a little fishy. Why an hour?


Nevertheless, the remark made by the owner was unacceptable.

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Corporate_guy
April 23, 2009 2:43 AM
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Next time don't mail order 184 dollar jeans and wear them for an hour.

Go to a normal store and buy jeans you can try on for 20 bucks.

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9 replies
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snowburnt
April 23, 2009 2:40 PM
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@Corporate_guy: you can get jeans you try on in a store with a good return policy for that much too.

check out Jean Therapy in Boston, they'll find the Jeans that are right for you and even tailor them to the right fit, included in the price...even then NOT cheap and they'll last you for a long time.

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pecan 3.14159265
April 23, 2009 4:17 PM
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@snowburnt: Doesn't Jean Therapy charge mostly for the alterations and the rest of the cost is because they carry expensive jeans by middle to high end designers? I checked out their site (I'm assuming it's jean-therapy.com) and noted that alterations are $21 but the jeans are from True Religion, John Varvatos, and other designers. It's not like they're selling Wal-Mart jeans and offering to tailor them for you.

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snowburnt
April 23, 2009 6:22 PM
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@pecan 3.14159265: It was my impression that they didn't charge for alterations, but that could have changed.

They only sell very good jeans and the \"consultants\" will really work with you to get the right jeans for what you're looking for.

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LegoMan322
April 23, 2009 1:08 PM
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@Corporate_guy: That is the worst attitude ever. If she wants $184 jeans, why are you telling an adult how to spend their money?

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LegoMan322
April 23, 2009 1:02 PM
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@Corporate_guy: I do not see an issue with her wearing them for an hour around her house while trying to see if she is going to keep and if they fit into her wardrobe. Even if all the tag are on there, that is just something they will say to get you to NOT exchange the jeans.

PS....of course they are worn, how else would she try them on?

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SybilDisobedience
April 23, 2009 2:59 AM
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@Corporate_guy: Sorry. Doesn't matter if she paid $18.99 or $189.99, that doesn't justify rude service. At the very least, she should be able to exchange them or get her money back. And without 6th-grade jokes about what she's been doing \"on her knees.\"

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fjordtjie
April 23, 2009 2:57 AM
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@Corporate_guy: idk if i'm just a girly girl, but sometimes it takes a while to determine if something is going to be comfortable. though an hour seems like a long time, i wore a backpack out for an entire day before i returned it because it pinched my neck with all my books in it. i had tried it on at the store and it was great, it was only until a real test run that i found it wasn't for me, and it was only $85, not $184. i don't usually wear clothes an hour, but a few minutes around the house, bending over, crouching, etc. is pretty customary when i try out pants.


also, where the crap do you get $20 jeans that are of any real quality and fit for a woman? oh that's right, nowhere! old navy is $24, and that is the bottom of the barrel where i start considering quality, and those wear out relatively quickly. sometimes it's better to invest in quality. that said, i would never buy pants more expensive than $50, but at least i realize i have no right to judge someone for how they choose to spend thier money.

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mzs
April 23, 2009 5:41 PM
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@fjordtjie: You find amazing $20 jeans in the clearance racks of little stores in ethnic areas of big to medium cities that sell jeans from Brazil. My wife buys these types of jeans and looks simply amazing in them. They have cotton and something stretchy in them. They form fit but she says that they are comfortable. They feel fuzzy and very pleasant. Often they have very unique decorations and zippers on the sides to help with getting them on. I have not seen any designer jeans better designed (hah) for a woman's figure anywhere but from Brazil. If you do not buy from the clearance rack expect to pay $40-$60 per pair.

Also those stores have really cool shoes (the men's dress shoes are very comfortable and stylish the woman's are very sexy) and other clothing (again the unique sort of decoration on shirts, skirts, and dresses) as well. The Brazilians have great fashion of good quality that can be found for little money.

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pecan 3.14159265
April 23, 2009 1:37 PM
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@fjordtjie: That's me too. I've worn a pair of shoes all around a store (which is allowable, and fine because I wear the bootie things they give you) and around the 40 minute mark realize that my feet were erupting in pain. So sometimes, you really do need a lot of time to try things on.

I'm really careful with how I spend my money...I don't like spending a lot because I don't have a lot, but because I don't spend a lot, I want the things I buy to be of good quality, even if it's coming from Target. I've spent an hour standing in front of the mirror examining the stitching on a dress. I'm especially critical of shoes because I can fix some clothes on my own...I can't fix shoes on my own, and painful feet can ruin anyone's day.

I've found $10 jeans that have lasted for years, and $50 jeans that haven't. But likewise, my favorite brand of jeans are on average around $50 and the oldest pair lasted four or five years before I couldn't wear them anymore - not because they tore, but because I lost weight.

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mythago
April 23, 2009 2:45 AM
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@Corporate_guy: So it's OK for a company to be rude to its customers as long as they're mail-order and expensive?

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Crystal Wojcinski
April 23, 2009 2:47 AM
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Regardless if you spent $30 or $200, that is unacceptable customer service. If they felt the OP did wear the jeans, simply stating the policy behind this would suffice. I realize that some people may have buyers remorse but at the same time, those types tend to want a refund for their free wear. Most of them are not going for the exchange, that makes me think that it was a legit customer who will NOT be coming back now. Way to go high end jeans company during a recession.

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Jabberkaty
April 23, 2009 2:10 PM
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@Crystal Wojcinski: Yeah, very good point. A lot of people are coming to the realization that really expensive pants are something they can cut back on, unless they like the company. This isn't the way to win friends and influence people.

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Esquire99
April 23, 2009 2:55 AM
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If she chooses to go the chargeback route, I certainly hope that her bank or credit card company denies it. She bought jeans off the internet, wore them (an hour is beyond just trying them on) and tried to return them. While the customer service she received was awful, that doesn't entitle her to her money back. She doesn't have a right to return the jeans once they've been worn. She wore the jeans, and wanted to return them simply because she decided after she'd done so that she didn't like them. She wasn't in compliance with the return policy. The bank/cc company will be doing the store owner a terrible disservice if they allow her to successfully institute a chargeback.

I'm all for chargebacks when they are appropriate (When you didn't get what you paid for), but in this case it's totally unwarranted. Bad customer service doesn't entitle one to free merchandise.

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13 replies
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Brontide
April 23, 2009 1:32 PM
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@Esquire99: It's impossible to tell if this story is consumerist worthy without the return policy posted.

If it's a 100% satisfaction guaranteed then they should exchange the product. If it clearly states that once worn they can't be returned then it's another.

OTOH, for $184 dollars you would expect a little more give in the policy. Customers stu... good customers are hard to come by.

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Esquire99
April 23, 2009 3:20 PM
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@snowmoon:
I agree, I'd love to see a copy of the policy. My comments are based on my inference that the policy is \"once worn, cannot be returned\", which is pretty logical given that it's clothing.

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LucyTuzy
April 23, 2009 4:19 PM
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@Esquire99: I've been buying clothes for thirty years and I've never heard of such a rigid return policy (with the exception of sale items and underwear for obvious health reasons). I was unable to locate a website to verify their return policy. In my opinion, the retailer shoulders most of the responsibility to make sure beyond a doubt the customer is aware the item they are purchasing is a final sale item. Often times these are marked in red or you have to check a box saying you have read the terms. Failing to do so results in a Consumerist article coming up first when you Google \"Hot Skinny Jeans\". Bad form.

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LegoMan322
April 23, 2009 4:15 PM
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@Esquire99: I still do not understand how you can try clothes on without wearing them? I must be doing something wrong in the dressing room.

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LegoMan322
April 23, 2009 1:06 PM
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@Esquire99: Even if she did not want the wash, she wants another pair? With what you are saying, my I think you are really making a huge situation into something that could of been taken care in 10 mins.

\" Miss send back the jeans, once I have the jeans I will send you another wash/size/ color because we want your business and you did pay the same amount as my car payment for them. I think as a decent company this is the least we can do.\"

If she still is not happy with the jeans after that then it might fall on her, but the company is completely wrong.

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Esquire99
April 23, 2009 3:19 PM
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@LegoMan322:
I totally agree that the company is in the wrong here; they provided awful service to her and could have easily resolved the problem. However, given that it seems she was in violation of their return policy, they're under no obligation to do so. Again, receiving terrible customer service isn't a reason for a chargeback. She got exactly what she ordered, there was no fraud here. A chargeback is inappropriate.

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LegoMan322
April 23, 2009 4:14 PM
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@Esquire99: Cool...but just because there is no fraud, I still do not believe that they could not give her another pair of jeans. I understand that \"return policies\" are there for both parties, but a company who wants to make customer happy should not through the book at their customers.

If she wore them for a while, spilled coffee and other shit on them, she would be completely wrong. But for asking for a new pair with a different wash/size I personally do not see why the company would be such a ass about it.

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Esquire99
April 23, 2009 4:19 PM
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@LegoMan322:
I agree that they could have easily given her a new pair; there's no reason they couldn't. However, they aren't obligated to do so. It's simply piss-poor customer service. But a company does have a right to be an ass, to provide piss-poor service and to be rude to their customers. In 99% of cases, that company won't survive very long. My point is/was that poor service, even awful service or flat our rude service doesn't warrant a chargeback.

As far as wearing them, she claims to have worn them for over an hour. When you try something on in the dressing room, you wear them for what, 5 minutes? If the owner could tell they had been worn, they probably either stretched from the wear or she did get something on them.

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LegoMan322
April 23, 2009 4:34 PM
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@Esquire99: I understand your point, but the whole point of \"customer service\" is not to be an ass.

And personally I think she never should have mentioned that she wore them for any length of time. That is why the company is being an ass about it. She told the truth and now they are throwing the policy at her. Tis their choice as you said, but they are defeating customer service.

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LadySiren is murdering her kids with HFCS and processed cheese
April 23, 2009 1:01 PM
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@Esquire99: Wearing the jeans for an hour shouldn't cause that much stretching or wear and tear on the fabric. Plus, she wasn't out in her garden with them - she was trying to match them with her existing wardrobe. I don't have a huge wardrobe myself but even I can take anywhere from an hour to three hours trying to put together an outfit I like. Therefore, I'm not surprised that she spent an hour mixing and matching tops and shoes with the jeans.

The attitude of the owner was snobby and elitist, not to mention downright nasty (what was she implying with the \"knees\" comment, hmmmm?) and uncalled for. In a crappy down economy, she ought to be thankful that there's someone out there willing to shell out $184 for a pair of jeans. Instead, she acted as if the customer ought to be thanking her for allowing her to purchase them. Shameful.

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LetMeSayThisAboutThat...
April 23, 2009 12:32 PM
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@Esquire99: \"She wasn't in compliance with the return policy\".


You did not mention that you work for this store, nor did you provide a link to the store policy.


Are you sure you're not really Corporate_guy?

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Esquire99
April 23, 2009 3:17 PM
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@LetMeSayThisAboutThat:
I don't work for the store. The OP's account of the incident indicates they were sent back because they had obviously been worn, which one could easily infer, particularly in the context of a clothing store, is against their return policy.

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Binja-man
April 23, 2009 3:26 AM
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@Esquire99: First, she said that it wasn't the wash that she ordered. More importantly, wearing them for an hour in the house while you try on other clothes to see if they match does not constitute \"wearing\" them. I know women who spend 10 times longer than an hour in store changing rooms. At least it feels that way.

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Esquire99
April 23, 2009 3:38 AM
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@Binja-man:
She explicitly states that she decided it wasn't the wash she \"Wanted\" and that the wash \"Wasn't for her\". She doesn't indicate that the jeans that arrived weren't the ones she ordered; she simply states that they are not what she wanted (e.g. she didn't like them). Further, as the poster above noted, these kinds of jeans stretch quickly, simply because of the style.

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Anonymous
April 25, 2009 12:11 AM
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@Corporate-Shill: @Esquire99:

I'm not sure how the knees would be worn out/dirty by wearing the jeans for an hour, but in regards to stretching them out:

From the companies website (http://www.skinnyjeans.com/html/shop.html):
Patent-pending SkinnyJeans® are made of classic, velvety-soft stretch denim with 'Memory' derived from its nylon-elastane content which never 'grows' or loses its shape.

So if the jeans do look stretched out then it's because the product was misrepresented o r lacking in quality. Also, I would expect that these jeans are meant to be worn somewhat on the snug side, otherwise how can the \"tummy flattening panel\" do it's job?

As a side note, the companies original note was very sarcastic in response to the wash: \"how can you not realize that you ordered black jeans,\"

When I read this I imagined plain, jet black jeans, when in fact the jeans are described this way:
SkinnyJeans® have a shaded and faded pattern that creates an optical illusion front and back that makes you look thinner and your legs look longer

Maybe she didn't like this shaded and faded pattern so much.

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snowburnt
April 23, 2009 6:24 PM
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@Esquire99: you're correct about what she said, but things look different on different computers and in person. It's not outrageous to suggest that when the jeans came in, they weren't what she was expecting. Quality jeans ($100+) will retain their shape after wearing them for a week straight, an hour shouldn't affect them

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Laura Northrup
April 23, 2009 3:04 AM
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@Esquire99: It's not free merchandise if she sent the jeans back--and she did.

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Esquire99
April 23, 2009 3:39 AM
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@Laura Northrup:
She sent them back as a return, but the return didn't comply with their return policy so they were sent back to her as non-returnable. Thus, if she were to successfully get a chargeback, she'd be getting free merchandise.

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sodden
April 23, 2009 5:05 AM
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@Esquire99: No, it would be free merchandise if the still returned them to her even after the chargeback. Send them back, get a chargeback. Not the same as getting free merchandise.

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Mario Romero
April 23, 2009 3:00 AM
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@Esquire99:
She didn't want her money back. She wanted an exchange. I don't see a problem in that. Especially after the way they treated her.

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Esquire99
April 23, 2009 3:40 AM
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@Mario Romero:
I too see no problem with requesting an exchange, so long as it's within their policy. However, the store indicated that it wasn't. What I take issue with is Alex's recommendation that she go for a chargeback.

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Marshfield
April 23, 2009 3:05 AM
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I can see wearing them an hour. You wonder if they're OK, don't want to hassle returning them, but there's this nagging doubt. Try some outfits. try some shoes. Finally figure out they aren't going to work. Send them back.

What I wonder is how the company determined they had been \"worn\" too much to return? Was she kneeling in garden, weeding and got some dirt or grass stains?

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b612markt
April 23, 2009 3:05 AM
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Sucks for the OP, what jerks those hot skinny twerps are! I'm sure the OP is glad the story is featured on Consumerist. Even though I don't buy expensive jeans, I'm sure others will hear about this.

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SJChip104
April 23, 2009 1:30 PM
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@b612markt: Yes. Basically, is it just \"OK\" to talk this way to their customers trying to return something?

Do they insult their PROSPECTIVE customers? \"Screw you, now buy something!\" I think not. That makes it somewhat HYPOCRITICAL, don't it?

The fact is when I'm buying things from exclusive/hi-end retailers, I EXPECT PREMIUM SERVICE. My father bought a polo shirt at Nieman Marcus for over $100. Took the tags off, wore it for a day and asked someone about it, they said they didn't like it, and he returned it, no receipt, for cash, no questions asked.

I learned in retailing that it's a LOT easier to keep a customer than it is to get a new one.

Word of mouth can make or break a store. We'll see how HSJ does when word such as this gets around.

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Bluth_Cornballer
April 23, 2009 3:15 AM
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High end products should come with high end customer support, not rude comments from pretentious people that sell overpriced clothing that doesn't fit. This company sucks.

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2 replies
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Etoiles
April 23, 2009 1:43 PM
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@Bluth_Cornballer: Precisely why I don't have a problem spending $150 on shoes from Zappos. (Well, I have a problem spending $150, 'cause I'm not exactly in the top tax bracket, but at least I know for sure that I'll be able to get the right product and I'll be treated properly.)

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ceriphim
April 23, 2009 3:57 AM
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@Bluth_Cornballer: That's why I buy from Nordstrom or a company's brick & mortar store. I've never had any trouble with the True Religion store and Nordstrom is legendary for their ridiculously awesome return policy.

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henrygates
April 23, 2009 3:18 AM
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The rudeness of the business owner is enough to justify a refund, IMO. I can't believe anyone would be so unprofessional. Though I can't imagine trying jeans out for an hour, I do have sympathy. Marshfield spelled it out; nagging doubt, try some outfits, try some shoes, I never understood why women's clothes are so hard to buy. I try a pair of jeans, either they fit or they don't, end of story. Different shoes won't make them fit any better. Changing my t-shirt doesn't make the inseam shorter.

Never did get the \"washed and torn\" look either. All my jeans are washed and torn, which is why I'd be buying new jeans in the first place. To wear something not washed and torn. It's like buying $150 new jeans that you can claim you found in the trash.

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TEW
April 23, 2009 3:18 AM
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If I were her I would threaten with a lawsuit if the chargeback won't work. Most business would cave to that threat to avoid the bad publicity of a faulty product let alone a slur from the owner. If she does not have the jeans and they have her money than they will either have to give back the jeans or her money. If they don't do either than it is a simple case of fraud. One more thing, did the OP use the United States Postal Service? If she did than you can contact the postal inspector since it might be mail fraud. Anyway the company needs to die because of the remarks.

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4 replies
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TEW
April 23, 2009 11:01 AM
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@TEW:
I am sorry I did not see that she got back the jeans. I thought they just sent the note. My post is now pretty much worthless. :)

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jimv2000
April 23, 2009 6:01 AM
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@TEW: She's got nothing to sue for. And I'll bet they could turn around and counter-sue for legal costs.

I doubt the owner gives a rip about bad publicity.

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Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!)
April 23, 2009 12:03 PM
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@jimv2000: Sure she does. In most states, making comments that suggest a woman is a slut is still defamation per se.

Ah, old-fashioned sexist laws. How rarely you turn out to be useful.

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humphrmi
April 23, 2009 12:34 PM
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@Eyebrows McGee (on Twitter: LPetelle): Useful, but not so much here. Defamation requires that the communication be made to someone other than the person defamed.

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Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!)
April 23, 2009 7:51 PM
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@humphrmi: If she was in an office, others overheard. The laws on woman-sluttery-calling are way outdated. Being in a public space, like an office, is frequently enough.

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humphrmi
April 24, 2009 1:07 AM
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@Eyebrows McGee (on Twitter: LPetelle): Um, not to argue the point, but the article was pretty clear that the owner sent her a note.

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Esquire99
April 23, 2009 3:42 AM
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@TEW:
She has the jeans. They sent them back to her with the note saying they were non-returnable because they had been worn.

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Corporate-Shill
April 23, 2009 3:23 AM
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On your knees?


If the wear pattern is that specific, one must truly wonder.


Oh, and has anybody heard of \"renting\" clothes? The bigger the price tag, the more it happens.

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2 replies
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ailema
April 23, 2009 3:30 AM
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@Corporate-Shill: She wanted to switch them for a different pair not return them for money.

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jimv2000
April 23, 2009 6:02 AM
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@ailema: That doesn't help the fact that they're already stretched out and it would be difficult for hte company to sell them again.

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Deleriumb32
April 23, 2009 1:32 PM
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@jimv2000: How tight do you wear your pants? I've had some pretty tight jeans, and have never had any issue with them being so stretched out after an hour of wear that they didn't look as good as new. I don't see why everyone here is claiming an hour of wear irreparably damages jeans.

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Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!)
April 23, 2009 12:05 PM
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@jimv2000: You are very overexcited about the fit of women's jeans, I gotta say.

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LetMeSayThisAboutThat...
April 23, 2009 12:38 PM
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@Eyebrows McGee (on Twitter: LPetelle): I say a man who is overexcited about the fit of a women's jeans, is just a man.

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DH405
April 23, 2009 6:29 AM
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@jimv2000: The material costs them probably $5. The labor, likely in Malaysia or something of the sort, $1.

They can take the hit.

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1234tu
April 23, 2009 3:23 AM
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Part of me wants to bash you for paying that much for a pair of jeans. Still, I would do a CC chargeback. This company is obviously a rip off outfit.

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Phil Johnson
April 23, 2009 3:26 AM
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I'm not sure if the Consumerist typically changes the name of a company for their stories, but a Google search of the company \"Hot Skinny Jeans\" turns up, well, nothing. The first search result is this post.

Am I the only one who finds this a bit...fishy?

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4 replies
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Rectilinear Propagation
April 23, 2009 12:29 PM
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I'm not sure if the Consumerist typically changes the name of a company for their stories...

@Phil Johnson: Nope. It's the OP that said \"the high end jean brand HOT Skinny Jeans\".

Maybe the name brand is just \"HOT\"? I don't know, I think the OP should clarify this.

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Bluth_Cornballer
April 23, 2009 3:35 AM
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yes... you are.

The company's web domain matches their name. No need to drum up their google trends.

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Eric Lee
April 23, 2009 1:56 PM
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@Blth_Crnbllr: Y shld hv trd gng t th st bfr mkng yrslf lk lk smg jckss.

@jmv2000: Lks lk mst f th clths r frm Zpps wth fw xcptns (Styl Rckt). Th wnr f HSJ s nmd Jck ccrdng t th 'bt' pg. wntd t s wht th rtrn plcy s t th str th P rdrd hr jns frm. Zpps rtrn plcy s wy bttr thn th thr strs lstd n tht blg, s t llws rtrns fr p t yr fr ny rsn. 'm thnkng tht n th cs f th P (bsd n hr spkng drctly wth th wnr nd tht vryn smd t b vry fmlr wth hr rdr), sh ws prbbly dlng wth smllr str...s pssbly Styl Rckt?

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jimv2000
April 23, 2009 6:10 AM
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@Bluth_Cornballer: No, the domain \"hotskinnyjeans.com\" is a blog that reviews jeans...they don't actually sell anything. The actual sales take place at various 3rd party sites.

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Binja-man
April 23, 2009 3:32 AM
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The important thing is that everyone who reads Consumerist now knows not to buy Hot Skinny Jeans. You can't chalk this up to a few bad customer service employees when the owner, Katherine, was rude and unhelpful herself. I wouldn't want to put so much as a dollar in her pocket.

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sbcpunkrocker
April 23, 2009 3:32 AM
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$184 jeans? that's my grocery bill for a month

Reply
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oeolycus
April 23, 2009 3:33 AM
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It's a few down from the top (boy your search was exhaustive). I agree with you though. HSJ looks like a blog that offloads the user to zappos.com for any purchases. So did the OP purchase from Zappos?

[www.hotskinnyjeans.com]

Click on any of the links. Something's real fishy here.

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5 replies
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ideagirl
April 23, 2009 7:03 AM
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@oeolycus: you're right,fishy for sure. Unless it was the \"owner\" of zappos.com she talked to on the phone...riiiiiiight

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DH405
April 23, 2009 6:33 AM
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@oeolycus: I can guarantee you 100% that this NEVER happened at Zappos. Tony would send someone flying out the front doors of their call center before he let someone from his call center say anything like that.

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picardia
April 23, 2009 1:57 PM
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@SMSDHubbard: ITA -- Zappo's has great customer service. Nothing this tacky would ever take place there -- or, if it did, that employee would be fired in a heartbeat.


I think she should do the chargeback. Technically, I think the seller was within its rights to reject the jeans as worn (though an hour is pushing it there), but I think the seller forfeited that right by its behavior.

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Anonymous
April 23, 2009 5:34 AM
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@oeolycus: It's one of those affiliate type sites. An individual creates a website that links to another site selling a product and the individual gets a cut from the sale. I run across these quite often and, when I do, I bypass it and go directly to the selling site. Call me paranoid, but I don't give my info to just any site.

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Phil Johnson
April 23, 2009 3:35 AM
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@oeolycus:

Yes, that's the link I clicked, which led me to believe that Michelle bought her hotpants from a sketchy off-shore drop-shipping retailer who's now giving her the runaround.

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satindevil
April 23, 2009 3:40 AM
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I was curious about this company, so I googled it. I can't find an actual brand named 'Hot Skinny Jeans', only a blog/store at hotskinnyjeans.com - but they only seem to sell clothes and shoes from other companies, like Zappos or Roxy. I wonder who was the nasty one to the OP - the owner of the blog (who goes by Jackie) or someone completely different?

Can anyone clarify?

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3 replies
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Anonymous
April 23, 2009 8:21 PM
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@satindevil: I looked at the site as well, the only problem I see is that she said she spoke with \"the owner of the company 'Katherine' \", but when you click the \"about\" button, the owner/creater of the hotskinnyjeandotcom site's name is Jackie, not Katherine...Hard to really imagine what the poster is actually talking about here, where she actually bought the jeans, or even if she happened to crawl around town on her hands and knees for a week before returning them judging from the actual lack of fact involved in the original post, lol

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Shrew2u
April 23, 2009 3:52 AM
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@satindevil: That was my question, as well. When clicking the \"buy\" button for a pair of $184 jeans listed on the site, it redirects to zappos.com for purchase. Does that mean OP might be able to return the jeans directly to zappos.com, which has a very liberal return policy?

Some clarification would definitely be appreciated.

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satindevil
April 23, 2009 4:02 AM
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@Shrew2u: I've been browsing the hotskinnyjeans blog, and from what I figure, the OP may have purchased one of the $184 pairs from this page: here

It must be either the Hudson or Radcliffe Denim brand, from what I gather.

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floraposte
April 23, 2009 4:53 AM
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@satindevil: The latter would seem likelier, since the former don't look black. But the latter are through Zappo's, so if it's those, she might have better luck talking to Zappo's directly.

But it's still a weird setup.

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rockergal
April 23, 2009 3:44 AM
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ok before I make an opinion, i want to see the actual jeans. There has to be a reason for the \"what were you doing on your knees\" statement. If she was crawling around her house for an hour or what not, it would give a reason for the remarks. and it takes alot to make jeans look \"worn\". so I want to see the jeans first.

Reply
1 replies
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Joey_Brill
April 23, 2009 5:52 AM
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@rockergal:
Some of the tighter, more destroyed jeans will sag at the knee from sitting down. As they stretch, they make people look like ducks - or Monty Python players in tights.

I've paid more for jeans that turned out to be so low low-rise you'd have to do extreme pubic landscaping. I was too lazy to return them, so they went to Goodwill.

Online return policies have to be more flexible because of 1.monitor color distortion 2. non-standardized sizing and 3. time gap between purchase and tactile evaluation.

OP should return the jeans and notify the seller of a charge-back. Then she should never do business with this seller again.

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redkamel
April 23, 2009 4:07 AM
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people buy clothes online? how do you know if they fit? the sizes change every year (ie, 34 from 2006 is not always the same as 34 from 2007)

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6 replies
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Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!)
April 23, 2009 12:14 PM
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@redkamel: I'll add, my husband was a skeptic when I first ordered clothes from Old Navy online and couldn't believe the return policy was real. Now he's a convert. Especially because if I need $75 to get free shipping or 20% off or something, and I only want $60 of clothes for me, he gets cargo pants. The man loves pockets.

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pecan 3.14159265
April 23, 2009 1:31 PM
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@Eyebrows McGee (on Twitter: LPetelle): What's the male obsession with pockets? Mine likes cargo pants too.

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Anonymous
April 23, 2009 8:52 PM
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@pecan 3.14159265: What's the male obsession with pockets? Mine likes cargo pants too.

Interesting. A member of a gender known for carrying a portable storage system with them wherever they go is asking why members of a gender for which such storage systems can be socially problematic is asking why they would want more pockets.

Fascinating.

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floraposte
April 23, 2009 2:36 PM
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@pecan 3.14159265: They don't carry handbags, so they gotta store the stuff someplace.

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pecan 3.14159265
April 23, 2009 2:46 PM
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@floraposte: But most men don't have any stuff. They have a wallet and keys. But still, 10 pockets?

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Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!)
April 23, 2009 12:12 PM
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@redkamel: Were it not for Old Navy Maternity online, I would have been naked for the last several months. (Locally I have three options: Motherhood Maternity, which is expensive for cheaply-made clothes most of which are not my style; Target, which has a tiny selection locally; and a single rack at a local department store.)

Old Navy had (has) extremely generous return policies and extensive sizing charts (with measurements, not just size numbers). $7.95 shipping any size order, no cost to return (it all comes with labels), and frequent sales that more than cover the shipping cost. My first order I made just a small order and ordered the same shirt in two sizes, etc. Once I knew what fit, I haven't had to return a single thing, and I've had fast shipping, good customer service, and great clearance sales on basics.

And, incidentally, I've gotten lots of compliments on my \"normal-looking\" maternity clothes that are cute without being sacks. Old Navy is apparently of the opinion that if you like V-neck T-shirts in normal colors and comfy khakis before you're pregnant, that's what you'll like when you're pregnant ... not sacks and muumuus in freaky florals and babyish prints.

I've never been more than an occasional Old Navy shopper, but hereafter I'm definitely singing their praises, especially for their online shopping.

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LadySiren is murdering her kids with HFCS and processed cheese
April 23, 2009 5:54 PM
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@Eyebrows McGee (on Twitter: LPetelle): What, no A Pea in the Pod stores nearby? Also, aren't you ready to pop yet? We're gonna have to start a delivery date pool. :)

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Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!)
April 23, 2009 7:53 PM
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@LadySiren: Nope, no Pea in the Pod. Just Motherhood Maternity and the department stores (such as they are) and Target's maternity rack.

I'M ready to pop, but FLIPPY isn't fully-cooked until May 29. So I've got 5 weeks to go!

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LadySiren is murdering her kids with HFCS and processed cheese
April 23, 2009 8:55 PM
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@Eyebrows McGee (on Twitter: LPetelle): Hang in there, those last weeks are the hardest. On the upside, you'll have the baby before summer, which is good. Pregnant + summer heat = homicidal pregnant woman. Never a pretty sight.

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Groovymarlin
April 23, 2009 3:18 PM
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@Eyebrows McGee (on Twitter: LPetelle): OMG YES! Old Navy was my standby for maternity wear when I was pregnant three years ago. The crap they sell in those Motherhood maternity and similar chain stores is just horrible. Cheaply made, itchy, uncomfortable, blegh!

Just to keep this close to the topic at hand, I will also sing the praises of the Old Navy return policy. Everything came with pre-printed and pre-paid return labels, just in case (at least stuff that's only available online - if you order regular merchandise that is available in stores you can return it to a store, which is also convenient).

I do love Old Navy. That article (was it here?) the other day about brands that will disappear or fail in the next year included Old Navy. I hope it's not true!

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floraposte
April 23, 2009 4:56 AM
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@redkamel: Mail order clothing merchants have infinitely generous return policies. Most of them these days include prepaid return shipping labels, in fact.

Though the sizes don't change every year in women's. There's just little consistency from brand to brand, and it's pretty common to order two sizes and return one.

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KillTheAcademy
April 23, 2009 4:12 AM
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and the number one reason buying clothes online is not a good idea is..........

...this story.

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WiZZLa
April 23, 2009 4:47 AM
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$184 isn't \"high end.\"


I'd like to see what the jeans look like, for some jeans, an hour usage WILL be shown, especially tight raw dry selvage jeans (with a $184 price tag, I highly doubt they were selvage, but may have been raw or one-wash).


I still don't know what brand \"HOT Skinny Jeans\" is.


It really seems like the consumer was confused, but the company's response wasn't the best.

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2 replies
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Anonymous
April 23, 2009 5:50 AM
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@WiZZLa: I agree with WiZZLa. An hour use WILL show signs of wear and will form to whoever wore it, especially raw denim. You really can't sell back a worn piece of raw denim. Thats like selling back a used toothbrush.

Company's response was inappropiate, but I kinda laughed.

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JohnQPublic
April 23, 2009 6:55 PM
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@FitzgeraldPulcher: I really don't understand this at all, but I'm a dumb male who thinks slacks are superior to jeans anyway.

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Avi Oslick
April 23, 2009 5:51 AM
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I think an hour is fair. I also think returning them is fair. I think that high end retailers should be more accepting. The only place I know I can't return clothing to is jomar and they are a clear out store. I would like to see these. Most of the guys making comments here probably have no idea how much it costs to look good..sure you can do it cheaply.. but its not easy. I know I get more #@! when I am dressed in more expensive clothing.

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ratsafari
April 23, 2009 11:28 AM
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yes I'm curious as to how they knew they were worn, did the OP go commando in the jeans? I'm just wondering how they knew

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1 replies
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Rectilinear Propagation
April 23, 2009 12:34 PM
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@ratsafari: If she told them she wanted a different size they might have just assumed she'd tried them on.

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Rob Mattheu
April 23, 2009 12:00 PM
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If I pay $184 for a pair of jeans, they better come with a free TV.

I don't see a problem with the woman wearing a pair of jeans for an hour to see if they get more comfortable. And I'd have to guess that \"hot skinny jeans\" are often purchased by people that are not as hot or as skinny as the delivered jeans require, so returns might be necessary.

But $184 for jeans? Seriously? What's wrong with a good pair of Rustlers or Faded Glory from a good American company like Wal....... Never mind.

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Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!)
April 23, 2009 12:05 PM
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I would like to point out that the only appropriate response to \"What were you doing on your knees?\" is \"Your mom, now process my return.\"

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3 replies
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Megan Squier
April 23, 2009 12:10 PM
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What a bitch of a company owner! Completely unacceptable!

Just like when I called John Deere earlier this week and the CSR told me that I should pay someone to mow my lawn if I was too small to trip the safety switch in the seat of my brand new lawn mower! Later figured out how to re-wire it though ;) hehe

The owner of that company really needs to brush up on her customer service skills. She obviously doesn't know how to gain a repeat customer.

My husband had to do that with work boots a couple times while he was working in a factory and the companies were always happy to take them back. He'd wear them to work for a day and if they hurt his feet (with and without his custom insoles) or just weren't holding up to 12 hours of walking around a factory, he'd return them. Its completely normal for people to do that with expensive clothing items and the owner should be well aware of that. I've bought jeans from Wal-Mart.com that didn't look quite right after I put them on and wore them for around the house for a couple hours and still returned them to the store.

Completely unacceptable!

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juniper
April 23, 2009 12:19 PM
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So she sent back the jeans for an exchange, and they sent them back to her, declining the exchange? Shady.

I can't find the company online (have you tried googling \"hot skinny jeans\"?) so see their return policy, but I'd try one more time:

Send back the jeans and a copy of the note, receipt-requested, with a note saying, \"I tried to exchange these for another size and wash, and you declined to let me exchange them and sent them back. Unfortunately, that now means I must return them for a full refund. If I do not see a refund on my credit card in 14 days after receipt of this package, I will issue a chargeback.

P.S. Your company will not have me on my knees.\"

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bohemian
April 23, 2009 12:28 PM
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These are not high end jeans, just over priced. They could take some customer service clues from Nordstrom or Williams Sonoma.

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1 replies
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pecan 3.14159265
April 23, 2009 1:32 PM
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@bohemian: High end is such a mistaken term...high end refers to the quality and histoy of quality of the product, not the price. Michael Kors is high end. This, probably not.

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kylere
April 23, 2009 12:43 PM
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If you pay 184 dollars for jeans I have no sympathy for you.

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2 replies
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pecan 3.14159265
April 23, 2009 2:00 PM
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@kylr: f y mk stpd cmmnts bt hw ppl chs t spnd thr wn mny, wll hv n sympthy fr y whn smthng lk ths hppns t y.

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Rectilinear Propagation
April 23, 2009 7:16 PM
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@pecan 3.14159265: Hey, I think the wrong comment got disemvoweled here.

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Rectilinear Propagation
April 23, 2009 12:49 PM
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I want to know who sells clothing online and has a policy of not allowing returns after the buyer has tried the clothes on. That doesn't make any sense.

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1 replies
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floraposte
April 23, 2009 2:39 PM
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@Rectilinear Propagation: Seriously. I've only seen the occasional deep, deep discount item tagged with \"NO RETURNS!\". If people couldn't return the stuff easily, there'd be no mail order clothing industry.

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chucklebuck
April 23, 2009 1:11 PM
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Video Camera + Aim-n-Flame + not right jeans = YouTube company beatdown.

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boxjockey68
April 23, 2009 1:29 PM
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She should just do a charge back, that aside, I looked at the website, and MAN those are some ugly jeans! 184 bucks for those? Really?? She should try sucker jeans..really comfy!

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Scoobatz
April 23, 2009 1:49 PM
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Why does the price of the jeans have anything to do with this story? I'm really tired of the \"why would anyone pay $184 for a pair of jeans?\" comments.


We're all free to do whatever we want with our money.

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Hate_Brian_Club_I'mNotOnlyThePresidentI'mAClient
April 23, 2009 1:51 PM
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Srry, 'm gng t b nthr prsn n ths thrd t \"blm th cnsmr.\"

1. $184 jns d nt qt t \"hgh nd.\" Jns r frly tltrn pc f clthng nd cn't s ny ct r ncrs n qlty tht jstfs pyng thr tms mr thn n vrg pr, s spndng mr, spclly frm ml rdr cmpny, dsn't mk m thnk smn s dsrvng f bttr thn vrg cstmr srvc.

2. Bth my fthr nd wn r wn nrltd bsnsss, mn bng clthng cmpny. Mr tms thn nt ts cstmr wth sns f nttlmnt mkng nrsnbl rqsts nd smn wh wld spnd tht mch n pr f jns dsn't mk m ssm dffrntly. 'm sr thr's mr t ths stry.

3. Th mpld blwjb s fnny.

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8 replies
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Brontide
April 23, 2009 2:23 PM
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@Hate_Brian_Club: Shhh, they don't like common sense like that around here.

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Rectilinear Propagation
April 23, 2009 12:32 PM
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I'm sure there's more to this story.

@Hate_Brian_Club: How can you be sure of something you have zero proof of?

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P.T.Wheatstraw
April 23, 2009 6:54 AM
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@Hate_Brian_Club: You must not be a very good businessman if you sneer down your nose at people who are willing to pay a lot for clothing.

Since you claim to sell clothing but have no idea what makes one pair of jeans different from another, you might want to educate yourself.

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ceriphim
April 23, 2009 4:17 AM
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@Hate_Brian_Club:

1) Um, it's called branding. Citizen, Rock & Republic, True Religion, Sevens, etc all sell for triple digits, while Wal-Mart private label doesn't. Why? Sometimes quality, mostly because they're a popular brand name. New to retail much? PS - *If* OP is telling the full story, she's not asking for \"better than average customer service\", she's asking for AVERAGE customer service without being insulted.

2) Oh really? Could we see some data regarding frivolous or false returns based on something besides your anecdotal evidence? If not, I'll give you some of my own. I'll wager, at most, 1-2% of all the returns I've processed or overseen in 9 years of retail have been the type you refer to as unreasonable. And you know what? We still do 'em, more often than not (to use your phrase). Why? Customer service. See: Nordstrom, etc. Most companies factor this into their cost of doing business, and budget for it. But you're in the clothing business, and I'm sure you knew that.

ALSO, your straw man argument against people who would spend \"that much\" on jeans is a fallacy, which I'm assuming you knew. Am I likely an unreasonable customer because I'll spend 2-5x as much on clothes as you will? No more so than if I spent 2-5x as much on art or food than you do. By your logic most people who shop at Whole Foods instead of Bargain Rainbow are probably unreasonable customers.

3) It's rude, and while that joke may be made behind closed doors or away from the customer, it's inexcusable to make *to* a customer. At least if you value customers or the rep of your company. I'm assuming you don't run your business in the same way, but maybe that's an unsafe assumption.

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Hate_Brian_Club_I'mNotOnlyThePresidentI'mAClient
April 23, 2009 2:51 PM
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@ceriphim:

Oh snaps, my first (?) disemvoweling.

1) There's no need to discuss branding - I'm aware of the concept, my point is: cost ≠ quality. People paying for a name does not a high end product make.

2) This is an internet discussion, there's no room for data. Plenty of stores accept customers acting ridiculous in the name of good service. CostCo does this and basically accepts returns on everything other than half-eaten food. That's not good customer service as much as it is coddling people with a false sense of entitlement.

If someone tried returning a used item of clothing to me I would have most likely reacted in a similar manner, other than the note. Running a small business yourself cuts down your free time to deal with people acting unreasonably - I don't want to deal with those people as they're taking away time from other customers.

3) One persons rude is another persons funny. I wouldn't do it, but I can certainly laugh about it via the internet.

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th1nwhiteduke
April 23, 2009 12:28 PM
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@ceriphim: You sound like a fun person to talk to at parties. Straw man and fallacy are words I've never seen used outside of a 9th grade classroom.

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Tmoney02
April 23, 2009 5:04 PM
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@th1nwhiteduke: big words are hard! Lets go shopping!

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SynMonger
April 23, 2009 1:25 PM
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@th1nwhiteduke:

I never heard those words in any classroom. And it's quite fun to deconstruct fallacious arguments at parties. At least until the other person gets pissed and tries to start a fist fight.

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jimv2000
April 23, 2009 6:12 AM
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@ceriphim: I like that. You act all indignant about Hate_Brian_Club's anecdotal evidence and respond with some of your own. lol

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edwardso
April 23, 2009 1:54 PM
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I know that when I wear dark jeans in my house I inevitably get cat and/or dog hair on them, even if i don't sit down. Maybe that's how the company realized they were worn

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Papa Midnight
April 23, 2009 1:54 PM
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$184 Fr sm dmn jns?

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Brandi Hendrix
April 23, 2009 2:02 PM
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@Papa Midnight: OT -I'm sure you are a very nice person, but I have to ask...WTF is up with no vowels?!?

I see this on here almost every day, people typing without using the most basic of written communication. We talk about how education fails us, how sad it is that the illiteracy rate is so high in this country, and yet we have (I assume) grown, educated adults who refuse to spell words out fully. Does it save time? Does it make you giggle that people have to work a little harder to read your words?

I'm not trying to pick on you specifically, I see it all the time on here, and this is the one I just had to comment on.

And before anyone feels the need to point it out, I logged on with my FB account. Not sure why this makes someone a Consumerist pariah these days, but apparently it does.

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pecan 3.14159265
April 23, 2009 2:06 PM
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@Brandi Hendrix: It's called disemvoweling... the moderators disemvowel comments that are deemed offensive or off topic, or irrelevant in a way that is not conducive to the conversation. In this case, it's continually being annoying for pointing out how much the OP spent for jeans.

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Brandi Hendrix
April 23, 2009 2:52 PM
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@pecan 3.14159265: Oh, thank goodness. I thought we were de-evolving.

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Rectilinear Propagation
April 23, 2009 7:14 PM
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@Brandi Hendrix: It's the content of the original, pre-disemvoweled comments that usually make me worry that we're de-evolving.

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LadySiren is murdering her kids with HFCS and processed cheese
April 23, 2009 5:52 PM
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@Brandi Hendrix: Nope, they get no choice in the matter. I do have to say though, we've had a lot of disemvoweling for this story. Anyone know what the record is for number of disemvoweled comments in on story? Are we on-track to set a new record?

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dako81
April 23, 2009 1:58 PM
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n yr kns jk, blm th p, rd cmmnts, xpnsv jns, wst f mny, ths str scks, bd cstmr spprt, hh


tht bt sms p th cmmnts.

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Big Poppa Pimp
April 23, 2009 1:44 PM
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@dako81: For some reason I think if the jeans were $18.40 and the seller was named \"Walmart\" the tone of the comments would be much different. Just because somebody spends more money than others would on a pair of jeans does not mean they should be treated like the OP was. Quite a depressing set of comments on a consumer-friendly site.

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GrandizerGo
April 23, 2009 1:58 PM
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Why would a charge back be the way to go???
She HAS the jeans.
She wore the jeans.
She now wants a different size, and color.
There is no proof that she hasn't damaged the jeans, or left smells or dirt on / in them.
The company would have to wash and clean them before even attempting to resell them, and couldn't as new then anyway.

The cost isn't that excessive, a coworker buys jeans around that price all the time.

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pecan 3.14159265
April 23, 2009 2:17 PM
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@GrandizerGo: But there's no proof that she has damaged the jeans either.

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watchout5
April 23, 2009 1:58 PM
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$184 dllr jns r th crm hr, t's shm sm cmpny hs th blls t d tht, lt ln sm srry sckr fr byng t. Byr bwr flks, gss sm ppl r stll trckd by ths mgc.

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pecan 3.14159265
April 23, 2009 1:28 PM
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@watchout5: Your post is entirely irrelevant. The price of the jeans does not matter.

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Damocles57
April 23, 2009 2:00 PM
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A little OT, but I found the following site with examples of pricey skinny jeans. In this example, it looks like $184 is the low end. And, judging from the photos, ripped or worn knees add to the price. The most expensive pair of skinny jeans I saw was $1,971.00!


Skinny jeans may be the new snake oil. Cures everything except knee problems.


[shopping.instyle.com]

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waltcoleman
April 23, 2009 3:04 PM
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In my mind Michelle is hot. Plus Katherine sounds like a real bitch. So I hope Michelle gets the charges reversed and keeps the jeans. FU Katherine...

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orlo
April 23, 2009 8:25 PM
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@waltcoleman: The whole thing could be resolved with a catfight in the skinny jeans to test the durability of the knees. Since oil might affect the results, I suggest super-heating the room so that there is lots of sweat.

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Suulia
April 23, 2009 3:08 PM
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Skinny jeans are very tight, in order to make your legs look thinner.

Wearing skinny jeans for an hour is like wearing normal-fitting jeans for a whole day, because of how tight they are.

Now, if the OP wore them for \"an hour,\" so much so that the knees were stretched out already (based on the comments from the owner), that's bad on her for trying to return already-worn jeans.

The note was snarky, to be sure, but let's see the company's return policy to see if the OP is in the wrong here.

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pecan 3.14159265
April 23, 2009 4:22 PM
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@Suulia: Well the brand itself seems to be Hot skinny jeans, and doesn't necessarily mean that skinny jeans are the only thing they sell.

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bagumpity
April 23, 2009 4:19 PM
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OP aside, I doubt many of their customers are consumerists. Shaming them on a web site their customer base would hate to be caught dead surfing is hardly effective.

There needs to be something similar for rich designer snobs. Call it \"conspicuousconsumerist\" or something like that.

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pecan 3.14159265
April 23, 2009 4:21 PM
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@bagumpity: Rich designer snobs? Someone's got a little snobbery going on themselves.

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kaptainkk
April 23, 2009 4:45 PM
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I have no sympathy for someone that can afford to pay $184 for jeans. If you can afford that, then you can afford the loss, so be it!

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Rectilinear Propagation
April 23, 2009 6:11 PM
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@kaptainkk: That's ridiculous. The cost of an item does not suddenly make it OK for a company to rip off the customer.

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h3llc4t, breaker of office dress codes
April 23, 2009 5:31 PM
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@kaptainkk: Perhaps it was a long-saved-for luxury. I hate overpriced fashion as much as the next chick but you know what it's called when you hate someone for having something you don't? Jealousy.

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Sherif Hassabo
April 23, 2009 4:56 PM
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I would take her story with a grain of salt. I'm just sayin'...

Why would an owner make a statement like that unless its obvious the customer was trying to play her? Gotta look at it from both sides :)

That said, as a business owner you sometimes have to eat the costs of dealing with a scammer to maintain your company's reputation.

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Rectilinear Propagation
April 23, 2009 6:17 PM
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@Sherif Hassabo: But it's the kind of statement you put on customerssuck.com, not in a conversation with the customer. You tell the customer that the knees of the jeans are too worn for them to allow an exchange.

What would be great is if, since the OP has the jeans back, they could send in a picture and let us compare it to the picture of the jeans from the web site she ordered from.

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kwsventures
April 23, 2009 5:02 PM
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$184.00 for jeans? That was your first error.

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pecan 3.14159265
April 23, 2009 5:21 PM
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@kwsventures: Can we quit with these inane comments about the price of the jeans?

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ZukeZuke
April 23, 2009 8:07 PM
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While $184 for jeans is insane and makes me question the readers judgement, I'll get in the \"Charge-back!\" parade here.

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Anonymous
April 23, 2009 10:27 PM
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Has ANYONE heard of this company? I'm beginning to doubt their existence, myself. If this is an internet based clothing company, I would exepect them to have some manner of web presence. No amount of Googling \"Hot Skinny Jeans\", \"Hot skinny jeans brand\", or \"Hot skinny jeans company\" has turned anything up.

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athomas12
October 23, 2009 11:23 PM
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@ScottAdmetus:
it's hello! skinnyjeans
not hot skinnyjeans

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Anonymous
April 23, 2009 10:41 PM
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I'm wondering if the HSJ is actually Hello! Skinny Jeans? The cost seems similar and the owner seems to be Catherine Hart.

If this is the right company though, the letter is especially funny considering the website (http://www.skinnyjeans.com/) has this to say:

Do a plie’ in your SkinnyJeans to get them on right and tight!
hello! SkinnyJeans never get droopy and bag out!!

Even if the jeans weren't these ones, I'd be very suspicious of jeans that show obvious wear in about one hour although I can see the knees being affected by trying on shoes. I figure that sitting or kneeling to put on the shoes rubs the knees but this still shouldn't show unless the denim is extremely cheap.

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savdavid
April 23, 2009 11:52 PM
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They will soon be out of business.

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Anonymous
April 24, 2009 5:56 AM
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My sympathy is limited. If I spent $184 on a pair of jeans, I'd be a little bit more careful with wearing them if I was pretty sure it wasn't what I was hoping for. And I sure as hell wouldn't trod around in them for an hour. That's like eating a few slices of pizza then trying to send it back saying \"this isn't what i meant to order.\" Cut your loses and sell them to a consignment shop.

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Meathamper
April 24, 2009 6:29 AM
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Well, what HAS she been doing on her knees?

Oh.

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Anonymous
April 24, 2009 10:45 PM
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The jeans cost $178 and we charged the lowest possible packing and shipping fee of $6.95. The customer ordered “BlackWash” jeans and got BlackWash jeans just as pictured on the website- they are black jeans. She returned them with her packing slip which requested a refund and a note that she “didn’t realize the jeans would be black.” Huh? We would have refunded her for that or any reason but the problem was the jeans had been worn so much that there were bright shiny patches on the knees. I don’t have the packing slip but I don’t recall her requesting an exchange- she wanted her money back (in any event I couldn’t have refunded or exchanged her because she had returned used merchandise). She called me and tried to get me to send her money under veiled threat of her consumer power, asking me if this is really how i wanted things to be. I said I simply could not take back worn merchandise and that of all the jillions of pairs of jeans I have looked at I had never seen a brand new pair of jeans with bright shiny worn patches on the knees so naturally I asked her what she had been doing on her knees. The customer never once denied wearing the jeans-- her spiel was that she wanted a new pair of jeans or her money back.

We all looked at the jeans and everyone agreed that the jeans had been worn and could not be resold. We have a very liberal return policy and will take back jeans for any reason and state clearly on the website that we will NOT accept merchandise that has been worn. As I couldn’t sell the jeans and as the customer had OBVIOUSLY worn the jeans, I simply mailed the jeans back to her with the packing slip and a note that “we cannot accept jeans that have been worn” and with a question- “you ordered black jeans, how could you not realize they would be black?” So she has her worn jeans back.

I am a business owner who will not be blackmailed -- I think a lot of online retailers cave into pressure in situations like this for fear of being lambasted in a one-sided feeding frenzy in the blogosphere, but it’s not right. Overwhelmingly our customers are decent and fabulous but every so often someone like this shows up and tries to cheat you (and worse, doesn't know how to take a joke!) What would you do?

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Anonymous
April 26, 2009 5:37 AM
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http://www.skinnyjeans.com/html/about.html

The website does clearly state the items cannot be returned if \"worn\", but 2 lines down says they can be exchanged or refunded for any reason.
Considering the statements about the quality of the product, such as \"the jeans never stretch out, bag out or lose their shape\" there seems to be no way to tell how something is \"worn\" or not.
As a woman, I have purchased jeans that I tried on in the store, and taken them home to try out with different shirts and shoes and whatnot. An hour doesn't seem like that long to try the jeans out with various other items of clothing...IMO.
Possibly she was planning on going out that night in her new jeans and maybe sprayed some perfume on while trying on her outfits? Or if she is a smoker and had one while wearing the jeans. Those are the only reasons I could think of to \"prove\" the item was \"worn\"....since obviously the jeans \"don't lose their shape\" that was not the reason.
Still a piss poor customer service experience, she should have gotten a concrete reason for how they knew it was worn, not a snarky note or a sexual insult from the company owner.

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Megan Murray
April 26, 2009 3:11 PM
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Have you read the website? There is a gallery of before and after shots of women who clearly have very little body fat being called \" Chunky Monkeys.\" Obviously this store has a glittering history of insult as marketing.

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Anonymous
April 26, 2009 3:17 PM
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The jeans are $178 and we charged a low packing and shipping fee of $6.95. The customer ordered black jeans and got black jeans as pictured on the website. She returned them with her packing slip and requested a refund or exchange and a note that she did not realize the jeans would be black. Huh?? We would have refunded her for this or any reason but the problem was the jeans had been worn so much that there were big shiny patches on the knees. I returned the jeans to her with her packing slip explaining that the jeans were worn and could not be returned and asked, you ordered black jeans, how could you not realize they would be black?? She called me and tried to get me to send her money back under veiled threat of her consumer power, asking me if this is really how i wanted things to be. I said I could not take back worn merchandise, that the jeans had OBVIOUSLY been worn and could not be resold and that of all the millions of jeans I look at I had never seen a new pair of jeans with big worn patches on the knees so naturally I asked her what she had been doing on her knees. The customer never once denied wearing the jeans-- her spiel was that she wanted another pair of jeans or her money back. Everyone in the office looked at the jeans and agreed that the jeans had been worn and could not be resold. We have a liberal return policy and will take back jeans for any reason but state clearly on the website that we will NOT accept merchandise that has been worn. I am a business owner who will not be blackmailed -- I think a lot of online retailers cave into pressure in situations like this for fear of being lambasted in a one-sided feeding frenzy in the blogosphere, but it is not right and I will not back down. Overwhelmingly our customers are decent and fabulous and we love chatting with them and taking care of them but every so often someone like this shows up and tries to cheat you (and worse, does not know how to take a joke!) What would you do?

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athomas12
October 23, 2009 11:20 PM
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@SadhikaDawidude:

\"We have a liberal return policy and will take back jeans for any reason but state clearly on the website that we will NOT accept merchandise that has been worn.\"

Okay, could you be any more contradicting? Which is it?

\"I returned the jeans to her with her packing slip explaining that the jeans were worn and could not be returned and asked, you ordered black jeans, how could you not realize they would be black??\"

That is unnecessary and unethical even and of course...unprofessional.

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Anonymous
April 27, 2009 4:42 PM
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I bought theses jeans about a month ago directly from the company. I was treated in a professional manner and received the jeans right away. The fit is amazing and I wear them constantly. I find it strange that people are so quick to comment on a company they know nothing about.

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athomas12
October 23, 2009 11:11 PM
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I had read some of the comments on here and felt I should add to just how unprofessional the owner of hello! skinnyjeans was. I heard about this brand from a friend and just wanted to know what size I should select in case I decided to buy a pair. This is the response I got:
\"Sweetie we make up to size 18 (that is a size 38)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!\"
I have never emailed a company and got such a childish and downright immature response. I felt like my 12 year old sister was the one e-mailing me back.
After reading some comments on this message board, I decided to email the company again. I basically noted how unprofessional they were and that I had read many complaints on late/delayed orders and refusal on their part for refunds and exchanges.
Well, within a few moments, I was sent a reply. I am going to copy and paste it exactly as it was sent to me. Notice how there is no regard for proper sentence structure or grammar.
Here it is:
\"thanks for email and sorry you won't get to try the jeans. all those reviews are almost 2 years old and now we have a warehouse and we ship jeans fedex same day they are ordered. good luck and there are plenty of jeans made in china, catherine\"
This was my reply right after:
\"You know, you really should feel embarrassed and ashamed that as a founder of a company that you deal with customers (or prospective customers) the way that you do. You obviously have no writing skills to carry you in the business world and if I didn't know any better I'd say you were my teenage sister writing me a casual email of how her day went. And the sarcasm thing just puts you even lower on top of everything else that I've seen thus far. True, you may have a good product. But where is the business foundation that is what really is going to take you to the top? Your disrespect to customers and lack of service is sooner or later going to catch up to you and I can guarantee that you will see the consequences of that down the road. \"good luck\".\"

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