Abercrombie? AberCRAPPY!

A Public Service Announcement:

Don’t buy from them. They’re bad. Very, very bad.

Think they’ll sue me for libel? No way! I have the story to back it up…

My niece is an Abercrombie & Fitch junkie. I should also mention that she’s a gorgeous athlete and a size two. Frankly she would look great wearing a mildew-stained shower curtain.

Admittedly I’m not a fan of Abercrombie. I find their clothes ass-grabby and their in-store staff snotty and unhelpful. However, it’s the holidays. She's a good kid; I’ll get her whatever the heck she wants.

Afraid of being the woefully uncool aunt who gets her something (gasp!) decidedly un-trendy, I settled on a gift card.

Desperate to avoid the mall rush, I ordered the card online late on Friday and requested “Next Day Delivery” for a $10 fee. I expected the gift card to arrive Monday, December 20^th – the next business day.

When the gift did not arrive by Tuesday afternoon, I checked my e-mail. I received an Abercrombie shipping notification saying that my gift went out the evening of Friday, December 17^th and gave me a link to tracking information – which didn’t work.

So, I decided to brave the 800 number. Here’s what transpired….

Me: Hi. I was hoping you might help me. (Explains situation referencing receipts, e-mails and order numbers in nauseating detail.)

Customer Service Representative (CSM): Wow…that’s sad.

Me: Yes, I know. (Pause.) Time is of the essence, as I need to ship this stuff to

Florida

in time for Christmas. Can you tell me when I may expect the gift to arrive?

CSM: Well…uh…wow…um…I don’t know.

Me: Can you track it?

CSM: Yeah. Um. Wait. No, I can’t. I don’t see any tracking numbers here. When did you order it?

Me: (Sigh) Friday night. I paid extra for next day delivery.

CSM: Did you say “next day?”

Me: Yes. I assumed it was the “next business day” – Monday.

CSM: You see, they say next day on the site but sometimes it takes 1-3 days. It says it on the site.

Me: No, it doesn’t. Check. Had I known that I never would have placed the order.

(Long Pause)

Me: Hello?...Hello?

CSM: Yeah…you're right. Just checked the site. I guess that isn’t on there. Wow…

Me: So what have you done in similar circumstances?

CSM: What?

Me: When similar things have happened to other customers, what have you done? Issued a refund? Sent another shipment?

CSM: I don’t know…wow…I don’t know. I do know we don’t do refunds for gift cards.

Me: So, what you’re telling me is that you don’t know where my package is, you don’t know when I’ll be receiving it and you won’t issue a refund – even for the shipping charges.

CSM: Sorry.

(***SILENT SCREAM***)

Here’s the total clincher.

So annoyed was I by this phone call that I channeled my inner bee-yatch, sat down and wrote a fiery “Why-You-Stink-And-Need-To-Issue-Me-A-Shipping-Charges-Refund” complaint I planned to send to the powers that be at Abercrombie. I went to the “Contact Us” page on the Web site.

I fill in my name, e-mail, pop in my text and hit send.

Dead link.

I enter the stuff again. Send.

Dead link.

One hour later…

I enter the stuff again. Send.

Dead link.

I guess I will just have to find another way for them to feel my disgruntled customer wrath. Anyone know where I can get a cheap price on some skywriting?

Maybe I need to get some information from the famous Customer Service piece entitled "Yours is a Very Bad Hotel." (If you haven't read it. Please do; you're in for a treat. It's the elaborate complaint piece so good that you wish you wrote it yourself.)

Well, I’m off to check my porch (again) and make plans for tomorrow’s last-minute pilgrimage to the mall.

Meh.

Comments

[DogsDon'tPurr]

I recommend calling back and asking to speak to a supervisor, be extra demanding, but nice, that should get you through to someone. Also, you should call your credit card company and tell them you're disputing the charge and why.....in most cases they'll investigate and won't make you pay until the issue is settled...and I'm guessing that you would then not be charged for the shipping at all.

Good luck!

[Mike Hill]

I hadn't seen "Yours is a very bad hotel" before and I thank you for linking to it. Experiences like yours with A&F truly expose the blackest depths of your soul. Personally, they make me want to cause pain.

[Jason]

Well I am having a sucky experience with A&F as well. We purchased a gift card from them and decided that we would not give it as a gift because we found something else. I tried to return it (with receipt) and they said it can only be redeemed for merchandise. So to sum it up, I bought something from them and they won't let me return it. I am in GA, and they said they are only required to give money back for the gift cards in CA.

[TJ]

I'm sorry to hear about all your dramas. After multiple e-mails, they still haven't gotten back to me. And I thought I was the only one sucked in by their eeeevil empire.