joann.com: Jack of All Trades...
Written: May 18 '06
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I'm frequently sewing, so it's not unusual to find me creeping through the aisles at a JoAnn Fabrics store, usually with a child or three in tow, begging "Mommy will be just ONE minute more." While part of me thinks it's strange that it's taken me this long to shop at the online counterpart, joann.com, there is something about seeing and feeling fabric and notions in person that just can't be beat. However, joann.com doesn't just sell fabric and notions, but also craft supplies and decorating needs, and they just so happened to be the only place I could find that carried the Olive Kids Ride 'Em Cowboy Wallies I was searching for in order to complete the theme in my boys' bedroom.
::: The Crafting General Store :::
The one thing you can say about joann.com is that if you are looking for something to do with crafting, odds are you can find it there. Taking the best of the larger joann, etc. stores, joann.com boasts everything from sewing machines to yarn to cake decorating supplies to fabric flowers.
The home page is busy, but packed with information. Any coupons pop up immediately upon opening the page (even using the built-in pop-up blocker in Mozilla Firefox), and specials are prominently displayed at the top of the page. The left-side menu is broken down into shopping categories (Embroidery Designs; Sewing; Lighting; Yarn, Knit & Crochet; Scrapbook & Card Making; Quilting; Fabric; Home Decor; Jewelry & Beading; Crafts; Kids [sic] Crafts; Needlework & Cross Stitch; Storage & Totes; Clearance; Machine Embroidery and Digital Designs; Framed Art & Mirrors; Custom Framed Art; Software & Bookstore). A search box is prominent in the upper left-hand corner, and a "Shop by Brand" box appears at the lower left below the menu, so you'll have to scroll down quite a ways to find it.
I'll be honest; shopping on the joann.com leaves me itching to call them and duke it out with whoever did their web design. Navigating is fairly easy, but the left-side menu has duplicates (for instance, why is embroidery listed twice) and grammar issues, and sub-categories are listed in tiny print under the main categories instead of using a cleaner drop-down menu or taking you to another page for sub-categories.
Several categories or brands with specials are displayed in the center of the page with thumbnails and pricing, but the link for your shopping cart is show in tiny print with no graphic at the top of the page. Most of the page has type so tiny that if you have a screen display larger than 1024 x 768, you are going to need to break out the bifocals. joann.com features product reviews on their site, with a simple "thumbs" rating scale displayed with each item detail, and a link to more complete customer reviews, if available.
joann.com allows both the purchase and redemption of gift cards online, and features a "free shipping club" that will allow you to double up on coupon redemption with a certain number of orders totalling $25 or more within a specified time period. Payment is accepted via Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express, and they ship to all US addresses, including APO/FPO addresses.
::: Jack of All Trades... :::
As I said, there isn't much in the way of crafting that you can't find on the joann.com site, which makes it a go-to destination for crafters of all kinds. However, the variety has its detractions.
For starters, it's often difficult to find all desired varieties of an item on the site. Trying to find Major League Baseball-themed fleece to make blankets for my children, I was able to find my daughter's beloved Red Sox, but nothing for my sons' favorite team, the Atlanta Braves. You also won't find a huge variety of natural fiber yarns, or specialty products like natural fabric dyes, that you might find on sites specializing in yarn crafting or fabrics.
The ordering process is straightforward, with a confirmation email sent almost immediately, and shipment following in a timely manner, with standard ground delivery made mostly using USPS. I did find, however, that packing was sloppy, at best; my Wallies arrived with almost no packing around them, and the plastic container they arrived in had popped open, scattering the decals over the packing box, and bending a few of them.
In addition, problems with processing an order aren't communicated at all in my experience. I recently ordered some yarn for a friend, and hadn't received shipping confirmation. A quick check of my order status simply showed "processing" and a call to the 1-800 number prominently displayed on the web site resulted in the discovery that I had miskeyed the expiration date on my credit card. This was a simple mistake that could have been quickly remedied had joann.com called or emailed me, but I had to track the order myself to discover that it wasn't sent.
In addition, once the order was finalized, my confirmation email wasn't addressed to the name in the billing information, but a version of my friend's last name used as a first name.
Overall, my joann.com has been fairly disappointing. The company seems to be so large that customer service falls by the wayside, but the site has so many things available that it's difficult to avoid shopping there, especially if you don't have the time to sort through tons of smaller specialty sites. They also participate in Upromise, which helps in their appeal.
Recommended:
Yes
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? Wallies
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pippadaisy
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Reviews written: 1086
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About Me:
Divorce seriously cuts into the amount of time for reviewing.
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