Women’s Plus Size Fashions – Sizes X-5X (14-34) and XWP-3XWP (14 WP – 26WP)
Written: Dec 15 '02 (Updated Jan 19 '03)
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Faulty site makes shopping difficult, however, the sizing and selection sometimes makes up for it.
URL: http://www.jessicalondon.com
TAGLINE: Jessica London – A division of Chadwick’s of Boston, Inc
Save 20%-50% Every Day on Name-Brand Fashions
DATED: The information in this review was accurate on 12/15/02
SHOPPING CATEGORIES: They sell dresses, two-piece sets, special occasion clothes, blazers and coats, shirts and sweaters, pants and skirts, accessories, shoes and intimate apparel.
SIZING & SELECTION: They offer petite and extended sizes which includes talls. There is a detailed sizing chart to help you choose the right size for you.
THE SHOPPING EXPERIENCE: They offer the typical registration options and shopping cart. This site has been a bit flighty for some time in several ways. One, they offer an easy to shop-from-catalog option where you type in the catalog number for an item and it should appear for purchase at the price listed in the catalog. It RARELY works. Usually the item is not found, or it comes up with no picture, no information, and/or no way to order it. I’ve called several times and each time I have been told, “Our website isn’t working correctly right now but I’d be happy to take your order.” Which they’ve done, but I really would have preferred to order online. They do offer a link to report problems, but since this been going on so long I’ve lost interest as they don’t appear to be able to handle the problems.
I was able to order online twice (not using the catalog). Once in April 2002 and then again in May 2002. I’ve tried twice since then, and the site is still not working correctly (the latest attempts were November 26 & December 14). Since I couldn’t complete the order I abandoned the cart, tired of trying. The other problem, which contributed to my abandonment, is quite often the site has broken links and broken photos. They rarely have an alternative view of the clothes, and offer few details. I’d like to know how long a shirt or coat is as I’m tall, but many descriptions don’t offer that information.
Another bothersome problem is that quite often items are out-of-stock. You’ll receive a message that the item is no longer available in that style/color/size combination, please choose again. Not very helpful—more helpful would be to show me what is! Instead, you play a game of changing colors (I know very few people who would change the size—seems to me they should show you what IS available IN YOUR SIZE) looking for one in stock. Some items are expected to be back in stock and they’ll allow you to enter a waiting list for the item. I have done this a few times and I was given information on exactly when it would be available—no problems here.
Another minor irritation is when shopping “Specials”. I was sent a “Buy 2 & Save Denim Sale” offer through e-mail. I used the link in the e-mail, selected two denim skirts from the page that popped up, and headed to checkout. There I expected to see my discount—nope. The only option on the page was to offer a promotional code. I rechecked the e-mail twice, no promotional code. I figured that maybe the information would be added on the next page – the confirmation page. Nope. Evidently, the site isn’t able to do the math; something I’ve found in the past with other retailers which can be a pain and involved several e-mails or telephone calls to be sure I was charged the advertised price. So, instead of opting to take a chance, I abandoned my cart. Another loss for them.
The plus side is that your information is stored on their site so you can look up your account and see your past purchase and you need only register once which makes check out faster.
PRICING: I think their prices are right in line and they do offer close-outs and discounts. If you sign up for e-mail notices you’ll know when they’re offering specials. Be warned though, unless you opt-out you’ll receive e-mail from their whole group which includes Brylane Home, Lerner Catalog, Roaman’s, KingSize Direct, etc.
SHIPPING: Shipping for 3 items was $6.99, very reasonable. I didn’t pay tax. Shipping is based on the total price of the order, not weight. Expedited shipping is available at an additional cost. They do offer a shipping chart (link is available on the bottom of nearly every page) so you know BEFORE you start shopping if the prices are reasonable—I hate when you don’t find out until you’ve got your cart full of items.
SALES TAX: Sorry, if you live in Indiana, Massachusetts, New York, and Texas, you’ll have to pay the appropriate sales tax.
GUARANTEE: “Your satisfaction is guaranteed”. Detailed information is available on their site.
CUSTOMER SERVICE:
They offer many ways to contact them and they are available by phone to order 24/7. My time with customer service was pleasant; however, I never like having to call Customer Service so I’m irritated when I must as I’m shopping online for the convenience of shopping online!
RETURNS & EXCHANGES : I’ve never returned an item—they’ve always arrived on time and the sizing has been accurate.
MY THOUGHTS: With all the negatives above, you’re probably wondering why I would recommend it. The main reason is it’s hard to find plus sizes, and especially tall plus sizes. If you know the limitations of the site, set aside the time to deal with it, and shop VERY CAREFULLY, you should be fine.
Take a look at these other Plus Size online stores:
Roamans Online Store - http://www.epinions.com/content_84455165572
Lane Bryant Catalog - http://www.epinions.com/content_84412108420
Just My Size - http://www.epinions.com/content_83743313540
Recommended:
Yes
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briandalsmom
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Member: Mom
Location: USA
Reviews written: 249
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