Do you shop at members only websites like Gilt, Haute Look and Beyond the Rack?
I don't typically shop at timed flash sales because of my inability to make a purchasing decision when I am under a time constraint. Any time that I am told that I only have 24 or 36 hours to buy something I back away. But I can see the logic in this from the vendor's side. Create some arbitrary time limit pressuring the buyer to make a purchase.
Also, I won't purchase anything, anywhere, that is not returnable. In my opinion if a store sells quality merchandise at the correct price they should be willing to take it back for any reason.
That's Beladora's policy, so why would I trust a vendor who's not willing to take back their merchandise.
The Wall Street Journal had an interesting article this week about one of the issues with these sales, primarily the question of correct retail pricing.
Restricted shopping Web sites—which pitch steep markdowns on designer goods to its members for brief time periods—are soaring, growing by more than 400% last year despite the economy.
But there are complaints that some of these sites, which typically promise markdowns anywhere from 50% to 70%, are relying on an old sleight-of-hand: inflating retail prices to make their discounts larger than they really are. Because these Web-only sales last a short time, usually 36 to 48 hours, shoppers feel pressure to make a quick decision. And as with most sharply discounted sale items, purchases on these Web sites are often nonrefundable.
Recently, members-only site Beyond the Rack offered a pair of suede Adalene pumps from the two-year-old designer label Pour La Victoire for $129, posting a "compare it" price of $275 for the shoes. Gap Inc.'s online retailer Piperlime simultaneously offered the same pumps for $149.99, but with a suggested retail price of $220. (Piperlime has since lowered the price to $109.99.)
There have been issues with Gilt Groupe also.
Recently, shopping blogs and forums have been abuzz with complaints about instances where an original price was inflated or misrepresented on a members-only Web site. Last fall, category leader Gilt Groupe, which is expected to ring up $400 million in merchandise sales this year, was targeted in an episode since dubbed "Scarf-gate." It began last October, when a blogger noticed that Gilt was pitching a neck warmer by SofiaCashmere, a label based in New York, for $128, a deal versus its shown $300 "original" price.
After a bit of online research, the blogger came upon a nearly identical SofiaCashmere tube scarf for sale at the e-commerce giant NeimanMarcus.com for a full price of $195, or $105 less than Gilt had claimed. On her blog, The Vie Society, she accused Gilt of inflating the original retail price of the scarf to make its discount seem more attractive. A flurry of angry postings ensued.
Leave it to a blogger to get to crux of the matter
"It's particularly unfair," the blogger, who publishes anonymously, says in an interview, that most accessories, such as the neck warmer, can't be returned to Gilt.
The article goes on to say that Gilt explained this as an honest mistake, and I can believe that because when you handle so much different merchandise, mistakes do indeed happen.
Miss de Ville is a such a big fan of Haute Look that she checks it every morning before her email!
She's been very happy with what she purchased from that site.
But careful and conservative me, I'm going to stick with shopping with sites that will allow returns and not pressure me with a time limitation. Yes, I will probably miss some great deals but I will be more comfortable with my buying decisions.
What about you? Do you shop on these site and have you had any issues?
