Store Review: ShopRapunzels

When a lovely TPFer posted about this new Juicy source, I so wanted them to be my IT store. They looked like a perfect replacement for SDR/SBB - not so big that they'd sell out within minutes and not so small that they would never have anything good. They even had free shipping and a discount code so I would be able to make the transition from SDR/SBB easily.

As it turns out, my optimism was short lived. Placing an order and getting the discount was easy enough. But shortly after my order confirmation e-mail arrived a second, rather unpleasant one followed: because I live in Hawaii I was not eligible for free shipping and would have to pay an extra $20, despite the fact that the checkout system didn't charge me for shipping. $20???!!! Are you nuts?! That pretty much canceled out the discount I had received and quite frankly, if I'm going to pay full price for a charm, I'm going to go straight to the Juicy boutique to get it. So I had a moment and fired off an e-mail back to them with a short shipping tangent inside and told them that I wasn't paying $20 for shipping and if they couldn't figure out a way to send it for free as promised then I didn't want it. I even tipped them off that the 3 charms I had ordered could fit snugly inside of a small flat rate USPS Priority box, which mails for less than $5.

A short time later I received another e-mail, offering to "look into" shipping the items via USPS, but that they did not have the best tracking methods. To add insult to injury they threw in the tidbit that international packages had gone missing before with USPS. It could be that the person writing the e-mail had no idea that Hawaii is, in fact, part of the United States and does not require international shipping. But I have to reassure you all right now that we do make up 1 of 50 states and you can come here without a passport. I informed them of these things and figured I wasn't going to be getting my charms.

I suppose luck was on my side that day. The very sweet Web Manager named Juliette e-mailed me back and let me know that they would be sending the charms via USPS flat rate for free, and would work on their shipping policies for Hawaii. She included that they're still a small business and work hard to please the customers they receive. I have to really give her two thumbs up for that - they could've just canceled my order and sold everything to someone else. Please refer to the Shipping & Tax information to read about how the charms actually arrived.

Selection:
It's not as extensive as you'll find with department store websites or Juicy's official website, but it's good. There are just under 20 charms listed right now, with a healthy mix of older (pave banana, frame) and new (orange slice, script pearl).

Pricing:
Regular retail pricing for Juicy merchandise.

Customer Service:
Once I got past the automated e-mails and received contact from an actual person everything was smooth sailing.

Returns:
Their return policy is here. After the hassle I went through to get my 3 charms there was no way I was returning them, so I can't tell you how easy or difficult it will be.

Discounts:
Sign up for the e-mails! Not long after my first (and so far only) order I received a few more discount codes for an assortment of merchandise, including Juicy Couture items.

Shipping & Tax:
You've already read my disgruntled tirade about their shipping procedures. I should also include that when my charms did arrive they came in a larger sized USPS Priority flat rate box without ANY padding or packing materials. There's no doubt that those little boxes banged around and had quite a rough journey on their way over. They also removed the foam from inside the boxes. Thankfully, nothing was broken. Their entire shipping policy can be found here and should be read before placing an order if you live outside of the continental United States. ShopRapunzels does offer international shipping. Florida residents may find themselves facing tax, as the store has 3 retail locations in the Palm Beach area.

One Last Thing: My unpleasant experience with ShopRapunzels is not the only one out there. If you had a bad experience as well, please post about it in the comments. Having said that, you should know that my or anyone else's frustration with the company doesn't necessarily mean that you should avoid doing business with them. I don't want to obliterate them in this review, and I think everyone deserves a fair chance. If you had a good experience with their website please e-mail me or post about it in the comments, because I really would like to hear about it. :)

Store Review: ShopBellaBeach

ShopBellaBeach (formerly ShopDollyRocker, which will be referred to as SDR/SBB from now on) used to be my main source for Juicy charms. Unfortunately the website has really fallen down on the job lately, with no new charms in months. Customer Service keeps saying they'll be up in a few weeks but it never seems to materialize. I won't write them off for this, though - when you can get them there you usually get a pretty great deal.

Selection:
Like I said, the selection is incredibly dismal right now - as of today they only have two charms available. It's been that way for months so I haven't been holding out for them to get new stuff in.

Pricing:
Regular retail pricing for Juicy merchandise.

Customer Service:
Excellent customer service. I'm not sure if it's Kristine who owns the website but you will get e-mails and responses from her directly. They're great at correcting problems before orders are sent out (should there be any) and answering any questions you might have.

Returns:
SBB's return policy is here. It doesn't seem too complicated but I've never had to return anything to them so I can't say how it'll go.

Discounts:
Sign up for the e-mails! You won't regret it, I promise. SBB often sends out codes for anything from 15% to 30% off merchandise, including Juicy items. They also have frequent sales and you can sometimes catch an older charm or two at a really great reduced price. See the Bonus! section for a never-fail 20% off code.

Shipping & Tax:
To my recollection SDR always offered free shipping via UPS on orders over $100. International shipping was available, though I'm unsure at what cost. Since SDR was relaunched as SBB that information has disappeared from the website. It may be best to e-mail their customer service and ask before placing an order. SBB is located in Manhattan Beach, CA so once again you Californians may find yourselves hit with sales tax on your orders.

Bonus!:

• The code TOUTIE will get you 20% off your purchase. It has worked for YEARS and I'm unsure of when/if it will expire.
  
• SBB has a sister website, DestinationWeddingWear. They stock charms as well, though their selection is even more pitiful right now with a paltry one charm. I don't think that SBB's discount codes can be used on the site but it's worth checking since it's a lesser known website (and therefore may have one or two harder-to-find charms once they've sold out elsewhere).
  

Store Review: Revolve

I can count on one hand the number of times I've ordered from Revolve. Don't mistake this for a bad thing, though; when I order from Revolve I order a LOT. They're one of my preferred websites for hunting Juicy charms.

Selection:
Sometimes they're a little behind other larger sites and stores, like Nordstrom's, but generally their selection is pretty up to date and plentiful. The only time you'll see things going out of stock quickly is during a promotion or big sale (like 20% off your entire purchase).

Pricing:
Regular retail pricing for Juicy merchandise.

Customer Service:
I've never had a problem placing or receiving my order. I've heard horror stories from others about e-mails to CS going unanswered for weeks on end, though.

Returns:
Revolve offers free returns, but their actual policy is a little more complicated than that. If you're unsure about a future purchase with them you may want to read up on it here before placing an order. I've never had to make a return to Revolve so I can't attest to how good or bad the process is.

Discounts:
Revolve definitely isn't pumping out the discount codes every month but they happen often enough. If you are a first time customer you can call their customer service number (1-888-442-5830) to obtain a 30% off code for your first purchase.

Shipping & Tax:
Shipping is, delightfully, free! For US orders it comes via USPS Priority, but you do have the option of upgrading to overnight, or picking from an assortment of UPS services. International shoppers receive free shipping when they spend $100 or more; anything less than that gets a flat $10 fee (excluding those in Canada: you'll still get it free). If you want expedited shipping make it $20. Revolve does have a regular retail store in West Hollywood, CA so I would say it's a safe bet that any CA residents face regular taxes on their purchases.

Bonus!:

• Revolve does ship out their Juicy charms with the foam intact, as well as the white paper wrapper and the plastic bag. This is a HUGE selling point for me - I like keeping the foam inside the box and the extra paper and bag help to protect the box during shipping. All shipments have been received with foam peanuts inside, which keeps the charms from banging around in transit.
• You can earn 3% cash back through the LuckyRewards program. The program is sponsored by Lucky magazine, and you have to be a subscriber to access it. If you're not you can sign up for a 90-day trial of just the rewards program here. LuckyRewards hosts a variety of merchants, including eLuxury, Bloomingdales, Nordstrom's, and Sak's - all of which sell Juicy.