Harriet Carter

Full review
Harriet Carter is a catalog with lots of "As seen on TV" stuff and cheap gifts. I have never requested a copy of their catalog, but once you have shopped with other mail order stores (not sure whom give our names to this company), I'm sure you'll get a copy of catalog from Harriet Carter someday. (I believe many people have the same experience). Honestly I do not like Harriet Carter catalog (I believe many of you agree if you have ever seen their catalog) because anyone can see it looks so cheap. some merchandise in their catalog don't even have actual photos, and you see some drawings of those items. (and the artist don't have talent of drawing, so it's really cheap looking catalog). I don't know why the store never even consider their catalog to be bit more sophisticated looking, their catalog have been looking the same for years.

I usually do not buy anything, but sometimes I find something I didn't see any other stores or catalogs,(e.g..a shoe case with soft clear cover with zipper), so I buy once in a while. it was okey when they were not online, the order processing was normal, but I do not like their online service at all. the store do not use technology wisely and for customer's convenience at all. Recently (since they have got online service) I ordered twice. the first order was 3-4 months ago and I ordered the shoe box I mentioned above. I waited for it 10-14 days, but not only I got package, I didn't even receive any shipment confirmation, then about 3 weeks later, I got a post card for backorder in the mail, what did they mean? did they have no time to notify me about it by e-mail right away after I placed order? why it took 3 weeks to notify me and by mail? the post card said that my order item will be available in the next 30 days, so if I do not want to wait, return the post card. I wanted the item asap, and already wasted 3 weeks from order date, I simply did not like their manner, so I decided to cancel and mailed the post card back for cancellation, I also notified it via e-mail just in case. then they said they processed my cancellation but they also shipped the item in the 2-3 days after I returned the post card for cancellation. once they mailed the post card, they should wait for the reply at least 10-14 days from their mailing date, but they did not wait for my reply and whether they got post card or not, I notified them by e-mail as well and they said they cancelled my order. that was huge frustration. I sent them e-mail to tell them that I do not want the item even though it became available sooner than they notified me, so they should pick it up or ask UPS for sending it back to them. I told them I did not want to do anything for it. then they said they would issue return mailing label and contact my local UPS to deliver the label to me so I should put the label on the package and hand it to UPS for return, then another stupid thing happened. they issued the label as promised, but it came to me before the package arrived, so UPS person got confused. (anyway UPS person found the package next day and contacted me to ask me if I really wanted to return it,and she processed for the return). then refund took a month from return date. I wonder why this store don't use technology for faster service. they should notify us about backorder immediately when we place order and by using e-mail, they can do it faster than using regular mail. they should also provide us shipment confirmation too.

so I thought I would never want to shop with Harriet carter again, but when I showed my husband their recent catalog, he said he wanted something from the catalog, and I also wanted something too, so we ordered 2 items, it was 2 weeks ago. This time, the store provided us shipment notice, and package arrived in 10 days from order date or so, but when I got the package, I felt very light, I shook the box and heard noise that something was in it, but inside of the box, there was only one item that my husband ordered, not mine and we found a post card for backorder in the box.(how lazy they are! to save postage for post card, they enclosed backorder notice post card in the instock item package). it says my order will be shipped within 30 days. why can't they notify sooner???? because if they notify us in the same day we placed order, do they think we cancel order? I will never buy from their catalog again! their service is as cheap as their catalog.