Jessica London

Full review
Ahh Christmastime. It's the time I shop all over the net and try out sites I never tried before. I usually am quite good at picking out decent online stores but, now and then even I, the shopping diva elite, make a mistake.

Such was the case with Jessica London Online Store - jessicalondon.com.

It all looked fine but it didn't turn out so fine.

Navigation and Selection

The site sells women's plus size clothes, shoes, and accessories as well as a selection of petites and tall sizes.

It is a simple site with photos of decidedly unplus sized women in fashionable clothing.

You can shop by category, catalog item number, or search by keyword or type of item you are looking for.

As I browsed for a friend of mine who is big and very beautiful, I was shocked at how many photos were of skinny women modeling clothes made for larger sized ones. What does that say about this site's perception of plus sized women that they don't even have models who fit into the clothes on their site?

Anyway, navigation is simple as are all Redcats sites. Redcats owns - among others - Chadwicks, Metrostyle, LaneBryant, and KingSizeDirect.

Photos are good, if a bit misleading due to the skinny models, and descriptions are adequate. Click to add an item to your cart and continue on.

Several items are offered to go with your purchase which you can check out or ignore.

Once you have your cart filled and are ready to pay, you will head to the checkout area.

If you are logged in or register before paying, you will be able to see special promotions that are offered to "members only". I did not register because I knew I probably wouldn't be back for another year if that.

Step one of checkout is to add any promotion codes you may have from their catalogs or found online and any deferred payment codes you may have.

Your shipping charges will show on that page.

When I entered my email and a password (which I guess means I am registered?), I got some 20% off offers which didn't interest me and I forged ahead.

Fill out your address and phone number and you will then pick a shipping method - Standard, Express, or Super Fast.

I chose standard and wasn't thrilled with the amount of shipping and the tax added but that's life when you live in New York State.

They accept major credit cards and other Redcats credit cards. I used my MasterCard.

My order went through fine it seemed and I got an immediate confirmation email.

You should get an email when they ship and you should get your order in a timely fashion and as described. Should. Not necessarily will.

My Experience

I ordered in mid-November so the holiday crunch wouldn't be a problem.

I wanted to buy my friend something trendy and of good quality. I had heard of Jessica London but never shopped via the catalog or online.

I liked what they offered. They don't sell just things for "big women", they sell typical clothing that is in style for today's woman of any size.

I chose an outfit for my friend that I thought would look great on her. The prices are decent - average to a bit above for a kind of mediocre site.

The process was fine. I was able to order what I needed in the sizes I needed and I got an email confirmation right away.

I didn't get an email telling me my order was shipped though. I waited several days then contacted customer service by email. When I got no response, I called.

I was told they were behind due to some computer problems and that my order would ship out very soon and I would have it plenty of time for Christmas. It was only the end of November by then so I didn't worry at all about that.

I never did get that shipping email but my order arrived 13 days after I called, almost a month after I ordered.

Still, it was all good. Christmas was a ways a way and I had the gift.

But wait! I opened the poly bag and saw some ugly, thin, yeck clothing. I had to actually check the item numbers on my invoice against the website item numbers to be sure there was no mix up in my order.

There was no mix up. The great outfit I bought was not great. It was lower than Kmart quality. Way lower.

Everything was stuffed in plastic bags - not folded - and wrinkled, and the whole presentation made the clothes look used.

Now, I was in trouble. I waited all that time and got clothing I would not give to anyone. I called customer service and they said I could return the items at my expense and that my shipping costs would not be refunded. Blah.

They do have a $4.50 label meaning that I could (and did) affix the label and pay nothing when sending the package back. $4.50 would be (and was) subtracted from my refund. If I wanted UPS to pick up my return, $6.00 would be charged. That, on top of shipping I paid, really ticked me off but it is pretty standard stuff.

I was a little hysterical because, after the long wait, I was at square one. I asked if I could exchange over the phone but I would have had to pay for the new order and shipping and then would have gotten a refund minus shipping when the return arrived.

The customer service rep was cold and sounded bored as if she wanted me to just hang up already. I hate when I get a rep like that. I mean, what else do they have to do since their job is customer service?

I gave up, braved the cold, and ended up finding a great outfit for less money at a local department store.

My return arrived promptly but I was not credited for a month. That's nuts.

They sure charged my card fast but took their sweet time crediting me!

Shipping and Returns

You can return items within 90 days of purchase for a refund minus shipping. You can choose to exchange items or just get a refund. After 90 days, they will issue a merchandise credit.

There is a shipping chart on the site which is convenient. Shipping starts at $5.99 and goes to $16.99 (for orders $139.00 and up). Expedited shipping options are available for a fee.

Tax is charged in many states - mine included.

Conclusion

Slow shipping, dreadful quality, and slow refunds make me say no way to ever shopping on this site again. I am somewhat offended that the models are all stock thin ones rather than the actual size of the people wearing the clothes. It's hard to picture an outfit on someone when the model is 120 pounds and the outfit is made for someone 180 pounds, you know?

I am going with 2 stars. There are better sites out there with higher quality goods.