Macys.com

Full review
Macys.com is not one of my favorite online stores. They offer more items than most onliners (clothing for all ages and household products) but not as much selection as some of the big onliners like Amazon.com and prices aren’t as good as searching out specific items by individual stores.

They do run sales, but the sale prices run about what I would pay using search and cost comparing. Another thing about the sales is that I think they put up items that went belly up in the store. No. I can’t prove this, but it certainly seemed to be the case on my last order.

I ordered some boots from Macys. I really, really loved the way these boots looked on the site. They were brown leather with zips up the side and then a lace that looped around and tied. I thought they looked kind of like Indian boots but would be heavier leather and really look sharp and hold up. I was very excited to get the boots and at 50 percent off. I was going to be so stylish. Oh boy!

When the boots came in, they had a tag that said “leather,” but they looked more like pleather. The style was still cute, so I thought I might like them anyway though I hated the price (even at half off) for something that did not look like leather ($65). They were hard to put on, because the zip and the tie thing did not work well together. The design looked cute but was not good. The real kicker was that the boots were off by, at least, a size. I ordered half a size up to be sure, and they were still too small. Since I have very slim feet, I know that these were way off for anyone with normal to wide feet.

I could have kicked myself with the boots, because some previous buyers at the site had noted the same problems that I discovered when I got the boots. That is part of the reason I went up half a size. I had read that they ran small. I just tried to ignore the comment that they looked cheap. After all, this is a good store and the price is high even on sale. Maybe “cheap” is in the eye of the beholder. Nope. They did look cheap. I tried to tell myself it was not true, but they did look like stuff you'd buy at the cheap shoe stores.

These same boots ended up on one of my favorite sites reduced even further. This was www.iloveadeal.com They have a lot of good stuff that didn’t sell at other stores, but these boots were not good, and I think Macy’s knew that when they put them on half off. It's no telling where they are trying to unload these now.

My thinking is that Macys uses the web site to dump some of the lesser stuff they carry. They mix that stuff with some of the classics like khaki pants and button downs and such that sell well. These same “classics” can be picked up anywhere and all over the place online. If you need a collar shirt for golf, you really don’t need to go online to Macys to find one. Even if you hate to shop, you can zip in the front door at any department store, tell someone what you need, and be out in 10 minutes. There are other onliners that will give you the same and for better prices and often with free shipping deals.

If you do like the department store feel, then Macys may work for you. It takes less time to click in and buy clothes for everyone in the family and any household goods that you need or want in one stop. Do know that you will pay more for this convenience. Also, note that you will not get the same kind of selection that you will get if you go to the brick and mortar store. I haven’t gone in and counted dresses at Macys and then counted at the website, but the difference in terms of volume is huge. This is not a fully stocked or full service store.

If you have any problems, then you won’t get much help at Macys.com. They do the standard emails on the orders and send some about sales, but they don’t get very personal if you have any difficulties. I never heard a word about those crummy boots. I did, however, get an email when I ordered with a coupon that they let leak and that was posted on all the coupon boards. It wasn’t even a really great coupon—kind of an introductory offer to the store. They could have honored those and perhaps have built a user base. They just sent a generic cancel notice on orders. Then, they spammed out the boxes on those folks who ordered and were cancelled.

I still pull up Macys from time to time when they email or when I notice a sale on the deal sites. I haven’t seen anything else that I just “had to have.” There was an umbrella that folded up with flowers at the top that I considered. Then, I thought about the cost and how Macys does not respond much to customers online, and I decided a plain black (and much cheaper) umbrella would be just fine.

Right now, I think that the only reason I might actually buy at Macys is if someone I like uses the bridal registry. I would know what they want and could click and buy. Those are kind of handy. Then again, it would probably be better to give money, and they could get the same stuff for less (without the shipping charges). If every person who wanted to buy online gave the money, then those shipping charges would add up. I think most couples would love to have that extra money and go to the store.

I buy a lot of stuff online, and Macys just doesn’t measure up. They are pretty expensive, and the goods may or may not reflect the costs. It’s not like you have a lot of choices. When it comes to sales, they are really limited on sizes. I look at page after page, find something I like, and it’s out of stock in my size. When I do find something, it’s either OK (but not great) or it has to go back. When they get in contact, it’s very not-friendly—just very basic net service and not what I’d call customer service. I would expect more from an upscale brick and mortar “gone online.”