Gilt Group
- Thread starter lil_peanut
- Start date
Wow, my post never said I expected the lowest price, I simply stated that my expectations were that I would pay lower than retail. Fortunately, the US has moved away from such a cavalier caveat emptor attitude and there are more consumer protections.
It says it on the home page. There is also a misleading representation regarding "member's or insiders pricing." I think that's pretty clear cut.
Taken from their website:
Gilt Groupe provides invitation-only access to highly coveted products and experiences at insider prices. Each day, Gilt offers its members a curated selection of merchandise, including apparel, accessories and lifestyle items across the womens, mens and childrens categories. In addition, we provide the best in home decor and entertaining essentials, along with luxury travel packages and fantastic offers on local services and experiences. Most sales start at noon ET and last only 36 hours, making Gilt.com an exclusive shopping destination for luxury at up to 70% off.
Taken from their website:
Gilt Groupe provides invitation-only access to highly coveted products and experiences at insider prices. Each day, Gilt offers its members a curated selection of merchandise, including apparel, accessories and lifestyle items across the womens, mens and childrens categories. In addition, we provide the best in home decor and entertaining essentials, along with luxury travel packages and fantastic offers on local services and experiences. Most sales start at noon ET and last only 36 hours, making Gilt.com an exclusive shopping destination for luxury at up to 70% off.
That's ridiculous and misleading. Sites can get sued over such things as this. That is the classic example of false advertising and misrepresentation. No reputable website would take a chance on such semantics.
Thanks for the constructive feedback ladies! I will start to do this from now on.
I get what you are saying and why you are unhappy, but you yourself said you bought without checking pricing elsewhere. You can't assume the price is below retail for every single sale. The HOH sale wasn't posted as a below-retail sale, it was some sort of exclusive opportunity to purchase at retail.
Overall the majority, if not 99% of gilt sales are below retail. They occasionally do an exclusive sale which the deal is the designer offering an array of items, but may be at full price.
I don't think in this instance they did anything wrong. It was stated that HOH was going to be full retail. And also, you get 15 minutes to hold the Item in your cart. A quick google would have given you time o check the price.
I too understand what you are saying but this is my point:
1. Gilt Groupe holds itself out to be a sale site. I should haven't to pay atttention to small nuances to determine if I am getting a bargin or not.
2. The CS representative I spoke with tried to tell me that it was stated that HOH was going to be full retail. When I pressed her to show me the screen shot, she came back five minutes later acknowledging that it was not expressly stated. Furthermore, it was not an exclusive look at her line because apparently it has already been out in department stores which by the way already have pieces as sale items.
Overall lesson, do the research before purchasing from Gilt Groupe. I didn't start this thread to argue, but to inform others that have been mislead or could be mislead by this company and to get some feedback. Thanks you ladies for all of your feedback.
Their website touts that it is a sale site with discounts of up to 70% and member's only pricing. Apparently, member's only pricing means retail and I certainly do not have to be a member of their site to pay retail prices. All in all, it is misleading (despite doing my reasearch or not).
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I too understand what you are saying but this is my point:
1. Gilt Groupe holds itself out to be a sale site. I should haven't to pay atttention to small nuances to determine if I am getting a bargin or not.
2. The CS representative I spoke with tried to tell me that it was stated that HOH was going to be full retail. When I pressed her to show me the screen shot, she came back five minutes later acknowledging that it was not expressly stated. Furthermore, it was not an exclusive look at her line because apparently it has already been out in department stores which by the way already have pieces as sale items.
Overall lesson, do the research before purchasing from Gilt Groupe. I didn't start this thread to argue, but to inform others that have been mislead or could be mislead by this company and to get some feedback. Thanks you ladies for all of your feedback.
Their website touts that it is a sale site with discounts of up to 70% and member's only pricing. Apparently, member's only pricing means retail and I certainly do not have to be a member of their site to pay retail prices. All in all, it is misleading (despite doing my reasearch or not).
Yes, you should. You should be a responsible, informed consumer; we all should be.
I'm sorry that you are not satisfied with Gilt and their pricing policies, but we as consumers have the choice to buy or not buy.
I'm not sure how not that makes me irresponsible? Also, suggestions to the effect of not shopping there or the choice to buy or not buy are not constructive at all. Those points are obvious and overlook the fact that there are consumer protections out there. They have been installed for a reason.
How is it not constructive? You have the choice to shop with Gilt or not shop with Gilt. If you choose not to, then you won't be subject to what you feel is the misrepresentation and pricing of their items.
Consumer protection is not around so that the masses can blindly purchase whatever from whomever without so much as product/pricing knowledge. Example: Let's say I want to buy a flat screen. Store X sells said flat screen for $2k and guarantees rock bottom pricing. Store Y sells the same TV for $1500. I don't research or comparison shop and purchase from Store X. Then, I see an ad for Store Y and notice that I have overpaid by $500. Do I call in the FTC? No. It's my fault for not having researched.
I am sorry to hear that you are not satisfied with Gilt; however, I just don't see the point in being angry about their pricing.
OP, i know how you feel. the same thing happened to me with their La Perla sale. not only did they describe the items incorrectly (said it was La Perla, but they were really La Perla's more affordable line), but they sold them for prices above the retail prices on Bloomies.
i have have yet to make a purchase from gilt because a lot of times i find the stores itself (like right now burberry prorsum) goes on sale its a LOT cheaper then gilt. so i don't really understand the concept except, for those who are too busy to catch the sale at the right time, or do not have access to those brands for the most part, because it isn't everywhere and online doesn't always carry it.
i am always amazed by how fast they sell some of the stuff out, but it must be returned later or something because then i see it again sometimes, when they do the 'last chance' thing.
i much prefer yoox, theoutnet, or any of the other alternatives (can't think right now) that TPF has advertising (or is it just because i frequent those places its up there?) and some of the not so known sites..i'm sure they'll blow up eventually causing me to hope for some other online retailers to pop up..
but yeah, this is not a big surprise to me, but i'm a bit of a cynic and have worked retail so i sort of know how this game goes.
i am sure there are other people who aren't as aware, that would appreciate this OP.
i am always amazed by how fast they sell some of the stuff out, but it must be returned later or something because then i see it again sometimes, when they do the 'last chance' thing.
i much prefer yoox, theoutnet, or any of the other alternatives (can't think right now) that TPF has advertising (or is it just because i frequent those places its up there?) and some of the not so known sites..i'm sure they'll blow up eventually causing me to hope for some other online retailers to pop up..
but yeah, this is not a big surprise to me, but i'm a bit of a cynic and have worked retail so i sort of know how this game goes.
i am sure there are other people who aren't as aware, that would appreciate this OP.
Its not constructive because the advice is so obvious and quite frankly a bit rude. Sometimes it takes instances like this to determine that you will no longer do business with a retailer. That is usually how lessons are learned. Additionally, you are totally missing the point. If Store X holds themselves out to have discount prices and Store Y does not, but the same product is sold at both stores for the retail price, Store X is misrepresenting themselves. That's the point. It's not a matter of "blindly" buying things. When a retailer holds themselves out as one thing, it is completely reasonable for a consumer to rely on that. Furthermore, the FTC would have nothing to do with it and it would be something a state's Attorney General would be interested in.
I totally disagree with your assessment and have every right to be angry with their pricing. I am sure this information is helpful to others, if not you.
I totally disagree with your assessment and have every right to be angry with their pricing. I am sure this information is helpful to others, if not you.