Boxy Charm [Spoilers]

[britty]

Got mine in! My eye shadow was broken, but I'll leave it alone... I don't care much for BaB anyway.

 

[Sadejane]

I'm so disappointed in BoxyCharm this month.  I vowed that the second I start getting Be A Bombshell or Starlooks from a sub, I'm out.  This month I also had Starlooks in my Ipsy bag (it was a tiny lipgloss). . so, I'm done with both subs.  

I'd also like to point out that Boxycharm  (it shows as Goldybox) is the only purchase made on my credit card in months.  I was overseas and received notification about fraudulent activity on my card.  It was a nightmare to get through to customer service and even though I didn't need to use this card on my trip, I was so stressed out and incurred a huge phone bill while trying to straighten it out.   

PLEASE please please . . .check your credit card statements thoroughly and make sure you recognize all the charges.  My charges were fairly small, less than a few dollars from each fraudulent transaction.  BUT. . I'm guessing they start with small charges just to see if they go through, then go for the big ticket items.    I do think it had something to do with Boxycharm and I'm not going to renew my credit card information with them for next month. 

As for this month's box:  

Nailpolish -  Cheap, cheap formula that smells chock full of nasty chemicals.  My brushes were also stiff and unusable, which is fine because I don't want to expose myself to that toxic stuff.   I'll probably just toss both. 

Coastal Scents palette -  I played around with it a bit and some of the colors were better/creamier than others.  It's cheap, but at least it was something unique for a sub box. 

Palmetto serum -  The ingredients are nice and it looks like a good, basic serum.  

Be A Bombshell - I got Bora Bora.  Nope.  

Starlooks gem pencil -  I got the violet shade.  It's a bit too glittery for my taste plus ughhhh. . so sick of Starlooks pencils.  

 

[Queennie]

Got my box!! Actually did not absolutly loved it, but it was still good!
 

Concealer palette: Like I thought, it is rather dry. Will have to play with it some more

Nail polishes: Look cute! Love the packaging, Boxycharm said that you have to dip the brush in polish remover to get ride of the stiff brush and shake the formula, I will have to try that out.

Gem eyeliner: Love this! Favorite out of the bag, not a fan of eyeliner, but this shade is just perfect for my hazel eyes! I got Olive.

Serum: Probbaly will trade, of regift, don't really need it.

Eyeshadow: Got a purple shade, looks really pretty sheered out.

 

[Fashion Diva]

Just thought I'd update with the latest unsolicited Boxy email I received. It seems they didn't try to charge my card at all, so it wasn't declined. They have another subscriber with the same name and it was her card that was rejected. Right. But they went on to claim that because I updated my credit card (due to it being near its normal expiration), THAT caused my account to be suspended. Now keep in mind "charmers" that their site literally invites subscribers to keep card info updated and mine went through with no problem. So according to the CS genius who can't seem to stop spinning lies and emailing me (I told them to cancel my account a full week ago and she keeps contacting me with a new "explanation"), any time a subscriber updates their card info, your account is closed and you have to be wait listed and start over again. Now if that isn't the biggest bunch of BS I've ever heard....Just. Stop. Please, just stop. They're only digging themselves a deeper hole with their "explanations." I strongly recommend they hire professionals to handle CS inquiries instead of the flailing bunch of immature junior high mean girls running the show now. I'm way too old for this crap. I graduated high school 21 years ago after all. I subscribed to what I thought was a business. Not a teen-run want to be empire.

 

[Fashion Diva]

This is exactly what they've done to me for 4 months running. I make contact, they eventually respond a week later, and THEN they ship. So yeah, it's pretty clear they have no kind of organization on their end and haphazardly just ship to whomever is on one person's "list" each month. I envision a unicorn cover notebook with handwritten names and addresses in it. And I'm only sort of joking.

I received my tracking email and, 30 minutes later, received a response to my email that said my box has just started the shipping process.  It makes me wonder if they had forgotten to ship my box out.  My gut is telling me to cancel, so that's what I'm going to do.  They might be a good sub, but they haven't made a good first impression to me and it's not worth the bother at the moment.  I might try them again next year when they hopefully have worked out their issues.

 

[Fashion Diva]

I received my tracking email and, 30 minutes later, received a response to my email that said my box has just started the shipping process. It makes me wonder if they had forgotten to ship my box out. My gut is telling me to cancel, so that's what I'm going to do. They might be a good sub, but they haven't made a good first impression to me and it's not worth the bother at the moment. I might try them again next year when they hopefully have worked out their issues.

I also believe the credit card shenanigans are of their doing. This is honestly not a fully legit company. No legitimate sub box has a team of tweens and teens handling CS and social media. They don't create lie after lie to cover for their buffoonery in not shipping/charging multiple times/randomly canceling after charging, etc. After them claiming 3 different explanations about why they cancelled my sub (which by the way STILL shows as active on my account), I went back and looked at my card and I too have multiple small attempted charges. After the fourth one I got a fraud alert from my bank. It's exactly how identity thieves operate, by testing cards with small charges, spaced out over a period of days. They weren't smart enough to change the amount from one to the next and that triggered the alert. So no wonder they had "issues" charging my card. That tends to happen when you attempt credit card fraud. I'm seriously disgusted with this company. If I could only get them to stop emailing me random, unsolicited explanations for why they closed/suspended my account, tried to charge my card four times, oh wait they claimed they couldn't charge my card at all because it was declined, well, actually that was a different subscriber's card that was declined, not mine, and what really happened was me changing my card (updating to new expiration date) and though it showed as updated just fine, it actually automatically suspended your account. That still shows as active online. For the life of me I don't know why they keep digging themselves a deeper hole with me. I was done communicating with and thinking about Boxy a week ago. They just can't seem to help themselves. And then today I discover the multiple charge attempts. I'm about ready to report them for fraud. And I don't honestly care if it was intentional or accidental due to their flaming incompetence. It happened.

I'm so disappointed in BoxyCharm this month. I vowed that the second I start getting Be A Bombshell or Starlooks from a sub, I'm out. This month I also had Starlooks in my Ipsy bag (it was a tiny lipgloss). . so, I'm done with both subs.

I'd also like to point out that Boxycharm (it shows as Goldybox) is the only purchase made on my credit card in months. I was overseas and received notification about fraudulent activity on my card. It was a nightmare to get through to customer service and even though I didn't need to use this card on my trip, I was so stressed out and incurred a huge phone bill while trying to straighten it out.

PLEASE please please . . .check your credit card statements thoroughly and make sure you recognize all the charges. My charges were fairly small, less than a few dollars from each fraudulent transaction. BUT. . I'm guessing they start with small charges just to see if they go through, then go for the big ticket items. I do think it had something to do with Boxycharm and I'm not going to renew my credit card information with them for next month.

As for this month's box:

Nailpolish - Cheap, cheap formula that smells chock full of nasty chemicals. My brushes were also stiff and unusable, which is fine because I don't want to expose myself to that toxic stuff. I'll probably just toss both.

Coastal Scents palette - I played around with it a bit and some of the colors were better/creamier than others. It's cheap, but at least it was something unique for a sub box.

Palmetto serum - The ingredients are nice and it looks like a good, basic serum.

Be A Bombshell - I got Bora Bora. Nope.

Starlooks gem pencil - I got the violet shade. It's a bit too glittery for my taste plus ughhhh. . so sick of Starlooks pencils.

 

[Fashion Diva]

I'm seriously considering contacting each brand from this month's box to see if they directly provided the products or if Boxy has gone back to sourcing items from "third party resellers/wholesalers." They not so long ago admitted that's exactly where they got their products for the first 6 months or so they were in business. It stands to reason that they would want to increase their profit margin by lowering the cost of buying legit products from brands directly, once they got their total number of subscribers high enough. They wouldn't be the first sub to so the old bait and switch that way. So what I'm saying is there's a good chance the products in this month's box were not directly procured from the brands themselves, meaning they could well be defective, expired, or even counterfeit (though I don't know how large of a market there is for faking these low end brands). I know for a fact Starlooks products are resold on eBay in huge lots, including eye pencils. If I wanted to buy sketchy beauty products, I'd cut out the middle man and buy straight from the Far East, sketchy source.

I received my first and last Boxy Charm box today. Not only did it come a long time after they charged me but the three makeup products have parabens. I'm not normally an ingredient checker for beauty products but since there are so many sketchy comments about the nail polish and I've heard nightmare stories about be a bombshell's mascara I thought I'd at least read the back of the packages in this box. The serum seems fine but I'm hesitant to use it considering that they sent it with a box of very low grade cosmetics. I'm not impressed in the slightest.

 

[MissJexie]

There is a LOT of speculation in this thread. We have no proof that Boxycharm had anything to do with any sort of credit card fraud or issues going on with credit cards. Also, there's no proof that they're using 3rd party wholesalers. Be a Bombshell, Coastal Scents and Starlooks are actually very common companies to work with subscription boxes of all sizes. The nailpolishes were made by a company that specifically makes cosmetics for brands/companies, so that is clearly not a wholesale item, either.

Also, what is all this talk about Boxycharm's customer service being preteens and tween girls? Is there some sort of proof that underage girls are running their CS department, or is this being said out of anger and frustration rather than truth?

Look, I'm not a boxycharm advocate. This is only my second box from them. However This thread has become exhausting to read, and the accusations and allegations with nothing to back them up is really uncalled for.

Sharing thoughts and opinions is one thing, but this is starting to get out of hand at this point. If you don't like boxycharm, cancel and move on. I'm not even sure how I feel about this company yet as I've enjoyed the September box and felt kind of mediocre about this one, but seriously people. There's a huge difference between sharing facts and issues and spreading rumors and stirring up drama. I think I'm going to unfollow this thread because it's just a giant rumormill at this point.

 

[Queennie]

There is a LOT of speculation in this thread. We have no proof that Boxycharm had anything to do with any sort of credit card fraud or issues going on with credit cards. Also, there's no proof that they're using 3rd party wholesalers. Be a Bombshell, Coastal Scents and Starlooks are actually very common companies to work with subscription boxes of all sizes. The nailpolishes were made by a company that specifically makes cosmetics for brands/companies, so that is clearly not a wholesale item, either.

Also, what is all this talk about Boxycharm's customer service being preteens and tween girls? Is there some sort of proof that underage girls are running their CS department, or is this being said out of anger and frustration rather than truth?

Look, I'm not a boxycharm advocate. This is only my second box from them. However This thread has become exhausting to read, and the accusations and allegations with nothing to back them up is really uncalled for.

Sharing thoughts and opinions is one thing, but this is starting to get out of hand at this point. If you don't like boxycharm, cancel and move on. I'm not even sure how I feel about this company yet as I've enjoyed the September box and felt kind of mediocre about this one, but seriously people. There's a huge difference between sharing facts and issues and spreading rumors and stirring up drama. I think I'm going to unfollow this thread because it's just a giant rumormill at this point.

Agreed completely. I did not see the part about the preteens and tweens running their CS, but I have had great CS so far.

 

[biancardi]

none of what I wrote was speculation.   They lied to me.  And yes, I am no longer with boxycharm, never even got a box.  But they did lie and stall me on the status of my box, that was supposed to be shipped out. 

I made no references to their age, but to the facts of how my case was handled with them.  

 

[MissJexie]

none of what I wrote was speculation.   They lied to me.  And yes, I am no longer with boxycharm, never even got a box.  But they did lie and stall me on the status of my box, that was supposed to be shipped out. 

I made no references to their age, but to the facts of how my case was handled with them.  

I was merely referring to the things that were being said that had no basis of proof. There are things being discussed here that are speculation, and nothing more. That's including where they get their products from, the type of people they have working their CS, and credit card issues.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with airing your issues here that are legitimate. That's the great part about makeuptalk. To get things off your chest, but also to make people aware of things going on with companies etc. 

I'm not telling people to stop discussing their legitimate concerns with Boxycharm, or sharing their negative experiences, I'm merely asking speculation to stop. I hope that people expressing their legit experiences aren't reading into what I said the wrong way. If you go back and read some of the responses in this thread, you'll see what I'm talking about.

 

[Saffyra]

Luckily (apparently?) I haven't had any issues with Boxycharm.

 I really liked my box this month and I'm excited to try out my new concealer palette.

 I *love* the Starlooks Ultra Green eye liner pencil I got, too!  It's my first green and while sparkles aren't my first choice, they sure are fun for a night out /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />  

I won't use the BaB eyeshadow because it's an awful black but I'm used to not loving everything in my sub boxes and it's a cheap thing to not like anyway.  

The polishes are pretty and dry quickly but wtf is up with those brushes?!  Yeah, no.  Hopefully, the feedback will mean Boxycharm doesn't use that company anymore.  Sheesh.  Why even bother having a nail polish if it comes with a brush that's impossible to use.

But I'm very happy to see that serum in our boxes!  Now that's a big ticket item I can get behind!  It's got great ingredients (and thankfully, their website is very transparent and listed them ALL!) so I'm definitely going to be using it.

 

[Queennie]

To help anyone that feels like their brushes are stiff on the nail polishes, Boxycharm said to put them in nail polish remover to help de-stiff them. Hope this helps!

This is what they said "Hi Charmers! Just to clarify any confusion: Cult/Commerce added extra lacquer to your brushes to prevent bristles from fraying during transit. It softens with time, however you can quickly dissolve it with a little acetone / nail polish remover. Just add a little acetone to a cup, hold the brush inside for 30 to 60 seconds, wipe on a paper towel and voila! We suggest one coat of the purple "Spell On" shade and two coats for the shimmery black shade, "B'Witched". We hope you enjoy these gorgeous fall colors! Xoxo, Your #BOXYCHARM Team" via Facebook

 

[Fashion Diva]

There's no need to attack. I'm not speculating about anything. I had numerous attempted charges by Boxy Charm's company specifically (though it took some digging by my fraud dept to uncover the true source), small amounts each time, but no other attempted legitimate charges as they claimed after the fact. That's a fact. I didn't call it fraud. My bank did, and I happen to agree. As for CS, they have behaved like children repeatedly, as evidenced by countless comments from customers here. Calling someone a c**t and taunting them in an immature way, along with referring to their customers as "whiners" is incredibly juvenile. Speaking as the mother of 2 teens, I know what they sound like but at no time did I ever say they were literally "underage." I said nothing that isn't supported by valid evidence and in the case of product sourcing, enough evidence that is concerning based on the fact they have admitted, in writing, on their own website, that they used third party wholesalers for a long time. The reason they finally admitted it? A product just like this month's polish got them called out and they finally responded.

I don't care for having my concerns as a customer referred to as anything other than legitimate, nor do I care for being called out for sharing them with others. I'm an attorney, a federal government one at that. I know what is appropriate to say and not say in a forum. I've said nothing that isn't fully supported by facts and evidence. My other posts should more than explain that as this has been ongoing (and I'm far from alone in having these experiences). Am I upset with how they continue to handle CS and the needless emailing me after I asked them to stop? You bet. Am I a petty or immature customer badmouthing a company because I'm unhappy. Absolutely not. I want to be sure where my beauty items come from before I put them on my body. Questioning a company that has used questionable sources for an extended period of time (an search online will show all kinds of links to their admission of the same) about whether they're doing it again is perfectly legitimate. Especially for a $21 beauty sub. My daughter uses these products as well as me and I'm not about to risk blinding or disfiguring her because I didn't bother to question it. Definitely not "speculation" to question whether it's happening again. It's questioning based on newly developed evidence that resurrected a former issue. I rather thought this was the point of forums, to share information, good and bad, and especially to warn others to be on the lookout for suspicious charges to their accounts. Many people don't check their statements until the end of a billing cycle and by then, if the fraud dept hasn't caught it, things could have gone horribly awry and as a result take months to fix, at the cardholder's expense. The only reason the charges stopped is because my bank blocked them (there was another attempted charge even after that point according to the dept rep I spoke with today).

I won't bother posting here again because I have enough stress in my life without inviting more from what is supposed to be a no stress activity. So I guess folks should not be concerned with fraudulent charges and potentially questionable third party sourced makeup. That was my point in sharing after all. I apologize for communicating such warnings. It won't happen here again.

 

[Fashion Diva]

(My post cut off)

I could share bank correspondence if proof is required to post here, to verify I'm not inventing the fraudulent charges, as I'm apparently being accused of making baseless accusations out of nowhere. It's not my idea of a good time having to spend an hour of my rare free time dealing with my bank because of inappropriate actions by a company. This is a sub I already gave a second chance and referred a bunch of other to as well. And I got burned. And it could have been worse if my bank wasn't on top of the attempted fraudulent charges as quickly as they were. I've defended this company many times but I stopped after the name calling via email from their CS began. Because it hasn't happened to everyone does not mean it isn't happening at all. Even MSA used to give a disclaimer at the beginning of each review about product sourcing. I'm not a fan of being duped twice by the same people so I decided to unsub and share my concerns with others. Should I ever choose to return to this thread again, I'll be sure I have prepared a proper evidence file before sharing.

 

[sweetietaa]

where are the rude customer service comments?  I was trying to find them on Facebook.  I didn't run across any.  Can someone point me in the right direction?

 

[MissJexie]

As a moderator on this forum, it's my job to try to keep the conversations relevant and on topic and in some cases, keep information that isn't true to a minimum, as it creates a lot of chaos on the threads. 

I also said that it's a good thing that people share their experiences with companies especially if it's negative, however I simply asked that things not be said unless they can be proven. Reading the previous comments in this thread, I was put under the impression that people were assuming there were issues on their credit card due to boxycharm, but did not have proof of such. I also read things being said about their customer service and where their products are sourced from that gave no indication that they were based on fact. If I misread what was said, then I apologize.

However that doesn't change the fact that sometimes things need to be said, and then moved on from. I stand by the fact that reading this thread can become exhausting when I see the same thing being said over and over by the same people. 

I am unfollowing this thread at this point, because I would like people to continue to be able to say what they feel needs to be said, but I also don't need to have walls of text pointed at me for simply stating how I felt about the conversation in this thread. 

I wish everyone luck on the issues they are having, and I hope that those of us that aren't having any issues will continue on that path.

 

[LiveLaughLayne]

As I have seen it only said once, but it doesn't seem people read it or even payed attention to it.... The brushes being stiff is 100% normal, being that I'm the daughter-in-law and wife to women (mother and daughter) that own multiple nail salons and being a nail polish fanatic myself, the brushes being stiff is completely normal! This is crazy to people who only buy the common polish brands (OPI, ESSIE, SALLY HANSON, and many other brands), but when a company buys polish bottles, that's how they originally come. Most brands just go through the trouble of pre-soaking them for you. Because this brand is one that is not at mainstream (niche) they may not be able to afford it -or they might just do it to save money-, or they may do it just because that is how they want to sell their items. It's not something that is never heard of. Before even meeting my wife and her family, I've had a few polishes that called for doing that. People are acting like its something sooooooo crazy lol trust me. It's sooo not. Just felt many needed to be informed of this because I keep seeing it being discussed and NO ONE has spoken up about it. Hope this helps people to understand THAT situation

 

[clucus]

So after reading some comments I checked my cc statements and I found something interesting. I actually pay for two subs, one for me and one for my sister. One is called Goldybox, and one is called boxycharm. I think it is weird to have two different names showing up on the charges... Also, as someone pointed out that Starlooks pencil is not on their website, it looks like there is a gem pencil but it's white packaging and different colors. That bothers me a lot. I have now decided that unless there is a sneak peek on Monday I am canceling both. I looked and it's been 4 weeks since the first October sneak peek. They used to be on top of it and I will take it as a sign of more problems if they don't have one on Monday.

 

[sweetietaa]

Mine says Goldybox on my statement.