CFDA POPSUGAR Must Have box, Special Edition April 2015 *Spoilers*

[Geek2]

Just a quick reminder that personal attacks are not allowed. We are all grown up here and can make our own decisions on buying a box, not buying a box, trading etc and nobody is telling anyone what to do or what not to do. We facilitate these discussions about various subscription boxes and other subjects on MUT by opening threads and reminding people to utilize different sections of the site for their own benefit such as trades etc. We are all here just to share our thoughts, ideas and opinions about different boxes and other subjects. Let's try to keep this thread on subject about the CFDA box without getting personal. It's understandable that emotions run high considering what has happened with this box (the price of the box, the earring price being changed multiple times, PSMH policies being changed now allowing returns etc) but personal attacks are not allowed per our terms of service regardless of the issue.

 

[lauradiniwilk]

@@pbpink Of COURSE i am letting the person who was going to sell their box to me get out of the transaction (something she and I discussed prior to your post, because we are grown up ladies who respect each other). I threw an offer out there that was the most I could swing, and was okay if ppl took me up on it or not. I don't need the box, I just thought it was pretty (but at the wrong price point). Sometimes I sell my stuff at below cost (or, more often than not, it sadly sits unused until I give it away), sometimes I pay a ridiculous premium on an item from a past box that I am obsessing about. If someone had posted that they loved the NM box and would pay 75% of it, I would have sold it without thinking twice. This is just how the sub box game works, you win some and you lose some (we have all been there), and sometimes a box 99% of people hate is one I happen to love. No need to make it personal.

As far as linking to the trade thread goes, as Reija pointed out, it's what mods do. The only reason I was even in there to post my offer was because I looked for the link to post for people without pierced ears. It wasn't a conspiracy.

Finally, I stand by my decision to caution people to not commit fraud. I am super happy that PSMH is allowing people to return their box so it doesn't come to that. Wish they had a return policy all of the time!

 

[nicepenguins]

Am I missing something? Where were people committing fraud by returning a box? I don't want to argue at all--I'm just confused. Are people trying to get a double refund or something?

 

[MET]

Yay, I received my return label this morning and now I just need the box to actually arrive.  This box was such a disappointment especially when there was an opportunity to make it great - they probably just needed to mix it up a little and most of us would have been ok with it (at least I would have been). 

I'm going back to needing at least 1 spoiler before I purchase any of their LE boxes.

 

[lauradiniwilk]

Am I missing something? Where were people committing fraud by returning a box? I don't want to argue at all--I'm just confused. Are people trying to get a double refund or something?

My "please don't do this, guys" was a direct response to another user suggesting that everyone who hated the box play dumb and pretend that they meant to order the monthly box, not the CFDA one...lie to the company to get their money back.  Which is fraud. 

Posts #308 and #313 on page 16. 

 

[nicepenguins]

My "please don't do this, guys" was a direct response to another user suggesting that everyone who hated the box play dumb and pretend that they meant to order the monthly box, not the CDFA one...lie to the company to get their money back. Which is fraud.

Posts #308 and #313 on page 16.

Ohhhhh got it--thanks for clarifying! Yeah, that's not ok at all. It would also look sketchy to have someone all of a sudden realize it when the box comes and not when their credit card statement comes.

 

[lauradiniwilk]

Yay, I received my return label this morning and now I just need the box to actually arrive.  This box was such a disappointment especially when there was an opportunity to make it great - they probably just needed to mix it up a little and most of us would have been ok with it (at least I would have been). 

I'm going back to needing at least 1 spoiler before I purchase any of their LE boxes.

Yay, this is so exciting!!!  So glad you were able to get a refund!

I know not everyone agrees, but I really do think that PSMH is an upstanding company and that nothing shady happened here (and the fact that they are allowing refunds proves it to me).  Based on what someone posted from the wayback machine, it seems reasonable that the true price of the earrings was $395 at the time PSMH was curating the box.  I have been wondering if PSMH has an agreement with companies to not drop their prices until after the box hits, which somewhat explains the company changing the price from $295 to $395, but then maybe it was just too big of a PR mess so they went back to the $295 price. 

I feel like the big problem is that the folks at PSMH don't really understand their market.  I think they assume that people who are willing to drop $195 on a box have a pretty high risk tolerance.  I also think they think that they think that people who buy the LE boxes want a box that looks just like a monthly box but with more expensive stuff.  I think they are wrong on both accounts and that is why they seem to have curation problems with their most expensive boxes. 

 

[AshJs3]

Sadly, I think I will be returning the box as well. I love PopSugar and have defended them many times, but I feel like they tried to pull a fast one on us this time. The inflated earring price, the discontinued Marc by Marc Jacobs bracelet, and the seemingly thrown together Milly nail polish is just too much. Maybe if they had included only 1 of those, I would have been ok with it. The only thing I really like is the Anna Sui lipstick. Her stuff is gorgeous, but it's not worth the whole box.

I really feel like the new Rachel Zoe Box has set the standard for "fashion" boxes. Hopefully it pushes other companies to get better!

 

[Geek2]

I didn't order this box but to me this box almost feels like it's missing an item. It needed something else to be "complete". I expected more of a high fashion type of box due to the association with CFDA. Maybe the DFV book in the box is the "high fashion" item since she is such a legend but I think had it been an actual DFV fashion/accessory piece, it would have made this box amazing. I think the Anna Sui lipstick is a great item though and would have loved to have received it. I think it's great that some money gets donated from the sale of these boxes though. 

 

[Geek2]

I really feel like the new Rachel Zoe Box has set the standard for "fashion" boxes. Hopefully it pushes other companies to get better!

I totally agree. Rachel Zoe's box is a hard act to follow. /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20"> I hope the next box is as great as the first one.

 

[boxesandboxes]

Sadly, I think I will be returning the box as well. I love PopSugar and have defended them many times, but I feel like they tried to pull a fast one on us this time. The inflated earring price, the discontinued Marc by Marc Jacobs bracelet, and the seemingly thrown together Milly nail polish is just too much. Maybe if they had included only 1 of those, I would have been ok with it. The only thing I really like is the Anna Sui lipstick. Her stuff is gorgeous, but it's not worth the whole box.

I really feel like the new Rachel Zoe Box has set the standard for "fashion" boxes. Hopefully it pushes other companies to get better!

totally agree.  even if the earrings were at one point $400, it's silly to take up 67% of the box value on that one item.  Though it is really nice - and I hope the company gets some good exposure for it.  And the discontinued item? that's not right for a "must have" box (unless it's TJ Maxx's must haves).  I too have tried to rationalize this box - and defended them in the past due to our expectations.  But this just wasn't a $200 box.  It was a $100 box. 

 

[sam4425]

I know not everyone agrees, but I really do think that PSMH is an upstanding company and that nothing shady happened here (and the fact that they are allowing refunds proves it to me).  Based on what someone posted from the wayback machine, it seems reasonable that the true price of the earrings was $395 at the time PSMH was curating the box.  I have been wondering if PSMH has an agreement with companies to not drop their prices until after the box hits, which somewhat explains the company changing the price from $295 to $395, but then maybe it was just too big of a PR mess so they went back to the $295 price. 

I apologize in advance, but I most respectfully disagree with the above and here's why:  Based on what I posted from the Wayback machine, you have opined that maybe PS curated this box as far back as October, 2014, when the price of the earrings was $395.00, and that maybe there was a pricing agreement.  But consider the following (which may not support your hypothesis): What about the Mark by Mark Jacobs bracelet that was also at a sale price well before the release of this box?  Did they fail to negotiate a pricing agreement with Mark Jacobs?  What about the Neiman Marcus issue when NM decided to sell the box below what PS was selling it for?  Did they fail to negotiate a pricing agreement?  I respectfully disagree with you because in my own humble opinion which is based on the foregoing, it appears to me that even if it has tried to do so, PS has been unable to successfully negotiate such pricing agreements.  It is a situation that should be rectified as soon as possible.

Personally, I like the PS brand and I like seeing what they include it their monthly boxes.  However, I think their approach to these LE boxes needs to be revisited - sooner rather than later.

Please have a great day and know that I'm not trying to flame you in any way whatsoever  /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 

[hitchcockblonde]

I would definitely return this box, but unfortunately I already tried the lipstick (which comes out like a pink 1980s frosted color - useless like most of the rest of the box). My bad, but Popsugar CS has been terrible in the past so I never thought they'd allow a return.

It's smart of them though, because I'm so disgruntled that I will probably cancel. If some of you guys can get your money back, maybe you won't. But I feel pretty ripped off and can't really imagine any way the company could get my trust back. The inflating of retail prices has been going on for awhile now, not just with this box.

 

[Colleen1212]

Has anyone found out whether Popsugar will accept boxes for return if they've been opened?  I want to return mine, but also want to look inside once it arrives.  I'm so curious to see everything in person, especially those earrings.    

 

[nicepenguins]

I definitely agree about them not understanding their market. Even those of us with a pretty high risk tolerance still expect current items and not old stock. I feel like the curation of this box was pretty condescending in that we were expected to be excited about brand names when the items themselves were not unique and most were not current.

Designers know what they are putting out months before they sell items so these designers knew what their spring and summer were going to be like when the box was being curated. No item from last fall should have been there. The resort box was far more thoughtful and current.

 

[lauradiniwilk]

Please have a great day and know that I'm not trying to flame you in any way whatsoever  /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

Ha, no worries, I like having nerdy discussions about business strategies and totally respect your right to disagree!    Your NM example doesn't work though because the company didn't lower the price until AFTER the box went out, right?  My memory is a little foggy. 

I feel like there is no way they didn't know that the Marc by Marc Jacobs was a discontinued item already.  I just think they probably weighed that and were okay with it because it wasn't the big ticket item in the box.  I have no inside knowledge of how the PSMH curation brains actually work though, I just love to speculate.  I could definitely be wrong about having a pricing agreement, I was just wondering because of the price changing back and forth thing. 

Edited to add: Does anyone remember that PSMH had a problem with promised values way back when the box first launched?  They used to promise that all monthly boxes would be worth $100, then people complained so they added a disclaimer that it was based on original retail value and not any subsequent sales, then people still complained, and now I'm pretty sure that they don't claim their boxes will be worth $100 anymore.  I will be SHOCKED if PSMH ever tells us what a LE box will be worth again.

Edited again because I can never get all of my thoughts out the first time: I kind of expect old stock in boxes, to the extent that it's not a nasty expired beauty product, as long as it's still on trend.  I figure that's how they get us the deals that they do.  I'd have to read how this box was marketed to decide if I object to a brand that no longer exists having an item in this particular box though...if it was supposed to be "up and coming" fashion items, that's certainly a no no.

 

[lauradiniwilk]

 I feel like the curation of this box was pretty condescending in that we were expected to be excited about brand names when the items themselves were not unique and most were not current.

YES, had I bought the box this would have been something that would have bugged me and why I ultimately think PSMH missed the mark on this one.  The $395/$295 earrings are pretty (I'd happily wear them if I had them and may still buy some off ebay for the right price), but they really aren't anything special.  I could probably go to target right now and find a knockoff for $20 or less.  That little chevron-y arrow-y shape has been all over the place for at least 2-3 years.  If you are going to have one item be worth 2/3 of the stated value, it should be an AMAZING, SUPER UNIQUE item.  Maiyet has a lot of really cool pieces and I'm happy to be introduced to the brand, but they could have included a more current piece for sure. 

 

[sam4425]

Edited again because I can never get all of my thoughts out the first time: I kind of expect old stock in boxes, to the extent that it's not a nasty expired beauty product, as long as it's still on trend.  I figure that's how they get us the deals that they do.  I'd have to read how this box was marketed to decide if I object to a brand that no longer exists having an item in this particular box though...if it was supposed to be "up and coming" fashion items, that's certainly a no no.

Just to add to what you wrote . . . with the advent of the new Rachel Zoe Box of Style, the standard that customers can expect from a $100 box is really pretty high now.  Ms. Zoe is a serious heavyweight in the fashion industry and (based on her curation of completely on-trend, NEW products) can negotiate everything with her suppliers that PS can't.  Also, it appears her staff's marketing acumen is outstanding with the idea of releasing the "hero item" spoiler.  Lots of people have commented on here about the excellence of her first box at the $100 price point, and I couldn't agree more.  Ms. Zoe has set the bar very high and PS has a long way to go now.

(and thank you for your gracious acceptance of my critical review of your prior statement).

 

[nicepenguins]

I do have to wonder if PS would have had better luck with this box if the earrings had been a spoiler (the way Zoe does it). There have to be some people who would be into them for a $195 box, and those who didn't want the big ticket item could have said no.

 

[boxesandboxes]

I would definitely return this box, but unfortunately I already tried the lipstick (which comes out like a pink 1980s frosted color - useless like most of the rest of the box). My bad, but Popsugar CS has been terrible in the past so I never thought they'd allow a return.

It's smart of them though, because I'm so disgruntled that I will probably cancel. If some of you guys can get your money back, maybe you won't. But I feel pretty ripped off and can't really imagine any way the company could get my trust back. The inflating of retail prices has been going on for awhile now, not just with this box.

Sorry you opened it before the cancelation policy got reversed. I would be upset too.  I do think you can sell your items and get your money back (for the most part) on the items you didnt use. I know I am sending mine back but will be looking to purchase a few items (watching ebay and the trades thread here).