Julep Mystery Box: Jewel Heist

[SneakyBurrito]

If the lip glosses are, indeed, really old, maybe the number rubbed off?  I've seen that with other products I've kept too long in the past.  Like the ink they use to print the lot number isn't as long-lasting as the ink they use to print the logo, size, etc.  (Will try to remember to check mine when I get home.)

 

[kittiecat]

While I agree getting lip gloss they sold two years ago sucks, expiration of make up starts from the moment it is opened.

 

[zadidoll]

While I agree getting lip gloss they sold two years ago sucks, expiration of make up starts from the moment it is opened.

Not entirely true. Would you eat something canned five years ago? It's sealed but it's probably past the stage of tasting good.

 

[Lolo22]

Why couldn't they have just made this the mystery box?? They have stock to make better boxes, they just don't.



Same value, better stuff.

 

[SneakyBurrito]

My lip gloss does have a lot number on it (same one as posted in a photo earlier in the thread).

Also, turns out I already had Faye so I guess I have two of them now...

 

[JC327]

Received my mystery box yesterday   I got the version with the mask noir, mascara, brush, ink gel eye liner and Alma. So disapointed at the lack of polishes. It had been over a year since I got a mystery box and this box makes me not want to get any more. I am glad  I didnt pay full price.

 

[JC327]

Why couldn't they have just made this the mystery box?? They have stock to make better boxes, they just don't.

image.jpg

Same value, better stuff.

I would have been so happy if we would have gotten that instead of what was sent out.

 

[zadidoll]

There is a number on the back of mine, 42389

image.jpg

Ok, just confirmed the gloss was made prior to July 2012.

From Spilled Polish's July 12, 2012 blog post.

Now let's flip her image so it's a reverse to see the #s correctly.

Her gloss from July 2012 post contain the numbers 42389.

So what can we conclude from this? That the Peony glosses in the September 2014 Jewel Heist are from the original July June 2012 gloss stockpile. (CORRECTION: The glosses were originally sent out JUNE 2012 not JULY 2012.)

So today was ask Jane day on Facebook and I did eventually post about the gloss being at least 26 27 months old. Jane replied that I need to contact her via the press email address. I plan on doing this since I would like to get some straight answers. I've been a member of Julep almost from the time they originally launched - I joined October/November 2011, Julep's site launched in 2010 and they opened their first parlors in 2007. Had the CS person NOT been so dismissive I probably would have let the issue go but the gloss part bugged me along with his answers which caused me to look into the matter more and which led me to conclude that the glosses in the Jewel Heist boxes are indeed from mid-2012 and most likely made in early-2012. Anyhow, I need to get my ducks in a row before I send that email to her.

 

[DragonChick]

Posting the reply I recieved which is inconsistent with the response Zadi posted in the news article thread

"We apologize about the delay in getting back to you; our Product Specialist was out of the office. We reached out to her and she informed us that the product has a shelf life of 3-5 years depending upon storage conditions as long as it stays sealed. It has a shelf life of 1-2 years once it is opened depending upon storage conditions.

Please let us know if you have any further concerns!

Your Julep Beauty Advisor "

 

[zadidoll]

It's also BS. While many bloggers, including myself, have stated that cosmetics do have a certain shelf life after opening the same is true for products that have not been opened as the chemicals in the products do break down over time. Would you drink milk that expired 6 months ago despite the fact the milk was still sealed and never open? Of course not because the milk had spoiled. It's the same with cosmetics.

Here's Shawn's reply to my email to him:

[SIZE=10.5pt]We do sincerely apologize for any frustration you can experienced with the products you received in the Jewel Heist Mystery Box. We have reached out to your Product Development team to provide further information regarding the Peony Lip Gloss you received. This product has been in production since 2012 and has been produced additionally since then. We're sorry if it is not evident from the product received if yours is has been produced since. We did confirm with our Product Development team that "the customer should dispose of the lip gloss 24 months after the product has been opened (exposed to air)." We're sorry if the previously quoted shelf life caused any confusion. The life of this product is referenced from the time of opening. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]As stated previously, the value of the Mystery Boxes is based on the retail value of the products before any discounts. We're sorry that it was not clear that this could include full price or discounted items from our website. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]We do understand your frustration and want to make sure you can get something that is perfect for you for the two boxes you received. If you would like to pick two lip glosses of your choice from julep.com, we would be happy to send them out to you as replacements. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]Looking forward to hearing from you soon. Until then, have a wonderful day. [/SIZE]

The more I re-read it the more I find his tone (despite the fact there really is no tone to the email) to be a bit condescending. My reply to him before I re-read it several times.

[SIZE=11pt]Hi Shawn,[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]I’ve contacted Jane per her request and have yet to hear from her however I’m going to decline at this time on the offer for gloss replacements for two reasons. 1) I hate being made as if I’m a liar or out to get free product. What I expected, as many others did, were products that fit the “Jewel Heist” theme. I don’t recall exactly when I made a mystery box purchase however I do recall purchasing  a St. Patty’s Day mystery boxes and the products did fit the them. 2) I’m not the only one affected by the Peony gloss and as such I should not be the only person to be offered a replacement gloss. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]As a result of this mess I’ve decided to skip the October box which I had selected the ultimate upgrade, granted I would not have paid for it out of pocket as I would have used my points however I’ve decided to hold onto the last of my points for a box later on down the road. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]While I understand you’re just doing your job your previous email to me made me feel as if you thought I was coming across seeking free product. What I was looking for were for products that fit the theme for which I paid for $9.99 times two plus used two $15 credits and instead of receiving old product from the “sale” page including a lipstick originally sent to me July 2012. As I’ve stated before, I’m glad I did NOT pay the almost $50 for the two boxes otherwise I would have been more livid and would have gone straight to the WA Attorney General rather than address it directly with Julep in order to rectify the situation. Unfortunately replacing the glosses would not rectify this situation as it is not the only issue I have with my boxes however it is the most pressing.

As I’ve also stated before I’m from Washington state and so I’m very familiar with WA laws including RCW 9.04.050. While the BBB can’t do anything to Julep other than continue to warn people about Julep and issue Julep a F rating  the WA ATG office CAN do something by enforcing Washington state laws and the Federal Trade Commission can also enforce Federal laws since it crosses state lines. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]RCW 9.04.050[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]False, misleading, deceptive advertising.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]It shall be unlawful for any person to publish, disseminate or display, or cause directly or indirectly, to be published, disseminated or displayed in any manner or by any means, including solicitation or dissemination by mail, telephone, electronic communication, or door-to-door contacts, any false, deceptive or misleading advertising, with knowledge of the facts which render the advertising false, deceptive or misleading, for any business, trade or commercial purpose or for the purpose of inducing, or which is likely to induce, directly or indirectly, the public to purchase, consume, lease, dispose of, utilize or sell any property or service, or to enter into any obligation or transaction relating thereto: PROVIDED, That nothing in this section shall apply to any radio or television broadcasting station which broadcasts, or to any publisher, printer or distributor of any newspaper, magazine, billboard or other advertising medium who publishes, prints or distributes, such advertising in good faith without knowledge of its false, deceptive or misleading character.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]As I stated before, this no longer affects just me but anyone who purchased a Jewel Heist Mystery Box and whose box did not contain at least one item that fit the jewel theme or polish as shown in the advertising as well as to every single person who received a Peony lip gloss via the Jewel Heist Mystery Box. It wouldn’t be too hard for Julep to figure out who received a Peony gloss but this is beyond your job parameters as it requires Jane or an executive’s authorization to issue replacements for every single person affected by the Peony gloss. I’m sorry you’re getting the brunt of my emails since you’re just doing your job however as a consumer and a blogger I did expect better customer service from Julep which was not delivered.[/SIZE]

 

[secrethoarder]

It's also BS. While many bloggers, including myself, have stated that cosmetics do have a certain shelf life after opening the same is true for products that have not been opened as the chemicals in the products do break down over time. Would you drink milk that expired 6 months ago despite the fact the milk was still sealed and never open? Of course not because the milk had spoiled. It's the same with cosmetics.

Here's Shawn's reply to my email to him:

The more I re-read it the more I find his tone (despite the fact there really is no tone to the email) to be a bit condescending. My reply to him before I re-read it several times.

Kudos for the eloquent email! I really hope Julep will do the right thing and offer replacement glosses to every Peony recipient

 

[zadidoll]

Due to the issue with their customer service for those attempting to quit coupled with the Jewel Heist Mystery Box bait and switch I've removed almost all (but one) blog posts from my personal blog. I cannot speak on behalf of the owner for MakeupTalk on their stance in the matter however I can speak for myself when it comes to my own blog. My own opinion is that Julep has some work to recover their reputation in my eyes due to the two big glaring issues going on with their company. I cannot in good conscience continue to promote Julep on my own blog - despite the fact it was the primary source of my affiliate money - due to the F BBB rating along with what I think was a bait and switch tactic with the Jewel Heist Mystery Boxes.

 

[deactivateduser232015]

This is a comment I saw on one of the news articles Zadi linked to:

I worked at Julep in corporate and they absolutely knew about this. Every week the customer service team reported the most common complaints, not to mention the number of incoming, resolved and unresolved issues. Julep knowingly made it hard for users to quit their subscription - users could only get out of the subscription if they called during the hours CS was open (work days 9-5 and a couple hours on Saturday) and answered a bunch of questions about why they didn't want their service. Think Comcast. People could get their problem taken care of a lot more easily if they posted on Facebook because then in became a PR issue. These customer service inquiries aren't a result of the new product or surge in growth, they have been happening for years because the business model was created to make it too easy to get in and too hard to get out. 

That's not surprising, but I am surprised someone (even an ex-employee) from the company spoke up. 

I'm shocked to think Jane "didn't know" about it. Julep isn't that big, and if it were true, it would be irresponsible. Since it's a lie, what can you say -- marketers. 

I am surprised she decided to conduct her business this way though. She came from Starbucks, right? Somehow, I get the impression that's not how they do things over there......

 

[zadidoll]

I am surprised she decided to conduct her business this way though. She came from Starbucks, right? Somehow, I get the impression that's not how they do things over there......

Yes.

 

[kawaiimeows]

I've been casually following the Jewel Heist issues and I'm sadly not surprised. I was *almost* hooked on the mystery boxes, but after my third I realized what a rip off they were, and the way they over value the items.

 

[DragonChick]

I am surprised she decided to conduct her business this way though. She came from Starbucks, right? Somehow, I get the impression that's not how they do things over there......

I've never had bad customer service on the rare occasion that I needed to contact Starbucks' CS.

 

[deactivateduser232015]

I've been casually following the Jewel Heist issues and I'm sadly not surprised. I was *almost* hooked on the mystery boxes, but after my third I realized what a rip off they were, and the way they over value the items.

It seems like so much a "value" when they advertise it, but then you don't get anything you want and realize you might as well have paid $20 for ~3 items you wanted rather than $25 for like 6 items you don't. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[zadidoll]

And the kicker of it is that during the Bondi fiasco it also came out who Julep's manufacturer happens to be so it's not like Julep's polishes are unique to Julep. What Julep has going for them is the subscription service with the "limited edition" colors which puts people into a frenzy to get. Top that off with their now defunct referral system of being able to score boxes for free plus the skip feature and the $19.99 price... Well that made Julep what it was. They raised prices, got rid of the skip for new customers and got rid of the free boxes via the referral system (you now are given a $15 credit which can't be stacked). All of that plus the bad customer service, the bait and switch tactics will hurt Julep in the long run.

I can't help but wonder how much of laugh Richard might be having over the current Julep issues.

 

[kawaiimeows]

It seems like so much a "value" when they advertise it, but then you don't get anything you want and realize you might as well have paid $20 for ~3 items you wanted rather than $25 for like 6 items you don't. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Surprises were fun when I first started getting back into makeup 4 years ago. But I have such a developed collection and limited budget now that I'd rather go to ulta and spend $20 on a few things that I know I *want* to try rather than $20 on a total crapshoot. But it works for some people, and that's cool.

 

[boxesandboxes]

these mystery boxes really get me upset. I was stupid enough to think it wouldn't just be the crap they are trying to rid (and all the makeup! it's a nail company originally). now i have more crap. and got suckered before.