Quarterly.co Subscriptions

[Angel's Beauties]

I disagree. You knew it was a gamble getting a box from a curator you know nothing about, and a box that is essentially a mystery box. Quarterly is a business and just a provider for these curators. Quarterly isn't responsible for protecting you. You are responsible for that. The curators are getting items that they like, or can get cheaply. There is no promise that these boxes will be worth the value you paid or more. If you are unhappy with your purchase, ask for a refund and realize that not all Quarterly curators are created the same. Some are great, some aren't going to be your thing. If you're so unhappy with Quarterly, consider not doing business with them anymore. If it's not worth your money, only you can stop giving them your money for products you are unhappy with.

I think you missed my point. I was trying to say that Quarterly should help these curators create boxes that are exciting and of value. I feel like there is a disconnect between the curator and creating a box filled with mystery. I don't necessarily blame the curators rather Quarterly for not being a support to these boxes. 

 

[AmryAnn]

I got my 1000 places box today.....not sure what to think.

I just got my shipping notice and almost didn't click on the spoiler.  But I did.  I'll reserve judgement until I get it, but just from your list I'm also not sure what to think.  Some of it sounds okay... does everything seem nice enough?  Does it feel like you got your $50 worth?

 

[Deareux]

Spoiler

Magazine (Travel & Leisure) not to do with Paris, 8x10 drawing of Paris, Paris food book, cheese knife, little postcards, bar of soap, 20 % off coupon to vest co.

I got my 1000 places box today.....not sure what to think.

Wow...I feel glad that I didn't end up getting this, I would have been really disappointed. Here's what I think about the contents.

Spoiler

Magazine - Really? A generic travel magazine? About $4?

Drawing - You can buy nice prints of Paris in Paris along the Seine for around $5.

Paris Food Book - You can find similar books on Amazon for around $15 -$20.

Postcards - I've purchased a set of 5 postcards in Paris for $2.

Cheese Knife - A bit stereotypical. They do have great cheese. But you can find some amazing jams, spreads, and other treats there locally. I think some Parisian made food would have been a better choice.

Soap - Depends on the soap. Paris also has a lot of wonderful local shops that make their own artisan soaps.

Coupon - For a vest that will single you out as a tourist. Key for pick pocketers and those who prey on people who don't know better.

I feel like the Paris box was totally aimed for tourists and not someone who has been able to experience all that Paris has to offer. I've only been to Paris once (although I plan to go every year), and I think I would have been able to put together a much better box. There is so much beauty in Paris and I feel like she ignored it all. I was hoping for a box of things you don't find as a tourist, like artisan products from little shops hidden around the city. Places you don't normally notice. If you walk outside of the normal path, you'll find great things.

 

[tulosai]

I feel like I dodged a bullet on this one. It probably is 'worth' $50 from a pure dollar perspective but for someone who's lived in Paris this would not excite me.  I wouldn't expect small things from tiny shops in Paris either... but something better than this.

 

[Angel's Beauties]

I just got my shipping notice and almost didn't click on the spoiler.  But I did.  I'll reserve judgement until I get it, but just from your list I'm also not sure what to think.  Some of it sounds okay... does everything seem nice enough?  Does it feel like you got your $50 worth?

No not at all. I could have gotten all of this over here. The only thing authentic and from Paris was the soap. The post cards are not pictures rather cut and create places from a company called "Make City." From someone who has been to Paris and lived in Paris, this box did nothing for me. 

 

[AmryAnn]

No not at all. I could have gotten all of this over here. The only thing authentic and from Paris was the soap. The post cards are not pictures rather cut and create places from a company called "Make City." From someone who has been to Paris and lived in Paris, this box did nothing for me. 

Well shoot.  I'm bummed.  I so love anything Paris and was hoping for some unique items. This is my first quarterly box and so far, just from reading this thread, I'm not impressed.  Not sure I wanna spend $100 on Nina's, which appears to be the only one worth while.   /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> 

 

[Angel's Beauties]

I think Deareux is right and I guess I needed to hear it from this point of view. The box was geared as a tourist box for someone who may go on a trip to Paris and not a box geared towards captivating what Paris is all about. I am sure Escape Monthly will do that for me which I am excited about getting. However, if this is what Ms. Schultz wanted this box to be then she could have given us a map to show places to go perhaps? or photos of Paris? These are just thoughts but these ideas would have been better. I am not sure I understand what direction this box was supposed to be. 

 

[Deareux]

I feel like I dodged a bullet on this one. It probably is 'worth' $50 from a pure dollar perspective but for someone who's lived in Paris this would not excite me.  I wouldn't expect small things from tiny shops in Paris either... but something better than this.

I envy you. I would love to live there. But I think if I were looking at this box as a local Parisian, I'd feel kinda insulted. 

 

[Angel's Beauties]

Well shoot.  I'm bummed.  I so love anything Paris and was hoping for some unique items. This is my first quarterly box and so far, just from reading this thread, I'm not impressed.  Not sure I wanna spend $100 on Nina's, which appears to be the only one worth while.   /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> 

If you want a true taste of Paris, make sure you get Escape Monthly's box this month. The month of August is geared towards Paris. The box includes 8 full size products from Paris. As for Nina's box, they are worth the money you spend by far. She has the connections to make a box and she does a great job with it. You won't be disappointed. 

 

[sparklesgirlxox]

I am holding my opinion till I get the box. I do however think from the spoilers I read that this is a way better value than bekka palmers box which to me was a joke.  I think from what I read that there should have been more actual items from paris or france that is what I was expecting.

 

[AmryAnn]

If you want a true taste of Paris, make sure you get Escape Monthly's box this month. The month of August is geared towards Paris. The box includes 8 full size products from Paris. As for Nina's box, they are worth the money you spend by far. She has the connections to make a box and she does a great job with it. You won't be disappointed. 

I was actually looking at Escape Monthly and debating about signing up for it so I could get the Paris box.  Maybe I will.  Thanks for the recommendation. And maybe by canceling everything else I can justify Nina's box.   I already dropped BB and Ipsy, so if I cancel this one as well I just might.   /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> Any good codes out there to help me out?

 

[gcc69]

If you want a true taste of Paris, make sure you get Escape Monthly's box this month. The month of August is geared towards Paris. The box includes 8 full size products from Paris. As for Nina's box, they are worth the money you spend by far. She has the connections to make a box and she does a great job with it. You won't be disappointed. 

I know this is the Quarterly thread but the Escape Monthly Paris spoiler (for the regular box) is:

Spoiler

hand cream from the Institut Karité Paris worth $26 dollars and the Rick Steve's Pocket Paris guidebook.

Not sure if the first item will be in the cheaper mini box or not but the second item definitely won't be...

I think I am glad I didn't order 1000 Places. I hate that magazine (besides just not liking the content, I got a year subscription when I was trying to keep some airline miles from expiring and a year later I was somehow auto-renewed and charged $49) and I got married at the end of last year and got

Spoiler

a really nice set of cheese knives

so I really wouldn't have use for that. The rest seems like filler.

 

[gcc69]

I was actually looking at Escape Monthly and debating about signing up for it so I could get the Paris box.  Maybe I will.  Thanks for the recommendation. And maybe by canceling everything else I can justify Nina's box.   I already dropped BB and Ipsy, so if I cancel this one as well I just might.   /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> Any good codes out there to help me out?

BACK2PARIS takes 20% off Escape Monthly. I think it get you the box for $39.95/month for the life of the subscription. They'd been doing group deals (Groupon, Living Social, Plum District) for a bigger discount but I've not seen any recently. The mini box is $25 and they don't do codes for it.

 

[sparklesgirlxox]

How hard is it to find things made in france really ???

 

[AmryAnn]

Okay.  Guess what?  I just notice my 1000 places box sitting on my porch.  Guess I got the box and the delivery notice on the same day... <_<
 
Here are my thoughts:
 

Spoiler

It was packaged nicely, which made it fun to open.  The little envelope with the note and description of items was nice and made me appreciate the items in it a tad more.
The print is cute.  It's an 8x10 print of the Eiffel Tower with "meet me in Paris" in fancy script.  I may put it in a frame and add it to my craft room.  
The cheese knife... Eh.  Okay.  I have another one similar to it.  But I get the reference.
The postcards are kinda cute - it's a build you own icon set... it's okay, but nothing I couldn't have picked up here.
The Food lover's guide to Paris is a substantial book ($16.95) with a handful of tags throughout it which I found kinda interesting.  I like it.
French Almond soap.  Its a large bar and seems quite nice and luxurious.  
Travel & Leisure magazine.  I'll puruse through it but it's not specific to Paris.   :blink:  Maybe that's why it and the vest coupon are considered "bonus gifts?"

 
All in all I wouldn't have paid $50 for it all but it was fun to try.

 

[pasiphae7]

No not at all. I could have gotten all of this over here. The only thing authentic and from Paris was the soap. The post cards are not pictures rather cut and create places from a company called "Make City." From someone who has been to Paris and lived in Paris, this box did nothing for me. 

thanks for posting the spoilers! this will definitely help moderate my expectations because i've been to paris for work and loved it enough to go back for a holiday.  reminding myself that this may be geared for someone thinking of going will really really help. here's hoping the soap is awesome and the postcards are pretty.  :unsure2:

 

[tiffanys]

Quarterly is also giving me a refund on Rachel's box due to sizing issues.  I did not even open it and am just sending it back.

What I find ESPECIALLY distressing about it is that I am only a size 12  in tops. My waist is only about 32 inches.  Despite this, none of those belts would fit me.  I did call the belt company and they were blunt with me that the belts run very small and I should not try. It's not like I think  plus size people should not be accommodated because I DEFINITELY DO (or that this reads like I think I am so skinny because I know I'm overweight and need to lose some serious pounds/inches) so I hope this comes out right, but something is SERIOUSLY wrong when you send something that people in 'normal' sizes can't even wear.  It leaves me feeling like Rachel (who I always viewed as down to earth) is sort of delusional.  Like, this is America.  The 'average' sized woman here, for better or worse, is bigger than I am. What possessed her to think that only women sized 8-10 or less would subscribe to her box I DO NOT KNOW.

This has left me with a bad taste in my mouth toward her in general.  However, my opinion toward Quarterly is on an upswing. 

OK, this worries me because I contacted the belt company via email asking what size the L belt would fit and here's their reply (my name is Tiffany, not Sheryl, so this is obviously a form letter they're using and they forgot to replace my name in the reply.  I also never said I love the belt).  I've already shipped them my belt...

Hi Sheryl,

Thank you for your note!

Please send it to the address below, and we’ll make the exchange as soon as we receive your belt back! Our size large fits a 12 and 14, so it should be perfect!

611 Broadway

Suite 309

New York, NY 10012

I am so glad you love the belt, and can’t wait to get you the right size.

All my best,

Michaella

 

[maenad25]

Here's the thing about Quarterly and all blind subscription services----it's a gamble.  We all know that.  Some months you will love and others you will hate. No one is going to be happy with every box. HOWEVER, I think it's fair to expect that your box will at least equal the value you paid for it. We are told by Quarterly to expect products curated by these people. I don't count cheapo prints and pamphlets as products!!!  The other issue comes with how to define value.  Personally, I would rather have a few high-end/high-quality products than a bunch of crap.  Technically, Nina's last box had a "high value" and was filled with stuff. But I didn't particulary care for the stuff.  It was a lot of cheap crap that added up to a high value.  I would rather have 4-5 really good items that 15 crappy ones.  $100 is a lot for me to spend on a box filled with beauty products---many of them drugstore-quality. 

I'm seriously considering MSA because I expect her to truly understand what people are looking for in a subscription box. But I'm also realizing that it may be best to wait and see someone's first box before subscribing.

 

[tulosai]

OK, this worries me because I contacted the belt company via email asking what size the L belt would fit and here's their reply (my name is Tiffany, not Sheryl, so this is obviously a form letter they're using and they forgot to replace my name in the reply.  I also never said I love the belt).  I've already shipped them my belt...

Hi Sheryl,

Thank you for your note!

Please send it to the address below, and we’ll make the exchange as soon as we receive your belt back! Our size large fits a 12 and 14, so it should be perfect!

611 Broadway

Suite 309

New York, NY 10012

I am so glad you love the belt, and can’t wait to get you the right size.

All my best,

Michaella

Maybe 12-14 in supermodel sizes???

This is the belt http://www.mmlafleur.com/shop/greenwich-avenue-ostrich

It is sized like their other belts.  If you click on sizing it is clear it only fits up to a 12, which to them means a 30 and 3/4 inch waist. The person who I spoke to on the phone told me CLEARLY that this was the absolute maximum your waist could be, and that if it 'expands' when you sit down the belt might become damaged because the belt provides no stretch. Put differently, you should take the measurement when you are sitting how you normally sit, not when you are standing up as straight as possible, because the belt loop will break if you are even a smidge over the 30 and 3/4 inch measurement. Also many reviews from people a lot smaller than I am say the belt runs small.

for example from a size 4 person who got their small belt (supposed to fit sizes 4-6) "M.M. LaFleur The Greenwich Avenue Italian Leather Belt- Textured (Ostrich) blue leather with gold buckle.  This actually is a very pretty belt.  It's a little small, though.  It's always hard to include a clothing item in a box because there are SO many different sizes of people that you are automatically alienating a good number of them just by choosing a size.  I'm a size 4 and I think this belt is small.  It does say in her card and on the attached tag that you can exchange this for a different size but I don't know how difficult it is.  I think I will just keep this size since I do have the perfect dress to wear it with.

Value: $60"

Unless you are a small size 12 (i.e. really on the cusp of 10-12) I would proceed with extreme caution in exchanging it, and I think it is really shoddy that they claim it fits people who might be a size 14.  This is just ridiculous given current size 14 measurements (on most sites, between a 32 and sometimes up to a 35 inch waist)

 

[tiffanys]

Maybe 12-14 in supermodel sizes???

This is the belt http://www.mmlafleur.com/shop/greenwich-avenue-ostrich

It is sized like their other belts.  If you click on sizing it is clear it only fits up to a 12, which to them means a 30 and 3/4 inch waist. The person who I spoke to on the phone told me CLEARLY that this was the absolute maximum your waist could be, and that if it 'expands' when you sit down the belt might become damaged because the belt provides no stretch. Put differently, you should take the measurement when you are sitting how you normally sit, not when you are standing up as straight as possible, because the belt loop will break if you are even a smidge over the 30 and 3/4 inch measurement. Also many reviews from people a lot smaller than I am say the belt runs small.

for example from a size 4 person who got their small belt (supposed to fit sizes 4-6) "M.M. LaFleur The Greenwich Avenue Italian Leather Belt- Textured (Ostrich) blue leather with gold buckle.  This actually is a very pretty belt.  It's a little small, though.  It's always hard to include a clothing item in a box because there are SO many different sizes of people that you are automatically alienating a good number of them just by choosing a size.  I'm a size 4 and I think this belt is small.  It does say in her card and on the attached tag that you can exchange this for a different size but I don't know how difficult it is.  I think I will just keep this size since I do have the perfect dress to wear it with.

Value: $60"

Unless you are a small size 12 (i.e. really on the cusp of 10-12) I would proceed with extreme caution in exchanging it, and I think it is really shoddy that they claim it fits people who might be a size 14.  This is just ridiculous given current size 14 measurements (on most sites, between a 32 and sometimes up to a 35 inch waist)

Thank you!  I obviously didn't do my research before sending in my belt.  Now I'm expecting it not to fit because my waist is larger than 30 and 3/4 inches...   I wish I would've simply returned the box to quarterly.  Lesson learned.