Sindulge Discussion

[xiehan]

Originally Posted by Beautyboxgal /img/forum/go_quote.gif

I received the below email this morning.  I'm glad they let me know.  Good luck to them!

[SIZE=10.5pt]Sindulge.com is going through some exciting changes in the next few months and will be re-launching in the Fall.  While we can't share all the juicy details, we can tell you that we will be launching with a special celebrity makeup artist on board.  We will be discontinuing our existing sample subscriptions effective immediately and are working on creating a more vibrant experience for you. [/SIZE]

For those members that have subscribed for extended periods, we will be arranging for refunds for the unused months. We thank you for trusting us with your beauty and skincare needs and appreciate you being a part of Sindulge.  Visit Sindulge.com to sign up for updates and be a part of our exciting new referral program.   

All of us at Sindulge are working hard to give you the best Sindulge experience possible.  Thank you once again for giving us the opportunity to serve you.

Sincerely,

Jaivin and Dinesh

Co-Founders

Definitely not surprised. When I found this forum last week and found out about Sindulge and went to their site, what immediately turned me off was their 'About Us' page. The two co-founders are men, and their backgrounds are in business/finance and tech start-ups. While it does say that thing about Dinesh "being a man but wanting to be stylish", it seems pretty clear that the motivation for starting this business was the opportunity to make a good profit. I wouldn't say they're out to scam you, but they probably saw how well Birchbox is doing (and they are doing VERY well and hiring like CRAZY; I've actually considered going to work for them) and wanted to replicate that success. The consultations are probably an attempt to fill the one gap that Birchbox hasn't quite resolved yet, which is the personalization aspect -- to be a competitive business in an area where someone is already doing very well, you need to offer something new. They also did hire women for the rest of their team. But ultimately a business is a reflection of its leaders, who in this case had no experience in the area where they chose to place their business.

Again, I'm not saying this is a scam. I think the problem is just that because the company was founded by two men and not by men who have worked in the cosmetics/skincare industry, they never could fully understand and relate to our needs. I'm also guessing that because of this lack of experience, they had difficulty establishing contacts with a lot of brands. The "celebrity makeup artist" does seem like a good idea, but when/if they make a comeback, I would still be wary.

When new services like this show up, I'd recommend asking: who started this service, and for what experience or expertise do they have? Who's backing them?

 

[zadidoll]

Originally Posted by xiehan /img/forum/go_quote.gif


Definitely not surprised. When I found this forum last week and found out about Sindulge and went to their site, what immediately turned me off was their 'About Us' page. The two co-founders are men, and their backgrounds are in business/finance and tech start-ups. While it does say that thing about Dinesh "being a man but wanting to be stylish", it seems pretty clear that the motivation for starting this business was the opportunity to make a good profit. I wouldn't say they're out to scam you, but they probably saw how well Birchbox is doing (and they are doing VERY well and hiring like CRAZY; I've actually considered going to work for them) and wanted to replicate that success. The consultations are probably an attempt to fill the one gap that Birchbox hasn't quite resolved yet, which is the personalization aspect -- to be a competitive business in an area where someone is already doing very well, you need to offer something new. They also did hire women for the rest of their team. But ultimately a business is a reflection of its leaders, who in this case had no experience in the area where they chose to place their business.

Again, I'm not saying this is a scam. I think the problem is just that because the company was founded by two men and not by men who have worked in the cosmetics/skincare industry, they never could fully understand and relate to our needs. I'm also guessing that because of this lack of experience, they had difficulty establishing contacts with a lot of brands. The "celebrity makeup artist" does seem like a good idea, but when/if they make a comeback, I would still be wary.

When new services like this show up, I'd recommend asking: who started this service, and for what experience or expertise do they have? Who's backing them?

MyGlam is co-founded by a man with Michelle Phan. Marcelo operates the day-to-day business while Michelle works on her other projects. This is why MyGlam was hurting in the beginning because Marcelo didn't (doesn't?) understand that we women are VERY picky about our products - even "samples". Thankfully he listened to those of us invited to meet with him and the MyGlam staff which is why changes have been made and are continued to be made. Sindulge refused to listen and even made threats against people - not like the "cease and desist" from Posh Pod but close enough. They didn't want MUT members to be discussing or sharing emails and I emphatically told them that under the law in order to enforce the "you can't share this email" clause they had it had to be agreed upon by BOTH people BEFORE hand.

Personally, unless they listen to subscribers instead of their own pocket books they'll continue to fail. Look at Urban Decay and the China backlash. They had over 535K likes and are down to under 539K 529K right now because they refuse to listen to their customers. With social media being lightening quick bad news does travel fast.

 

[EdithS2]

I'm sad about Sindulge, because I thought it was an awesome idea, but too ambitious maybe. I would try them again when they come back. I was disappointed in my boxes as I would have liked more skin care items, but I don't think they had enough products available to really suit everyone. They were always really nice to me personally. I wish them well in their next launch. 

 

[calexxia]

Y'know, a company being founded by dudes doesn't bother me at all--some of the best makeup/beauty advice I've gotten has BEEN from guys! Maybe the guys I know aren't the norm, but I swear they are pickier about their products than most of the gals I know! 

 

[Bflopolska]

I have absolutely no issue with the fact that Sindulge was being run by men. Max Factor was a real person and very much a man! If I have any problem--if you want to call it that--it's that these two guys are techies, and it doesn't sound like either of them has any measurable background in the beauty and cosmetics industry. So yes, it does look to me like they were hopping on a bandwagon, and a poorly planned one. The consultation was a great concept, I'll give them that. But I think it was hard to get it off the ground, and there was a sense that people we're listening to customers. I felt myself as if someone looked at my name and assumed I'm South Asian with the associated complexion (actually I'm Polish and married an Indian) and threw in makeup that was far too dark for me.

 

[glamourdolleyes]

I am a little put off that you say the problem is that they're guys. I know it probably wasn't your intentions but as someone said above, some of the biggest brands are founded by men (Mac, nars). I think it's awesome they have degrees in business and financing because that's what RUNS a business. Why shouldn't they have a degree? Who says they were in it to make a quick buck? I think they just weren't prepared for the launch and the amount of people who signed up (my glam anyone) and just couldn't turn it around so now they're taking a break to do the stuff they should have and relaunch. If they didn't want to turn around, they wouldn't offer refunds and just run.

 

[nelliebelle1197]

I read it that she meant not only are they guys with no experience as female consumers, but that they are guys with no experience in the beauty industry...

The two co-founders are men, and their backgrounds are in business/finance and tech start-ups.

I don't think she would have had the same reaction if their backgrounds were marketing at Estee Lauder and brand management at MAC.

 

[glamourdolleyes]

I read it that she meant not only are they guys with no experience as female consumers, but that they are guys with no experience in the beauty industry... The two co-founders are men, and their backgrounds are in business/finance and tech start-ups.

That's why they brought in female consumers to run that part of the website.

 

[nelliebelle1197]

Is that really what those women were? Consumers as opposed to industry professionals?!! That explains a lot of the lack of organization and the inconsistencies!

Originally Posted by glamourdolleyes /img/forum/go_quote.gif


That's why they brought in female consumers to run that part of the website.

 

[glamourdolleyes]

Is that really what those women were? Consumers as opposed to industry professionals?!! That explains a lot of the lack of organization and the inconsistencies!

I was starting to think one of them was a youngblood rep. If not all of them LOL

 

[nelliebelle1197]

I remember that!

 

[Fluttershy]

Even if they relaunch, I don't think I'm going to participate with them.  Having some *celebrity to be the face of your company does not entice me in the least.  What entices me is a company who is honest, puts the customer first, doesn't break promises, and will bend over backwards to correct any problem.  Sindulge did none of this!  First off, the fact that they were spewing out lie after lie to customers is not OK in my book.  Telling people they were skipping a whole month yet sending out boxes to other subscibers.  Another  Example: Oh, your box is shipping out this week.  Waiting...oh no box.  Send another email:  OH, we're getting your box out this week!  Wait...still no box.  And then bam:  We're taking a break, and we'll be back in the fall.  WTF?  Why didn't they just say that to me instead of giving me the runaround like I was going to get my last box?  That is absolutely inexcusable and borders on being just downright pernicious.  Don't tell me I'm going to receive something when you know damn well that I wasn't going to get a box or at the very least you were going to just throw a box together with leftover products.  And the consultation thing WOULD have worked if they had an inventory like Birchbox (over 40 products this month) and could actually give people what they wanted.  It seemed like they knew the consultation would just be a waste because if you were going to have consultations, you would make sure you had a VARIETY of inventory to meet the needs of a wide range of customers. One positive thing I can say about them is I wasn't totally dissatisfied by the samples I received, heck, I got a full size Stila primer that I loved in my first box!!  I also loved that brightening Pixi eyeshadow!
Well, at least they knew they were way over their heads.  I wish them luck in the future.

*Or celebrity makeup artist was it?  Either way, I don't care.

 

[Bflopolska]

*Or celebrity makeup artist was it?  Either way, I don't care.

I agree here...I have a little more respect for the makeup artist because that person will have some experience and some tips to share, but it's not a big enough deal to make me a customer. As to celebrities, I'm getting tired of having them flung into my face; and with rare exceptions most of them who get into a beauty or fragrance line have nothing more to do with it than just pimping out their names.

 

[nelliebelle1197]

I think Fluttershy's point about this concept needing enormous inventory to back it up is spot on, especially the way they did the consultations. Had the consultations been reversed- here is what we have, let's talk about how it can address your issues- it might have worked.

 

[xiehan]

Originally Posted by Angie Tacker /img/forum/go_quote.gif

I read it that she meant not only are they guys with no experience as female consumers, but that they are guys with no experience in the beauty industry...

The two co-founders are men, and their backgrounds are in business/finance and tech start-ups.

I don't think she would have had the same reaction if their backgrounds were marketing at Estee Lauder and brand management at MAC.

Yes, that is exactly what I meant, thanks Angie. /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

It wasn't meant as an insult to men in general, and I agree that some business savvy is indeed important. However, having gone to grad school where I got to know a lot of MBA students and people eager to get into the tech start-up scene... this just seemed all too familiar. I can totally picture the meetings that led up to this company being started (because I've been brought in to several such meetings before). The bottom line is, they are businessmen, they saw how big Birchbox's pie has gotten and wanted a piece of it, despite not being intimately familiar with the beauty industry or the kind of service they would need to provide.

 

[Wida]

So, it looks like Sindulge is going to try it again.  I just got an email from them saying that they're re-launching this fall and to refer friends for rewards.   Here is the actual email contents:

"SINDULGE.COM will be relaunching in the fall with a host of exciting features, content,
membership programs, signature video consultations
AND a feature you wont want to miss,
a featured celebrity makeup artist!
Earn rewards when you tell your friends via Facebook, Twitter or email
(using your personalized referral link)
Start sharing the news now so you can shop with your Sindulge rewards right when we go live!
Simply click the button, enter your email address & share your personal referral link with friends."

Maybe I'll just sit back and watch for a couple of months and see how it goes.  If it looks promising this time around, maybe I'll try it again.  I did love their concept, but they just couldn't pull it off.

 

[ladygrey]

Originally Posted by Wida /img/forum/go_quote.gif

So, it looks like Sindulge is going to try it again.  I just got an email from them saying that they're re-launching this fall and to refer friends for rewards.   Here is the actual email contents:

"SINDULGE.COM will be relaunching in the fall with a host of exciting features, content,

membership programs, signature video consultations

AND a feature you wont want to miss,

a featured celebrity makeup artist!

Earn rewards when you tell your friends via Facebook, Twitter or email

(using your personalized referral link)

Start sharing the news now so you can shop with your Sindulge rewards right when we go live!

Simply click the button, enter your email address & share your personal referral link with friends."

Maybe I'll just sit back and watch for a couple of months and see how it goes.  If it looks promising this time around, maybe I'll try it again.  I did love their concept, but they just couldn't pull it off.

I wish them the best. I think they had a really cool concept and every time I had a CS issue, whoever I interacted with was great and friendly, but I do feel as though they jumped the gun when the first launched. They clearly weren't ready, so hopefully working out the kinks over the next few months will give them the chance to successfully launch. 

 

[Wida]

I totally agree.  Maybe they'll get more brands on board too.  It seems that they were very heavy on the Youngblood Cosmetics line - which is great, but I would have liked a little more variety.

 

[calexxia]

I dunno, I found receiving that email to be rather insulting after the experience I had with them.

 

[MakeupGalore]

I will not EVER again subscribe to Sindulge. Ever. It was a joke of a company. And this "Revoltuon" they speak of is BS. Save your money and sub to the good and proven subs (Birchbox, Julep, GlossyBox, etc)