Why I Canceled my Glossybox Subscription

I don't usually do rant-y posts like this, but I feel it's necessary in this case.  I received terrible service from Glossybox, and I know I am not alone.  My experience with Glossybox has been awful, and I feel compelled to share it with others who might be considering the service.  This will be a long post.

Like many others, I was excited to hear that the Glossybox beauty sample subscription service was finally coming to the U.S.  Glossybox had received fantastic reviews from many European bloggers, and I recall that one time they included in their box a full-size Rouge Bunny Rouge lip gloss.  That was enough to pique my interest.  Priced at $21 per month, they charge more than other sample services (such services average $10-$15 here in the U.S.), but they promised to include larger travel-sized samples.  I thought it was definitely worth checking out.

I didn't make it in time to get the May box, which was a bummer because it was a fantastic box that included a mini Burberry lipstick (and if you have read my blog you know all about my love for Burberry), but I was able to sign up for June and was certain June's box would be just as fabulous.

I paid for my subscription on May 14.  It wasn't until 6 weeks later on June 28 that I received confirmation that my June box had shipped, which irked me but at least it was finally on its way.  I clicked the tracking information, and it said that my box had been received by their third party shipper in Kearny, NJ on June 22.  That was the last update the tracking information would receive.

Although I was annoyed, I waited patiently for my box.  I checked the tracking information daily, only to see that my box was still in Kearny, NJ.   I contacted Glossybox about the issue and was told that the boxes had shipped out late and that's why I still hadn't received mine (no kidding!  I figured that much out myself), but that the box was on its way and I would receive it soon.  Despite my repeated questions, no one addressed the issue of the tracking information saying my box had been in NJ since June 22.

On July 2, I still had not received my box and the tracking information still had not updated, but I received an email from Glossybox confirming that I had been charged for a July box.  This upset me, because I had been counting on evaluating my June box before deciding whether I wanted to continue with July.  This was why I had selected the month-to-month option as opposed to a 6-month or 1-year membership.

Many others were upset as well at being charged for July's box before they received the June box.  Several people complained via Facebook about this, and Glossybox merely stated that it's their policy to charge in the beginning of the month and ship at the end; they were not at all apologetic and did not say anything about fixing the problem in the future.  Their Facebook page became inundated with unsatisfied customers who could not get an adequate response from customer service letting Glossybox know how they felt and asking to be refunded.  I was one of those people, and Glossybox deleted my comment.

I again contacted Glossybox via email and was told that it was their policy to charge in the beginning of the month and ship at the end, which was why I was charged for July before I had received my June box. I was finally able to get the July charge refunded after threatening to file a dispute with my credit card company.

In the beginning of July, reviews of the June boxes started to trickle out.  A lot of people were disappointed in their boxes.  Many reported that one of the samples, a small bottle of body wash, had leaked all over the inside of the box while it was in transit, coating everything on the inside of the box and ruining the box itself.  Glossybox was requesting that anyone who had this complaint send them photo evidence of the damaged box.  In several cases, people reported on Facebook that instead of replacing all the damaged contents of the box, Glossybox merely sent a replacement body wash sample.  I was very disappointed to hear all of this was going on, and I was growing more anxious to see in what condition my box would arrive.

On July 10, almost two months after I had paid and two weeks after it had shipped, I still had not received my June box.  I again contacted Glossybox.  I was told that they looked at my tracking info (FINALLY), and a replacement box would be shipped to me ASAP.

On July 18, I still had not received an update or tracking information for the replacement box, so I contacted them again regarding the replacement.  I  have not received a response.  It is now July 23, two weeks after I was assured that a replacement would be sent, and I have not received any update or tracking information for the replacement box.

I called customer service today to tell them to forget about sending the replacement and to just refund my payment.  I was told that my replacement box had in fact shipped on July 16 (a week after I was told it would go out ASAP) and they could not give me a refund for a box that has already shipped.  For some reason, no tracking number was ever sent to me even though Glossybox said that it should have been sent.  The replacement box is now somewhere in Indiana and is still making its way to Seattle.  I am fairly certain that if my June box ever arrives, it will not make it here until August.

I have been a Birchbox subscriber for about six months now, and have never once experienced a problem.  Some boxes have been better than others in terms of my personal taste, but I would say that in terms of quality, overall the boxes have gotten better over time.  I receive my boxes in the same month that I am billed, and the boxes always arrived nicely packaged with nothing leaking, missing, or otherwise.  From what I have heard from others who have experienced problems, Birchbox has addressed the issue immediately and to the customer's satisfaction.  All of this, and Birchbox is only $10 per month.  I haven't even been able to get a box from Glossybox.

Glossybox has stated that in response to overwhelming customer demand, they will start charging people closer to when the boxes will ship (they will charge second week and ship the third week, I believe).  On their Facebook page they said that everyone will have their tracking information this month by July 25.  The way I see it, with how extremely slow their shipping has been, most people are still likely to receive their boxes sometime in August.  It is also likely that many will again be charged for August boxes before they receive their July box.  Although I hope it does, I do not see how this new policy is going to change anything at Glossybox.

Glossybox has been all too eager to part people from their money, but very reluctant to provide the product or adequate service related to the product.  It has been 2.5 months since I paid for my June box, and I have yet to receive it.  The replacement that they told me they would send two weeks ago is still nowhere near arriving in Seattle.  Any response Glossybox has given to my requests has been after repeated attempts on my part to contact them, and their responses in general have not adequately addressed my concerns.  I have canceled my Glossybox subscription, and I am not likely to return.  It would take a major turn-around for me to consider purchasing a subscription in the future.  For the record, in case it isn't clear, it is not necessarily that I have had problems, but how poorly Glossybox has handled those problems, that made me decide to cancel and will keep me from going back.

If you are trying to decide whether to join Glossybox, I urge you to do research beforehand!  Check out their Facebook page, where many customers have posted their dissatisfaction with the service (although I know that Glossybox sometimes deletes these comments), and check out what bloggers have to say.  And finally, understand that while not everyone has had problems with the service, in the strong likelihood that you are one of the many who do encounter difficulties, Glossybox will probably not be of much help.