Bloomingdale's Consumer Reviews

AVENTURA, FLORIDA -- I just got home from a [necessary] outing to Bloomies in Aventura mall. What a waste of a morning. A gentleman friend of mine bought me some clothes from the Bloomingdales in Palm Beach. Very sweet. But the clothes were all size 3X. Not my size. I live in Miami and took them to Aventura for an exchange. I purposely went early, arriving around 10:15 am so I could get immediate assistance.

The sales assistant named Jean in the ladies denim Dept on the 2nd floor acted as if I were a big annoyance when I told her I needed an exchange. She pointed vaguely and told me I should take the items to the work out section for help. "But these items are from the denim department," I explained to her. "Can't you help me find these items? It's a little overwhelming in here with so many brands. I don't know where to find these things."

Instead of taking me to the section where these items were located, she took me to a much more expensive brand's area and tried to upsell me on similar but wildly more expensive items!! She said I would have to make up the difference In cost for those items. I told her I didn't plan to spend any money exchanging something that had been a gift and she became huffy with me, rolling her eyes and communicating through her negative facial expressions, body language and tone of voice.

Once I refused to be upsold on my exchange she revealed that the Aventura store did not even carry the brand I was looking to exchange! And that I would have to go all the way to Palm Beach to do so. I asked if there was a better solution, since I don't really like shopping and get overwhelmed easily in large stores, and didn't plan on spending an entire day plus tank of gas to drive to PB just to exchange these clothes. She offered no solutions, continuing to act in a negative, off-putting and verbally combative manner.

So I offered a solution: just give me a gift card for the value of the items. She seemed to have great difficulty in doing this very simple thing, even requesting assistance from a senior colleague because one of the items wouldn't ring up. The senior colleague instructed her to manually add the item to the refund on the gift card, but she refused to do so once we were alone again (no longer in the presence of the senior associate) and when I asked her about why she wasn't adding the item she gave me some excuse.

Each time she asked me about where I bought the items or where was my receipt, I reiterated that these things had been a gift, and while I did not have a receipt I did have the business card of the sales associate from the Palm Beach store who had assisted my friend in purchasing these items. While Jean was having trouble ringing up the items onto the refund/gift card, I offered her the card with the associate's name and contact info on it. Her response was basically, "What do you expect me to do with this?" accompanied by a sneering facial expression and again a negative tone of voice and body language.

And all the time she was treating me as if I were suspicious, or had stolen these things, and that dealing with me was nothing but trouble and she couldn't wait to be rid of me. The price of the items was as follows: jean jacket $128+change, green top $84+change, Spanx stockings $32.00. Yet the gift card she gave me only had a value of $131+change, and the spanx was not even added to the card because she refused to follow the senior associate's instruction to add it manually. 128+84 adds up to $212, not $131.

These items were purchased 3 days ago! Not last season. By the time the card was processed I had all but given up and just couldn't wait to get away from Jean. I had started out excited, thinking I would exchange my oversized gifts for something cute... only to walk away feeling like I had been kicked.

As if that entire experience weren't bad enough, I took my gift card to the makeup counter hoping to salvage the experience by picking up some nice makeup, which I ordinarily would not splurge on. As I approached the Bobbi Brown makeup counter a sales associate stood there coughing directly into her hand and then reached out towards me to ask if she could help me find anything. Aghhhh! Yuck, gross, and disgusting! I asked her if there was someone from Bobbi Brown who could help me find a foundation, and she replied that while she was the representative for NARS, she would be glad to help me.

Then she began touching (gagging as I think about it) the tissues and spatulas, etc that the ladies use while they test colors on a customer. I directly stated to her that she had just coughed into her hand and was now contaminating everything she touched, and that I would not let her assist me because she hadn't washed her hands. Her attitude was so snotty in response that I just turned and walked out. Wow. Wow. Wow. I'm a business owner and I just can't wrap my mind around how any company can allow its associates to behave this way. If I treated my customers like this I would be out of business.

UNITED STATES -- Several months ago, I used an unsolicited gift/rewards promotion Bloomingdale's sent me. A few months after that, I purchased another item that was not as it was described nor as it appeared online. So I returned it. The next month. I did NOT receive full credit for the returned item. So I called the Bloomingdale's customer service general phone number and was told that I could deduct the missing amount in my payment for the bill, which I did. Someone there explained to me that my return credit had been reduced because I had used the original reduction offer their company had sent me for an item that I had kept.

I stated that if the company was going to do so, there should have been such an explanation on the unsolicited Bloomingdale's rewards/gift card I originally received and used. If they had done that, I would have torn up the promotion, because it would have required an unwanted, complicated tracking system on my part. Then on the next statement, not only didn't I receive the deduction, but I was charged a late fee and interest. By this time, I was quite upset. Once again, I called Customer Service and was told that the incorrect charges would be removed from my next statement. While the next statement showed that the original incorrect charges were removed, an inexplicable interest charge appeared.

Shortly later I spent several hours trying to reach Customer Service by phone and online, only to be told that the department was unavailable due to the current pandemic. After trying the Bloomingdale's "live" number to place an order, I was told that no one there could solve the problem--despite the fact that I asked to speak to supervisors who either transferred me to the original "nonworking" number; or claimed they could not reach out to their manager. The last supervisor, Hector, did say that he had someone to call if he had a problem, but could do nothing to help me.

So Bloomingdale's is taking advantage of the Covid-19 crisis to take advantage of their customers, even long-time ones! Somehow the current health crisis prevents them from helping customers they've charged incorrectly, but allows customers to place new orders. Such seemingly corrupt behavior calls for never doing business with the company again. How could you ever trust them?

CHEVY CHASE, MARYLAND -- For almost 6 years we provided to Bloomingdale's (at their request) weekly pick up and delivery service for repair service for shoes and handbags. All went well at first and we collected at each delivery the amount owed for repairs done. It then turned into a slow pay and then a slower pay... much time was wasted on collecting and many promises were made to improve and get to timely payment... then all payments stopped.

After listening to hollow promises for too long, we discontinued the service but the balance owed is almost $1000.00 for services we have provided. Emails and phone calls are not effective. The Better Business Bureau locally forwarded our complaint to the BBB in the city where the headquarters is located and that BBB does not handle B to B complaints. We have a staff of three and we can no longer waste production time chasing them... nor sit in small claims if that is even possible since we are told "it is headquarters" to blame and they are many states away!

ATLANTA, GEORGIA -- I was a loyal Bloomingdale's and Macy'€™s customer that without a doubt paid my monthly bills in a timely manner without hesitation for my Bloomingdale'€™s and Macy's accounts. But unbeknownst to me I recently noticed my accounts for both stores had been closed. I inquired as to the reason and was told they were closed due to excessive returns. I was also told I had been given several chances to explain, but according to the (3) individuals I spoke to, I had not responded. This is the first untrue statement. I spoke to numerous individuals over the phone and I responded via email about my return habits.

The next thing I was told, and I wasn't told this until I got to the store today, is that I will not be allowed to return any more merchandise on this account. Therefore, items that are too small, too big, or just not the right size or color cannot be returned. I will have to leave them on my account and continue to pay my bill like the valued, loyal customer I've been for the last 3 or 4 years. I would like to know how this could possibly make sense to any honest, hard working American today. I am treated like a loyal, valued customer while paying my balance off, but when I attempting to return any item that is not worn, or damaged, I am treated like a local criminal.

I started off by asking myself why would a store I have spent more money in than I have returned merchandise, cancel my account without any regards to me. I mean just as a valued customer, which is what I am being told I am each and every time I provide my credit card number to customer service electronic voice for assistance. Which is quite the opposite of the (2) individuals from your credit department I spoke to on the phone today in the customer service department (September 20th around 4:30). They were really rude and nasty towards me and that's putting it mildly.

In fact, when I asked the man (credit department) what am I supposed to do with the items I just received from UPS that did not work for me and made a special trip to the store to return today, his reply was, he did not care what I did with the items. I know I deserve more respect than that, no matter what the circumstances are behind Bloomingdale'€™s actions. And I was totally appalled to say the least by his and his supervisor'™s behavior.

The treatment I received from this credit department agent along with his supervisor belittled me and made me feel as though I am being singled out and targeted for something more than the fact that I have made numerous merchandise returns to your store. I was told by numerous sales people in Bloomingdale'€™s that customers return on a daily basis and no one ever question these customers. I was also informed that these large returns are usually made by Bloomingdale'€™s customers that are middle aged, white females.

But me being a Black Female that returns merchandise that has never been worn, merchandise that is never damaged, merchandise that has the tags still on them and ready for reselling, that only have one thing that doesn'€™t fit the Bloomingdale'€™s image - I'€™m Black, and I cannot make returns without being chastised. I come into Bloomingdale'™s to do legitimate transactions and I'€™m being scrutinized for making returns. I feel I have been treated unjustly and I will not stop unveiling my concerns until someone addresses this matter further.

Again, nowhere in Bloomingdale's contract policy is it listed that an account is subject to being closed based on Bloomingdale's illegal discretions.

TEXAS -- I placed an online order at Bloomingdale's online with expedited delivery for an additional shipping fee. I paid for delivery today or tomorrow. I just received an email telling me delivery won't be until Monday. No explanation, no reason. I need my order before Monday, that's why I paid extra for expedited shipping. It's my first and last order with Bloomingdale's. So frustrated!

Bloomingdale's have put me through a Kafkaesque situation and I could not place an order. I have lost a lot of time and some money in calls. Bloomingdale's have lost a 2.8 k order. And a client. First, I have tried to buy online. When I have finished and have include 34 items in my shopping cart and given all personal info and credit card, my order was not accepted. No clear info why, seems to be a credit card issue.

I called my credit card company on US. No problem on their side. Call Bloomingdale's after trying the live chat (by the way, very poor service) and they explained me that the problem was the IP origin, I was accessing from Brasil and this is not accepted. WHY THERE WAS NO INFO REGARDING THAT ON THE WEBSITE???? Why not showing a message before I include 34 items in the shopping cart????

Well, in a stupid decision, I follow the suggestion from the chat representative to place my order by phone. And I have done that!! 34 items with a very patient representative. She told everything was OK and placed the order. I gave her my brazilian phone. She said nothing about it.

As I received no status from my order I called again. Discover that my email address was spelled wrongly and my order cancelled, but that I could replace it, however many items were not available any more. Well, I gave all personal and credit info again, billing address, shipping address, both on US. And my brazilian phone again. And I got happy because the info was OK, as she told me.

It wasn't. I received a message saying there was a problem on my order, to call customer service. I did, and the representative explained there was a problem in my credit card, that do not accept my order. I called my credit card. No problem in their side again, they told me that the order was accepted. I called again customer service. New info then, the problem was that the phone I gave did not match with the credit card phone record. I called again the credit card, confirm the phone.

Called again customer service, inform the phone number as register on the credit card. And received the last stroke. I should provide a phone in US that should be register in my name where Bloomingdale's could reach me. As I do not have a US phone, I would not be able to buy. Why don't they tell me that first place??? WHY THEY ACCEPTED THE ORDER EVEN WHEN I GAVE A BRAZILIAN PHONE TO BE CONTACTED???By the way, I have placed an order same day at Bergdorf Goodman. They have already ship it!!! I have bought before at Amazon and Net a Porter and have never faced problems.

Yesterday I tried to order some cosmetics online. No problem with my profile pulling up, all correct information. When I tried to check out however, it asked for a 5-digit zip code. The zip code was correct, and after a couple of phone calls, I was told that their system did not read the 0 in the zip code (leaving out a good part of the country with a zip code starting with 0). Then I tried placing the order by phone, and my Bloomingdale's credit card was declined, much to my surprise as I had no balance. Turned out they reduced my credit limit because I hadn't used the card in a couple of years (mind you, I had just finished paying on a 0%/1 year purchase).

What the credit limit was reduced to, nobody could tell me, though I know it was below $143, as that was the amount of the purchase. I am not sure my credit limit would allow me to buy a lollipop. They said I could use another credit card or requalify for theirs, not bloody likely! I cancelled my card and told them to go to hell. Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, and Saks are happy to take my money.

BOCA RATON, FLORIDA -- This morning (Saturday, 7/31/10), my wife and I went to the Bloomingdale's in Boca Raton for their advertised, “One Day Home Sale”. We were told that one of the items we wanted (Wusthof Gourmet 14-pc block set closeout) was sold out at a pre-sale prior to this One Day Home Sale. What? My wife and I traveled from Delray Beach to buy this item, only to find out that their one day home sale was false advertising. We were going to purchase other items, but after this, walked out of the store absolutely disgusted with the way Bloomingdale's does business.

NY, NEW YORK -- I see the same complaints on Macy's and Bloomingdale's websites about the barbaric collection agency they use. Who do we contact besides the BBB and Attorney General's office? Why is there no number to speak with customer Service? Why have these companies gone downhill so rapidly?