Red Envelope experience...sorry long but a warning

I ordered two items (one important and one other item) from them on 12/10 (needed to order by 12/12 for anything personalized to get it by christmas). Well on Thursday when I had not received the items I checked the website and it was still saying (had been since 12/14) preparing to ship. I chatted with their CS and they promised it would be here by Christmas eve and would be going out that day. The next day it still said preparing to ship.

On Sat morning I got an email saying the other item that wasn't important for Christmas was on back order until 2/22. I chatted with CS and asked them to cancel the item and inquired as to where the important item was.

They promised it would go out that day without fail and I WOULD have it by Christmas. Well about 2 hours later I get an email that the whole ORDER was cancelled. I called them and was told yes they cancelled the one item not both BUT sorry they had taken in too many orders for their warehouse to process and the important item would NOT be going out in time for Christmas even though I had ordered it in their guarenteed delivery date (which was 12/12) - I explained it was my daughters gift to my DH and with everything going on we didn't have time to get something else this late. The CS woman told me sorry guess you have to go shopping b/c it won't be there in time.

I asked for a manager and after being left on hold for 30 mins they hung up on me. I called back and was assured by another person the first information was incorrect and the gift would be here on time.

Today, I check and contacted them - b.c they SHIPPED the item I cancelled and DD's gift still hadn't shipped. They were very flippant about it saying well it isn't going to make it there is nothing we can do sorry - just go to the store and get something else.

After finally taking to a supervisor it was resolved with them not charging me for either item but DH's gift won't be here until after Christmas - so now with everything going on I have to go to the store and try to find him something last minute so he will have a gift to open. We had decided with the house this year we would rather spend our money on the baby and her gifts and just give each other one gift from our DD. So now I have no idea what to get DH so he has something to open on Christmas day and we are booked solid so I can't sneak out to shop.

Re: Red Envelope experience...sorry long but a warning

that is terrible!
i cant believe they had such poor customer service!!!

Re: Red Envelope experience...sorry long but a warning

that just *****! may i ask what item u bought--maybe we can help u find it from another store?

Re: Red Envelope experience...sorry long but a warning

I'm dealing with a similar experience with Red Envelope right now too.

Re: Red Envelope experience...sorry long but a warning

I got personalized cufflinks. The other item was a turtle nightlight that shows stars on the sky - that was the not important item.

Re: Red Envelope experience...sorry long but a warning

Re: Red Envelope experience...sorry long but a warning

Can you just put a picture of them in a box and give him that? This way you don't have to go crazy and try to find something...plus he can see what you really got him.

Re: Red Envelope experience...sorry long but a warning

I did a search for locket cufflinks and there are a bunch of websites that carry similar ones. Perhaps if you call some of these places they will overnight them? Here's the link to the search:

dogpile cufflink search

P.S. I'm sure DH wouldnt mind if you told him that you needed an hour or two to run out because one of your important gifts were messed up from a website

Re: Red Envelope experience...sorry long but a warning

I have an issue with them also.

My order was placed on 12/17...and according to them...ground shpping would get here by Christmas. well the order sat in "preparing to ship" for 3 days, so i contacted CS and I was told dont worry it will be there by Christmas even if they have to upgrade the shipping. Well I then get an email that it was shipped and when i checked the arrive date.....its 12/27!!!!!! W T F??????


I am flipping out....so I contact CS again and was told that once the item was shpped there was nothing they could do...and that the other CS person should never had told me that the shippng would be upgraded!! I was offered 10% back on my order...which of course I took. Bu now I have 2 less gifts fo my DH to open.

Maybe I will print out pics and wrpa them up for him!! I know he will understand but still.....


I will NEVER order from them again!! They S U C K!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: Red Envelope experience...sorry long but a warning

Re: Red Envelope experience...sorry long but a warning

We just orderEd cufflinks from cuffdaddy.com. They came and were really cute. We are giving them to my BIL as part of a MBA graduation gift next week.photo cuff links

Message edited 12/23/2007 1:00:00 PM.

Re: Red Envelope experience...sorry long but a warning

I feel for you I had the same experiance with CafePress.com.........ordered several fun gifts for DH & got screwed because the ordered was "still processing" for too long.

It was just some fun stuff to give him....but still.

Hope you have luck with getting him something else!! Otherwise the picture of them seems like the next best thing to do!!

Re: Red Envelope experience...sorry long but a warning

I bought bridesmaid gifts from Red Envelope in 2005. It sounds like their poor service has not changed. This is what I said in my review on LIW:

BM Gifts—Red Envelope C-

The items are great but customer service is totally lacking. They simply do not know how to track an order or how to look at their own order history! I was supposed to have free shipping on the order (coupon code). They made a mistake and only shipped part of the order. It took 5 phone calls for them to determine that they just forgot about the rest of the order. When they finally shipped the second part of my order, they charged me shipping, even though those items should have been included in my free shipping coupon order. They said that since they already sent me part of the order, they can't just eat the cost of shipping another box. Well, it is not my fault that they did not ship it all when they were supposed to. There was also a mix-up about gift boxes. I paid extra to have them for all the items I ordered. They did not send me enough, and when I called to follow up—guess what—they wanted to charge me more to ship out additional gift boxes. I would not recommend Red Envelope and now I throw out their catalogs without looking at them. They e-mailed me a survey and I told them this!

Re: Red Envelope experience...sorry long but a warning

it's such a shame to read all these reviews of such poor customer service. they have such cute stuff .....

dh bought me a necklace once from them, i think he had trouble getting the matching earrings. i'll have to ask him more about it, i don't remember the details

i'll probably only use their catalog for ideas after hearing this from you guys.

but i think the picture of the purchased cuff links would be just fine ... and the cookies would be a cute addition!

Re: Red Envelope experience...sorry long but a warning

Thank you - no DD just turned 6 months so I don't think she will be able to help make cookies. I think I will just give him a box with the picture of them.