With Dorothy Perkins, it was love at first sight [of their website]. Nice clothes, affordable prices, variety of styles, sizes, and colors. Perfect. What could possibly go wrong? That’s a question you never, ever want to ask.
First of all, I placed my order on the 14th of November and did not receive it till December 3rd. That was already annoying because I ordered three other things from three other websites, including Asos, and they all came before this one. But then, I figured it was because it was an international order.
Dorothy Perkins
Before I placed my order, I went through their size guide several times, and I double-checked my measurements, too. I ordered my US size, which they converted to their UK size. Considering that I waited for two whole weeks before finally laying hands on my order, can you imagine how eager I was to open it?
Well, I did. And none of it fit. I mean none. Four different blouses in four different colors: cherry, black, plum, and teal. They were all about two sizes too big. And I was a very, very pissed Vera. Obviously, ordering clothes – or anything actually – online bears some kind of risk. Even if it’s your size, it may not particularly fit your body type. But that wasn’t the case here. I did not even get to decide if it was for my body type or not. It just wasn’t for my body. Period.
But it got worse. To return the blouses, I had to first go online and request a return number. And I did this with ease. No problem. Then I had to fill out the return slip included in the package and also include my return number. Fine. I took off to the Post Office with a kind of confidence and hope that I now cannot explain.
But at the Post Office, I had to fill out a Customs form because this was an international package. Okay. Then I had to pay $17.88 to mail back blouses that came two sizes too big through no fault of mine. What?!?!
What I think is that Dorothy Perkins engages in vanity sizing, the thing where designers make their clothes bigger and make customers think they are wearing smaller sizes, when they really aren’t. Example, a size 8 might be sized as a 6, and if you are a size 8 but now a size 6 at Dorothy Perkins, it’s supposed to make you go, oh-my-God-I’m-small. Thing is, I couldn’t care less the number on my clothes. I just want clothes that fit, that’s all.
If a designer decides to size clothes smaller, that’s fine. But a little disclaimer would help. Or at least give me the right sizing. I don’t know if my clothes have gotten to them yet. And who knows what will happen when they do. Will they refund all my money, if at all? Will they complain of something? Will they charge me a restocking fee?
One thing is certain: I’m not shopping at Dorothy Perkins anymore. I’m just going to stick to Asos. Speaking of Asos, the dress I got from them came, and although it was the right size, it was not a good fit for me. I did not look as sexy as I wanted to look in it, so I returned it. All I had to do was wrap it back and drop it off at the post office. No Customs form to fill. No $17.88 to pay. And they sent an e-mail to notify me that they received my dress AND have refunded my Igwe’s money.
Yup. Goodbye Dorothy Perkins.
P.S. If you already shop at Dorothy Perkins and you know your size there, then good for you. This post and warning is only for the new customers.
P.P.S. Just to be clear, if I only had to return the clothes, I will not be as pissed. I’d have just returned them and reordered them in my size, but considering that I had to pay $17.88 to return them, I am not willing to risk it again and reorder.
Inspired by Taylor Swift, I’m gonna say to Dorothy Perkins: We are never, ever, ever getting back together! Like ever!
awwww….kpele dear. I think the confusion is the difference in UK and US sizing. (blame the bloody fashion industry) DP is my one stop shopping site cos i cant be bothered with going to the mall. And my body type is such that i have to be careful with sizing. you should have just found someone to sell it to instead of paying that money to send it back.
I think US dress size 8 is UK 12, US 10 is UK 14, and so on. that is the conversion i see in TKMAXX clothes sha. and they fit well.
Hey Kiky,
I know the US vs UK conversion is that way, but I ordered my US size (because I set my location as US) so all the sizes were automatically in US for me. It even stated specifically that I was using standard US size. They have nice clothes, really, and I wish it didn’t have to end this way, but I am not in the mood for the trial and error that will cost me money.
P.S. There was no one to sell it to either.
I was going to buy d prettiest one… But I refuse to pay $37 for a black top with lace… *okbye*
Fufu, yeye cheap girl. LOL.
I told you their sizes were generous that’s why i love them anyway get on a plane to London and shop “live”. I love DP clothes. I am not very big on online dress shopping for reasons similar to yours i play it safe mostly shoes and bags clothes very rarely
Write to them you will get yor posting fee returned
You know, I just might write to them.
Yeah, Pendo, I remember you told me that. But unfortunately, I had already placed my order by the time you told me. They are quite generous oh!
Eeeya, ndo. I’ve had several online shopping experience both US and UK, so barely shop online. I recently got to know that UK designers are now short-sizing their sizes too. Like the US size 10 pretending to be 8. But some of them fail to realize that it really did affected the universal sizing. To me a UK 14 will be like size US 9 or 8.5 depending on the designer. LOL.
I’m US 8/10 with the 10 a little spacey, but I fit perfectly on a UK 14.
I’m not surprised at all with the size diff.
DP has some gorgeous clothes with very reasonable prices though.
Hopefully they’ll refund the shipping charge.
Bike, I agree that DP has nice clothes with reasonable prices, but perhaps, until I am in the UK – whenever that may be – I will not shop online for their stuff because I’m not in the mood to keep losing money. I don’t know what size to order from them now, and I don’t want to risk paying another $17.88 for clothes that don’t fit. Nope. Hope they’ll refund the money, but I seriously doubt it.
Hahahahahaha! Ok, let me stop laughing. I have never shopped there, but I like their stuff.
Just like how sizes vary in different U.S stores, so does DP, Asos, Next etc…Sometimes I just go a size down than up if am not sure. Again, I don’t buy if they have import fee…mba! Maybe you should write to them or tweet them.
How dare you laugh at me??? Lol. Uzo, you have no idea how pissed I was when those clothes came. And to make it worse, I had to pay to ship them back. From now on, I’m definitely going to be checking return policies before ordering anything online. I might write to them, I don’t know.
Now that is tres annoying! Sowwy.
Extremely so. Thanks 🙁
I am a Brit/American who recently moved from London to New York and I also had a terrible experience with Dorothy Perkins. I wanted to replace my jeans and ordered exactly as the label read without checking the size chart (I didn’t think I needed to). They ordered a 10 and they sent a 14. I thought they made a mistake, but apparently when shipping to the US they automatically convert the sizing. There’s nothing I can do except pay $50+ to return ship or keep the merchandise I cannot wear. I was intending to re-order the correct size, but now I don’t want to deal with them at all.
What further angered me was that they are not running a proper US operation, but rather some confused mix. They don’t have US customer service (but rather the typical rude UK call line), don’t exchange and won’t subsidize international shipping costs. Their operator was rude (“computer says no”) and actually asked me if I was 4 hours behind (what? no one in the US is 4 hours behind the UK) and when they said a supervisor was not available but could call me later, they called me at 5:30am the next morning.
I don’t see why anyone in the US would ever shop with Dorothy Perkins. They don’t permit exchanges and require you to return to the UK at your own expense. There are so many great competitor options domestically, I would strongly advise not to shop with them.