Actually, that’s putting it mildly. “We sold out of all of our January allotment, all of our February allotment, all of our March allotment, and to this day orders are pouring in, every day, like clockwork,” Winthrop says. This is so ridiculous. Imagine the thousands of sales they aren’t shipping and are holding our money. All contents © 2021 The Slate Group LLC. American Giant designs and manufactures its clothes in the United States, yet the firm has found a way to keep its quality high and its prices comparable to those of other high-end retailers. Wow not sure why so many bad reviews! History. Clothes you buy at most mall stores are marked up so the retailer, brand, and various buyers can make their cut. This company sells really well designed and quality products, but you will not get that same level of consideration from their customer service. My father purchased me a button up shirt from them for Christmas. Markets and Politics Digital Original Video. I've just sent a follow up note so we'll see if I get a response. I've worn this thing hundreds of times in the past 5 years and I love it. Americans usually pay for health care by the piece: so much for each office visit, X-ray, outpatient procedure, etc. Initially I would say that the material was a bit stiff, but I suppose that's to be expected from thicker material, and it softened after a few washes. We're far from perfect and we still buy junk once in a while, but we have found a few companies that hold these values of quality, durability, simplicity, environmental stewardship, etc. My story was a viral hit. I feel duped, bait and switch. I wanted to support a USA based company that was doing the right thing for workers and the environment but they are way too expensive for such poor quality. In the last minute that we’ve spoken, 55 orders have come in.’ It was just crazy.”. And guess what? On the Medicare side, price doesn’t really vary, so regions that are expensive—like McAllen, Texas, and Miami, Florida—are expensive to Medicare because … Editor's note: The estimated amount of gold left in Earth’s crust is 55,000 tons, not 55 tons as the video states. Love the sweatshirt & AG. As I was hanging them up to dry, I dicovered a HOLE (small though it was, I did NOT spend this kind of money on a pair of jeans that are damaged before I even got to wear them! American Giant’s trick to maintaining quality at reasonable prices is to cut out middlemen. It STILL is not here. VERY satisfactory resolution to my problem, I won't purchase from American Giant again. Read more. In the months since my story ran, at least a dozen readers have emailed or tweeted at me to complain that they couldn’t get a hoodie. The second reason I gave them a rating of 2 stars was that, like so many other people, I waited a loooonnnng time for them to arrive, while receiving emails saying if I hurried up and ordered something, I would get them before Christmas, and that really irritated me. Strange but True: Whale Waste Is Extremely Valuable. American Giant got back to me, apologized for the defective jeans, and refunded my money, PLUS gave me a coupon for 25% off on my next purchase! Because of the complexity of the system and the lack of any set prices for … I have requested a refund to my charge account but I now need to start a charge back on the account. I can blow the dust off the crap because all I wear now is American giant. I repeatedly inquired to make sure my order would arrive by Christmas. They give a very generous 20% military discount (thanks, AG!). “In the span of about 36 hours we sold out of everything,” Bayard Winthrop, American Giant’s founder, told me when I called him earlier this month. Compared to other reviews I guess I was lucky because I did receive my Christmas order. ... as we knew dentistry in the US was expensive. Eventually the orders completely overwhelmed American Giant’s capacity to make and sell new hoodies—and it was at that point, Winthrop says, that he had to make a big, expensive decision about whether to permanently restructure the business. Winthrop argues that nothing about the delay suggests a flaw in American Giant’s production process. Worst shipping ever. I bought my mother a hoodie for christmas that turned out not to fit her. They never delivered my hoodie. Crew, and Banana Republic.). I have 3 pairs of their pants, a sweatshirt, my husband has 2 pairs of their pants and a sweatshirt so we've been good customers but we won't buy from them again. Jason Pontin, the editor–in-chief of MIT Technology Review, scolded me on Twitter for destroying American Giant with too much praise. blah blah. The first was a lightweight hoodie which fit well and feels nice to wear. Terrible shirt. This one makes it look like you spent a minute considering your wardrobe before you rushed out the door.” And finally: “When you wear this hoodie, you’ll wonder why all other clothes aren’t made this well.”, I was just as floored by the way the company made its garments as I was by the resulting products. I received it today and was shocked at how much the quality has declined. I didn't test it on an inconspicuous part of the garment first. It got American Giant noticed by ABC News, Kottke, NPR, and scads of people on Twitter and Facebook. July 20, 2015 16 Comments. I found the pull, but the retaining box is gone forever. I contacted customer service, got one note 2 days later saying they'd "consult" with their team and then radio silence since. It was marked as received by them, and I got no notice of a credit for weeks. I have written them at least 7 times and have received nothing but banal, stupid email responses. Not a single item was left.”. There is no phone number. It is not expected to arrive on time and I have asked to cancel the order. I sent emails to both their regular and urgent email addresses. Stephen Sovie. CS was so helpful. A leg of it can cost as much as $4,500. Photo courtesy of American Giant Hoodie/Svpply. Since I bought it on sale (only 10% off original price, mind you), I'm stuck with it. Within a few minutes I was like, Oh, wait a second, this is starting to pick up steam. Everything about American Giant is now more giant than before—the firm’s production capacity has increased by 15 to 20 times what it was in December, and it’s now planning on launching new products, including a women’s line that will debut in the spring. I opted for the $118 store credit code, which does not expire, so I can take a little time to figure out what I want to order. Amazon and USPS are still getting products delivered faster than that. I plan to return it (if it ever arrives) and/or dispute it via my credit card company. American Giant’s customer service is terrible. Right out of the box you could see and feel the quality. To echo what everyone else is saying.. I ordered a sweatshirt BEFORE THANKSGIVING, knowing shipping would be delayed this year. I still wear the company’s hoodie every single day, and I’ve been waiting for months to get another sweatshirt. Don't know why they continued to ship with a shipper that they knew was having problems. In December, I wrote about American Giant, a San Francisco-based apparel startup that had perfected the hooded sweatshirt. She stated that she was unable to process a refund as my order was in transit and I was more than welcome to initiate a return process one it arrived. He also argued that scaling up has been good for the company. The thing is I would happily pay $25 for Uniqlo hoodie knowing what to expect. I am amending a previous review where I gave. Duh. Keep in mind, I purchased these at full price and nowhere on my receipt or invoice does it say final sale. I have an order pending (a gift for my son)that was delivered to a random PO Box in the wrong city and state. So, if you think that you could manufacture/assemble a bike with good carbon frame, shimano 105 components (or just made your own groupset of the same quality but fraction of the price), cover all other costs like transport and marketing sell it for half the price of what Giant is selling - … I purchased a $100.00 gift certificate for my daughter for Christmas. The color was not nearly as rich as shown on line and once again the sizing strange: it was too snug across the chest and the arms were too long. I have tried to call them but that went nowhere. Perhaps this episode just confirms the thesis that the Apple version of a manufacturing process—with Chinese suppliers willing to locate near each other and put their workers through extraordinary demands for time-sensitive production—is the only way to maximize revenue.”. Once I noticed my sweatshirt had not shipped and that they were waiting for … American Giant was founded in February 2012 by Bayard Winthrop, former head of Chrome Industries, to address what he saw as a lack of affordably priced high-quality American-made products. Buy one good one. Ordered product December 12 order #Order AG-US-20853214 got billed no go on the delivery. Orders kept piling up. Just be careful with stain removers. I'm 6'2" and at the time I was around 270 lbs., if that helps you decide on size. The second item was another hoodie that I had to return for a size up as it was too snug across the chest and the fabric was stiff which made it a little uncomfortable to wear. The problem is customer service, dealing with the crap service of the USPS. I was told that an item would ship in time for Christmas as I ordered it on December 1st. The most salient reason is that U.S. health care is based on a "for-profit insurance system," one of the only ones in the world, according to Carmen Balber, executive director of … Of course they don’t have a phone number because of their below average service. The company’s products have been backordered since December, with long delays awaiting anyone who places an order. Absolutely the worst experience I have ever had with any brand. Beyond the brand value that comes with a "Made in America" tag, keeping American Giant local gives Winthrop more creative control, better quality control, and faster manufacturing cycles. I sent another email in a separate submission to customer service that also went unanswered. when it finally arrived it was nothing like in picture item appeared in two different materials and in faded awful color. Even with COVID-19 that seems long to me. I pointed out that they were marketing “order now and receive by Christmas” well after I ordered. Wow! I contacted CS and told them that I didn't want to pay shipping (for 1 hoodie) and lose the "first time customer" 15% discount because I have to reorder the hoodie in a different size. I used the credit immediately to place an order. I have not yet contacted them about this, but I'm not expecting much, after reading that lots of people are sniping at their customer service. By the way, not all you've said is … They said it was a sale item and could not be returned or exchanged. My story sparked an immediate spike in demand, but, back in December, Winthrop had no way of knowing whether the demand would be permanent. Obviously, they screwed up the order. No consistency. I'll have two of these bad boys! I bought both sale hoodies there and a 3rd hoodie for my niece (on sale) and they shipped it to her free. What a BS company. So if you bought a very expensive jumper from an EU seller, the delivery company will now ask you to pay the VAT before it's handed to you. Horrible customer service. !I ordered a dress from them It arrived late, The product was supposed to arrive within 15 business days. Slate is published by The Slate Group, a Graham Holdings Company. American Giant, by contrast, designs and manufactures its own clothes and sells everything through its own website. Spending is a function of price times quantity. We decided we wanted to pay a bit more for well-made products that do one thing, do it well, and last for a long time. Why eating healthy is so expensive in America Produce that helps health hurts wallets. One of the promises of hosting your business on the Internet is that, thanks to viral marketing, you can become an overnight hit. I purchased two AG classic full zips about 2 years ago and was pretty happy with the quality. American drivers (myself included) remember that just 10 years ago, you could purchase a gallon of gas for around $1; today, it’s over $4 in many areas of the country. This meant ordering a lot more raw material into the pipeline—an order of magnitude more than American Giant was ordering back in December, at a cost of “millions of dollars.”. 1. Here's why ambulances are so expensive in the United States and what can be done to change it. “There is really no comparison between American Giant’s hoodie and the competition,” I wrote. .GREAT resolution for the problem! I have a closet full of garbage and 8 American Giant henleys. AG does not do exchanges but rather a return/reorder. They treat their workers and suppliers well. They turned their phone line off. I turned down the lights, put on some Barry White, and, over the course of around 2,000 gyrating words, unspooled my sweet, tender love for the company and its clothes. I received no reply to that question or a separate follow up email. Because of where they are manufactured, Giant is able to keep the costs of its bike lower. By Dorotea Sotirovska and Elizabeth Philip Mar 22, 2018, 1:30pm EDT A three-month pipeline might sound long, but it’s a relatively quick cycle in the garment business. Chase “helped” me by saying due to covid shipping times were backed up but rest assured I’d receive before Christmas. I found the 2012 Slate article about American Giant and "the greatest hoodie ever made," so I started reading the AG website and watching some videos. (American Giant’s hoodie sells for $79, which is more than you’d pay at the Gap or American Apparel, but about the same as hoodies at Levi’s, J. Order was lost by UPS (Unqualified Package Shippers), American Giant responded quickly and got another full zip classic in foggy blue next day to my house. American Giant is a San Francisco-based manufacturer of sportswear and casual clothing that sells directly to customers through its website. Hailey, the customer service rep who I'm not even sure is a real human given the generic response I received, should not be employed anywhere let alone in a customer service position. “And, does this actually show their view of manufacturing to be fundamentally flawed? Another person here mentioned Hailey, I got her at first too and she abandoned me pretty quickly. Regardless, I waited 3 weeks for my package but it never arrived. I've been emailing American Giant's Customer Service department, but I just keep getting replies from them that basically say "Thank you for understanding." American Giant pays the factory about $25 to $30 each, and then it sells it to you for $60 and up. That approach leads to one thing: waste. I do not know if their dye formula or dying process has changed at all in the past 5-6 years, so this may or may not happen on new garments. You can only reach the company by emails, and they don’t respond in a timely manner to answer questions. 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