headertitle

tbb

June 27, 2011

glossybox controversy

Right, here goes nothing.. I'm pretty sure most of you have probably witnessed a slight controversy regarding Glossybox on twitter lately but if not I thought I'd share the news here anyways. Basically they have taken the decision to increase the prices up to £12.95 after September. Which I'm slightly peeved about to say the least. Legally they have every right to do so as in the contract they stated 'subject to change' but come on.. it's not the best way to keep your customers just after launching. I was excited to be able to receive 5 deluxe sized samples per month for an all rounded price of £10, we all love free delivery. And worked out per year the subscription would cost £155, which I cannot justify on samples. Beforehand when it was at the cheaper price of £10 I thought that was fairly reasonable, swapping something else I may have bought like a new mascara to try out for instance. 

Not only that but to add even more fuel to the fire they decided to go from you having to collect 20 'glossy dots' (one dot per review you leave) you now have to collect 100, is that some sort of joke. I'm not being funny but that would take 20 months (and £259) if you were even disciplined to leave a review on absolutely everything received. And considering people signed up on that basis expecting a free box pretty soonish. That makes me feel more like an overworked reviewer for their site than a valued customer.

I know a few people were also slightly disappointed with this months box as a mini can of Batiste was included. Personally I really liked this months box and didn't see it as them just shoving a cheaper product in there for the sake of it but a way of people trying out Batiste if they hadn't already. I mean, I'm sure people would moan equally if they just included expensive samples of things you couldn't afford to repurchase. Though then again, I don't think I know of any beauty addicts that haven't tried it by now!

This months box



So overall I'm a bit gutted really that something with such promise and high hopes let its self down on really petty issues. I know that birchbox is really successful over in the states so it remains a fab idea. Personally if Glossybox still plan to increase the price to £12.95 I will most definitely unsubscribe simply because I can't really afford it and I think they've treated their customers poorly. 

However a similar service called Boudoir Privé will be launching very soon and I hope they will learn from the mistakes of Glossybox so that's worth checking out if you are interested - http://signup.boudoirprive.co.uk

Let me know your thoughts as always!

13 comments:

  1. Great review, you are very level headed and honest about it all! Your right some people will complain no matter what is in the box, and I agree that the price rise/more dots is a bit reckless of them!

    xxx

    kokopelliblu.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. I agree they shouldn't increase the price after 2 months and then expect customers to be okay with it.

    xoxoxo

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Jessica,

    I am glad a fairly wide-known blogger like you raises the issue. They have treated their customers pretty badly (the banned a few people from their Facebook page) And let me tell you, these people were not abusive as they stated! I know, because I am one of them. I also know others were banned (even if they state "one user" on their FB page, as I saw it mentioned on a blog.

    As I told them (maybe that's what they call abusive...) they can ban people from commenting on their FB page, but cannot refrain them from voicing their opinion to their friends, on Twitter, and or their blogs. That is what I did. I cannot believe they can get away with censuring people like that. Some naive people might still be considering getting the box, and seeing all positive comments on FB, and they wouldn't get the full picture.

    As for the products, I don't really mind them being samples (that's part of the game), or unknown brands (again, that's part of the game) or a Batiste (might be considered a glitch). But how their PR handle this whole situation and how they responded to their paying customers (like me,because I wasn't send any boxes, I paid with my own money) was just rude and false.

    I don't like being called "abusive" on a Facebook page when all I did was telling them a lot of people were angry (and they are) and providing the Boudoir Prive weblink to someone who asked it. (Ok, maybe not the best thing, i would'v understand them deleting that comment, but they deleted everything! Even the good stuff I was saying about them, and to other people!

    Ok this comment was really long, but someone I need to say it, as their behaviour towards me (and the others) totally shocked me and yes, I was having high hopes for them and now they just broke my trust!

    Thanks Jessica!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I was disappointed, but I did not think I had been short changed with what I got this month -the same as you. However, I have cancelled my subscription and I will be signing up to Boudoir Prive.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm with you on this one, I'll probably unsubscribe before the price increase comes in - I just can't justify £13 a month on samples.
    hopefully they sort a few things out before then and make next months box really good, if not I think I'll be going to their competitors!! x

    ReplyDelete
  6. not only that, some people received different items in this months glossybox, surely everyone should receive the same item!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I agree, with what you have said above, and to be honest I hadn't realised they had incresed the 'glossy dots' to 100 to get a free box.

    I think as well as the box not living up to the first box (which was great) there are a few things that have given me the hump factor.

    - The second box was blah (I had the same one as you) - I can go to boots and buy dry hair shampoo, also the perfume wasn't nice... (I thought).
    - People had different boxs, I think there were three different versions of the box, one included a full size lip gloss.
    - The price increase - not after the second month, build up a great and happy following, then hit us with 'we are now going to charge more'.
    - Did you see the German Glossy box.... um lets kick us while we are down!!! It was amazing!
    - All comments, good or bad should be taken on board and looked into. Glossy box shouldn't of deleted all comments that had built up on their facebook page over the weekend. This would just anger/upset people more.

    I think Boudoir Privé have done the right thing in waiting. They have let another company go ahead of them and I hope Boudoir Privé are learning from what the audience do and don't want from a box of goodies.

    Sorry for the long comment, fingers crossed next months will be better.

    http://thekeypieces.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. I must seriously be the only beauty blogger around that hasn't had a Glossy box haha! I can see the attraction but the batiste did put me off a little. They claim to be luxary and give drug store products away?

    I had no idea they were upping the price though. That seems a little greedy to me because surely they will be making enough money considering how popular the service is. I can't subscribe at the moment because I've only just finished college and I'm currently jobless =[! I doubt I could afford it being a skint uni student either though!

    Thanks for sharing though. It's great to see honest reviews. I've put my email in for Boudoir, hopefully they won't make the same mistakes!

    Love J.

    ReplyDelete
  9. In my opinion giving Batiste with it is a bit of a joke. I mean, wtf? Batiste? You can buy dry shampoo for like a couple of pounds :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. thanks for all the opinions girls! very interesting :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. I agree with everything you've just said. I think the fact that they're changing things that attracted so many customers in the first place in order to gain more profit is a little sneaky, considering I heard that they'd changed the points system without warning customers beforehand. And I definitely found myself disappointed with this month's box -- maybe it was because the last box was so amazing?

    ReplyDelete
  12. It is an absolute joke that they've upped the points needed from 20 to 100! I've never bought a Glossybox so I can't comment on the products included...
    Sirens and Bells xx

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hello,

    I've just started a blog, and read yours all the time, so I've linked you in 'My Favourite Blogs' section.

    I hope you don't mind!
    Rhiannon x

    ReplyDelete