I have been a loyal Gwynnie Bee customer for a little over a year. I opened my account in April 2014 and I haven't looked back. Until now.
Let me start by saying that I have never been particularly "fashion forward." My favorite clothes are jeans and sweatshirts. However, Gwynnie Bee opened me up to a whole new world. They showed me that I don't need to hide under sweatshirts. For the first time in a very long time, I wore dresses. And they were cute dresses. And, even though I am "fat," I could look good. Really good. And I felt good.
In case you haven't seen my Gwynnie Bee video reviews, I will start from the beginning. Gwynnie Bee rents plus-size clothes. From pants to cartigans to dresses, you can probably find something you will like there. For a monthly fee, you can receive anywhere from one to ten pieces at a time. When you receive your clothes, you also receive a blue bag for returning the item. Once you wear the item, you simply put it in the blue bag and mail it back. But if you like the piece, you can purchase it. In the past year, I have purchased two dresses.
Fast forward to this week. On Monday, a mere five ago, I wore this amazing dress. At $78, it was a little pricey for me but I decided that I would buy it on Friday, when I got paid. This morning, I logged onto my Gwynnie Bee account, fully ready to purchase the dress. I was stunned to find out that the dress now cost $91.50. In less than a week, the price went up. I don't think I have ever experienced a retailer raising prices on their clothing. Sure, there may be sales or discounts but the cost going up?
So, I emailed the company, hoping it was just a typo. Nope. I received a reponse stating that their prices are dynamic and they change based on how many pieces of a certain item they have versus how many customers have "closeted" the item. Basically, because I chose to wait until payday, I have to pay an extra $13.
Sorry, Gywnnie Bee, I refuse to play that game. I had every intention of purchasing this dress and I probably would have purchased the dress that is arriving today. (It is the same dress in a different pattern.) And I am quite seriously debating on closing my account. Why should I continue to try on clothes without a guarantee on how much the piece will cost if I want to buy it? What happens if the price changes in the two or three days that it takes for a piece to get from your warehouse to my door? Not only do I get punished for waiting until my paycheck arrives, I also get punished for the delivery time? This is a ridiculous pricing structure and I suggest you rethink it.