Oh the Fun of FiftyOne (NOT)

Remember I ordered some Born Lissa boots in ink blue last winter from Nordstrom's? They arrived, but sadly (and not surprisingly) they did not fit. So I applied for a return slip and sent them back. 

The day they went (via DHL) I wasn't home and Mr. Suz didn't get a piece of paper from the DHL man. But months later it struck me I had not seen the credit for these boots. Hmmm....

On a tip from Jjsloane (thanks, Jeanne!!) I realized that I could track things via my email from Nordstrom's issuing the credit. So I did -- only to discover that the boots had made it as far as the FiftyOne facility in Ohio -- and no further. No wonder I wasn't credited. 

Today I called Customer Service at Nordstrom's and had a delightful chat with their representative there. She noticed another large credit on my account and asked me about it (to see if the boots had been part of that order). 

No, I explained. That was an order of stuff that NEVER ARRIVED in the first place. That Nordstrom's kindly credited me for. 

Ah, she said. Oh yes. Good old FiftyOne. 

I asked her if she hears a lot of this. 

Between you and me, said she, it is a bit of a nightmare. 

At least I have the comfort of knowing I am not alone. And the credit for the boots on my account. 

This post is also published in the youlookfab forum. You can read and reply to it in either place. All replies will appear in both places.

12 Comments

  • replied 10 years ago

    Ha! area 51, you know what that's renound for. You haven't seen any little green men have you!!

  • replied 10 years ago

    Oh, I am glad you got the credit! I hope once they set up shop in Canada we can dispense with fiftyOne/Borderfree!

  • Transcona Shannon replied 10 years ago

    Oh my goodness Suz - you have had nothing but rotten luck with Fifty One! Thank goodness for Nordstrom's superior customer service and how nice to have a wee bit of validation from the representative that this is not some sort of personal vendetta against you.

  • Gaylene replied 10 years ago

    So Ohio is the possible location of the black void...hmm, and Nordstrom's knows about the problem, but continues to use FiftyOne/BorderFree...more hmmming here.

    Am I dense for wondering why Nordstrom's hasn't opted for a different shipper for international orders?

  • Suz replied 10 years ago

    I wondered the same thing, Gaylene. I almost asked her, but I figured the call was being recorded and she might not feel comfortable talking any more openly than she was already doing. I was actually a little bit surprised that she was willing to say as much as she did. But it was so obvious that she was accustomed to this kind of problem. She gave me no argument whatsoever about issuing the credit. It's as if they simply know that this is going to happen. 

  • merwoman replied 10 years ago

    So glad you  got your money back Suz! That would just add insult to injury to not have been reimbursed for such a painful experience. Like Gaylene I wonder why the heck they don't change shippers? Thank goodness Nordies  is coming to Canada...why maybe even The Bay might have to provide a modicum of customer service to remain competitive.

  • peekaboo replied 10 years ago

    Oh, I thought this was a birthday post!!! :-)
    I'm glad you got your money refunded.  Gap/BR/Old Navy were similarly accommodating when I accidentally shipped a package to my old apartment address (was saved in the system and forgot to change it), even though that was clearly my fault.



  • replied 10 years ago

    My guess would be Nordies doesn't want to do the brokerage in-house, and it's easier for them to contract it out. Unfortunately, Borderfree is one of the only games in town handling brokerage for online shopping.

  • Raisin replied 10 years ago

    Wow, that sucks!  But you have to applaud the customer service of Nordstroms!  They are really good, it sounds!

  • Lisa replied 10 years ago

    Oh gosh, well at least you got credit for your missing items.

  • Nicole D replied 10 years ago

    Ugh!  I hope Ceit is right and Fifty One is one its way out soon!

  • Mo replied 10 years ago

    Never heard of 51 and also assumed a b-day post!  I once sent Overstock boots back to the address they came from and never received credit.  They said I needed to send them to a special, different, return address.  Well, the invoice was in the box, and it went to their company, but . . . .  ah the trials of shipping.

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