Gilt: A Review

When it comes to the membership only sites, it seems that Gilt has really emerged as the leader of them all. In the past I’ve asked about these members only shopping sites: are they our most affordable option? Are they causing us to buy too much, in the frenzy of the short time of availability?

Time has passed & I wanted to revisit my thoughts–especially considering I’ve now had the opportunity to actually shop with Gilt. It’s amazing to see the growth that Gilt has had– from increasing the number of sales at a time to the range of products offered to their newer Gilt Fuse (with a lower price point than Gilt), and the new Jetsetter (which I’m absurdly excited about).

Two things work in Gilt’s favor: the $25 crediting system (which I think is much encouraging than the $10 Rue La La offers) and the range of collections they carry.  I was very lucky and had enough credits to first shop Gilt’s Final Sale this summer without losing out on my own sweet pennies.

Disappointments:

• The account credits in place of a refund option.  I ordered 2 pairs of Melissa shoes, at a size 8, because Gilt encouraged you to order a size down. So I did, only to regret not ordering a size 9 like I intended.  Now the cost of both pairs of shoes are credited to my account and not back to my credit card. Not only that, there’s no way for me to get them in a size 9, unless someone returns their pairs (I did manage to get one of them, but I didn’t have the credit to my account yet…so that too came back out of my own pocketbook).
• The uncertainty of ship time.  The first time I ordered from them, I had no idea it would take upwards of 3 weeks to ship my shoes.  This happened the second time as well, when I ordered Stila make-up: it could take them from 1 to 3 weeks to receive.  Then I ordered my Melissa shoes, only for it to SAY 1-3 days (and 1-3 weeks) but to have received them by the end of the week.
• 2 Week Return Policy.  First, I will say this is a half disappointment–because I’m GLAD that I CAN return pieces, and I understand why they have a shorter return time (so they can get them to people on a wait list more quickly).  But 2 weeks can be SUCH a pain to get things back, especially when UPS is on the other side of town.

Successes:

• 1 Log in for all Gilt sites. I LOVE that I can access Jetsetter/Gilt/GiltFuse/Gilt Men (and any future branches) with 1 log-in and email account. I don’t have to create a new one each time I want to access a new phase. Ease in shopping? Bliss.
• A great selection of brands at varying price points/trying new brands at a cheaper price. I LOVE that I can get Stila make-up at drug store prices, Pour la Victoire’s for under $100, and Melissa shoes for under $40 a pop. I’ve tried to find the pair I couldn’t get, and they’re at least $90 every where else I’ve looked. I was excited to see Noir Jewelry featured, Pour la Victoire, Melissa shoes– brands that stole my heart instantly, but due to financial reasons, I was reluctant to try.  I feel that I can experiment with new brands at much more affordable rate–especially when I do have some freedom in returning them.  Everytime I find a new designer I like–Kelsi Dagger and Noir, for example, they soon pop up on Gilt.
• Free Return Shipping. Shipping ain’t cheap through Gilt, even if it is UPS and only a couple of days on the road; I think that my Stila make-up was $7, which is kind of silly since it weighs nothing.  That being said, shipping it back is FREE, and that’s quite lovely (though I was charged an extra $10 for the re-ship of my Melissa shoes).  Occasionally they DO discount shipping costs though– my Noir Jewelry had NO shipping fees associate with it (from Gilt Fuse).
• Great Layout. I don’t know about you, but I’d be willing to bet that part of Gilt’s success is that their site is clear, easy to navigate and requires as few clicks as possible.  All featured designers clearly laid out, all products are listed on 1 page, and the shopping process is very easy.

Overall, when the right shop comes up, I’m RIDICULOUSLY excited about it.  Then adrenaline of getting to buy in that short span of time is sort of nice… (or I’m an adrenaline junkie), the brands offered are great and pieces offered current. I find that I’m more pleased each time I use them.

If you haven’t signed up for any of the Gilt companies, please feel free to use my invitation link.

If you HAVE joined Gilt or it’s branches and shopped with them–what were your thoughts and experiences? Would you go back?