OAK + FORT — Local services in Toronto

I have supported this brand for many years, and much of my everyday wardrobe is O&F. However, I’ve had 2 offputting interactions recently at the Queen West location which have made me decide to unsubscribe from their mailing list and not shop here again in the future.

In June, I bought the corset mini dress online using Afterpay as part of a larger order- unfortunately the dress didn’t fit in the bodice. I was within my window to exchange or return it (purchased at full price), so I brought it into the store with the intent to exchange (not return, since I like their clothes and figured I’d find something else). After picking out a few other items, I brought everything to the register. The person working was unfamiliar with the exchange process for Afterpay purchases- which is fair, and not their fault as they should’ve been trained on this- so as someone who’s worked most of my adult life in customer service I was understanding, told them to take their time, and that if they needed to process the refund and purchase as 2 separate transactions that would be okay. However, they then tried to refund me for the current (sale) amount of the dress, which was less than I paid- again, an honest mistake, but at that point the whole interaction had taken so much time that I just decided to simply return the dress and buy the other items online.

A couple of weeks later, I did just that- I purchased the leopard twill jorts (which I had tried on in-store that day) along with some other items. However, when the order arrived, the jorts didn’t fit (which was strange because I’d tried on that same size in-store). I chalked it up to a manufacturing deficiency (or maybe I was just less bloated the day I tried them on?) and again went back to the store to exchange them for the next size up. The person working (a different person) said they didn’t have them in store- and that they never did (but again, I had tried them on there?) and then offered to check Eaton Centre- they didn’t have them either. I bought them specifically for a trip I’m leaving for this evening- so yet again I decided to cut my losses and just reluctantly return them.

All fine, but then the same person told me that I had “exceeded the window for returns but that they’d make an exception because they remembered me”. I don’t want to assume that they meant this unkindly, but the tone of their voice was cold and definitely not complimentary and so I was really taken back… I was so flustered that I didn’t even realize until after I’d left the store that I was actually still well within the window??? The order was fulfilled July 16th, so I should’ve had until August 6th to return or exchange.

That comment, whether malicious or not, left a bad taste in my mouth- I’m not O&F’s target demographic (I’m not a size zero and am covered in tattoos) and I was made to feel like an exception was being made for me when in reality I was within the regular window. In this day and age, it’s intimidating/polarizing enough to have to go in to stores and try things on in person- it doesn’t help when you’re feeling judged/ singled out for whatever reason. It goes a long way to be inclusive and inviting, and I’d rather spend my money supporting a brand with...

I stopped in at the Queen West location a few weeks ago looking for the coveted oversized checkered shirt in blue. They only had one large left but the girls let us try on a few sizes in different colors and called around to other stores to try to find the right size. Nadya, the one sales associate said she would take my number and let me know if something came in. I didn’t think much of it, but she called me in less than an hour saying she’d been in touch with her manager who said that they would keep one aside for me to pick up. I’m from out of town so not only did they hold it for me, they held it for a few days longer than I’m sure the company policy allows so that my cousin could get it for me. She texted me when it was ready. This was so unexpected…just above and beyond. Customer service like this is so rare and almost always under appreciated.Thank you so much Nadya and team, if I could give you more than 5...

Inexperienced and juvenile staff at the this store have made me decide to not buy anything from this brand ever again. When purchasing, I asked about an items return policy and the store manager assured me that I would still have 21 days to return it. I went back to exchange for a bigger size and sure enough, they refused to help me. She had not stated the full return policy to me which is: items discounted over 25% are not accepted. She failed at her job and refused to accept that she made a mistake. (It was not a huge discount, I paid 40$ for a 58$ item) Return policy is not stated on the email receipt either, there is a hyperlink to their website instead. When asked, they just pointed to the link. Customer service...