Johnson Woolen Mills — Local services in Johnson

I was extremely disappointed with the way that my "return" was handled. While I was home visiting in September, I decided to buy some wool pants and a jacket for my wife. She wasn't along this trip, so I'd have to do my best to get her size and then fly them back to Montana for her to try on. The store staff was helpful, and while I was somewhat doubtful that the garments I picked up would actually fit my petite wife, the salesgirl I dealt with assured me that if they did not work, I could just send them back in the mail. Because of my $300+ purchase, I was given a complementary wool blanket! This is awesome! I left happy and proud to be spreading Vermont products around the world. I'd recommended JWM products to almost everyone I'd spent any time in the outdoors with here in Montana...

My wife tried the garments on the day after I got back, and they just didn't fit. Within a couple of days of deciding the clothes weren't going to work, I called the store in Johnson and asked to instructions on how to return them. A day or two later, I sent the clothes back via UPS at my own expense, along with a reason for the returns and the CC information for reimbursement. All good.

Flash forward to today when I get a voicemail from JWM saying that they would not reimburse the purchase because I was outside of the two week return period. They would give me a store credit for the pants, but were sending the non-fitting jacket back since it was purchased off the sale rack and was therefore not eligible for a return of any kind. I argued that I had spoken to the store within the two week period, and that it takes time for a package to move 2000 miles. She didn't care. Also, as I expected, she mentioned the blanket that I had not sent back. I like the blanket. On that matter, I asked that the value of the blanket be deducted from my refund, and that the rest be refunded to me. Fair enough, right? The JWM representative refused this option as well. I closed the conversation saying that if this how they do business, then I'll spend the credit that I have for the pants, and never buy anything from them again, nor encourage anyone else to do so. She said that was fine.

So, here is the sum of my experience. I made a point to drive up to Johnson to buy specifically from a Vermont company that I'd been proud of for a long time, bought $300 in merchandise and flew it across the country, informed the store within two weeks that they didn't fit and got instructions for the return, sent them back at my own expense and now, not only will I not be getting a refund, I'll be getting a $100 jacket that doesn't fit anyone. Are you guys serious?

Look, I know that the company has been around since 1842, but you shouldn't run your business like it still is the mid-19th century. In today's day and age, where people buy massive amounts on the internet, a successful apparel company needs to provide the leeway for people to try things on and get them back to you without a high level of risk. I'll never do business with JWM again because of this dumbfounding approach to customer service, and irritation that I feel related to this episode, but even if I'd not had this experience, I'd be unlikely to buy from a company that held such a draconian return policy. There is just too much risk in walking out of the store with any of their stuff if they are going to fight you tooth and nail to make you keep clothes that don't fit. It's absurd.

It breaks my heart as a Vermonter to say this, but do yourself a favor and go over to Woolrich or LLBean. They both have customer service apparatus designed to serve the customer and to get them into the gear that actually works for them. They even send a return shipping label to use in case there is any problem with your purchase. They each offer a guarantee on their products. JWM...

Will never purchase another item from them again....

As a summary:

Pants are tight and thin, Customer service is RUDE, Reviews on their website are masked - they delete any review that's not positive, and the return policy is not explained completely, and extremely strict.

The Wool Pants I purchased run very small, and are very thin. They came unhemmed, so I read their return policy, and called to ask about getting them hemmed for my wife. It says no where that a return will not be accepted if the pants are hemmed for you, from them, and no one told me over the phone. Having never purchased wool clothing, and having never worked in clothing retail... AND, since almost EVERYTHING comes hemmed in todays world.... I didn't think anything of it. I also have returned pants that have been hemmed multiple times to L.L. Beans.

After finding that they ran extremely tight I tried to return them, and was told it was "Common sense" that you can not return a hemmed product. I would have thought that it would be common sense to write a quality return policy. I would also think it "Common Sense" not to be rude to your customers.

After the customer service I had, and the experience with not only the inability to return them but the overall quality of the pants, and the quality of the hem job, They've lost a customer for life - and the word of mouth that would have brought.

I would strongly suggest going Elsewhere. Filson is more expensive but a MUCH higher quality business and product.

I would also beware of the misleading reviews on their website, as all their reviews require approval.

UPDATE:

I left an honest review of the pants on the website. It was not a good review, so it...

Johnson Woolen Mills Buyer Beware: Beautiful clothes, questionable quality, insulting customer service. I got my first JWM product as a gift when I turned 14, and wore it until it finally disintegrated when I hit retirement age. I bought their hunting woolens about 20 years ago which also served me well, so I was surprised when one of the two flannel shirts I got a year ago started to disintegrate after being worn about six times. A couple of buttons came off each shirt and the buttonholes started to unravel on both almost immediately, which was a nuisance (especially on $80 shirts). Then the fabric of one shirt frayed above the vent at the sleeve cuff. We finally made the hour-long trip to Johnson to return the shirt. Figuring the damage was due to something like a bad run of fabric, we assumed a company whose web site promotes its reputation for quality (“wear it for life”) would want to make the situation right. We were wrong. When I mentioned my wife discovered the problem when ironing, the “owner” (who’d been called to assist us) jumped on that and claimed it was the heat of the iron that did the damage. “You don’t iron cotton” was a strange comment coming from someone in the garment industry. She offered to see if the shirt “could be” repaired, but absolutely refused to replace it. We left angry and disbelieving, especially given that we were going to be shopping for additional shirts and my wife wanted a wool jacket. Sadly, the insulting and disrespectful customer “service” even overshadowed the inferior quality now representative of this once-proud Vermont...