Gentle Monster Los Angeles — Local services in Los Angeles

As a devoted fan of Gentle Monster since I first discovered them on a trip to Seoul, I am heartbroken to write a negative review about a brand I once admired and recommended to friends and colleagues. My recent experience with their poor customer service and deceptive return practices has left me feeling betrayed.

I initially attempted to return a pair of frames, but the process quickly turned into a nightmare. After mistakenly including the wrong authentication card with the return, Gentle Monster sent the item back to me without any explanation or attempt to contact me. When I reached out to them, they agreed to accept the item if I provided the correct authentication card. I sent a photo of the right card for confirmation; however, they then requested additional photos of the frames before processing my return label again, even though they had previously possessed the glasses.

Throughout this ordeal, their support system emails were constantly flagged as spam and moved into my email's trash folder, causing frustrating delays in our correspondence. Gentle Monster acknowledged these issues but still denied my return request after "too much time had lapsed" due to the existing email problems.

Moreover, I tried reaching out to their customer service phone number, hoping to speak to a live person, only to be met with an ineffective system and unable to talk to a live person. It's disheartening to see a brand I once held in high esteem avoiding customer concerns and failing to resolve disputes fairly.

Their return policy is inflexible, and they are quick to hide behind it when convenient. Customers should beware of getting stuck with purchases they will never be able to return. It's a shame. Because of this I'll never purchase...

The staff and vibe at this store is one of the best of any designer store. Everyone is helpful and nice but it’s also very low pressure in terms of sales. I love their unique designs but the materials and way their glasses fit is also really nice - I got my main prescription glasses here a year ago and the titanium frames are crazy durable and light. They offer insanely thin lenses (at a higher cost) - you can technically save money getting your prescription added elsewhere, but I liked that it was pretty easy to just have it made here. The coatings they offer are also really premium, I got a blue light filter but there were other options too. Prescription does take a while, but it was so worth it.

Recently got non-prescription sunglasses as well and they’re also so comfortable and light to wear for a long time. The attention to detail in how things are constructed and even down to the cases they come with that fit perfectly is really next level.

Unlike almost any other designer brand, gentle monster owns their own manufacturing facilities, while almost every other designer brand is just outsourced, designed and produced through Luxottica.

Their limited release approach can be really annoying when something you want is sold out, but on the flip side it keeps resale value higher. They do restock most styles and you can get on a list for the next restock.

Overall really recommend for quality...

If you’re looking for trendy and expensive sunglasses, this review doesn’t apply to you. Purchase those Gentle Monster glasses!

If you appreciate customer service, quality, effort, and respect, please give this a read. I purchased sunglasses at the Incheon Airport in South Korea. Within a couple days and upon my arrival in the US, I decided the glasses weren’t for me. Hello, this is how online shopping works and why return/exchange conditions are SO important. I went to the LA-based store and was told they can’t process exchanges without a receipt since it was an international purchase and the buyer’s information is on a different system. No problem, that’s on me.

After finding the receipt, I went back to the store and coincidentally was met with the same manager. He told me they couldn’t process an exchange AT ALL and I would have to talk to Korea’s customer support team. I let him know I’ve done that, and he reassured me that responses may be delayed due to the time zone. They’re hours ahead of us? So would’ve received the email within business hours? That’s irrelevant, I digress.

I guess my only option is to fly to Korea to visit the airport where I can exchange my brand new,...