Island Gypsy — Local services in Ocean City

I visited Island Gypsy for the first time on Sunday, August 4th, accompanied by my daughter, sister-in-law, and nieces. Having vacationed in Avalon and Ocean City my entire life, I have frequently shopped on Asbury Ave, yet this was my first time exploring Island Gypsy. We were all delighted with our purchases and left the store with the intention of returning. However, upon arriving home, my daughter tried on the sweatpants she bought, only to discover that they were three inches too short. As she is 5’9” and prefers longer pants, especially for sweatpants, we decided to make a special trip back to the store the following Saturday to exchange them for a larger size. We were relieved to find that the larger size was available. Unfortunately, when we brought the pants to the register, the sales associate examined them and excused herself. She returned with another associate, who informed us that the exchange could not be processed because the tag had been removed. While I understand the importance of store policies, especially after 35 years in the retail and customer service industry, I was surprised by the rigidity with which this policy was enforced. It was clear that the pants had never been worn, and we were merely seeking the exact same item in a larger size. Moreover, the manner in which this policy was communicated was disappointing. The associate spoke to me in a tone and with body language that conveyed a lack of interest in resolving the issue. Despite explaining that my daughter had no intention of returning the pants but simply needed a different size, we were met with a lack of empathy or understanding. We even had the tag and the receipt with us, further demonstrating our good intentions. When I requested to speak with a manager, I was hoping that, given our recent purchases and intent to buy more, a more thoughtful decision would be made. Instead, the associate, who identified herself as Amy, brusquely informed me that she was the only person I could speak to and refused to provide her last name. In the larger context of customer service and relations, it is well-known that negative experiences can spread more quickly than positive ones. Initially, we were enthusiastic about sharing our positive experience at Island Gypsy with others. However, this exchange has unfortunately altered my perception of the store. While I am not seeking anything specific from this review , I hope it serves to communicate how a potential lifelong customer was lost due to this experience. I will not be returning to Island Gypsy and will share this experience...

I’m giving 3 stars because the store in Ocean City had a really cute selection for all ages. However, overall experience was not great. Staff is less than helpful. I was carrying several items and waiting on a long line for a fitting room. I have back problems so I asked the woman if I could hang the clothes on the empty return rack while I waited. She told me no. So I had to stand there with a heavy pile of clothes even though I was 3 feet away from an empty rack. Then, they kept asking people in the fitting room line to move. They claimed that the fire marshal told them that they can’t have crowding near the fitting room. This was a single file line. The sale rack was past the entrance area to the fitting rooms and the only way to get to it was to wait on the fitting room line. However, they kept asking people to move away from the sale rack. I guess they don’t really want to sell their clearance items. There’s obviously an issue with the store layout, especially near the fitting rooms, so why don’t they change it? There is space to make changes and it would not require major renovations. Heads up: they will accept returns on items purchased by credit card, but not on cash purchases. That is just backwards. This is a boutique style store. I expect a more costumer centered experience at this type of store, I understand stores are extremely short on staff in the summer of 2021, but this did not seem to be the reason why my experience was not great. As I said, I really enjoyed the selection of clothing and accessories. Great brands, nice items, nice selection, fair prices. If I had a better overall experience, I would definitely be a regular...

If I could give them NO STARS I would! On Friday night, right before closing, I went into the store and found an outfit I liked. I was not able to try it on since the store was closing, so I bought it with the intention of trying it on at home. On Saturday morning, I tried it on, liked how it fit, took the tags off, and wore it to breakfast. While at breakfast, I stuck my hand in the pocket and discovered that the pocket, at the seam, was completely torn apart. My entire hand went through the pocket. Immediately after breakfast, I went to the store with the receipt, told the manager what happened, and was promptly denied an exchange, a return, or even a credit towards my next order. Although I'm 22, my mom was furious so she went in to the store and spoke with the two managers who were both working the registers. They simply repeated the return policy without giving any consideration to the circumstances. The one manager told her I could just sew up the hole in the pocket. I spent $50 for these pants. For $50, a consumer expects the clothes to be defect free. This is not a hole that could have been put in the pocket by anyone. It is the entire seam of the pocket. It looks as if either all the stitching that held the pocket together came apart or was never sewed.

All I wanted was to exchange the pants for ones that were not defective. I was not looking for my money back. It is atrocious that they sell defective clothing in the first place. And it is even worse that they would not exchange said clothing when a defect was discovered. DO NOT...