Fatshionista

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Win Some, Return Some, Saturday, 17 April 2010

Written by Amanda H


Overall rating		3.6
Customer Service		4.0
Quality		3.0
Fit		4.0
Value		3.0
Website Ease of Use		4.0

Here's the thing about eShakti--when it's right, it's right. You get a fabulous piece of clothing that's custom made to fit you perfectly. Even when you order a standard size, there's a bit of customization built into the system that makes the clothing special for you.
But when it's wrong? It's wrong. Some of the fabrics are low-quality, some of the cuts are a bit unfortunate, some of the clothes just sort of fall flat.
I've bought four dresses from eShakti. The first was too see-through, but I kept it because the cut and fit was awesome. The second two I ordered, I returned (one had darting that ran up by boobs and looked awful and the second's length was not what I expected) a forth dress, which was perfect in absolutely every way and garners compliments every time I wear it.
The best thing about eShakti is that you can return anything, no questions asked. They do make you pay for the shipping and demand that you use USPS priority, but it's worth it, I think, to ensure that you get what you want. They state clearly on their website that they don't refund any shipping cost and only rarely refund customization costs, so be wary.

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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful

High Quality and Custom Fit, but you pay for it, Monday, 29 March 2010

Written by intransigentia - View all my reviews - Top 10 Reviewer


Overall rating		4.0
Customer Service		5.0
Quality		5.0
Fit		5.0
Value		3.0
Website Ease of Use		2.0

Maybe I've just been lucky in my experiences with eShakti, or maybe others have been unlucky. In any case my experiences with them have been about 90% positive. Negative first:
1. Their website drives me nuts. Not the worst of the worst, but you can find something one day, and then you look the same place tomorrow and it's not there. And the way things are categorized might make sense to them but I really don't get it. Please, please, please don't ask me to explain the difference between a tunic, a shirt, and a blouse. And within categories I can't discern any pattern to how things are sorted.

2. Price. This stuff is not cheap. It's probably about right for the quality, especially since it's custom. I'd be OK with that, but at least with shipping to Canada, there are the hidden costs the shipper adds on, which are often $20 or more per order. It seems like a lot. (On the other hand, since they switched to Fedex things have arrived a lot faster.)

And the good:
1. Fit. The only clothes I have that fit better are the ones I made myself and spent months tweaking and adjusting prototypes.

2. Style. Unique, flattering, comfortable and gets me compliments every time I wear it.

3. Quality. A lot of my dresses are so well-made they look almost as good inside out as right side out. I've had some long enough that I can attest they hold up to a lot of wear and wash. The fabric of most of what I've bought is a fairly lightweight cotton with a tendency to need ironing, but it's delightfully soft, and lovely in summer.

4. Customer service. I haven't needed to return anything so I can't say from that perspective, but when I've wanted customization beyond what's offered in the menu, they've been happy to help, and my items have arrived exactly as I specified, and with only the usual customization add-on.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Update on Feb 26th review, Saturday, 27 March 2010

Written by Dangerous Lilly


Overall rating		1.2
Customer Service		2.0
Quality		1.0
Fit		1.0
Value		1.0
Website Ease of Use		1.0

So I wrote eShakti again after they told me "sorry but tough noogies" (essentially, lol, they didn't say that EXACTLY) and boy was I PISSED. And I let them know it. I told them the facts....that this was my second order, that I gave them my measurements, that I have a photo of the product and a screencap of the (now removed from the site) representation of the shirt from the site and I could prove to Paypal how they were distant cousins.

I told eShakti, in this email, that I was starting the process of contesting the charges with Paypal and would follow thru with it if they didn't refund my money entirely. I also told them that I would put up very bad and very public reviews and an account of my experiences on this site, Fat Girls Guide to Living, Twitter and my personal blog, if they didn't refund.

I didn't hear anything for a week or so, and then I got an automated "your refund has been processed" email. Two days later, a personal email which basically ignored everything I said but was a confirmation from Carol that I was receiving a full refund. It was worded like any other refund email, said nothing about the situation. And yes, I got a full refund. Custom cost, S&H, everything. And they didn't even tell me to send back the item (bc then of course they'd have to refund THAT shipping).

Moral of the story: Don't Back Down!!! Be firm, be bitchy, even!

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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

Two too many chances, Thursday, 11 March 2010

Written by Kelsey


Overall rating		1.4
Customer Service		1.0
Quality		2.0
Fit		2.0
Value		1.0
Website Ease of Use		1.0

I used to sing its praises.

Some really cute clothes, customizable to your liking and fairly decent customer service.

Now, itâ€™s all downhill. I have placed 3 orders with them in the last 3 months. The first one was canceled, without any notification to me. It was only upon my stumbling across a brief blurb on their website two weeks later that it was canceled and upon my subsequent bombardment of emails (3 emails from my personal email, 2 from their website) did they finally respond, a week after that. It took my initiation of emails to prompt them to refund my money; I finally got the money back almost a month after the initial order.

I like to give retailers a second chance. I saw a couple cute dresses, they were having a sale, and I had a coupon and a gift certificate. And once again, one of my dresses was canceled without notification. Now that I knew where they hid this information, however, I checked the order status daily and only then noticed and once again, had to email them repeatedly. I finally received a response as to why this dress was canceled, but again, only after I probed them repeatedly for information. And it did only take a week to receive the one dress that was shipped, but I believe that was because they shipped it FedEx instead of their typical UPS, for some reason. Maybe theyâ€™d noted my emails? But just never opted to return contact.

But the dress was received and while pretty in theory, it fits quite weird, but I am hoping that a visit to the seamstress with remedy my issues with the dress. After that minor validation, I had another coupon and gift certificate and decided to buy another dress. There was no email follow-up, as promised when I made the order, so I was on my own to find out the tracking and shipment information. This dress, at least, did go out. Fits a bit short in the back, but itâ€™s acceptable.

SO, let you all be warned. There are cute items on there. And IF you get the item you order, it may be a huge hit or miss. Be ready to email or call or contact their customer service, however, as it is now more likely than not that their will be an issue with an order. Or they will continue to charge and have you buy items that they donâ€™t actually have in stock. Be persistent and vigilant in checking your order status and ONLY use a credit card, no debit card, in case you have to file a merchant report.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

I gave up on them, too., Wednesday, 10 March 2010

Written by Kristie - View all my reviews - Top 50 Reviewer


Overall rating		1.6
Customer Service		2.0
Quality		2.0
Fit		1.0
Value		1.0
Website Ease of Use		2.0

I tried eShakti twice. The first time, I ordered based on the sizes they gave me. Nothing fit when it arrived. The second time, I coughed up for custom sizing and gave them my very careful measurements (same measurements Jane of Bon-Bon fame has used to create 3 perfect dresses and a skirt for me without issue), and the dress arrived oddly sewn and way too big in the bust. Their stuff is beautiful on the website, but when I can't get the size I need, even when I pay extra for custom work, and then have to pay shipping both ways, I can't keep doing it. 2 strikes, and they're out. Also had frequent issues with the website--it kept emptying out my cart.

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Last updated: Wednesday, 10 March 2010

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5-Feb-2010 Review Update, Wednesday, 03 March 2010

Written by Stacey


Overall rating		1.0
Customer Service		1.0
Quality		1.0
Fit		1.0
Value		1.0
Website Ease of Use		1.0

Update to my review posted on 5 Feb (my dress had a big hole in the bustline; the person doing the sewing had not finished the garment, but it was sent to me anyway). When I returned it, I requested that postage both ways be refunded to me as well. After all, (1) the merchandise was grossly defective and (2) I wouldn't have had to return it if it had not been defective. It took an entire month to get an e-mail informing me that I would be refunded only the price of the dress. I replied to the e-mail with another request for a shipping/handling refund. No reply. A week later, I called. I was transferred three times and ultimately told that shipping and handling is nonrefundable. I said, But the item was defective! It wasn't even finished! And the very indifferent woman told me that she was sorry, those were the terms. So I'm out about $20 for an unsewn dress with a big hole in it. No more eShakti for me.

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

A Happy Customer But..., Sunday, 28 February 2010

Written by Lauren


Overall rating		4.2
Customer Service		3.0
Quality		4.0
Fit		5.0
Value		5.0
Website Ease of Use		4.0

I recently decided to take the plunge and purchase something from eShakti (because of the buy one, get one 30% off). I placed my order on February 13 and waited with bated breath to see what kind of experience I would have. On Valentine's Day I received a confirmation email (that was the last email I received from them until the day I received my package in the mail).

I finally discovered the My Account button on the bottom of the page and discovered that there was a tracking number. I eagerly copied it (because they do not link to the FedEx page) and went over to FedEx to see where in the world (literally) my package was. What I discovered was a little disappointing (but not too much). Apparently my package had been received after the cutoff on February 19 (six days after my order was placed, not three) and would have to wait until Monday (?!) to be shipped. But once it got into the shipping stream it was amazing to see it go from India to France to the US in a matter of days (I am a dork, I know).

So I rushed home anxiously anticipating my (hopefully) amazing new dress and shirt. Luckily my boyfriend had been home when it was delivered because eShakti requires a signature fyi. So I get the package and my first reaction is wow, they are expert packers over in India. Little did I know that my package was so small because it only had one of my items in it. I received my dress, which I have to say is amazing. I love the craftsmanship and in hindsight I didn't have to add the extra inch to my measurements (better safe than sorry). The v-front of the dress is a little deeper than I'd anticipated and I'll always have to wear a camisole when I wear it to work, but that's a small price to pay.

With regards to my missing item, of course it was after the time that could contact their customer service, so I waited until the next day. Once I got a rep on the phone (and explained my dilemma three times(!)) I was informed that the fabric needed for that shirt was out of stock and on backorder so I would receive a refund for that item. My money was refunded quickly, but I was a little peeved that I had to contact them in order to initiate this. I believe that this is something you let a customer know before they receive their package. I honestly believe that this could have destroyed my relationship with them, but the quality of the garment that I did received was their saving grace.

I would wholeheartedly recommend eShakti to anyone, but be forewarned that the customer service is not on par with what I have come to expect, but that may be because I am a spoiled American.

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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice..., Friday, 26 February 2010

Written by Dangerous Lilly


Overall rating		1.4
Customer Service		1.0
Quality		1.0
Fit		1.0
Value		1.0
Website Ease of Use		3.0

This is my second (and last) order from eShakti. I got suckered in by pretty tops and thinking that surely it couldn't be bad AGAIN.

It is.

I got a top with this layered/scalloped decorative hem on it which is supposed to go at a dramatic angle from one hip down to the other. It's straight across. Given that it's nowhere close to the measurements they listed it at being, it's way too snug on me, and even if I wore Spanx under it, it wouldn't work. The scallop edge ruffle thing sticks out like Josephine Bakers banana costume. The fabric is very stretchy, which they didn't mention. It also smelled horribly like gasoline/motor oil/fuel when I opened it.

Yet again I paid for customization, and yet again I'm going to get screwed out of refunding that. The top was $30, shipping and customization took it up to $53, plus my return shipping of let's say $5. This means I'm out darn near $30 with nothing to show for it. All they can say to me is "we're sorry you're not satisfied but you got what you ordered".

Disappointed, ticked off, and feeling ripped off. I don't think these people know how to change the fit pattern from misses to plus size.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Nice clothes, lousy service, Monday, 08 February 2010

Written by Cattitude


Overall rating		2.8
Customer Service		1.0
Quality		3.0
Fit		4.0
Value		4.0
Website Ease of Use		2.0

I've ordered a fair amount of stuff from eShakti. I like their styles, I like the natural fabrics, I like the colors and the fit and that I can customize collars or sleeves or skirt length if I want. What I don't like is the customer service.

eShakti staff seems to remember me or know who I am - a few times I've received personal email asking me about this or that or if they could use my information for their reference. However, I ordered a dress a while back, per my usual measurements and with my usual customizations, and over a week later I got an email asking me to confirm the measurements yet again. Several more weeks passed and when no sign of the dress appeared, I emailed to ask about it, and several days later got a reply that the fabric had been out of stock and they would be sending the dress soon.

When I finally received the dress weeks later, I emailed a note to their Customer Service explaining how unhappy I was with my transaction. I never got any acknowledgement or reply. Most recently I sent a few items back which should have arrived a week ago (per USPS tracking) and have not yet received any acknowledgement that they have been received. They are terrible at responding to email and the response time when they do deign to reply is awful. This makes me wary of dealing with them, but I keep coming back because I do love the dresses.

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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

Disappointed in eShakti, Friday, 05 February 2010

Written by Stacey


Overall rating		1.8
Customer Service		3.0
Quality		2.0
Fit		2.0
Value		1.0
Website Ease of Use		1.0

I got my first order from eShakti today, a dress. I was very excited to open the box and try it on. The first thing I noticed when I unfolded the dress was...a big hole. Right in the center of the bustline, where several seams came together. Rough-cut edges and one serged edge bulged out. Someone hadn't even finished sewing the thing. I folded it back up, put it back in the box, and filled out the return form (which took a while, because the invoices are not personalized with the customer's name and order number; it's a generic form that you have to add your information to). I took it directly to the Post Office and sent it back. On the form, I requested a refund of the S&H fees as well; it's not my fault that the dress was defective (I doubt I'll get those back). I'd heard some good things about eShakti, so I was very disappointed. I won't order from them again.

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