Bah humbug: Justice customers worry that orders won’t arrive for Christmas

Mark Williams
 
| The Columbus Dispatch
Mothers, grandmothers and others are venting on social media over gifts they’ve bought for Christmas from girls retailer Justice that they fear won’t be under the tree come Friday.Online orders, some made weeks ago, have yet to arrive, according to hundreds of complaints on the retailer’s Facebook page over the past several weeks.They also say they struggle to get an adequate response from the New Albany, Ohio-based retailer on the status of their orders or even acknowledgment that they have been received. Calls and emails go unanswered or customers are put on hold for long periods, they say.”I ordered mid-November and haven’t received my package yet,” one person said on Facebook while another added, “Justice why don’t you stop taking orders and send the orders you already have?” Stimulus checks: If COVID package is signed, here’s who doesn’t get the $600 paymentSanta, can you hear me?: A small business holiday wish listLauren Conti of Boston ordered nearly $50 worth of clothes online for a charity drive on Nov. 29. She received an email on Dec. 7 that her order was on the way, but so far it hasn’t arrived. Conti says she hasn’t been able to figure out where her order is.”My package is sitting someplace,” she said. “I feel bad for parents who bought stuff for their kids. Justice is really a popular brand.”The U.S. Postal Service and other deliverers have been hit with a big wave of deliveries as consumers buy more online this holiday season.Justice’s problems are compounded because its owner its making its way through bankruptcy. Justice was sold last month as part of the bankruptcy of its parent company, Ascena Retail Group. Bluestar Alliance, a family of brands that include Bebe and Brookstone, acquired Justice’s intellectual property and other assets and liabilities for $90 million, but Bluestar says Ascena is handling ordering, shipping and customer service through the holidays and into January as it sells its remaining inventory.Bluestar said for now it is advising current customers to continue to reach out to Ascena customer care at 866-246-5822 or use the live chat feature on the Justice website, where questions can be handled by Ascena.”We strive to offer a much better experience for customers when Bluestar officially takes over after Ascena’s liquidation period,” Bluestar said. “This transition period is expected to be completed in the early part of 2021.”Ascena did not respond to a request for comment.Justice, formerly called Limited Too, is geared toward girls 6 to 12. It joined Ascena in 2009. It once was part of L Brands, the Columbus-based parent of Bath & Body Works and Victoria’s Secret.

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