Lerners is Now Called MetroStyle
and Seems to be Having Growing Pains
in The Customer Service Area
MetroStyle
I have been shopping at Lerner's since I was a kid. Lerners has now changed its name to MetroStyle but is owned and operated by the same group — the Redcats group of websites — that it has always been. When you go to Lerner's old URL, it will redirect you to MetroStyle's site.
The site is decent but I have a few complaints I have about it.
What the Site Sells
Women's clothing, footwear, outwear, swim wear, and accessories.
Navigation
The site is easy to navigate. It has photos of the current promotions and sales on the home page and several ways to find what you are looking for.
Many informative links grace the home page so everything you need to know is a click away.
Across the top of the page are the categories: Fashion, Shoes & Accessories, Petite & Tall, Trend Shop, and Clearance. You can search by product number if you have a catalog or by keyword.
Clicking a category will bring you to a long list of subcategories down the side of the page. You can even break those subcategories into smaller groups to hone right into what you are looking for.
Photos are good and you can zoom in and enlarge them. You can't, however, see items in different colors on the models which drives me crazy.
Descriptions are adequate and adding to your cart is just a click away.
The size charts seem to be quite accurate in most cases and the photos are exactly what you get — no surprises after ordering usually.
Shipping charges show in your cart as you order which is a plus. I hate guessing. However, I find their shipping charges to be on the high side.
The clearance area is great but very often is out of stock of items in colors and sizes listed. That frustrates me. However, at least I am told before I order that the items I want aren't available.
When you have finished shopping, you will head to the checkout. If you are registered with the site, provide your user name and password and your personal info will come up. If you are not, you will need to provide the usual personal info to continue.
Once at checkout, you will be offered a few items at a discounted rate. If you want one, add it to your cart — or just continue on.
You can pay with a major credit card or any Redcats card including the Lerners/MetroStyle one as well as Chadwick's of Boston and other cards that are within the group.
They offer expedited shipping for an additional fee.
You will receive an immediate email detailing your order and, when the items are shipped, you will receive another one with a tracking number.
Orders generally arrive in a week or so, usually in deep blue poly bags and individually bagged in clear plastic.
Registered members can make a wish list and are privy to special promotions.
Quality
I find the quality of most items is good. It is better than bargain stores and low-end mass market but certainly not designer quality. Generally, what you see is what you get as far as what items look like so let that be your guide.
My Experiences
I have shopped on the Lerners and, now, the MetroStyle site many, many times.
In general, I don't have many problems browsing, ordering, or receiving my items.
The last few orders I made have had problems though. I ordered a top and pants and got two of the same tops and pants and was charged twice- shipping and all. When I called about that, I was informed that I had made two orders and I could send one back but would have to pay to do so. I felt that was unfair because I certainly wouldn't charge two identical tops and pants in two orders.
I made an order late at night for a coat. A few hours later, the item I ordered was drastically reduced. I called customer service as soon as they opened but was told the order was already processed and I could not get the sale price. I could send back the item when I got it and reorder for the sale price but that was it. That would mean losing the shipping cost of $11.99 plus the return shipping cost. Considering they didn't send my order out yet, I asked if I could cancel that order and simply make a new one. Nope. The order was already in process.
Sheesh. That kind of thing would never happen at Victoria's Secret.
I have had a few other customer related issues. None were huge or very upsetting per se but annoying enough that I reconsidered shopping there each time until I decided to give the site another chance.
As far as quality, everything was fine and I had no qualms purchasing from MetroStyle. I just am not overly thrilled with their customer service and policies.
Shipping and Returns
Shipping runs from $4.99 to $16.99 for standard ground. You can choose from two faster speeds of shipping for additional fees.
They are pretty liberal about returns. You can send anything back for a refund or exchange. They include a smart label which will deduct $4.50 from your return if you drop it off at a UPS drop station or $6.00 if you have UPS pick up your package. You can also return items via another method and pay for the shipping back up front.
They will refund you the purchase price minus any shipping charges to you and back to them.
Conclusion
Lerners/MetroStyle is a bit more upscale and hip than its partner sites and has some nice styles of clothing from casual to dressy. They have a decent selection and prices are average. They have gone up some recently I have noticed. Clearance items are great but usually out of stock expect for obscure sizes and colors.
Shipping is a bit high but not exorbitant.
Customer service reps are friendly but some policies seem a bit unyielding. I haven't been happy with at least three resolutions to problems that could have easily been taken care of if the site wanted to do so.
Aside from that, I am fairly happy with my shopping experiences. I do like some of their styles and the prices, while not bargain, aren't way over the top.
I am going to go with 3 stars because of the policies that caused me problems. Still, overall, I have not had many huge problems and the majority of my orders arrived without incident. But each order that did cause me a problem cost me money, time, and angst when the site could have easily dealt with the situation. I hope this isn't a downward trend.
Recommended:
Yes
