IM STILL WAITING AFTER ALMOST 2 MONTHS. This is just not right. They have cute items but the delivery time is horrible. I'm still waiting on a tracking update, and the communication is horrible. HOWEVER they stay posting on IG. Get your delivery together before you posting all the time. This type of customer service will catch up to your business eventually. #getittogether
Response from souk + SEPIAFeb 16, 2022
Hello Jenn,
We greatly appreciate your honesty and concern for us. It deeply saddens us that your experience had been rather poor and if we could turn back time to start over, we would in a heartbeat.
We want to say sorry for leaving a negative impression on you. To ask you for a chance is too much, but we're confident that we can give you a better experience should you change your mind about us.
Digging deeper into this issue, we have determined the problem at hand. The merchant responsible for your order had ran out of stock of the piece you had selected and had informed us a tad too late. For this reason, we have fully refunded your order.
Removing them from our merchant roster would be beneficial for us and you, the customers, so we have added them to our list of vendors to avoid doing business with in the future. We also would like to add that the people behind our IG and the people sending emails are completely separate from each other. I hope this helps clarify. Please don't hesitate to write us should you require further assistance. Wishing you blessings and resilience!
With Gratitude,
—The souk + SEPIA Customer Gratitude Team
E: [email protected]
W: www.soukandsepia.com
IG: @soukandsepia
JB
Jill B.
Do better. Do much better.
I ordered a coat on December 24 (not expecting it for the holidays) and like many of the reviewers here, didn't receive notification that it had been shipped until several weeks later, although PayPal was charged right away. I understand that the global supply chain is affected by COVID and other factors, so I could forgive the length of time it took to ship, but the lack of transparency about my order was unacceptable. I received an update/apology email 3 weeks later, and on Jan. 27 I received a message stating my order had shipped, and the expected delivery date was between Jan. 14th and 24th. Since I couldn't glean when my shipment would arrive based on this time-twisting information, I decided my order would arrive eventually. On Feb. 5, I was notified that my order was out for delivery and would arrive the next day, which it did. When I opened the package, the coat I ordered looked like the one on the website, but when I tried it on, the first thing I noticed was the pervasive odor of mildew, and that the XXXL I ordered was too small. I'm busty and I normally wear an XL, so when I read the sizing guide prior to ordering, I decided to size up just in case. I could barely button the coat, and the cut was not as advertised. The web image showed an A-line silhouette, which is what made me want to buy the coat, but the cut was much more straight, so it didn't flare from the waist, which was oddly high (I'm high-waisted, so the waistline on clothes usually hits closer to my hip). Overall, this was a disappointing experience from start to finish. I'm returning the coat for a refund, and won't be purchasing anything else from the site.
Response from souk + SEPIAFeb 16, 2022
Hi Jill,
Knowing how awful your experience with us had been so far, it's hard not to lose face. We would like to express our regrets for the series of disappointing events we have unintentionally caused you. It's sad that we started out on the wrong foot, but know that we would never want to lose your trust like this.
We had tried to look up your interactions with us in our email customer care channel, but we could not find any when we looked up your listed email address and order number in our Customer Gratitude email's inbox.
Although the experience wasn't necessarily impressive, we want to say thank you for leaving us something to remind us that we are still a ways to go as a company. Each time you report these incidents, it brings us a little closer to becoming a decent company for you.
Sizing issues have been brought to our attention and we understand it's imperative to be spot on in terms of sizing, so we want to sincerely apologize for that as well. Manufacturing inaccuracies are beyond our control and this may have been one of those cases.
Not to worry, we have at least refunded your order back in the 10th of this month, and you should be able to find your money back in the card you had originally used to purchase. Glad that the return process ran smoothly, though. Once more, we want to extend our sincerest apologies for this mess. I know it's too much to ask, but we hope you can give us a chance to redeem ourselves soon if not right now. May you find yourself blessed and safe.
With Gratitude,
—The souk + SEPIA Customer Gratitude Team
E: [email protected]
W: www.soukandsepia.com
IG: @soukandsepia
JM
JM
Waiting and wondering if it will ever come.
I was blown away by the website and the unique pieces that souk+SEPIA had. I hemmed and hawed over making a purchase because I had never heard of the company, but I just loved the skirt so much I decided to take the risk. I placed my first order on December 27th and have yet to receive it or have any explanation as to why it is delayed. Even if vendors of the merchandise are all over the world, this type of delay and vague response is still unacceptable. If Shein can get an order to Canada within a week, I fail to understand how it can take so long. These are not made to measure garments.
Also feel kinda embarrassed because I actually placed another order a week or so ago. Again, no updates on delivery. If you provided a realistic date of when things will arrive, you would allow customers to either decided to wait that length of time, or decide not to order at all.
Response from souk + SEPIAFeb 16, 2022
Hi Jennifer,
Thank you for sharing your story here and bringing this to our attention. We bow our heads in sincere apologies to you. This is never the kind of experience we want for you. We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the reason your order from December 27th still has not shipped is because our partner had ran out of stock for the Ruiru skirt and that is the reason why there is no shipping update. To tell you the truth, we've had a list of customers whose orders had ran out of stock. We send them follow-up emails to give them options for an exchange or a full refund. Of course, we also offer compensatory discounts or store credits for the trouble we've caused. We are a relatively small company compared to Shein, and they're already established themselves way before Souk + SEPIA has even been conceived. They have a bigger team and they produce their own clothing which makes it relatively faster, while we are an online marketplace for curated boutique items from around the globe. Fret not, we will send you a follow-up email where we can discuss about the proper resolution for you. As for the sunglasses you've ordered on the 3rd of February, please know that we are still within the processing stage for the items. Today marks its 8th business day in the processing stage and it may take up to 15 business days, so we're basically halfway there. I hope this information helps! Please don't hesitate to write us should you have further questions or concerns. Wishing you a lovely rest of the evening!
With Gratitude,
—The souk + SEPIA Customer Gratitude Team
E: [email protected]
W: www.soukandsepia.com
IG: @soukandsepia
AM
Amber
Like the site
Like the site. I wish it had pics of people wearing the items instead of them just laid out on a surface. Shipping time is a major drawback.
Response from souk + SEPIAFeb 15, 2022
Greetings, Amber! Thank you for voicing out your opinions and giving us your suggestions. Admittedly, our shipping timeframe is an element we would like to polish. We have been working on it for the past few months to offer you an improved service which you all rightfully deserve. If you are read this, I just want to let you know that we have photos of our customers wearing our unique, stylish pieces on Instagram here: https://soukandsepia.com/pages/show-your-style
This is our "Shop Instagram" section found in the website. In case you change your mind about us, we encourage you to check it out so you'd at least have an idea of how our pieces look worn by real people.
I hope these information helps. Don't ever hesitate to reach out when you need us. We're at your disposal! May you have a pleasant evening!
With Gratitude,
—The souk + SEPIA Customer Gratitude Team
E: [email protected]
W: www.soukandsepia.com
IG: @soukandsepia
TW
Tahira W.
Horrible service
Horrible service. I ordered an item in December and still haven’t received it. When asked for refund they stated they would but had to wait for okay. It’s now February no item and no refund as of yet
Response from souk + SEPIAFeb 15, 2022
Hello Tahira,
Thank you for writing about your concerns here. We shall take this chance to extend our sincerest apologies for the unpleasant experience. For our customers, we only desire nothing but the best of memories each time they order from us, and this honestly saddens us.
Please forgive us for taking time to resolve this issue, but it seems there is nothing to worry about as your order has already been refunded on the very same day this review was posted. Upon checking, I see it was refunded on February 6th. This means you should have your money by now as it only takes 3 to 5 business days for funds to settle back. We hope that this at least has been satisfying to you as we know we owe it to you.
Should you require anything else, please do not hesitate to write us and it will be a pleasure to help!
With Gratitude,
—The souk + SEPIA Customer Gratitude Team
E: [email protected]
W: www.soukandsepia.com
IG: @soukandsepia
DJ
Dawn Jackson B.
Great customer service, Horrible shipping delays
I ordered a super cute sweater, but 1 month after I ordered, it still wasn't even shipped. So I cancelled the order.
Great customer service through the whole process with immediate responses always addressing my needs and requests in a positive way. Yhen specifically was great.
Response from souk + SEPIAFeb 15, 2022
Hello Dawn,
Thank you for stepping forward and sharing your experience with us. You're doing us a huge favor by doing so, and that's because this helps mold us into a better business overall for you. A shame, no other two words can describe this incident better. For that, we want to ask for your forgiveness.
Still, thank you for showing the capacity to be considerate, Dawn. Yhen would be over the clouds with your praises. We do hope that one day you can give us a chance to bring you the kind of experience you deserve.
Maybe not now, but soon, when you are ready to entrust us with your time and hopes. Wishing you a pleasant rest of the evening.
With Gratitude,
—The souk + SEPIA Customer Gratitude Team
E: [email protected]
W: www.soukandsepia.com
IG: @soukandsepia
BS
Burman S.
Although this place is legitimate and…
Although this place is legitimate and sell beautiful fashion, the shipping delays are NOT worth the hassle. I smirked reading some of the reviews commending the excellent Customer Service since ostensibly it is but I promise that if we posted them here & compared notes, we would see the same canned responses from Siena, Carla, Fitz, etc. I’m fairly certain the company they’ve outsourced to handle CS also operates from Asia. I’m a glutton for punishment and have ordered on multiple occasions and while I’ve been promised course correction on shipping delays they’ve grown exponentially worse. I placed an order on 12/30 at 4:24 pm (EST) and received a partial delivery yesterday (after several email exchanges) and I am still sitting pretty waiting on the rest of the items to ship. This will be my very last time ordering from this place. Chicwish also ships from China with tighter turnaround times for shipping so I’m inclined to believe they’re selling inventory they don’t own. A sweatshirt I ordered was cancelled because it was no longer being produced yet I still see it retailing on the web site. Buy at your own risk.
ETA: They also delete negative reviews left on any of their social media pages which adds to the deceptive practices.
Response from souk + SEPIAFeb 10, 2022
Hi Onaney,
We're truly mortified by the troubles you've gone through throughout your experience with us here at souk + SEPIA. If we could do things differently, we'd never put you in that situation and would absolutely spare you the trouble. Having customers inconvenienced, we are aware, is a massive taint on our brand reputation as bad reviews will surely follow a bad experience, and we don't want that at all. We wish the world of online marketplaces such as souk+SEPIA is one devoid of issues on production and shipping delays but it isn't and however much we try to deviate or mitigate these issues there are just some factors that are beyond our wicked best's power to skirt. In our case, since the beginning of December, the onset of the new Covid-19 restrictions outside the US due to the new strain (Omicron) has tied a number of our partner suppliers' hands from doing the logistics and fulfilling our orders. However, we're monitoring them on a daily basis to make sure that we're available to assist them in any way we can for the orders to get to everyone. Most items in our inventory have been produced by boutiques around the globe. Some are ready-made and some are to be made upon order (such as our boots and other shoes).
We really are on the beam that waiting too long really sucks which is why we absolutely understand the frustration. We're truly sorry that you've been affected by all this badly, Onaney.
With regards to our Customer Gratitude team's replies, in order not to keep customers waiting too long for a reply for their concerns, we do keep a list of ready replies. However, we only use such ready answers when there is a need for urgency in responding to multiple customers and there happen to be only a few CG Reps available. We totally understand how canned replies make us all feel on the receiving end of insincerity, hence we want to guarantee you that eloquence and empathy is highly encouraged within our Customer Gratitude Team and we always emphasize the importance of writing replies that aren't trite sounding, to cliche, tone-deaf and insincere. We're awfully sorry we made you feel that way. We'll make sure each of the following personnel is reminded of this and goes through a coaching session with our Customer Experience QA Specialist followed by a 2-week performance monitoring.
As for the deletion of negative reviews on any of our Social Media pages, we have no control over any of these but the Social Media platforms themselves. And even if we'd have the ability to delete bad reviews from our pages, both IG & Facebook, where we're very active, have a set of rigid restrictions on these things. One of these is that they'd automatically disable our ability to sell and advertise on their platforms should a steady stream of negative reviews of the same issue be detected and read by their bots and algorithms. The same is the case here on TrustPilot. There is no way for us to be able to delete or flag reviewers on a whim. We really hope this had clarified things.
We seriously would like to work with you to resolve the issue - in this light, our Customer Love Specialist, his name is Ferdinand, will personally get in touch with you within the next 2-3 business days to offer you a resolution and process it accordingly and promptly.
Massive thanks to your forthrightness on your feedback, Onaney. Believe it or not, we're immensely grateful for it because souk + SEPIA trusts that more than just understanding the level of the fashionable items needs our customers would love - understanding their hopes, fears, frustrations, needs, and desires in terms of overall brand experience is crucial to our success. It's customers with your kind of candor who'd help us get to that level of success. Thank you so muchly.
With Gratitude,
Kooks dL.
souk + SEPIA | Customer Experience Manager
www.soukandsepia.com
TS
T.S.
Great quality and sizing was exact.
Great quality and sizing was exact.
Response from souk + SEPIAFeb 10, 2022
Hello, Tanya! We're genuinely grateful for the review you had left for us. This helps lift up our morale and keep doing better. Absolutely glad you found the sizing perfect, and the quality better! Whatever your experience, be it good or bad, please don't hesitate to leave us your thoughts here. We'll appreciate it big time!
—The souk + SEPIA Customer Gratitude Team
E: [email protected]
W: www.soukandsepia.com
IG: @soukandsepia
