ComplaintsforLight In The Box

Online Retailer

Current Alerts For This Business

Pattern of Complaint:

On July 21 , 2020, Better Business Bureau recognized a pattern of complaints from consumers regarding delivery and customer service issues. Consumers allege they order and pay for products from Light In The Box, and after several weeks they have not received their products. Consumers claim the company is unresponsive to requests for assistance.

On July 21, 2020, and August 06, 2020, Better Business reached out to Light In The Box for a response to the consumer complaints. The company has indicated that they have taken steps to improve customer service. Light In The Box sent the following response to Better Business Bureau to share with consumers.

We would like to thank Better Business Bureau for reaching out to us. We appreciate BBB assists us in establishing marketplace trust.

LightInTheBox has taken this opportunity to review our shipping process. For the package delay, it is mainly in April and May due to the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic situation. Suppliers' production speed has been affected. At the same time, international flights have decreased and delivery of destination countries has also slowed down. These force majeure causes the overall delivery speed of packages to become longer than normal.

In this situation, our logistics department has always been paying close attention to information about various countries. For any news related to logistics delay, we adjust our shipment plan at once accordingly, such as changing flights or even charter flights. They also monitors the receipt rate of packages every day, and when a logistic line is found to be abnormal, we will contact our shipping partner or customs clearance company at once. if the delivery time of the package exceeds our promised duration, we will contact our customer to inform the situation at the first time.

For example, Canada Post announced on May 26 that there was a delay in their packages delivery. After we learned the news, we sent an email notification to the owners of the 10,000+ packages affected in Lightinthebox to inform them of the delay. And the packages shipped after that are all changed to UPS for delivery.

For customers' inquiries, customer service always respond within 24 hours. As long as the customer does not receive any package, we will immediately refund the full amount to the customer if the package is confirmed to be lost after the customer service investigation.

Some customers reported that they could not contact the customer service before. After investigation, we found that the customer service entrance is not obvious. We added the customer support icon and email address on multiple pages in early July to make it easier for customers to contact us.

Above are the measures we have recently done and are still optimizing. All is to ensure that we continue to provide fast and high-quality services to our customers.

We hope that with our efforts, we can let our customers feel the progress of Ligntinthebox and the sincerity of our service. Thank you and BBB again for your attention and help.

Consumers can file complaints with Better Business Bureau at www.BBB.org. Complaints can also be filed with the Federal Trade Commission at

https://www.ftc.gov/faq/consumer-protection/submit-consumer-complaint-ftc.

Need to file a complaint?

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Initial Complaint
07/24/2021
Complaint Type:
Product Issues
Status:
Answered
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
This is a follow up on complaint #********. This ** registered company forced me to return four swimming suits that were defective to an address in *****. Thanks to Better Business Bureau, the company has now reimbursed the return shipping expenses to ***** ($60.25). However, now the returned package is being held in customs in ***** as shown in the attached document. The company on purpose gives you faulty return instructions for the merchandize. In the return instructions the company instructs you to list the shipping items as a GIFT on the mailing label, which these unused merchandizes are clearly not. The company is now withholding $129.66 that I paid for the items. The company is engaged in fraudulent practices. It is due to fraud that the merchandise is stuck in the ******* customs so that this ** based company can continue to withhold the money. I have returned the merchandise following exactly the instructions that the company provided and I want my money back.
Business response
07/27/2021
Dear Riikka Sarala,

This is ******** Service Supervisor. I will follow up your case.

We've checked and find your package is currently at the Customs. Please be noted it will take the Customs a few more days to complete the customs inspection. Once the customs inspection is completed, the package will be sent to our warehouse.

Based on our policy, usually we can only issue you refund after we receive the return package. But in order to reduce your disappointment and concern, I'd like to handle your case specially this time. I will apply for the full refund USD ****** for you at once, instead of keeping you to wait any longer.

Please log into your account and check new Ticket 24107510 for more information about how the refund will be arranged. We still need your cooperation to send us more information so we can complete the refund. Thank you for your cooperation in advance.
Customer response
07/27/2021

Complaint: 15690774

I am rejecting this response because: The amount to be refunded is USD ******. The business insists on returning USD ***** of the refund amount to a PayPal account. This is not acceptable. I do not have a PayPal account and I do not want to open a PayPal account. It would be a considerable hassle for me and also PayPal has a less than an A rating from the BetterBusiness Bureau. In the original return instructions provided from the company, there was no indication that the merchandise return would be made only to a PayPal account.
I want the entire refund USD ****** returned to the credit card.

Sincerely,

Riikka Sarala
Business response
08/01/2021
Dear Riikka Sarala,

Please be noted we only received payment *** ****** sent from your Card account. We had returned this whole payment back to you already. You may refer to the attached picture to check the refund proof:

--We refunded ******** for you on July 6th.
--We refunded rest price ***69.41 for you on July 28th.

While for the extra refund *** *****, we can only return it to your Paypal account. It is not because we do not want to help you, but we are unable to process the extra refund via any other way.

Paypal is the most convenient online payment platform, safe and free. You can register a PayPal account to accept the *** ***** refund. Then you may transfer the refund from your Paypal account to your Card account.

Your kindly understanding and cooperation are highly appreciated.
Customer response
08/04/2021

Complaint: 15690774

I am rejecting this response because I do not have a PayPal account and refuse to open one because of complaints filed with the Better Business Bureau regarding PayPal.

Please send me a check that can be cashed in a ** financial institution for the amount that you still owe me for the return postage. For a **-based business, assigning such a check should not be a problem but should be a common business practice.

Sincerely,

Riikka Sarala
Initial Complaint
07/22/2021
Complaint Type:
Product Issues
Status:
Answered
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
I purchased a dress from Light in the Box using a size from a size chart provided at the website. When it arrived it did not fit. I asked for a refund and a label to return it, and was told to make an elaborate set of measurements first by laying the dress on a table and measuring it in various ways then submitting a large number of photos to verify these measurements. When I did this, I was told I had measured incorrectly and would need to resubmit. When I replied that I had followed their directions and would need to help to do this step differently, I was told that I would not be able to receive a full refund because this was a "custom" item (it was not) but would be offered a 15% refund. I am seeking a full refund for this item. Total cost of the item was $172.91 **.
Business response
07/29/2021
Dear ***************************,

This is ******** Service Supervisor. I will follow up your case.

We are really sorry that the dress does not fit properly. Please be advised as the dress is hand-sewn and custom-tailored, it may vary by approximately 1 inch in either direction of the specified measurements. So we think your dress was made correctly when the bust area measured 44 inch inside. We appreciate your kind understanding in advance.

Please be noted your dress is a Made-To-Measure product. It means we asked our supplier to tailor a NEW dress for you specially, after the order was placed. Based on our policy, usually we are unable to accept return for any non-quality Made-To-Measure product. You can check the return policy statement in following link.
https://www.lightinthebox.com/nh/Return-Policy.html?prm=1.0.87.0

However, considering you are new to our website and not familiar with our policy, I'd like to deal with your case as an exception this time. I may offer you following new solutions:

1. We'd like to refund you 50% product's price which is USD70.29 as a special discount to keep the dress. You may try to have it altered to your preferred fit locally.

2. You may return the dress back to our Chinese warehouse for the full refund USD ******. We will process the refund after we receive the return package. Please understand the return postage will be at your cost.

Please kindly consider it and tell us which solution you prefer to take. We are looking forward to hearing from you.
Initial Complaint
07/21/2021
Complaint Type:
Product Issues
Status:
Answered
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Date of Purchase; July 13, 2021 Date Cancelled due to fact could not deliver product; 7-16-2021 Order Number: **************** I want a full refund due to the fact Light in the Box could not deliver the product when they said they would.
Business response
07/27/2021
Dear *******************************,

This is ******** Service Supervisor. I will follow up your case.

We regret to hear this order will not arrive before the date you need it. Please be advised this is a Made-To-Measure item. After you placed this order, we asked our supplier make a NEW dress for you specially. This was why your order could not be shipped as soon as it was placed. The tailoring time of your dress is **** business days, which is stated on our product page. We are sorry that you did not notice it. But you may refer to following link for more details:
https://www.lightinthebox.com/download/87845c92-f7f4-4f87-987b-d70a841ba7aa

Our company policy states that all Made-To-Measure orders that are cancelled after 24 hours of purchase, 50% of the dress price will be charged as a handling fee. So usually we are unable to cancel your order with full refund. Please refer to the link below for the further information on our cancellation policy.
https://www.lightinthebox.com/nh/Cancellation-Policy.html

However, considering you are new to our website and not familiar with our policy, I'd like to deal with your case as an exception only for this time.

I have cancelled this order as you requested and will arrange a full refund USD ****** for you immediately.

The refund will be sent to your card which you used to pay for this order. It usually takes 3-5 days to be processed by LightInTheBox.com. However, please kindly note because this is a transnational transaction, it will take a few more days for you to receive the refund, you may refer to the following link about the refund processing time: http://litb.cc/l/wZRm

Thank you for your understanding.
Initial Complaint
07/21/2021
Complaint Type:
Delivery Issues
Status:
Answered
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
We have ordered 11 dresses. One is the incorrect size Two are designed different than the others One is the incorrect color (should be burgundy and it's red)One was not even received and expedited shipping was paid for
Business response
07/27/2021
Dear *********************,

We sincerely apologize for the problems and all the inconveniences caused. We do really want to help. But could you please send us your Order Number firstly?

Please also advise us the names of the 5 items you referred to and also send us some pictures to show all the problems as you mentioned. We will then further check and help you resolve the problems with our greatest effort.

Thank you very much for your kind cooperation and understanding in advance. We are looking forward to your response.
Initial Complaint
07/18/2021
Complaint Type:
Delivery Issues
Status:
Answered
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
I placed an order with them on 6/30. Their site said it would take 5-9 business days to receive the order. Even if it was 5-9 business days after the order was shipped, it is way beyond that time frame now. I received an email on 7/4 stating the order had shipped. Every time I try to contact them asking for information as to the whereabouts of this order, they say they are looking into it and NEVER get back to me with answers. All I get are responses saying they have no answers. The tracking number that was sent to me does not exist with ************ or **** Tracking # **********************
Business response
07/20/2021
Dear *******************,

This is ******** Service Supervisor. I sincerely apologize for the concern and all the inconveniences caused. I would like to help.

Your order was shipped via US Priority Line-ZG-PM-PH on 2021-07-05. After it arrived at **, it was transferred to your local shipping company ***** After checking, it shows the package was delivered to your address successfully on 2021-07-19.

Tracking link: https://tools.usps.com/go/TrackConfirmAction?qtc_tLabels1=9405528206335416241521

Online update tracking information: [2021-07-19 07:37 ****************, Delivered, Parcel Locker -> Your item was delivered to a parcel locker at 7:37 am on July 19, 2021 in ****************.]

Did you receive the package? Please kindly double check your parcel locker or your family members who might pick up the package for you. We also suggest you to contact **** by calling ***************** and ask them to help you check the package.

However, if you did not receive the package and could not find it anywhere, please contact us again as soon as possible. We will investigate your case further with the shipping company.

Your kind patience and understanding are highly appreciated.
Initial Complaint
07/15/2021
Complaint Type:
Product Issues
Status:
Answered
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
I ordered 4 articles of clothing from Light in The Box on 05/21/21....amount of order was $83.15. Package took much longer than expected to arrive. One of the items sent is not what I ordered. All four of the pieces did not fit, and I went according to their size chart. I asked to return, and they told me the shipping back to ***** from *** would be more than what I spent. They offered me an option to keep all the items, with a refund of 20% of the product's value, approximately $12.97. I have never received a credit back to my credit card, and I contacted them at least 4-5 times. Sometimes they say it is a "technical" issue...but i provided them both my order number and ticket number. On the last two attempts, they said to give them 24 hours. When I contact them again, they said another 24 hours and so on. I told them repeatedly that I DO NOT want a store credit (I would never shop there again). Today they issued me another store credit, but refuse to refund me.
Business response
07/18/2021
This is ******** Service Supervisor from ********************. I sincerely apologize for what happened and all the inconveniences caused. I would like to help.

We feel sorry that you could not withdraw the store-credit from your end. In order to help you resolve the problem in a quickly manner, I withdrew the *** ***** credit for you. The refund will be returned to your original Card by which you paid for this order.

It usually takes 3-5 days to be processed by LightInTheBox.com. However, please kindly note because this is a transnational transaction, it will take a few more days for you to receive the refund, you may refer to the following link about the refund processing time: https://www.lightinthebox.com/download/ec11af0d-ebb0-4a1b-9d53-b919e05b1f49

To avoid your concern, I will also contact our financial department to provide a refund proof for you after they complete the refund. I will send it to you via new Ticket 24049278 when I receive it. Please log in your light in the box account--go " personal center"--"my ticket" to check our reply later. Thank you for your cooperation.
Initial Complaint
07/15/2021
Complaint Type:
Product Issues
Status:
Answered
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
I purchased a dress from LightInTheBox for my son's wedding. It came after two months and did not fit at all even though I ordered a size larger. I contacted them immediately, explained the problem and provided a picture. They stated it was custom made and could not be refunded. It was not custom made, the only thing I chose was the color. I would like a full refund but barring that I would like other people to know not to order from this company. I am so disappointed. This is an online company and should have a return/refund policy for all orders. I am sending a picture showing how the straps are so short the dress did not even fit below my collar bone.
Business response
10/13/2021

Dear Customer,

Thank you for contacting Lightinthebox.

Please understand that Made-to-order means that all of our dresses, whether a standard or custom size, are tailored just for you once you place your order. This means that we dont have a factory full of machine made dresses, instead they are all crafted by our highly skilled tailors.

If the size was not same as the size shows on the product page, we will take the responsibility, You may go to Help Center (https://www.lightinthebox.com/r/contact-us.html) and submit a ticket to customer service (https://******************************/knowledge-base/?page_key=Customer-Service-PC), which will be replied in 24 hours.
Thank you for your support and understanding.

Kind regards,
Customer Service
https://******************************/
Initial Complaint
07/13/2021
Complaint Type:
Customer Service Issues
Status:
Answered
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
I ordered two outfits for my Granddaughters wedding. I ordered a standard size 14. I never planned to keep both of these items. Whichever one looked and fit the best I would keep. They are claiming that these are standard measurements for a size 14. They claim these items are MTM. Made to measurements. Which if thats the case then someone should have measured me from head to toe. These tops were too big and the pants were way more narrow than any size 14. These two items I spent $300 for. They are offering me $30 to resolve this problem. I had my complaint to a supervisor of the *** snd still nothing new. I contacted these people within ******************************************************************************* How can a customer spend that kind of money snd they offer me $30 compensation. I just dont understand how companies get away with that.
Business response
10/13/2021
Dear Customer,

Thank you for contacting Lightinthebox.

Please understand that Made-to-order means that all of our dresses, whether a standard or custom size, are tailored just for you once you place your order. This means that we dont have a factory full of machine made dresses, instead they are all crafted by our highly skilled tailors, so the Made to Order products cannot accept for return if they have no quality issues.

If you have any questions, You may go to Help Center (https://www.lightinthebox.com/r/contact-us.html) and submit a ticket to customer service  (https://******************************/knowledge-base/?page_key=Customer-Service-PC), which will be replied in 24 hours.
Thank you for your support and understanding.

Kind regards,
Customer Service
https://******************************/
Customer response
10/19/2021

Complaint: 15648835

I am rejecting this response because:
If you look at the items online to order, it shows a box to select for custom measurements for $18.99.
Then beneath that it shows boxes that you can select that are normal sizes. I chose to select my normal size, thinking since they are pantsuits.
I ordered both of them in a size 14 in light pink. Why in the world would I order two the same color and size if I didn't intend to return one of them. No where does it say if you order a regular size and don't select and do the custom measurement box that the normal size ones were not returnable. They wouldn't even exchange them. I sent pictures and measured the items as they requested and they said they were normal size.
I'm so frustrated with this company. They finally offered me $30.00 coupon to apply to another order, but of course the order would have to be over $75 to even use it. Why would I give them anymore of my money. I feel that no return policy was specific to custom measurements which I did not do.

Sincerely,

***********************
Business response
10/23/2021
Hi *****,

Thank you for reaching out.

I am sorry that you've faced troubles while requesting to return the pantsuits back. Kindly the majority of our products can be returned for any reason. The only exception to this are made-to-measure products. We understand you didn't provide your own size,just pick a size, but there is a 'Made-To-Measure' logo on this item's webpage. In addition, sizing problems can be avoided, as all our clothing is sold with detailed measurements indicated in both inches and centimetre. This allows serving customers in different countries around the world.

Unfortunately these products cannot be returned, please consult our return policy through the following link.
https://www.lightinthebox.com/nh/Return-Policy.html?prm=1.0.70.0

     Your    understanding is highly appreciated.

Kind regards,
Hermes
lightinthebox.com
Initial Complaint
07/11/2021
Complaint Type:
Product Issues
Status:
Resolved
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Date of Transaction 05/29/2021 I ordered and purchased four standard size dresses from LightInTheBox global online shopping. These dresses were shipped to my residence. As full payment, an amount of $695.90 was charged to my Discover card. None of the dresses fit to my satisfaction, so I did not care to keep any of them. When first I contacted LightIn TheBox about returning all the dresses, their original response was that since these dresses were custom made, therefore no returns would be allowed. Again, I contacted LightIn TheBox a second time about returning all of the dresses. I stated that none of the dresses, ordered by me were custom sized and I should be fully refunded. They responded that I could return the dresses, but that they would only credit me $578.00, plus I would be responsible for all $131.40 of the shipping charges back to China. I have paid and sent back all of the dresses, and am still awaiting the partial refund credit to show up on my Discover card.
Business response
07/13/2021
Dear **** * ******

We are delighted to help. Could you please advise us your Order Number firstly?

Please advise us the tracking number and website link to track so that we can track the return package for you. It is highly appreciated if you can upload a picture of the return receipt in the next reply.

We are looking forward to hearing from you.
Business response
08/16/2021
Dear customer,

Please be kindly advised that we had completed 100% refund of the dresses price in total of USD 643.06 for you on July 28th. The refund was arranged via two pieces: USD 123.86 + USD 519.2. The two pieces of refunds were returned to your original Card by which you paid for this order.

Please refer to the attached picture to see the refund proof.

If you haven't received the refund, please refer all inquiries to your card-issuing institution, as the time required to complete the refund may be affected by your institution’s policies and practices.

We appreciate your patience and understanding in advance.

Sincerely,
Customer Service
Customer response
08/17/2021

Better Business Bureau:

The $131.40 in shipping charges that I paid to return the dresses, were not included in the refund from Light In The Box.

Still, I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Sincerely,

**** * *****
Initial Complaint
06/30/2021
Complaint Type:
Service or Repair Issues
Status:
Resolved
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
I ordered four swimming suits on June 25, 2021. The sizes are completely off. The swimming suits would not fit any adult. Also, the swimming suits are very unproportional. I paid $129.66 for the items. Out of those $20.09 in Shipping, $12.00 in Coupon savins and $8.20 in tax. When I initiated the return process with the company, they told me that I have to pay for shipping the items back to CHINA, although they portray themselves as a US company with a Washington address listed on the website. The email even mentioned that returning the items may be constprohibitive and that I might prefer to give away the items and take a small refund instead. They gave me only 7 days to return. The company also instructs you to list the item as a GIFT on the mail label, which it is not. The company's business is based entirely on fraudulent practices.
Business response
07/04/2021
Dear ****** ******,

This is Customer Service Supervisor. I will follow up your case.

We regret to hear all 4 swimming suits did not fit. We double checked your previous ticket, but we were unable to find if our swimming suits had any quality problem.

Regarding the size issue, please be noted all our clothes are made based on our own size charts. We provide the specific measurements for each size on the product page along with the measuring guide to help our customers choose the best fitting size. If you just pick normal size without refer to the measurements, the clothes are always go small.

Additionally, please be advised that we were unable to set up a US warehouse due to the coronavirus problem. The "Washington address" is a transit depot belongs to the shipping company. It is not our warehouse. You may learn from our return policy that all the orders need to be returned to our warehouse in China. We appreciate your understanding in advance.

Based on our policy, usually we can only issue you refund of products' price after we receive the return package. We will be responsible for any shipping fees incurred for the return of non-quality products. However, as we standard for the customer's satisfaction, we would like to deal with your case as an exception only for this time.

We have not received your return package. After we receive the package, we will process full refund of the order price USD 129.66 for you in a timely manner. Please be kindly waiting for our notification ticket.

We will also refund 100% return postage in amount of USD 60.25 for you as a nice gesture. We confirmed the amount from the return receipt you uploaded.

The refund will be sent to your card which you used to pay for this order. It usually takes 3-5 days to be processed by LightInTheBox.com. However, please kindly note because this is a transnational transaction, it will take a few more days for you to receive the refund, you may refer to the following link about the refund processing time:https://www.lightinthebox.com/download/ec11af0d-ebb0-4a1b-9d53-b919e05b1f49

Your kindly understanding and cooperation are highly appreciated.
Customer response
07/05/2021

Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Sincerely,

****** ******

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