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I feel duped

So yesterday was the big release of Missoni for Target, yadda yadda. I’m sure you’re all sick of hearing about the debacle by now, but I’ll add my voice to the frustrated masses. I was ready to buy online at midnight and after they pushed back the online launch I was at my computer and…

So yesterday was the big release of Missoni for Target, yadda yadda. I’m sure you’re all sick of hearing about the debacle by now, but I’ll add my voice to the frustrated masses. I was ready to buy online at midnight and after they pushed back the online launch I was at my computer and ready to buy at 3:00 am (no dice) and then again at 6:00 am and finally I was in! I felt really lucky when I had my pretty throw blanket in my cart, which was all I really wanted anyway, but then I started to shop the clothes a little bit before checking out (mistake). After about 15 minutes of active clicking on the Target site, I went to pay for my stuff and WHAT’S THIS?? No throw in my online cart? They sold it to someone else and put it in my saved items! Boo.

So I thought I’d beat the system (and rush hour traffic) and I put on my running clothes, jogged down to the PATH and took the train to Hoboken and then ran another almost mile to the Target. The store opened at 8:00 am and I got there at 8:03. The home section was already CLEANED OUT!! I couldn’t believe my eyes. Very rich-looking women were literally pushing and fighting over cheapy duvet covers and make up cases and espresso sets. It was the most bizarre situation. Not to mention I think about half of the Fashion Week interns were there shopping. They were done up head to toe and all chatting about their shows while they tried on the sweater dresses from the little girls section. I mosied around for a bit trying to scope out people’s carts for my elusive throw. I was willing to make offers!! No throws though and I was feeling self conscious in my workout attire compared to the fashion squad. So I sulk-jogged home with only a measly candle and a two-sizes-too-large blouse to show for all my trouble.

Anyway, SOS! If anyone has an extra throw that they don’t want to sell for hundreds of dollars on eBay (no, seriously, check it out), I would love to buy it from you.

Did you get anything from the sale? People on twitter were either absolutely outraged at the whole way the sale was handled or they were annoyed at all the outrage. I was mostly annoyed that I spent the better part of a night and a morning hunting down a stupid fleece throw I probably don’t really need or want. Silly. Well, whatever, I do have high hopes for this pretty bowl I managed to buy in the online shopping portion of my morning. I want throw a big bunch of white peonies in there right this second.

Busy day coming up. I’m leaving in a bit to to head for the burbs and a full day of meetings and drop offs and pick ups and the returning of a too-big blouse. I’m also going to check out that little settee I told you about last week. My hopes are high for the settee, though I’m guessing the cushion needs more down. I’ll keep you posted.

PS It’s a bit strange to me, but one of my most common Dear Jenny questions is what magazines I subscribe to. I guess there are lots of great (not-free) shelter publications out there, so it’s nice to have a friend’s advice. Here’s my list. Though admittedly some of these are only on my wi$h li$t.

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99 thoughts on “I feel duped

  1. I didn't really go all out on trying to get this stuff, but I showed up to my suburban Texas Target at 5 pm on my way home from work. There were very few things left– I saw some lingerie, a men's sweater, one shower curtain and some picture frames. I didn't buy anything online because I really wanted to see it in person, so I guess I struck out on both accounts. Oh well!

  2. lol
    I went with my parents (mistake number one!) They were shocked at the pricing for everything that was made in China.
    I experienced a couple of rude women, who followed me through the store picking up items as I was looking at them. I did encounter a few women who offered me dresses from their cart (a mother there shopping for her daughter who couldn't get out of school to shop, cool mum)
    My mother helped be get the coffee mugs I really wanted. So over all it was ok except for the ladies that followed me… it was creepy!

    xx
    callie

  3. I forgot the launch was yesterday and then kicked myself when I remembered last night.

    I went to two Targets this morning and was able to find rain boots for both my girls and a darling little girls sweater dress.

    The home section and women's section in both stores was literally cleaned out. Not. one. thing. left.

  4. You ran all the way from Target in JC to the Hoboken PATH station with a candle and a shirt???!!!

  5. If you still want the throw I can check a Target near me. There are 3 within driving distance of Columbia SC and apparently one still had items last night. I had class at 8:30 yesterday so I got to Target before they opened and was able to snag the three items that I knew I wanted. However, there were plenty of crazies buying cart loads for people on the phone. Next time Target should limit the number of items that each person can buy.

  6. I enjoyed your magazine recommendations at Babble. House Beautiful has quickly topped my list as a favorite. Their July/August issue hit it out of the park. After reading your list, I'm after Elle Decor and Style at Home too.
    Camille

  7. Have your Grandmother knit an afghan, it's bound to be prettier, cost less, and be a nice family piece.

  8. I don't think the throw even made it Fargo, ND.

    I don't think our target took this very seriously, half of the stuff wasn't even out on shelves at noon. I went back at 8 and most of it was sold out. All I really wanted was the throw. there wasn't one there in the morning, so I'm not sure if they even had them yet.

    I will have to go back and look, i have a feeling a lot of will end up on clearance. Fargo, ND isn't exactly fashion capital of the world.

  9. I got everything I wanted online (I didn't even know there was an issue)! However, I'm outraged that everyone bought everything and is selling everything on Ebay for a crazy amount. I understand freemarket but it just seems wronge!!

  10. I wanted the coat with the cool satin-like lining that I'd seen in Vogue. Tried it on, along with a sweater dress and thought…"eh." The coat was ill-fitting, and the dress was cute, but not worth the $55 price tag. I guess I should've bought them to re-sell on Ebay…as obviously many of the women with full carts around me intended to do.

    I also got to handle a couple of the black & silver vases and the quality was terrible. I have a friend on Facebook who seems to believe she got REAL Missoni stuff at a bargain, not "Missoni for Target." There is a big difference, and it shows.

  11. Re: Marie Claire Maison (on your Babble post) – I got a year through Amazon and it's nowhere near $350! Just checked again and it says $75 for 8 issues/1 year.

  12. I feel duped too! I went on yesterday morning and the site was down and I didn't even both going to the store after seeing the insanity on the news… I figured I might check out what's on e-bay or craigslist in a few weeks when the hype has died down. Pretty lame though!

  13. I love Missoni and even with combining the 10 items I got, it is still less than a non-Target Missoni item. I think Missoni is a master of color and pattern and I love the Target pieces. I feel fortunate that I was only one of 4 people waiting when my Target opened. They didn't have the throws where I was, but I plan on checking back. Apparently the stores will restock. Good luck finding the throw! :)

  14. I definately felt cheated by Target. I live in Italy and was unable to access the website for a day and a half. When I finally got on this afternoon it was like a Missoni ghost town. Hurrumpf.

  15. Wow, we're not even in a saturated market and it was insane. I saw a grown women have a temper tantrum in front of her teenage daughter that she didn't get what she wanted and all I could think was, "why isn't that girl in school?!"

    I was planning to return a sweater (the color is not me) I bought but this made me post it on ebay with a buy it now for the retail price. I hope someone who couldn't get something in their local store will pick up what they were wanting and it saves me a return trip to target.

  16. I had similar issues at Target.com and at the store. I bought a few things, mostly for my daughter. I thought the toddler sweater dress was pretty cute and looks pretty well made (although pricey at $29.99). I guess little girls clothing is not as popular with the ebay resellers, it was the only area in the store not picked over. I am curious to see how much the prices on ebay go down after the hoopla dies down. I also wanted the throw, but the 2 stores by me (in suburban Philly) didn't have a single thing left in bed and bath.

  17. This post is seriously hilarious. "while they tried on the sweater dresses from the little girls section"…I love it. Hope you find that blanket!

  18. I literally strolled into my Target yesterday, around the noon hour, and filled my cart up. Apparently, Missoni isn't a hot item at my Target. And…I have sold a few items on ebay. I know this makes people angry, but it's how I make extra money.

  19. I have been avoiding going to my Target for the launch, just because I don't want to be tempted to spend a bunch of money. I'm betting there may be some left, since it doesn't seem like the type of stuff Midwesterners would be crazy for (I know my friends don't see what all the craze is about). But there are really only a couple things I like, so I'm not so sure I'll be lucky enough to find those…

  20. I learned my lesson when Target collaborated with John Derian. I went to a couple (Chicago-area)stores. Most of the sales people had no idea what I was talking about. When I finally found some items they were underwhelming. I vowed never to race around again for Target-quality items. Still, I can't believe how unprepared Target was after such a MASSIVE promotional campaign for Missoni. The way I see it, Missoni got a huge brand promo and Target got slammed for not being able to deliver.

  21. That blanket was the only thing I wanted, too! I was on their site when it finally went live and I was just about to push the Add To Cart button when it disappeared and said Sold Out. I couldn't believe it. I think the way the whole sale went down was an epic fail on Target's part.

  22. I just swung by the local target on my way home from work to see what was left (I went yesterday on lunch and snagged a few items including the throw). Everything is all piled up at the front of the store with a sign that says, this is all we have left and we won't be restocking. It was insane. I almost missed the throw too, but a second pass through homewares and 2 had actually appeared on the shelf.

    I am a little disappointed in how people reacted. I think it is completely disrespectful to buy out the shelves on to load it up on ebay for ungodly prices. It is disrespectful to those who want to enjoy it for themselves and also to the store. I wonder if we will continue to see designer collaborations like this when this is the consumer response.

  23. I too felt duped. But, I went, saw what they had, and hopefully made good decisions. I tried not to overdo the zigzags. I got a lurex sweater (that wasn't so "in your face"), some ballet flats which I thought were cute and a couple of things for my daughter. I actually had the throw in my cart and strolled around with it, but ultimately I decided it didn't go in my house. None of the home stuff really did. So, I passed. People really need to get a grip and not buy into the hype. Insanity.

  24. I'm sorry you didn't get your throw. I went to my local store and pretty much everything was gone at 9:30. Target really needs to limit purchases. The whole thing is ridiculous. I'll have to say, from what I saw in people's carts the stuff was OK. Scarves are mostly acrylic and the stuff is not very good quality!

  25. I managed to get through and place an order online at 3:30AM (for myself, not ebay!) I went to the store opening (got there an hour early) to see in person what I would receive in a few days.

    Well I JUST NOW found out that the Target site/Customer Service doesn't recognize my order number. I'm so sad thinking about the stuff I walked past in the store because "I already got it."

    Tell your friends to verify their online orders. Shame on Target.

  26. Honestly….I am in the minority here, but I am not getting it. When one looks at something that is so identifiable as coming from Target, why would one pay the prices that are getting so high on ebay? Or rush out to get it from Target in the first place? Don't get me wrong….I shop at Target all of the time, but not for things that everyone immediately recognizes. Maybe the Target Missoni looks enough like the more expensive version that it fools the unsuspecting? But what does one say if one is asked…"Is it Missoni, or Missoni for Target"? I guess I am making the assumption that there is some status buying going on. Maybe people just like the designs….in which case Viva la Missoni Target!

  27. I agree with what many are saying. Shame on Target. I read on another site that in Los Angeles, they only let 5 people in the store at a time. Apparently after 20 minutes an employee came out to warm people there wasn't much left. So those first 10 people just bought everything (all posted on ebay, no doubt). Huge fail for Target. Clearly they didn't have a grasp on demand, production, distribution (as another poster said, deep in the 'burbs stuff is just laying there), or fairness by not limiting customer purchases starting with customer #1, not after that first group of 15 people bought the whole store. Shame, shame, shame

  28. Okay, false alarm – I just spent 45 min on hold with Target Cust. Serv. and it turns out they do have my order, they're just backed up uploading orders. Phew!

    I bought mostly housewares (but I did buy the rainboots) and I don't care if it's Missoni or Missoni for Target. I will NEVER be able to afford to decorate a bath/living/dining/bedroom/kitchen at the Missoni cost, so this is the next best for me. Plus, its not like people are consistently filing through my house to even see any of it anyway – it's me, the hubby and the dog – and they don't care if it's legit or not. I love it! :)
    Next time I'm on vacay and I open my Missoni for Target makeup valet, I'm going to be really happy that I bought it.

    I do understand the folks that don't like the collection, though. It's not for everyone.

  29. Oh my goodness, this is EXACTLY how I felt (and what I described in my own blog post!). Except at my suburban Target, mothers gave their children a "sick day" and dragged them to the store so they would be there before opening since it conflicted with the start of the school day. It was appalling and completely turned me off the experience. And this was all before I saw them squabbling over that hideous green corduroy coat or those cheaply made nylon suitcases. What a mess.

    On the plus side, Margherita herself agrees! (http://twitter.com/#!/mmmargherita/status/113876494178201600)

    Love you blog, thanks for allowing me to rant!

    -Laura
    http://monodramatic.blogspot.com/

  30. As of last night we still had a ton at a few Targets in Richmond, VA that I stopped by out of curiosity. They're not really my taste though

  31. The same thing happened to me! I was up all night trying to shop online. Finally around 3:30 AM MST the items were listed. The first thing in my cart was the blanket, after placing all items in my cart, I went to pay and the blanket was gone and saved? I don't get it? I didn't see this throw in any stores? I bought other stuff but really really wanted this throw!

  32. I had the same situation happen to me, not as bad though. I think the throw was the most popular item. I had things in my basket and with in minutes they were sold. I had snagged hand towels and this canister on my blog. SO LOVE! but I went online and they actually still had the bath towels. ( all i wanted were towels ). My target didn't turn into such a "mad rush" but it was cleaned out pretty fast (not as fast as other places). The lady in front of me had two carts filled. Seriously so annoying. OTher women were giving her a piece of there mind because she was probably an Ebay seller…

    Storys' over, I got my hand towels, happy ending :)

    http://runninginheelswithtwins.blogspot.com/2011/09/black-in-new-blue.html

    PS. I picked up some metallic paper from your previous post to do a fun DIY I thought up when I saw it. I have an old ikea dresser I'm going to make striped down the front like the kate spade store you posted a pic of and I have 6 gold ring pulls. I think it's going to look rad. Well, it does in my head. If not it's for a dresser in my closet. Case closed with closed doors.

    Take care!!

  33. I think many of us are on the same page with this whole situation. While I was excited for the Missoni line as well, I was thankful in the end that it did sell out that way. EVERYONE is going to have the same exact crap in their house now…basically they cheapened the line & handled it more poorly than Wal-Mart would have. Which is just sad.

    I did score a comforter the day after that I wasnt even on the hunt for but loved that it was big abstract flowers, a pleasant color palette that my husband wont mind & NOT all the SAME ZIG ZAG stripes that every. single. person. in AMERICA NOW HAS & decorates with, claiming to be so "unique" and while it can add a nice pop here & there, its just HIGHLY overdone. We live in a society now of oversaturation & imitation, very little actual eclectic & creative thought these days.

    & honestly, shame on Target for marketing so heavily & putting out all this hype & not being prepared. Honestly, they should have known this would happen & that when you are teaming with such an exclusive & sought after design team, obviously it will be a big hit.

    & to those marking it all up on EBAY…SHAME ON YOU! Way to take advantage of people. Thats an awesome quality to have…NOT. True show of character right there.

  34. p.s. on the throw you wanted…we scored a used chevron crocheted blanket at goodwill last week, its blue & I think some yellow..my daughter loved it & then we changed bedrooms for her & got her a different bed, so now, the idea we had, wont work. I seriously will let you take it, if you want & NO, I wont mark it up like on ebay, just cover the shipping :)

  35. the same thing happened to me! i ran around like a mad woman on my lunch break to two different targets on opposite ends of town just for that throw, and it was gone in both places too. i ended up buying a ton of clothes and 4 pillows, all b/c the mad rush of people around me made me panic that it was my last chance to get anything. i came home and tried everything out and most of it is going back. i feel so silly for getting caught up in all the madness!

  36. I think the whole thing was handled so poorly! I too had items taken out of my cart – BOO to them.
    My Target was so picked over but I lucked out that my husband was traveling to a remote part of Alabama which still had tons of stuff at 9pm. No blanket but I did score a tray, some mugs and cute gifts for people.
    Any word on if they're going to bring these items back?

  37. I was super excited about this line and got to my smallish town Target at 8:05 am not knowing what to expect! I soon realized that it was going to go fast and turned into a crazy woman putting one of everything into my cart to sort through later. I felt like I was in supermarket sweep as they would announce that something was put out and people would run! Anyways..I got a LOT of stuff – too much stuff and am taking a lot back. There were no throws, but I do have some cute little girl ballet flats, clothes, and paper stuff if you would like anything!

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