Consumer Complaints: JustFab and Fabletics Charges

JustFab offers customers buy one get one free with a VIP Membership, but the charges have been described as “misleading” by consumers.

There’s no doubt that the websites Just Fab and Fabletics offer stylish accessories and athletic wear. But both websites, owned by the same parent company JustFab, charge monthly subscription fees that some consumers unwittingly signed up for and find very difficult to get out of.   As the charges pile up on monthly credit card statements, unhappy consumers have been filing complaints with the Better Business Bureau and now in the UK with the Trading Standards. There’s even a JustFab Complaints Facebook group.

The Fabletics line endorsed by Kate Hudson offers a new outfit for $25.00 when you become a VIP Member of JustFab.

So how does this happen? Online shoppers are offered special discounts when they sign-up to for JustFab’s VIP membership service.  The problem is, in exchange for the discount, the consumers ends up paying a monthly fee that can be hard to cancel. Whether the consumer orders from JustFab, JustFabKids or Fabeltics (Kate Hudson is the spokesperson), their credit card is charged.   In the UK this is called ‘inertia selling’ – and it is a breach of British consumer law.

Many consumers say that they have felt that the monthly subscription fee is “not obvious.”  Once the consumer has subscribed, they have to opt out of the payment within the 1st five days of every month, in order to get out of paying the monthly charge.  This is not necessarily an easy process.   As one complaint  by Kristin to the Better Business Bureau in the US notes, “JustFab was for the most part a positive experience for me up until about 6-8 months ago. I ordered flat boots and the soles literally fell off after 3 weeks of wear. And not excessive use, just normal office wear. I have not had a problem with quality until recently but now whoever they use to make their products is making everything very cheaply. I got pants that fell apart after one wash. After calling about both of these issues (plus on other), trying to get the items exchanged or a refund, I figured out that JustFab doesn’t do refunds. When I lost my job and called to cancel my VIP membership (which hadn’t been used in 5 months anyway), I was told to skip months. I told them no, just cancel. They told me to set an alarm on my phone so I don’t forget. No, just cancel. They offered free credits. No, just cancel. They have to ask a manager for approval. They tried telling me I can’t cancel because I have credits to spend. I told them I would take the loss, JUST CANCEL. Again, on hold for an enormous amount of time. Finally they cancelled. But guess what showed up on my credit card bill this month? I had to call my bank and block JustFab from charging me…surprise, surprise, the bank tells me this is a common issue with the company.”

In the last three years in the US, the company has received 1279 complaints to the Better Business Bureau about not just the quality of their merchandise, but also about being charged the monthly fee and how difficult the company makes it for customers to cancel the monthly fees.

I haven’t bought anything from JustFab in quite awhile because of these fees.  I own several purses from JustFab , and they’ve worn well.  I also own a gift card to shop at JustFab, but I haven’t cashed it in and I let it expire, because I need the VIP membership to shop to make use of the gift card truly cost-effective. The gift card is only worth $25.00 and almost everything on the site more, unless you pay for VIP membership, then you can buy things for $39.95.

Bottom line: Buyer Beware of JustFab.  You can go to H&M or even the outlet stores like Neiman Marcus Last Call or Saks Off Fifth for better quality than you’ll find at JustFab.  And you won’t be stuck paying a monthly fee whether you shop or not!  Check out the complaints on Site Jabber about how difficult it is to even cancel a JustFab subscription, and you’ll think twice before you give your credit card to JustFab.  In 2014, JustFab ” paid $1.8 million to settle a consumer protection lawsuit alleging its popular personal shopper websites were illegally misleading customers.”