Circa 2010 and earlier, JC Penney's Worthington collection was my go to for work clothes. Maybe the closing of the Herald Square location was a warning that things were going downhill and fast. I'd stopped going to Penney's for a while and when I returned, things were...different. Sad. The 1 and 2 star reviews here sum it up lovely.
I'd recently ordered a few things from Penney's. The quality was so poor, I returned all but one item (on the fence about whether or not to return that one as well). Went to the Queens Blvd location. Two different employees seemed not to know where I was go to to return items. I went to a cashier who told me I was supposed to go to another counter. I said, great, thanks, I'll go there. But, then she said she'd assist me because it wasn't busy. I thanked her. She then tells me she's going to put my refund on a JC Penney gift card. Offered me no other options, like, refunding the original form of payment. I said, no, I'd like my refund back on the card used to make the purchase. At first she resisted. Lied and told me I could use it anywhere (JC Penney gift cards could only be used at JC Penney's and their affiliates). I'd had the clothes less than 24 hours when I returned them. It's not like I was trying to return them after two months sans receipt. When she realized I wasn't going for the okey-doke, she told me she'd refund my credit card. I take out my card and she snaps at me. "SWIPE YOUR CARD"! I felt like Whitney Houston talking to Wendy Williams. "Who are you talking to?...", lol. But I managed to tell her, with a smile, "you don't have to be rude. I just want to make sure this is the card I used for this purchase." Then, her boss comes over, praises her, and tells her she'll be nearby if she needs help. Hmmm, okayyy. Was it my not blindly accepting a JC Penney gift card that made her feel like she had to intervene? I've purchased from Penney's, maybe, three times (including this purchase) in the past 13 years! A Penney's gift card would be useless to me. Beneficial to JC Penney as they'd get to keep my money. I'll bet their cashiers are encouraged to give refunds on gift cards so JC Penney can keep that money. They've been struggling (bankruptcy filing in 2020) and apparently still are (Sephora has left JC Penney's for Kohl's). Seems only a matter of time before this Penny's location goes out of business. I'm watching my statement like a hawk for my refund.
JC Penney's clothing is now on par with Rainbow. At least with Rainbow, you know what you're getting and paying a fair price. Do not pay $30 for $4.99 items. read more