Customers report shipping delays, membership issues with popular fashion rental service Le Tote

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Many customers are issuing a warning about a popular online fashion rental service, reporting big problems from shipment delays to the inability to cancel their membership.

For about $83 a month, Brianne Miers of Easton, Northampton County, gets a rotating closet from Le Tote with four items at a time.

"I just thought it was a really fun, affordable way to get new clothing items into my wardrobe," she said.

Miers says she's been an on-and-off member since 2016.

"Over the past year, I noticed that the quality of the items has gone down substantially and the website wasn't working correctly. There were just a lot of little things," she said.

Then there were big things. Miers says while shipments used to arrive within days, they were now taking as long as four weeks. And she's been unable to put her membership on pause, cancel it, or reach customer service.

"I've tried multiple times with the chat feature," she said. "I tried calling and then the number was disconnected."

Nearly two dozen people report similar issues on a Facebook group and Le Tote has an F rating with the Better Business Bureau.

Le Tote was founded in 2012 and acquired by Lord and Taylor in 2019. In 2020, Le Tote and Lord and Taylor filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, citing the COVID-19 pandemic.

They were then bought by the investment firm Saadia Group in 2021.

The Troubleshooters tried calling the Saadia Group and Le Tote, but never got through. We also emailed the company and used their chat function, but never got a response.

However, the Troubleshooters were able to become new customers.

"You can still sign up. And that's what really is upsetting is that the website is still up, you really wouldn't know that there's these issues going on if you just went to the website as a new customer," said Miers. "It'd be great to get the word out to not sign up."

Miers is now disputing her last charge from Le Tote. She has also canceled her credit card in hopes of preventing future charges.

It appears Saadia has or had a distribution center in Lancaster but its operating status on a federal website now shows as Out of service.

If Troubleshooters do hear back from Le Tote, we will let you know.