Oleada : False Advertising & Poor Follow Up Customer Service & Resolution
I am writing to formally address the deeply disappointing experience my friends and I had at Oleada's pop-up event.
As an avid handbag collector who primarily invests in high-end brands but has recently been exploring mid-range everyday options, I was genuinely excited to support a fellow New Yorker and women-owned brand. After seeing positive discussions within my fashion communities on Reddit, Facebook, and WhatsApp, I chose to spend my day off inviting three friends to attend your event—despite freezing temperatures—because we were eager to learn more about and support your brand.
Unfortunately, the experience was nothing like what was advertised.
Logistical & Organizational Issues:
The venue was far too small for the scale of the event promoted. Attendees were informed we would receive the Emotional Baggage Mini Le Coeur pouch and a limited-edition luggage tag. At the event, influencers were reportedly invited and instructed to move to simply cut at the front of the line, rather than being given a separate media or influencer time slot. This affected the distribution of available gifts and created frustration among customers who had been waiting for hours. In addition, attendees were not asked to write down their “emotional baggage” as advertised. Overall, I found the event to be disorganized, and I did not feel the company took meaningful accountability or offered an appropriate resolution afterward.
After waiting two hours in below-twenty-degree weather, my friends understandably chose to leave. I remained to document the experience and gather more information. After three hours, a brand representative and Tiffany informed those waiting that the code would not be emailed to everyone and that attendees were free to leave—an alternative that should have been communicated much earlier. I was not admitted until four hours later.
When I finally entered, I was not given the red luggage tag displayed in advertisements but instead a tan tag resembling vachetta leather. Additionally, only iced drinks were offered despite the extreme winter conditions.
Brand Perception & Customer Experience:
This event created a very poor brand impression. It felt dismissive of the fashion enthusiasts who came out in good faith to support a women-owned New York brand. We were especially excited to see Oleada land in Nordstrom, particularly as cardholders, but this experience significantly diminished our enthusiasm.
While we did receive the $100 gift card, we were surprised and concerned by the two-week expiration stipulation. I have never encountered a gift card that expires so quickly, which creates pressure rather than appreciation. The $25 shipping fee was also unexpectedly high.
Furthermore, your website currently promotes a 20% discount, and I personally received a 20% code via email. However, the system does not allow the promotional code to be used in conjunction with the $100 gift card, displaying a message stating it “couldn’t be used with your existing discounts.” Since the site does not provide separate fields for gift cards and promotional codes, it appears to treat the gift card as a discount code. A gift card—being prepaid value—should not negate the use of a promotional offer.
**This was sent as a email to the brand months ago. A generic response lacking accountability with no resolution was sent back**