What’s Going on with eShakti: Delays, Money Back, and Alternatives PSA
What's Going on With eShakti?
I needed to write this as a PSA/warning to those who are considering a purchase from eShatki. I have recommended this online retailer for years for high-quality, size-inclusive fashion that can be customized to your specific body and needs. I originally wrote this in 2023 but in August 2024 I need to update to say do not shop eShakti and offer advice to those who need to get their money back.
For months, the comment section in this article about the problems with eShakti has shown a previously loved and reputable company crumbling and taking customers' money with it. It started with shipping delays and lower quality fabrics and manufacturing than in the past. Then customers were either unable to contact the company.
eShakti customers are without clothes and without their money, and eShakti has turned off comments on their Instagram. Now, customers cannot even complete a purchase on the eShakti site. That's a good thing because I do NOT recommend shopping from eShakti ever again.
I shopped eShakti for a decade and all my experiences were positive.
I was an eShakti fan for a decade. When iRegardingpparel eShakti offered, the quality exceeded the price, the fit was consistent, the products matched the images on the website. I ordered custom and standard sizing, modified sleeves and hemlines, and made product returns.
Since eShakti's orders are shipped from India, I understood it could take a few weeks to arrive and a few weeks for a return to be processed. However, since 2023, not only are eShakti shipments and returns extremely delayed, lost, or never processed, eShakti isn't answering the phone.
A scroll through the keyword “eShakti” on Reddit, X/Twitter, Threads, or Bluesky, and you'll find angry customers. eShakti wiped all their posts on Facebook back to 2021 and turned off comments on Instagram. eShakti used to be sold on Amazon, but now the Amazon shop is empty.
I felt the need to write this original warning about shopping eShakti after a discussion in the Wardrobe Oxygen community on Facebook about the brand disappointing many members. I realized it wasn't just me experiencing issues with eShakti.
What May Be Causing eShakti Order Issues
Issues may be due to reduced staff.
One member of the Wardrobe Oxygen Community shared that a respiratory illness was wreaking havoc on India the first half of 2023. Per The Independent, a variant ofย Covid-19 named โArcturusโ was behind a surge of infections inย India. With so many hospitalizations, suppliers and manufacturers across the county were halted. That could explain why eShakti had issues in 2023 but it doesn't explain what's going on now.
Issues could be due to the eShakti factory.
Multiple customers who reached eShakti customer service reported that the company had a flood in its factory, damaging much of its fabric. Other customers have shared that eShakti customer service informed them there was a factory fire.
I've searched but haven't found any news about fabric damage or factory issues for eShakti. However, this could also explain why some eShakti orders are being fulfilled on time and others are not.
Issues could be with the eShakti CEO, B G Krishnan
eShakti was known to send an email letter from their CEO, B G Krishnan, throughout the pandemic to keep customers informed on any delays or changes in business practices. However, he hasn't sent such an email since 2011. I found this interview with B G Krishnan from April 2023 (Medium) where he shared eShakti was still active and developing a widget to extend the sales of the company. Krishnan was always active on LinkedIn, but now his profile is deleted. A new profile with his name and title was created, but hasn't been updated.
Speaking of LinkedIn, I went on a deep dive into the profiles of those who said they worked for the company. From creative managers to designers to customer service representatives, all of their profiles say they still work at eShakti and have no new positions (though some have the “open to work” message on their profiles).
An anonymous ex eShakti employee says the company owes millions and the CEO is in hiding.
On August 3, 2024, an anonymous previous eShakti employee left a comment here on Wardrobe Oxygen. It is below in the comments but sharing here as well:
I posted a comment here a few months back giving real updates about eshakti. I used to work for them. Hereโs the latest: E-shakti has officially shut down. None of the factories that used to manufacture for them have made a single garment in the last month.
E shakti owes close to 5 million dollars to its vendors and employees. The owner has been in hiding for well over 10 months. The website is still active so that you all can place orders and the owner gets the money which he has been siphoning from the company for a long time. 2 days ago the owner ( b g krishnan) sent his trusted ex ceo and partner in crime in the middle of the night to lock up their offices. No one was notified about this. All the current employees were seen standing outside the closed offices.
All the factories that worked for them are left without work and obviously no pay.
Many of the vendors and employees have already filed suit against eshakti and B G Krishnan. PLEASE DO NOT ORDER from eshakti as the company doesnโt exist anymore. The website is only there to scam you out of your money. Sitting in india we canโt do much in the US. But you can.Again DO NOT ORDER unless you want to lose money. All the orders that you guys never received or are waiting for, itโs not coming. Get your money back while you can. There is no customer support as there are no employees. Hope you find this helpful and share it as much as you can.
How to Get Your Money Back from eShakti
I am past hoping eShakti will turn around and return to being the apparel company we all knew, trusted, and loved. Now it's about getting back the money we spent believing we'd get our orders.
If you placed an order within the past 60 days, you should be able to do a chargeback with your credit card company or PayPal. I also recommend placing a complaint with the FTC. The Better Business Bureau will take your complaint, but cannot do anything to get your money back or shut down the site, but the FTC can get involved with fraud, which this, I believe, is.
If you have any other suggestions on how to get your money back from eShakti, please share in the comments below.
Custom Clothing Alternatives to eShakti?
The biggest question I get after folks hear eShakti is no more is where can one shop for similar? To have such a beautiful size range, style range, and customizations is incredibly rare and so very important as the majority of retail does not fit the majority of women.
The closest I have found for a store like eShakti is Sumissura, which I had always known for custom suiting but now has a range of dresses, pants, jeans, blouses, and even outerwear. You won't find the beautiful prints and quirky silhouettes of eShakti, but everything at Sumissura is made to measure. I have yet to order from Sumissura and do not know its quality or customer service. If you have tried Sumissura, please share your experience in the comments below!
Other shops I have heard of that offer customized clothing are:
- SeamsFriendly
- Kit
- Not Perfect Linen
- balodona
- TurnBlack
- Hearts and Found
- Thief & Bandit
- Rita Phil (skirts)
- LadyMayraClothing on Etsy
- HeartMyCloset on Etsy
- TheLABERA on Etsy
- Indochino (suits)
- SuitKits (suits, but planning to extend into other apparel)
Again, if you have tried any of these custom clothing for women sites, please share your experiences below!
I Will Continue to Update this eShakti PSA
I originally wrote this in April 2023 but continue to update because the issues with eShakti continue. While some customers received their orders without issue, it does appear that eShakti is no longer and we must all warn others to no longer shop there and do what they can to get their money back from recent orders that went through.
If you have had recent issues with eShakti, feel free to share them in the comments. Also, if you have resolved recent issues with what's going on with eShakti, share your methods for success in the comments. I am so glad that this article and its comments has been a resource and will continue to update as I get more information.
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Is eShakti making a comeback?
I don’t trust them. There are still hundreds who never got their orders, never got refunds, and if they received product it was in poor condition and cheap fabric. I’ll believe it when I see it.
I ordered March of last year and I still have not received my products. I just came across this article today and I have reported it to the FTC. Hopefully I can get my money back.
Just checked the companyโs website; doesnโt look like orders can be placed, which is good, because I never recโd the 5 items ordered last March.
Such a shame; the company was good for a long time.
Thank you so much for this article, I was really confused what was happening. I have almost $50 in store credit with them. Does anyone know
way to file that as a fraud claim or what the Better Business Bureau basically way to get that money back? Iโm probably SOL but just in case.
I purchase three dresses on April 3/24. Was comunicating with e-Shakti up to June29/24 then everything went dark. I live in Canada, can you help me get my refund PLEASE. I love their clothes. now help me find nice clothes that fit my large frame.
My original purchases were also in April 2024, and I had the same experience…a few replies, then radio silence. I just got rejected by Discover for a reversal of charges since it’s been so long. We’re probably all out of luck on getting a refund unless someone starts a class-action suit. But more than anything I hope the poor employees get paid. They’ve lost a lot more than any of us ๐
I have discover too and I was able to get a reversal; I showed them all the proof I had regarding attempts to resolve the issue (emails sent on my part, the fact that their phone number now says disconnected, etc)
You should try again!
I am so happy I found this post. I had a credit for returned items and a $25 gift certificate pending. I finally decided I might as well use my credit and gift card before the end of the year. I found something to order and then went to my account. The credit and my gift card were both gone. I tried to call the company – the phone number is not in service. Thankfully, upon googling, I found this post. While I have lost my credit and gift card, at least I am not out more money by placing an order today.
Thanks for posting and updating this. I was thinking about placing an order, but noticed I hadn’t received any advertising since May 2023. That sent me looking for why that may be, which lead me here. Going to have to look into the alternatives.
Same thing happened to me. I ordered in May 2024. I followed up the end of June 2024 and was told that fabric wasn’t up to their standard. I kept an email thread going and they communicated intermittently. I did ask if the dress would arrive by the August 2024 wedding and they said it was doubtful. Now no answer on 800 #, no reply to emails. I put a dispute in with my CC company (Chase) and just received notice that Eshakti refuses to refund because it’s been too long. So I am out $254. I don’t know who I am more made it Chase or the Eshakti.
Just had the same experience with Discover. They “cannot verify the claim” with eShakti (big surprise) so consider it a valid charge. Granted it’s been almost 8 months since my original purchase…none of us could have known within the required 180 days what was happening.
Wait… Isn’t there proof of it never arriving? Did the package have tracking? I mean usually this is one way to verify it never came
Me too!!!! I ordered a dress for my sonโs May wedding in March 2024 and it just wouldnโt ship. I contacted eShakti and was told there was a problem with the fabric. They agreed to cancel my order but I never received a refund. Iโve emailed, called, messaged their websiteโฆ nothing. Luckily I found a replacement dress on Amazon and got it just in time. It fit but dang am I mad about the money that was basically stolen from me.
please do not order fro eshakti as the company doesnt exist anymore
Report to the BBB! I have been waiting for 3 tops (cost 152) since April. When I called and asked the rep told me that there were quality issues and the items had to be remade. That was months ago. Now the phone is disconnected and emails go unanswered.
The last order I placed was in November of 2023. The delivery date of November 23 came and went, and I got no reply to messages. This is when I first came across your article and learned there were serious issues coming up with the company. I waited a few more weeks, tried another message which also got no reply, and resigned myself to losing that money. Especially disappointing since it was supposed to be a birthday present, and I, like everyone else, had had really good experiences with them before. Around March or May of 2024, my order FINALLY arrived. No note, no explanation, no tracking, no announcement, and with my order status online still showing it as being in quality check. The fabric feels cheap, it fits weird, AND it is dry clean only. 98% a disappointing experience. 2% ok in the sense that it arrived at all. I appreciate and empathize with the employees who did what they could to keep working on stuff and getting it out even while things were crumbling around them. I hope they find somewhere better that lasts longer. But absolutely do not place new orders with eShakti. It is still operational in terms of being able to collect money, but apparently not in the sense that anyone is there to actually produce orders, or even to just turn off the payment portion of the site.
I placed an order with eShakti back in the spring of 2024. I noticed there was no movement on the order so I reached out to them. They told me the fabric they received was not up to their standards and are waiting for a new delivery. I have been trying to contact their customer service all summer, it’s now October and they are not responding. I have requested a refund but I doubt that will come. It’s too bad. I have order a few things over the years and have really liked the pieces.
So sorry to hear about the frustrating experience…this is actually criminal.
I wanted to shoutout a clothing brand called “Pana Mina” which also provides custom sizes and lengths, as an alternative. I’ve gotten some beautiful custom dresses from them. (www.panamina.com)
My experience with eShakti is very similar to the experiences of contributors to this website … annoying, frustrating and stressful, and I totally empathize with all of you. In February of 2023, I ordered 3 dresses for the weddings of 2 of my 3 sons. They didn’t arrive in the time promised, but after unanswered calls and some emails that were occasionally responded to, I did receive all 3 dresses right before the first of the two weddings back in May of 2023. Apparently a glutton for punishment, when my 3rd son announced his wedding date, I ordered from eShakti again, thinking ordering in April for an October wedding would be plenty of time. I felt so pretty and received so many compliments on the 3 dresses, and I wanted this for the next wedding as well. When the dress didn’t arrive when promised, I started making calls and sending emails and continued doing this throughout the spring. I never got a call back, but did get an occasional reply to my emails, with fabric issues being the reason for the delay. I stumbled on this website this summer and became increasingly concerned, but hung in until August when I finally realized I was not going to have a dress. On a whim, I googled eShakti Wayward Fancies and so many dresses came up on eBay!! To my amazement, 3 of the dress I wanted came up! Two out of 3 had the neckline I had ordered, were floor length and one had the long sleeves I wanted (for a Maine wedding in October!). I ordered the 2 for $12 and $16, and when they arrived, both were way too large. I took them to a seamstress, and she took in the smaller one and moved the long sleeves from the other one to the altered one! I had my dress!! And to make things even better, I called my credit card company and even though it had been months since the eShakti dress had been paid for, they got back my $70!! If anyone is in the position of having ordered and paid for a dress that was never received, try eBay and call your credit card company. I’m hoping it works for you too!
I ordered a dress during 3/2024. By 5/2024, I still hadn’t received it or had contact and needed the dress by the end of 6/2024. I read these kind of comments and started pestering the company by phone, internal messaging, and BBB. Finally, I received the dress at the end of 6/2024.
I need another dress by 7/2026 so started looking around and naturally returned to Eshakti. Tried to order and receive a response of technical difficulties and sent an internal message then searched and saw this post. I really like the fabric, ombre Navy to Purple, and would like to find it. Is anyone able to assist me with this? I’m trying to post a picture of the dress and fabric.
Thank you
https://img1.eshakti.com/clothimages/CL0100980MP.jpg
I experience the same as many. Ordered a dress in May, followed up in June and July. They said there were fabric delays. I cancelled the order at the end of July, they said I should receive a refund and then no response since July. I have tried to follow-up 5 times. I will be filing fraud with my credit card company.
It’s so sad I have a ton of beautiful clothes from them. I was looking forward to the dress so much. ๐
I’m glad I found this article. I ordered on the eshakti website in July, there was no progress on my order. I emailed them twice and no response. Finally I tried to call today and the customer service number is not working. I noticed you can’t place an order on the website anymore. At least I know now! I reported it to FCC and am contacting my credit card to dispute charge. So disappointing! I got a few dresses in the past that were great.
Wow, I read your article back in ’23 and was glad to see this update… I was wondering what happened to my favorite shopping location for YEARS and so thankful for your information and research. Sad………
I purchased at 30 dresses from them over the years and never had a problem until COVID hit. I don’t know if that had anything to do with it and people just didn’t want to go back to work or something else. The last time I purchased and couldn’t reach anyone via phone or emai, I had to file a claim through my credit card company to get my money back. I really love their dresses and the fit was always perfect. So sad they have gone under. You are taking a chance if you purchase any thing from them.
So glad I read this but alas too late for me. I have bought at least 3 items from them every year for over 10 years. I have recommended them to so many people and feel really bad about it now. I ordered in February 2024 and in May I emailed them chasing it up. They said it was a fabric issue and to please be patient. After another 2 months I emailed again to the same reply. No time frame was mentioned so I replied to ask when that might be and got no response. My order has ‘disappeared’ from my order history and when I finally gave up and contacted PayPal and they rejected my refund because eShakti took so long with the replies and then lack of replies that the refund period has passed. I feel somewhat sabotaged because I was 3 weeks too late for refund from PayPal.
This sounds all too familiar!
My last correspondence was “fabric issues.” Too late for any refund.
I’m glad I read this article, because i was getting crazy and so confused about what is happening with this company. I’m still waiting for my merchandise since May 5th the I placed my order. I called and also sent multiple messages. Not even one response from them yet .
This is exactly what happened to me. I gave them the benefit of the doubt because there had never been any issue with my orders before and now it’s too late to dispute the charge.
Really? I was in a similar situation with them and Paypal refunded me instantly.
I appreciate this article and all of you sharing your the story. I suspected issues and was no longer getting a response, at least no more “fabric issues”. This post is to advise anyone who used Paypal for purchase. They are honoring refunds even if you placed your order over 60 days ago, I use the PayPal app so it took 1 minute to report based on my Paypal history of the order. PayPal is the hero for my scenario and I wanted to make sure you were all aware as we expect delivery weeks after we placed our orders given it came from India and needed to go thru customs.
Thanks so much for suggesting this. I just spent less than 15 minutes on the PayPal resolution site entering my information. As soon as I hit submit, I got a notice. they were going to credit my card. I wouldโve never thought to do this without your suggestion. Thank you!
I ordered different dresses in March….I wrote a lot of emails, if they please could send me at least one order, which I offered to pay for the shipping costs again, but no reply. On 24th July they send me an email that my order will be finished in a few days….but nothing. I was happy that I paid for all my orders with PayPal, I think I will get my money back
Now I have ordered 4 dresses by Seamsfriendly. And I am very satisfied, fit and size are perfect. But the rage of choice of fabrics is much smaller. For me it’s a good alternative. I still hope eShakti will make a comeback.
I ordered in May (after several previous orders which I was very happy with). I have had some updates to messages on the “Contact Us” but nothing recently and now I don’t know how to go about getting a refund as it does sound like the dress will never arrive. I’m in the UK, any ideas? I had thought I was being really organised as the dress is for a wedding I’m attending next year, at this rate…who knows what I’ll find to wear!
I’ve had good luck with customizations from NorBlack NorWhite. They are also located in India, and have a much smaller selection than eShakti. But I have 2 super cute dresses from that that I get a lot of wear from, very high quality. They offer customizations up to 6 inches for free, and can go higher than that for a fee. I was pleased with their customer service as well.
I too had fairly good experiences with eShakti, late to the party and having placed my first order in about September of 2022. Over the past year, orders have taken months to arrive. On August 29, I suspected something when I went to the website after some weeks away, and after logging in, noticed that there was no usual percentage off to greet me. (The live customer service rep had explained to me in 2023 that if you buy more dresses you would get a better percentage off future orders.) And then I noticed my store credit and gift card had gone missing. And then I called…just a message saying the number is temporarily unavailable. I have one outstanding order from March 2024 that I will likely never see. It’s too bad. This was a dream come true idea, and I am sad for the extremely talented tailors who worked for them, as well as every customer in the same boat. I have not tried any of the suggested websites.
2 orders I’ve been waiting for since February. I’ll never receive my orders or money back. Been a customer for over a decade.
Iโve been following the Eshakti drama since I never received my dress from March 2024 and never received a refund. Iโve ordered 8 or so dresses from them the last three years. Their website now (September 3) says – Online retailers and physical stores can write to us to represent our fashion and customization to their customers either by stock-and-sell or drop-ship. Write to [email protected]
Interestingโฆ
Earlier today (Aug 28 2024) the COO Ashish Pradhan had an active LinkedIn profile. Now it’s gone. Seems like the whole C Suite is absconding
Never mind – his page is still on LinkedIn. It’s just not coming up in any results for a search on “eshakti”
The Chief Design Officer looks to have departed in March 2024: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carmella-heverin-1798152b5/
I have always been satisfied with the quality of their apparels and thankfully has some pretty nice pieces. I have noticed in the last year it has been taking longer and longer to receive my orders. My current order has been standing since June 2024, and fully paid for. I noticed last week that you cannot even place an order with them now, and no one is responding to phone calls or emails. Thank you for bringing this information to the forefront.
I ordered from EShakti in July. I got a confirmation email with a 4-6 week delivery date. Then nothing. At least I didn’t get charged for anything. Their website today says they’re looking for wholesale orders.
Wow, I had no idea. I purchased a lot of dresses from them a while ago and always had great quality and they were quick. I had a similar issue after I placed an order on 6/22. I then made many attempts to cancel the order and finally got an email to let me know I’d receive another email with instructions on how to get my refund. I was going to follow up again with them since I still haven’t heard from them and found this article. I have reported them to the FTC and my credit card company was awesome and will be refunding my money.
Same! I ordered in June and it was in the same step since then. I sent an email for cancellation and refund on 08.16.24 with no response, which was unusual, I decided to do a web search on them and here I am. I just did a request for refund with Paypal, so at least I have that recourse. They were a GREAT run. Shooed with them for 10 years and always loved my orders. Too bad for us and them. We understand business challenges with scale and the like, but thisโฆ.
Hi,
Same here. I have ordered and paid for 3 dresses on May 18, 2024 by luck they sent me 2 dresses within two weeks and I’m still waiting for the third dress.
Today (August 29, 2024) I tried to order something from them and it will not allow anyone to order. It’s weird. Something is definitely fishy. I really like them as I have bought their clothes since 2021 and it was a godsend as I’m 6’2″ and plus size and their clothes always were made to fit. I’m just disappointed with them not treating us with respect and our money.
So I just ordered from them in Feb, didn’t get the dress until June. It wasn’t sized correctly so I returned it, and I actually got an email from customer service in July about the return. I didn’t realize all this was going on with them, so I just had them give me store credit. I checked a few weeks ago, and my refund had been credited, but I went to look today and it’s gone from my account! Gonna have to file a fraud claim.
I just did a resolution dispute with PayPal. They immediately resolved my dispute, closed my case and are refunding my charge. The fact that it happened immediately tells me that PayPal is aware and has placed a tickler in their dispute system to automatically resolve cases with eShakti without investigation. So if anyone used PayPal, it should be easy to dispute your charge
I ordered three skirts and two dresses on March 25. Long story short, have called and left messages, and have sent at least 10 messages (emails and through their site), requesting cancellation and refund; no response. Starting paperwork with our Attorney General, but will also, as recommended, contact the FTC. So sadโฆand outrageous.
Awaiting paperwork from Attorney General (KY), and just submitted fraud claim to the FTC. Also, gave all info to our credit card company.
I would advise everyone to take these actions, as well.
Same thing happened to me. Ordered in March and never received. Sent multiple emails and called (disconnected) phone number. Money gone:(. I really loved what I ordered and hoped to receive.
I just did the same on an order I placed in March; and had the same experience with Paypal. $$ is already showing pending back to my bank account.
I got an instant resolution from PayPal, too. Really would recommend everybody try it.
Wasn’t aware of all the issues – been ordering for the past 5 years or so without any issues. Went to go order this past Friday (8/16) and the entire ordering system is down. Seems like everything has come to a head.
Thank you for this update. I got a similar reply (only after I inquired) about an order I placed in May. A quality issue with the fabric. I’m chatting with my bank right now about disputing the charge, as I think that’s the only way I’ll get my money back. So disappointing, as I placed an order in December and got really good quality pieces in a reasonable time-frame. It’s a shame to see it all go down so fast.
Thank you so much for letting us know about eShakti’s decline. Really too bad.
This is sad, but it’s also a cautionary tale, in that these issues — and the exact same canned company responses re fabric, fire, illness, shipping — have been going on for at least 3 years. I received money back through my credit card’s complaints process, after months of useless eShakti customer service emails — in 2022. Today, in 2024, the exact same scam continues, with a new set of customers. I’m glad you updated your piece and hope many come to your post via internet searches as to what’s going on with eShakti.
For expensive, high quality, handmade clothing suitable for weddings or other special occasions, I like Shibumi. It’s based in the UK and India, its fabrics are gorgeous, and the owner is the designer. I purchased an embroidered raw silk jacket for a wedding and could not be more pleased. At the website, be sure to find the photos of Princess Anne in Shibumi jackets — she’s a fan. ๐
I wish I had seen this article earlier. I’m surprised I’m stilling getting emails from this company about sales. I ordered two dressed on May 13 of this year (2024). Of course it is now August. It’s been three months and the dresses still say they are in the kit and fabric part of the whole deal. I’ve messaged them twice with no response. I just want my money back but I see no way to cancel the order.
You need to do it through your credit/debit card or PayPal. They will never answer.
Thatโs the only way I got anything back.
I ordered mine in May 2024. I received communication regarding delay due to faulty fabric and then I requested for the order to be cancelled and my money refunded. They actioned the cancellation but my money hasnโt been refunded. Iโm so annoyed. Itโs nearly $800. I have emailed them several times but no response. ๐
The exact same happened with me in May 2024 with them. Same email. Iโm out $117. Because Iโm past the 60 days for my bank.
I wish I had known earlier! I’m sick at heart over the fact that they’ve shut down. I’ve been ordering the majority of my clothing from Eshakti for many years and have been so happy with the quality and the styles. I’m also a plus size woman and hard to fit so this company was a godsend. I’ve been waiting for the last dress I ordered from them in February. They advised me that there had been a problem with the fabric but the matter was going to be fixed soon. Obviously they lied. I’m so sorry that this has happened to so many people. Ironically Eshakti had had the best customer service! That’s no more, I suppose. I’m so sick at heart.
I am in the same boat. I ordered May 17th.
Can anyone suggest a company that offers similar products/customizations? I really wanted dresses from eshakti for a wedding and canโt find anything else I like
And thank you so much to everyone who posted about their experience. As of August 2024, the website is still active but when you get to payment, there is a statement saying they are unable to process. Thanks goodness because I would have lost my money too! That message is what prompted me to look into possible issues and I stumbled upon this blog and comments. Thank you!!
I ordered three pieces from eShakti in February and never received them. I was willing to give them a lot of leeway because my orders in the past had mostly been fulfilled without hiccups, and the clothing fit me beautifully. Even though there were a couple of occasions where they missed the delivery window, it was never more than a few weeks. Two months after placing the order, I emailed eShakti for an update. Took them weeks to reply with the boilerplate fabric quality issues but they claimed two of the items were nearly finished and would ship soon. They never did. A subsequent email and complaint with the BBB went nowhere. Always the same apology with assurances that the order would ship soon. I finally filed a dispute with PayPal, escalated it after 15 days when eShakti didn’t respond and this morning finally heard from PayPal that I would be getting a refund due to nonresponse from the seller. Long story short: PayPal has a 6-month window for disputing purchases, get yours in before the deadline. If you paid by credit card, check with your card issuer to see what their terms are. It’s the only way you’ll be made whole.
Hello,
I posted a comment here a few months back giving real updates about eshakti. I used to work for them.
Hereโs the latest:
E-shakti has officially shut down. None of the factories that used to manufacture for them have made a single garment in the last month.
E shakti owes close to 5 million dollars to its vendors and employees.
The owner has been in hiding for well over 10 months.
The website is still active so that you all can place orders and the owner gets the money which he has been siphoning from the company for a long time.
2 days ago the owner ( b g krishnan) sent his trusted ex ceo and partner in crime in the middle of the night to lock up their offices.
No one was notified about this.
All the current employees were seen standing outside the closed offices.
All the factories that worked for them are left without work and obviously no pay.
Many of the vendors and employees have already filed suit against eshakti and B G Krishnan.
PLEASE DO NOT ORDER from eshakti as the company doesnโt exist anymore.
The website is only there to scam you out of your money.
Sitting in india we canโt do much in the US. But you can.
Again DO NOT ORDER unless you want to lose money.
All the orders that you guys never received or are waiting for, itโs not coming. Get your money back while you can.
There is no customer support as there are no employees.
Hope you find this helpful and share it as much as you can
I wish I had seen these posts before I ordered a dress from them on 6/15. The website finally shows that production is finished but they havenโt shipped it yet. Calls to customer service (which I believe is based here in the U.S.) go unanswered. Same with emails. I have ordered from them in the past and was always satisfied with my purchases.
If what you say about them closing down is true, I guess my only recourse is to file a claim with my bank for goods not received. The only problem is that I used an โin-storeโ credit for part of the cost, and I guess I can kiss that amount goodbye.
Wow I’m surprised your order even showed up as production finished. I also ordered on 6/15 and none of mine ever moved out of โFabric and kit creationโ. All of my emails and Contact Us forms also went unanswered. I just placed a dispute with my bank today, I suggest you do the same especially if this comment is true, which frankly, based on all of the complaints I’ve seen from this year, I believe it. Check out all of the additional complaints on their BBB page. Iโve been a customer for over a decade but sadly theyโre no longer reputable and clearly stealing money.
Hello, thank you so much for updating. Is there anywhere we can go for legit news about this mess? Everything I can find online is all still “B G Krishnan is a business god!”
Also, where do we go, now for the cuteness to which we are all addicted? For instance, what, if anything, do you know about Indophilia, which appears to have a similar business model? Is it an okay company? Or just another rapacious, sweatshop-enabling scammy moneysink? I emailed them and they responded immediately with a clearly human-authored message, which is a very good sign, but I’m still gun shy after the last couple of years watching the tragic trashfire that was Eshakti.
I have been getting a lot of dresses from Svahausa.com. They have a lot of similarities to the kind of dresses I liked from eShakti (all-cotton knits, plus sizes, consistent sizing, POCKETS), but without the customization options. Svaha has very nice STEAM-themed (science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math) fabric designs. They’re not as fashion-forward as eShakti was, but I’m happy with all the items I’ve purchased there. And what I purchase actually arrives promptly!
For a while they would not let you order merchandise. Now you can, the website is operating. Does that mean their problems are solved?
I just tried to make an order with them as a test, and I am not able to enter any billing and shipping info at checkout.
Thank you for telling us! I placed an order in March that never arrived, and I thought it was fishy but was giving them the benefit of the doubt because some previous orders were just a bit delayed. Is there anything we can do to support workers like yourself who have lost their jobs? Were the factories you mentioned only producing clothes for eshakti, or are other companies contracted with them?
Thank you for the information. I too have been a very happy customer over many years because I like being able to customize length, sleeve and necklines, not to mention size. Ant the designs, manufacturing and fabrics have been wonderful. As you have experiences, my last order, placed at the end of 2023 was a nightmare. I finally got a couple of pieces and cancellation of the remainder of my order with refund, but it too pulling teeth, so to speak.
Now that eShakti appears to be out of business, where can we go for something similar? Flexile sizing, longer lengths, modest but not high necklines, etc? Any ideas please ladies?
I placed an order in March 2024. It was delayed a a delayed. Since the event came and went I requested the order be canceled and asked for a refund. Since then their โcustomer championโ has said about 5 times when they finally respond that the return will be processed and I will get an email confirming the the refund this has never happened.
I am so sorry this has happened to so many people. I pray someone swoops in and buys the company to return it to its former quality.
Thank you for letting us know this. I am so bummed about this since eShakti truly filled a niche in the market that no other company has. I’ve been their customer since 2014 or 2015. Hopefully someone will buy the company and continue the business model, but until then I will not be doing business with eShakti.
I placed an order in March 2024. After a month with no action on the order, I cancelled the order. They have been promising a refund since July 2024. Still no refund as of today. So sad that I am out $195.00 after ordering so many beautiful dresses from them over the years.
I wish they had stopped taking orders and payments when they realized they were in over their heads. What a shameful to treat loyal clients.
I ordered eshakti in May 2024. I sent an inquiry in June and i received a response that the Fabric is back order. Since then no change in order.
It appears like the reason a popular response..why is eShakti advertising if fabric are in back order ? Summer is almost ending and my order is not in sight.
Extremely disappointed and frustrating after being their loyal customer for years !
Saaaame. Ordered in May. Sent two emails in July fnd finally got a generic response about another 8 weeks! I’m trying to get a refund but no one will respond.
I have 3 orders for a total of 5 dresses dating back to March 25, March 10 and February 27. All of the garments are in the Fabric and Kit Creation stage, except on that is in Packing and Shipping. And has been for weeks. I just called them for the 3rd time with no call back. This is after 2 emails with the same delayed response about inferior fabric. As I was composing a 3rd email, a response came into my June 7 email. It stated that I should cancel my orders for the 4 garments as there is no fabric. No reason why there isn’t. I replied that they could cancel and asked if the completed one would now ship? I also asked how the refund would be issued as I don’t want just Eshakti credit, I still have some…I also asked why the garments I ordered are still available for sale, if there is no fabric and no date as to when that fabric will be available?
I guess I’ll just hope the one still arrives and that I get some kind of credit and they get their act together in the near future.
I’m really sad, I have only shopped there for years and loved the product.
Like others, I’m also glad to read that I am not the only one who has not gotten their items. Though, it is frustrating that this is such a large and long standing issue with the company. I as well have been an eShakti customer for years. I made an order 1/31/24 for a couple of dresses, jeans, and a top. After several inquiries over the last few months, the repeated excuse has been issues with fabric. I even reached out once because my order wasn’t even showing up on my account only for them to tell me that two of my items were completed- even though they never sent them out, which they would do in the past. Finally, I decided to just get the refund. I will check with my credit card if eShakti doesn’t send my refund in an adequate time. If they delay, I will do what others do, file a report with BBB.
Iโve had the same experience. Ordered two dresses in May, sent an email inquiring about them when they didnโt ship after seven weeks and werenโt even out of the processing stage. I got an email back 12 days later saying that there was an issue with material. I asked him to cancel the order and they claim they were going to refund my original method of payment, but I have yet to see the refund and itโs been five days.
Sigh. I’m glad this post is here, and that people continue to find it. I originally found it in late April after I went looking to see if others had had similar problems. (At the time, I hadn’t even been waiting that long–I placed an order in late March–but their website had shown the same status for the order the entire time, and I was nervous. I had ordered the dress for an important family event in mid-June. Long story short: it’s mid-July now, and I never received it. I did manage to get two nearly identical emails from them about “fabric quality,” promising a “shipping estimate,” in late May and mid-June.)
I’m another decade-plus eshakti customer, and a former enthusiastic recommender of the company. At this point, I honestly hope they get shut down soon so that they (whoever “they” are at this point) can’t keep scamming customers. I’m looking into reporting options (beyond credit card fraud claims and the BBB).
It’s tragic (given how very special they were) and infuriating. I’m sitting here in my very favorite dress, a cotton sundress I ordered from them some six or seven years ago. Ugh!
I am so relieved I came across this post. Like everyone else here, my favorite wardrobe pieces are those from Eshakti. I ordered two dresses on June 24. Although the “Production was done”, they hadn’t been shipped out even after a few days. I, too, emailed and called several times with no response. Finally, I received a response stating that the fabric was “backordered” and the order could take another 4-6 weeks. How could the production be DONE if the fabric was on backorder??? I asked for a refund and received a response that the refund transaction details will be emailed to me within the next 10 business days. Let’s see…
I appreciate the information and comments. I am also a decade-long customer and am so disappointed that eshakti is not providing the same reliable service and quality dresses. My last order was in Jan-24 for 3 dresses. After several emails 2 dresses arrived in May-24 and I cancelled the 3rd dress because they were waiting for the fabric which never came. I have been chasing a refund or credit for 10 weeks now but my 7 or 8 reminder emails have gone unanswered . I might give up. And sadly stop shopping from eshakti and recommending them to others.
I made my first order from them in early May. It’s July 14 and I still haven’t gotten my order, nor do they respond to my emails!
Thanks, everyone, I feel not so alone and duped!
I had been an extremely happy customer for almost 10 years and had referred many friends, relations, and people on the street to them.
I placed an order of 8 items in January of 2024. On 12 February, I received an email stating that two items were shipping and that the remaining items would be shipped soon. On 15 February, I received an email stating that the two shipped items had been delivered on 14 February and that the 6 remaining items would be shipped soon. Of those two items, one was delivered 14 February, but the second was not received until Feb. 20. Also on 15 February, I received a separate email with an apology for the order backlog and a $25.00 gift certificate. I remained patient.
On 10 April, I received an email stating that “the fulfillment center has shipped the following items from your order #1995632 on 4/9/2024… The remaining 3 item(s) will be shipped soon and weโll keep you posted!”
I remained patient.
On 23 April, I received a message stating that “3 items were being shipped ” (and which were received sporadically and individually during the next month) and that: “The remaining 3 item(s) will be shipped soon and weโll keep you posted!” These items show on the website as having been delivered; however, they were not. The last contact that I received from the company was this email.
Since April 23, even after calling, emailing, and even messaging the CEO (B.G. Krishnan on LinkedInโbefore he changed his profile to “LinkedInMember”)โ, I have yet to hear anything regarding these remaining three items ordered seven months ago! I continue to receive advertisements from eShakti, and I would love to order more; but, I am afraid to as I cannot get any response from the company nor have I received the items that I had ordered in January of 2024.
I do not understand why this order has now been open for seven months nor why customer service has not responded to emails or to phone calls when the service previously was so wonderfully responsive.
I’m sadly now reporting eShakti as a fraudulent company to the Better Business Bureau, to the United States Federal Trade Commission, and to my credit card company with whom I am disputing the remaining charge.
I will update with the resolution if there is any. I am so disappointed. I loved eShakti and would be patient if there was any communication at all. Over half of my closet is eShakti; I’m not sure where to shop now.
I have ordered more than 200 dresses from eShakti, and until recently, I have been happy with customer service. I placed two orders of four items in mid-February and am still struggling to get any information on them. I see that one dress was completed months ago but still hasn’t been sent out, and the other three items haven’t been started yet. Finally, after more than a dozen phone calls leaving detailed messages and at least a dozen emails or help desk tickets from their chat, I was able to cancel the three items on June 25. It is now July 12, and I still have no idea where my refund is or if my other completed dress will be sent out. I am so frustrated that I am contemplating not using eShakti again.
Contact your bank! I was told Iโd get a refund in 15 days; it never arrived. My credit card company refunded my money.
Incredibly disappointed as this was my go-to company for years!
I have had the same issues as many commenting. A “delay in fabric” after waiting eight weeks for my order. I finally received a credit to my card for the full amount after three months of harassing them. I emailed their customer service and billing each week and filed a report with the BBB. Keep on them and make threats!
Same story as others, didn’t receive my items after months allegedly due to fabric issues; I finally had to file a BBB complaint requesting a refund. To my shock, eShakti’s second reply after promising to send the items (I no longer want them) was to lie and state the items had been delivered. They have not. Their own website shows the items haven’t even been made yet, and there is no tracking information or evidence to support they were shipped. So now it’s not just ineptitude and silence, it’s malicious lies to keep my money. So disappointing to see a brand I loved do this.
Although finding this page makes me feel a little better that Iam not alone experiencing the same stuff. Order has been placed in May and no progress or no communication. Nobody answers the phone and a silly reply to emails stating to cancel the order come after 2 weeks. So Disappointed in them.
I don’t want to cancel the order, since it will just sit in there as a credit.
I just wanted to thank you for this post and to add to the evidence for anyone who is looking for recent information.
I have been a loyal customer of eShakti for about 10 years. I’ve purchased MANY dresses from them and have always generally been very happy with their speed, communication, and quality.
Sadly, I placed an order on April 1st, 2024 for 3 dresses, and things did not go as they had in the past.
By mid May, I had heard nothing about my order, so I reached out asking for an update. They said they had received low quality fabric from their supplier and had asked for a replacement, that they were getting more fabric soon.
In mid-June, not having received any updates, I reached back out. Again, they replied they had another issue with the fabric supplier and would get the dresses made as soon as they could.
Both times I reached out, it took a week to receive a response.
On July 1st, I was at an event and someone mentioned eShakti and how terrible the company had become in the past year or so. She mentioned having to go the Better Business Bureau in order to get a refund on an order they never fulfilled.
Understandably, I became very nervous about my order, so I checked the status and absolutely NO change or update. Essentially, from April 1st to July 1st, nothing had happened and the company was in no way keeping me in the loop.
I asked them to cancel my order and asked for a full refund. It took them several days, but they emailed me today saying they had issued the refund and it should be to my bank in 5-7 days.
I will post an update once I see the money (if I see it) so folks know what my full experience is.
I am also considering filing a complaint with the BBB so that there is an official record of my experience. It’s sad, and it’s unacceptable that they are taking people’s money and then not providing the product they promised to provide.
Hi, just wanted to let you know that I had almost the same experience you described, only my order was placed in February 2024. After a bunch of back and forth emails with Eshakti saying that there was a fabric supply issue, I cancelled the order. I then received the same email from them saying a credit will be issued within 5-7 days. That was on June 6th, 2024. Today, July 10, 2024, I filed a dispute of the Eshakti charge with my credit card company and will let them handle it from here.
***UPDATE*** I had added to the many posts about the problems with receiving my orders from eShakti, and wanted to give an update on an order that I had placed on March 7, 2024!!! It was delivered by on Thursday, June 27, 2024!!! I had received an email on June 13, 2024 saying that my order was being processed for shipment. There was no tracking number, but when I logged into the eShakti website, the status had moved from the initial ‘fabric stitching’ phase to “Shipment”. This was the first time that the order had moved through the system. It was a “Custom” order and by total surprise, it fit perfectly and was packaged just like old times… With that said…. I have another order that I placed on March 17, 2024, that order status has not changed at all, so… not sure if/when I will receive it… But… just wanted to let everyone know that there was at least some “movement” on the orders…. Maybe they are trying to get their business together again?????
Cindy Abernethy Ditto. Placed an order for 2 dresses on 4/30/24, and after 5 weeks of no progress I started reaching out since it was after the allotted delivery time. My most recent previous order was this past November, and I love everything I got from them in the past. But after no responses and coming across other recent negative experiences, I got extremely worried. I paid through Afterpay and filed a dispute, and I just received confirmation that a full refund will be processed after they didnโt hear any response from the company either, so thatโs super relieving. I also noticed (with no notification) that a few days after issuing the dispute that the order status changed to canceled, but Iโm not sure if it was due to the dispute or something just timed out. Anyway, super disappointed that I canโt buy from them now, at least until they can prove themselves to be reliable once again.
(Oops I copied this from a reply I made to someone on their Facebook page and I canโt figure out how to delete it and repost. Ignore the first bit.)
I have been ordering regulatly for years. I ordered a leather jacker snd knew in advance that it would take longer but communication was decent througjout the process. I didnt think it wpuld be a problem this time that i ordered a dress for a wedding a month in advance since i know the wait time is so long. There was no communication back at all. I am still waitung the d
Wedding is in 4 days. I finally realized i shoyld log in and check my orders and saw that the dress was still being cut and they arent picking up the phone. I had to order a dress from Lulus which i am unfamiliar with and is likely not even close to the same quality. So i feel bad for what’s happening in India. But I won’t be ordering from them again. I don’t think the website has added new items and keeps adding new items making it look like they’re in business. There was no warning to suggest that the order would take impossibly long even beyond the normal delivery they should be putting on their website that there are delays, I know that they don’t want to do that because they will lose orders well now I have lost faith in them completely
I left a comment previously but this is ridiculous. After months of reaching out re: a January order they finally canceled in April. The last few months, they have replied “we are working on your refund”. It’s over $500! Their misappropriations of funds is criminal at this point (although given they are not in the US, I am resolved to having lost that money at this point). My disappointment and sadness is beyond; like all of you, I was an ardent and loyal supporter. Such craziness.
I was a passionate eShakti supporter. Since last October, all of my orders have taken 3 months to fill get to me. I just ordered something and immediately contacted their customer “champion” to ask if it would arrive on time (offering to pay more to rush). No response in 10 days, with 2 emails and 2 phone calls. (Their voicemail just goes to an answering machine…). I am trying to figure out who I might contact higher up in the company. Feeling so disappointed in a company I loved and was very loyal to for so long.
I wonder what would happen if we all started talking “Class Action Lawsuit” against eShakti????? We would probably all get a response then!!! So many of us have had our money stolen, and they are still operating as “normal”, taking poor unsuspecting victims money each day… I get emails advertising sales and new products EVERYDAY….. They should not be able to get away with this!!! Did I mention “Class Action Lawsuit”?????
I have actually looked at what it would take to start a class action lawsuit after seeing so many others have the same experiences I have had with Eshakti over the last year. I also checked and there are no current class action lawsuits against them but it is something worth looking into. I am no legal expert but there has to be something illegal in taking people’s money and not providing the product promised, or accepting a return and never issuing a refund. I have loved and recommended them for years but to see how widespread this is is unacceptable.
The customer service is atrocious. I would cancel my order if I could but I have a credit and that will just sit there. I ordered on February 29th for a cruise I leave on June 20th. I did customize items but still, 4 months should be plenty of time to fulfill this. After many emails they finally responded and are shipping 3 of the 8 items in my order but they havenโt shipped yet and will likely not arrive before my trip. Iโve never experienced such poor customer service in my life. I will never order again and I will tell everyone I can that this is a black hole that youโll send money to. Frustrating.
EShakti’s commitment to delivering products ON TIME is untrue. I ordered 4 items on 03-19-24…After TOO many emails to their “Customer Champions,” I received 2 items. It’s 06-02-24, I’m waiting on my refund for the 2 items.
I know I’m not the only customer having an issue with them. Unfortunately, I used Afterpay to pay for the entire order in full. I’ve reported them to Better Business Bureau and have taken to social media to denounce them as well. I tagged them. #eshaktisucks
I ended up getting lucky with Afterpay, thank goodness. After I reached out to the website with no response after the allotted delivery time (with the order status not moving at all) and seeing all the other negative comments regarding recent orders, I filed a dispute with them, and since eShakti didnโt respond to them either, I just got confirmation that Iโll be getting my $78 back. Relieved for that, but super upset to think that the company might not be around for the future.
I too have had extreme delays in receiving my clothes. I have been ordering dresses for over three years and have been very satisfied until now. I ordered 7 dresses in March. I received three of them the end of June. The other dresses are supposed to be delivered asap. It is hard to get in touch with anyone. They are not responding. I am so disappointed. I need to return one dress because it was too tight and did not have pockets. However I did not receive mailing information and my calls and emails are ignored. I still have orders pending and hope somehow they will get back on track.
I’ve been ordering from them for a few years and used to love the quality of the clothes and fabric. The last order I received was last year- I ordered some shirts that I really liked from a previous order, just changed the fabric design. When they arrived, all 4 were made of cheap, thin, see through fabric. I made the mistake of ordering from them again on March 2, 2024 (this time making no changes). Nothing has been done on the order, and I keep emailing them every week. I got one response a few weeks ago about a quality issue with the fabric. Even if I receive great quality items from them, this will be my last order from e-shakti.
I too had an order that was placed on March 30th. As of April 30th nothing was done production wise, I wrote an email and asked them to either fulfill the order or to cancel it. They cancelled the order and promised a full refund. As of today, it remains cancelled and no refund has been received. If you call them, you remain on hold and then you get a voice mail.
I believe they have gone into “scam mode.” I have shopped with them for years and not until late 2023 did I begin to experience problems in receiving orders. Can you imagine how much money they are making with all the orders that are paid for but never fulfilled.
What can be done about this?
I really hate that this is happening because they made beautiful clothing and I have always received great compliments on my clothing each time I wear one of their pieces.
I too have an outsanding order that I placed with esakti in March. Unfortunately, the email that I was using associated with the account is no longer active. I have sent about 3 on line messages explaining the issue and giving them a new email to use and no response. I have also called and left messages 2 times. I can’t get into my account to check status, and also , I don’t see anywhere on the website where you can sign in , unless I hit the wishlist button. I am not even sure I see new items on the webiste.
Like many I have been a loyal eshakti customer who since 2014 spending a good amount of money. It is one of the main sources of wardrobe for me as I am a difficult size to fit. I hope they are not going out of business. They did take my money for payment , so it would be nice to get some type of correspondence.
I have used eShakti for over a decade and as recently as last year for a custom dress. I ordered four dresses (none custom) five weeks ago for a vacation next week. According to their website, they haven’t cut the fabric. It is irritating but mostly disappointing that a good quality merchant is falling apart. I doubt they will recover and that is heartbreaking. They have been my “go to” for years when I needed an extra special dress for ME. I just filed a chargeback with Amex for the four beautiful dresses and a poplin skirt that I hoped to take to France.
I just want to add that I have experienced the same problems! I have shopped almost exclusively eShakti since 2014. Around January 2024 I started getting the “fabric issue” emails. I asked for a couple of items in the same fabric, but different color. It worked a couple of times and the last item I received was in early March 2024… however, the item arrived VERY oversized (even though I used my same measurements from previous orders). At that time they were still communicating sporadically via email, and when I requested a remake, they said “that color fabric is no longer available”, so I requested the color that I wanted originally, and they replied that they would make it in the originally requested color. I still have not received the item!! I also have 2 other pending orders that I paid for on March 7, 2024 and March 17, 2024. Neither item has moved through the processing system…. I have emailed several times and no response. I agree with other customers that this is very unfortunate, because eShakti has been a great way to get custom fitted clothes, reasonably priced, and unique. I, like others, referred several friends, and lately they have been having the same issues. Very unfortunate!!! As a courtesy, someone (even the women who used to answer the 855#) should post something or advise someone in Management to dignify their customers with a response for the delays and inability to fulfill orders. AND… they should definitely shut the website down and not allow orders to go through!!! Buyers beware until they fix this problem!!! BTW….. Who is maintaining the website and adding all of the new styles and promotions??? This needs to be shut down for now!!!
I just looked, and the last response that I received via email was April 8, 2024 telling me that they were still having “fabric issues”.
I placed an order in March. I emailed customer service at 4 weeks and then 5 weeks, and finally got one reply about fabric quality issues a couple of weeks ago. It sounds like that’s the standard reply.
Has anyone actually gotten any products from them in 2024, or is it just a scam at this point?
At what point do I give up try to get a refund? And how? I used Amazon Pay.
I ordered five dresses in January, and got 3 of them in May. I haven’t heard anything about the other two, in spite of sending five emails. The sizing was off on the dresses I did get, even though I used the same measurements from my last order. So disappointed about this.
Started ordering from them in 2011, 30-35 dresses no problem, ever. They even rushed a bridesmaid dress for me in two weeks once. Placed an order early February 2024, nothing. No updates, no item, no response, no refund.
I placed my first order in January of this year and never received it and got one response from customer service about flawed fabric and they would refund. I was supposed to get a confirmation email and have never heard from them again. $125 thrown in the trash!
eshakti stole $174.80 from me – I never received the clothing, nor did I ever get a refund. They refuse to return emails or phone calls. I hate this company with a passion!
My order from Jan 22, 2024 has not been shipped. On April 8, I was told two of the three items were ready to ship (one had fabric issues). By May 13 I reached out again and was told items were ready to ship (still), but havenโt been. Iโve been ordering from them since 2015 I believe. Iโd expect to wait 3 weeks to 1 month for an order, not 4 monthsโฆ
I’m running into similar problems: no response to emails, no delivery, no explanation. But then again, I’ve only been waiting two months for my order. This company came highly recommended. I’ve even recommended it to others based on those recommendations. Boy have I been fooled.
I placed an order in early March and itโs still in preproduction. Like most of you iโve tried contacting them multiple times and ways. Iโm super disappointed that theyโve decided to handle things this way.
This is disappointing. I started ordering from them in 2021 and have 7 or 8 dresses from them and a skirt, and a winter coat, that I get compliments on all the time. Last fall, it seemed to take forever to get my order, but it finally came and fit great and so I let it go. Then my winter coat almost didnโt make it for the winter. And yet I gave them one more chance, I ordered a dress in the middle of March for an event in May, I ordered the wrong style and called, sent several emails, and no response til I just happened to see it was cancelled on my app. No notification. Iโm a pretty forgiving and patient person, so I ordered the right style and now Iโm still waitingโฆ even if I donโt get it in time for the event, Iโll probably not cancel because Iโll wear it to other events, but I think this is the last order I’ll place.
I ordered three dresses November 18 of 2023. I received one of the dresses and the other two I am still waiting on. I have two other outstanding orders and one order was fulfilled, but it was so small. I had to send it back during the month of December and January tried to call customer service it would ring and then just drop the call, I got through once and was told the material needed to be repurchased as it came with errors. Iโve sent numerous emails with the same reply no real updates. I call at least once a week and it rings now and just sends me to voicemail. I never get any real person on the phone , Iโm 6โ3โ and love that I can order clothes and not spend an arm and a leg hoping they can fix their issues because Iโve been shopping with them since 2015 and loved all of the quality.
KLAXON!!!
There are new summer dresses in “new arrivals” and the FX widget that lets you see whether something might look cute in a hem length other than KeepSweetPrayandObey suddenly works again!
Huzzaaaah!
But… what does it all mean, if anything? Did the CEO get back from the ketamine rehab facility with restored executive function and a renewed interest in his business? Or has someone new swept in and snagged it from him just in time to save it? O, please… Please let it come back…
…sniff…
Can you provide a link to KLAXON? I’m Googling and not finding the brand.
Oh, I’m sorry! By “klaxon” I just meant “alert!”
I wish, but I don’t think there are any brands out there that will do what eshakti did. Plenty of companies will make lovely dresses to order, but usually in very few styles and fabrics, and mostly standard sizes. And as far as I know there are none that will allow you to customize sleeves, necks, and hemlines as eshakti did.
I too, have been ordering dresses from eShakti since 2018 and they always get compliments. I have 4 that are on almost constant rotation through the summer. I’ve occasionally had issues with quality. One dress bought in 2018 had ridiculously long sleeves, and a “cowl neck” tunic I bought last year had a neck on it that was, no joke, 2 ft long. I had to cut half of it off to make it remotely wearable, but it also gapes at the bustline, so it was a poor fit at the standard XL size (which should fit). When they get it right, they’re fabulous
I ordered 2 dresses in January 2024, it’s now April neither has arrived. Only got the “fabric was damaged” email.
They’re still sending marketing emails daily and have the same dresses on the website for sale.
I’ll be initiating a credit card chargeback and won’t be ordering again.
I have not received my $600 order. I ordered it in nearly 60 days ago, but nothing arrived or has even been made. Eshatki customer service gave me the following reasons as to why: typhoon, virus, fire, flood, earthquake. Now they are not answering my emails at all. I will issue a chargeback on my credit card. I have always loved Eshakti products and until 2023 I had great experiences around customer service. Eshakti has done spectacular, innivative things in the fashion industry and I am totally in their corner to make a comeback. โค
I placed an order on January 30, 2024. I haven’t received it yet, April 20, 2024. I have ordered for them for many years, I have so, so many dresses from them. I really consider this company such a blessing. I’m a plus size women, to have a dress that fit and long enough just like I love to wear them. I’m so disappointed. I have left some many messages and emails. What can I do?
My friends and I are SUPER disappointed to hear this, and to find that those of us who’ve had problems are not alone.
Allie, it may be that a niche has opened up that another business could rush in to fill. Please keep an eye out and tell us if you find someone who might be able to fill the eshakti niche!
Will do!
did you ever find anyone?
I have not, unfortunately
Like so many here, I had placed many orders in 2020, 2021 and 2022. All with no issue.
2023, totally different matter.
Long story short, I demanded two orders cancelled since production had not moved in 2 months, and a third order, where one item was made per schedule, but the second was not touched for 2 months. Then suddenly they marked the status as shipped, but did not provide a tracking number. It had not been shipped. It was a further month, before it was actually shipped with a tracking number.
I received refunds, after I emailed and said, I had filed reports with BBB in Canada and FTC in the US. The refund was in my PayPal account 2 days later.
FTC seemed to be the governing body that they do not want to be on their watch list.
I am in the same boat as everyone else. Dresses ordered, no dresses delivered, no response from the company and I am so disappointed and angry and frustrated. Have gotten their clothing for years and it was always a 6 star company, now it doesn’t even rate a 1 star. and yet they continue to try to get people to order clothes. Is there a US government agency where we can complain? I filed a complaint with the BBB but they have no clout to stop them from continuing to do business in the US.
I’m glad I found this posting and eShakti customer comments… I too, am in the same boat as many on this page. As a costumer in NYC, I’ve relied on eShakti for over 10 years as a go-to for great clothes and have had no problems. I placed a recent order in mid-March, 2024 and recently logged in to check the status. My order wasn’t even listed on the website in my order history/pending orders, yet my credit card had been charged at the time the order was placed. I have sent both and email query and called the number: (855) 374-2584 listed on the website. If I don’t receive notification in the next week, I will file a dispute with my credit card company and a formal complaint with the Better Business Bureau or Oregon as they list: 20049 SW 112th Ave Tualatin, OR 97062 ยท USA as a place of business.
I’ve been ordering from Eshakti for several years, and was initially happy with everything. All of my orders in 2023 were delayed, and communication got worse with each order. On January 18th I ordered a dress for a wedding in April. It still has not arrived. Supposedly it’s been stuck in customs since March 20th. I don’t know if I believe that, since I did ask them to cancel the order on March 10th, and they responded 8 days later saying it had shipped. I emailed them at least 8 times, and one of the times they did give the excuse that the fabric came in with flaws. It’s very disappointing, and I’m done ordering from them. I can’t imagine what a nightmare this would be if someone ordered bridesmaids dresses. I’ve also filed a complaint with my credit card company #eshakti
I ordered in February 2024. My order was supposed to arrive March 16. It did not. I contacted eShakti via several different email addresses, used their chat which did not work, and called. No one responded, wrote back, or called back. I searched online and see others are having the same problem so instead of waiting anymore. I filed a dispute with my credit card.
After more than a decade of patronage with eShakti, I am disheartened to contemplate that they may have become a defunct company.
On February 13, 2024, I placed an order totaling approximately $200.00 with the expectation of receiving the merchandise by March 3, 2024. However, a week beyond the promised delivery date, I contacted eShakti through their online customer service platform. The response I received indicated a problem with the fabric for all the different garments.
Subsequently, I made several attempts to follow up with eShakti without success. Today, upon calling 1-855-374-2584, I encountered an auto-response indicating that the mailbox was full. Despite my repeated attempts, I was unable to reach a representative.
Consequently, I have initiated a dispute with my credit card company, providing them with the order number, date, and amount. I believe it is imperative for others facing similar issues to take the same course of action by contacting their credit card company to dispute the charge. Safeguarding one’s financial interests in such circumstances is prudent. I trust that your credit card company will be able to provide assistance in resolving this matter promptly.
I decided to do a Google search on Eshakti after an order I placed at the end of February didnโt have any movement through their internal process (via the app). I called numerous times over the past week trying to speak with someone but no one ever answered. Iโve sent multiple inquiries through the app asking for an order status. The first time they responded, they said the fabrics were delayed and they didnโt have an ETA on when the fabrics would arrive or when the order would be completed and delivered. Based on this, Iโve asked them to cancel my order. I received an email 3 days later stating they would cancel the order. Great! The order also shows that itโs canceled online. However, Iโve not received an official email cancellation that shows Iโll be refunded. Iโm glad I decided to do a Google search because I had no idea this was happening with them. My last order (prior to this one) was in November and the item/order was fine (quality, fit, delivery). I hate this because they were my go to for the majority of my dresses.
I’m in the same boat, Kim. I’ve called and called to no avail. They finally emailed me to say the exact same thing they said to you. And today I see they canceled the order. No email notification nor refund has been issued. I have tried once more to inquire about a refund and if I don’t hear back by tomorrow I’m filing a claim with my credit card company.
It seems if they can create email content for inboxes 3-4 times a day they could also refund money after they cancel orders.
In the last year, I’ve been having a hard time with eShakti. At first it was just severely delayed shipments with no notification as to why. I was able to reach a human when I called and she apologized, saying it was issues with fabric shipment.
A few months ago, I returned an order to eShakti, but never received my store credit. When I emailed them, they said they never received it. I have the tracking number showing it was received. I am very disappointed because I’ve shopped eShakti for 10 years. I love their clothes! But now I’m out $75 and I won’t be shopping there anymore.
Starting in October 2023 I started to notice the severity of the issues with Eshakti (even though from my first order in April 2023 until then there had been some issues with delivery time, quality, etc.). I had to cancel several orders I placed in October 2023 because they were not progressing in production. Always with the fabric excuse! They kept promising my $300 in refunds but they never came. The day I called the Eshakti customer service number for the umpteenth time and it was not working, I reached out to Paypal to report the issue with getting my money back. Within a few days Paypal refunded my money. There was still one order for $69 that I had canceled that I had not received a refund for. After several emails to Eshakti and responses from them that I would get the refund, I emailed Eshakti on March 20 and said I would involve Paypal again if I did not get my refund and the next day they actually refunded the money to my Paypal account. I would not wait around hoping for Eshakti to refund your money. File disputes with your credit card or Paypal and get your money back.
Orders placed 2/9 and 2/14 for delivery try by 3/14. Nothing. Nada. No answers emails or phone messages. Been a customer for over ten years.
Hello all – I ordered a custom dress back on January 19 – I was told that it would arrive between February 2-9, but to allow 10 extra days for the custom dress. I started tracking it on the 10th and never saw any movement. I would call the office, leave a message, never getting a call back. I would also email to check on why it appeared like it hadn’t even been started and found out finally via email that there was a problem with the fabric. At that time I cancelled the order and requested a refund.
The request was approved and I was then promised an email with refund info. This was at the beginning of March – I am still waiting. I have sent more emails requesting refund info and heard nothing. I have left voicemails and nothing.
To Customer Service at Eshakti, I have worked in Customer Service for over 40 years – this is inexcusable service – I am asking for a refund for a product that I never received – this is not an unusual request – it is merely a business transaction for a service not provided.
I am having the same experience as others. I ordered two dresses late February and it shows a delivery date of 3/12. I contacted them through their site to get a status update and have not heard back. I just tried calling and only got their voicemail. So, I thought I would google reviews and came across this post! I ordered a few things from them years ago and didn’t have any issues, so it didn’t occur to me to do any research before ordering again.
Order placed Feb ’24, at the end of the delivery window, asked for an update. After no reply for a week, I disputed the charge on my card. Received an update to my customer service email coincidentally hours after that.
Claim is the similar “fabric issues” response others have mentioned.
My orders (3 Dresses) were all due to arrive by March 5. I got the standard โproblems with fabricโ reply. I did pay by PayPal. While I would like to receive all three dresses, is it safe to wait awhile, before filing a dispute, or should I file a dispute right away in case they declare bankruptcy?
File.
I’m checking the site every day and around three days ago they stopped putting up sham “new” dresses. The only part of the company that’s still reliable is the bot that mixes up and sends out the sales e-mails, all showing years-ago photos of models who left years ago wearing clothes they sold years ago in fabrics that do not exist in the present on the planet Earth. It appears that the housefire this company has become has reached the stage where you don’t even grab stuff that’s in reach. You just run.
File.
I have been a satisfied E-Shakti customer for many years, however my recent order placed on 13th January 2024 has been a failure. Out of 4 items I ordered, I received one very quickly. Two have been showing as “ready to ship” for over a month now, but are not being shipped. One final item is still at the very fist stage (“pattern creation”), so they haven’t made a start on it almost two months after the order was placed. I emailed them repeatedly and I have had no reply.
I initiated a complaint via Paypal and finally received the standard email I have read other customers have received, talking of delays caused by problems with some fabric… but no mention of refund… and no mention of why the two items that are theoretically ready aren’t being shipped (?).
I am escalating the case via Paypal and hope to at least get my money back.
It is a real shame as their service used to be so good and as a “petite” I was never been able to find dresses that actually fit until I discovered E-Shakti… I do hope a solution can be found, though it is hard to find motivation to place more orders after this kind of experience.
Sadly, I have to add my tale to these. I ordered six weeks ago and it hasn’t even been shipped. Nobody is answering the phone and I never receive an email back or a way to cancel my order. I am so sad, I have loved this online store.
Same here. I ordered Jan 21. One dress came but the other three are no show. My original delivery date was Feb3-9. Iโve emailed twice and left a voicemail once. As of today, March 15. No word at all
Well, I’m glad this post exists. Same here. Ordered February 6th and has not gone beyond pattern creation. Can’t get through to anyone. I guess I, too, will be contacting my credit card company. Thank you for posting this!
Iโm so disappointed. My order placed 2/16/24 was supposed to be delivered yesterday, but the site says itโs in the first phase. Iโve left 4 voicemails and sent three emails. Iโm really doubtful the dress will arrive in time for my event. I ordered from eshakti several years ago a few times and it was great! This is just sad. Even if I do get this dress, I feel like itโs a bad gamble to ever order from them again.
I might be one of the oldest eshakti customers leaving a comment here. I have been buying from them since 2010. Back when it was kurtis, long, poplin tunics and embroidered simple dresses.
I personally have very little forgiveness for the company not doing the most basic Internet announcements & auto generated emails. A teenager from home with a laptop can do that. So if the author is telling us that there has been terrible misfortune at the factory; sickness, inability to cut fabrics due to calamityโฆ That is all very sad, truly. But it does not negate the fact that the public/customers could have been apprised on the front-end however eShakti chose to PR it. People would know what is happening and decide to order or not. At least we wouldโve been informed.
This is an internet ONLY retailer!! If there are employees marketing and uploading new clothing advertsโฆ..then there is simply NO EXCUSE for not informing the public/ customers of somethingโฆ. Anything.
So since last year eShakti, on the backend, is trying to clean up their customer mess, and it appears as if the company is dangling by a thread โ no pun intended. Giving the same โfabric batch qualityโ excuse via email over and over just reads shady, without us knowing WHY.
So sad that corporate is mismanaging the entire operation. I will miss the good โol eshakti days.
Iโve ordered from eshakti for many years and rarely had an issue. I ordered a dress on January 9, 2024, and it was supposed to arrive before January 29. Still not here. Itโs in the kit being created stage. After multiple emails, I finally received a reply on February 16 that said โwas delayed due to a quality issue in the fabric lot we received and this has delayed the shipment of your order. We are working with our manufacturing team to get you an estimated date of delivery and will keep you posted on the status. You will also receive an email with the tracking information once your order is shipped.โ Iโve heard nothing since that. I emailed them again asking to cancel the order and refund my money, since they havenโt started making the dress yet, and itโs doubtful Iโd even receive it for the event I ordered it for. Crickets. Iโm starting to wonder if theyโre going to declare bankruptcy. I agree with other commenter that if they can continue to send advertising emails, they can certainly send emails advising their current customers of manufacturing and shipping issues. Ugh! So angry with them.
Wow, I feel so validated. Doesn’t help the fact that my extremely close friend’s wedding is a week from today and I don’t have my dress yet (was ordered 2/6/24), but at least I know I’m not alone here. Such a shame as my mother’s had such great experiences (a while ago) and I really like this dress. And Helen, yeah, I got the same email…almost word-for-word; I just checked. Maybe they should just send that email to their whole advertising list…….. At least we wouldn’t have to follow up for weeks just to get that. I’m super disappointed!!!
I cant reach these people no matter how many times I try. I’ve been with them since 2015 and this is the only problem i seem to have from this company. I’m so disappointed in them.
I too have ordered from eshakti for years without any challenges. The order I placed in the fall took over a month and still no dresses being cut. I had to cancel that order and it took several emails to do so. One of the excuses I received was that the fabric was out of stock and they were waiting to get it back in. I placed an order at the beginning of February. Originally told February 22 for receipt. As of today, 2/29 the dresses are currently sitting in customs in India. My last positive experience was a year ago. Hoping that the dresses arrive and are the same quality I have come to know from eshakti. Hate hearing all this about the company but at least I am not alone in my disappointment.
I do hope you update. Iโve been a long-time diehard eshakti fan, but after seeing how theyโve been for the past year, Iโm scared to even try to order again. Itโs been a year since I last ordered.
Charity, there’s a saying: “when someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” I too have been a 10-year loyal customer of eShakti and I have been waiting for an order since January. I canceled the $186.86 order over the phone with a representative on 2/19/2024 when they could not give me a ship date. They told me that the fabric was not even in stock and didn’t know when or if they would be getting it. I was promised a refund and have had to follow up almost daily because the refund has not appeared. I wholeheartedly believe that none of us will receive refunds for canceled orders. I wholeheartedly believe that no one is going to receive product. Whatever is going on with them just feels bad. They’re in financial trouble and no one there seems to care about us customers. So my advice is to leave eShakti alone.
I wish I had known. I ordered a dress from eShakti in 2022 for a wedding I was attending. Customer service was wonderful, quick communication, had to have an alteration done and that was a quick and easy process. A complete 180 from what I am experiencing now. I placed the order on 2/13/2024 for 3 “wedding dresses”. I have a dress try-on on 3/2/2024 and the confirmation on my order stated I would receive them in time. I then got no updates for 2 weeks. Late last week the website stated that they had finished production so I was hopeful that they would arrive in time. I have now left 4 phone messages and 5 online messages. I offered to pay expedited shipping. The only response I have received is to one of my online help requests. The response stated that the dresses were in quality control and I would receive shipping information once it was available. If I do not receive a response in the next 3 days, I am filing a fraud alert with my credit card. I am so disappointed after having such a wonderful experience in 2022.
I have had wonderful experiences with them. I ordered my wedding dress from them in 2022! It is just as beautiful today as it was then. I thought what better place to order my dress for my daughter’s wedding?? I ordered it on 2/4. I have sent emails, messages through their website, and left phone messages, NOTHING. Her wedding is 3/29/24!! I am panicking now because I have to have a dress! OMG I am so angry and disappointed! They will not answer their phones.
I wish I would have done some research. I ordered based on a friend’s recommendation. I have been shopping for a dress for my son’s June wedding for ten months and finally decided to order one from eShakti. I placed my order on February 3rd. I was surprised when they said I should have it by February 22nd. Now, I am worried about what I might receive or if I will ever actually receive it. I chose custom sizing.
I too have ordered from eshakti for years with no issues. I placed my order on 12/4/23 and today on 2/15/24 no order received. I’ve tried multiple times to call and only get a voicemail. No one has returned my call. I am now disputing the charge with my credit card company. It is disappointing to see, as I have been a fan for years. But, if you make a purchase they should deliver or communicate what is actually going on.
I have been a loyal customer since 2017 with eShakti and since Jan 2024 have I had the same issues. I ordered what I hoped to wear Feb.15th and 16th on DECEMBER16, 2023 contacted the company on this order and another placed on NOVEMBER 11, 2023.They did not respond to the 2nd order at all. The dresses ordered on November 11 finally arrived Feb 12th 2024 and one of the dresses is too small and not the quality I expected. I wore one of my favorite dresses last night to a dance and received many compliments but did not mention eShakti like I have done in the past because of the poor service since November 2023.
I ordered in January of 2024 and now wish I had known of the issues. Iโve been a loyal customer for a decade and now there are no updates on my dress nor will anyone respond to me at customer service. Oddly, I did get through to CS in January when I needed to change a detail on my order and so this is even more confusing.
I placed an order in December 2023–I was so excited to finally order from EShakti. I was told the order would probably arrive in January–however I received info that the package was dispatched in early February and moved quickly through the shipping process–the day it was to be delivered–it was returned to Eshakti–somehow and i still don’t know HOW the address on the shipping was mixed in with my billing address–a total mystery as I am careful about shipping address. Anywho–I was unable to catch the package before it was shipped back and now I have not heard anything back from the company after leaving messages and sending emails. I wish I had run across this blog before I moved forward with ordering. Now, I need to figure out how I can get a refund!
I had a similar issue. I had an old address on the site and despite filling in the correct address – as shown on my receipt – they sent it to the old address and now are claiming it’s my fault.
I am so sorry you are dealing with this, Jay!
Same-ish situation here. I ordered several dresses for work, and after a month, realized I had left my old address on the order. I checked online, and it doesnโt seem that they are even in the process of fulfilling my order. Iโve let them know the correct address through 2 emails, 1 voicemail, and 1 contact via their web form, and Iโve heard NOTHING back. Next step is to call Chase Visa to see if I can get my money back.
I am going to reveal everything that is going on with eShakti. I have been working with them for many years up until recently when i was forced to quit because they refused to pay me. EShakti owes millions of dollars to itโs employees, factories, fabric suppliers, logistics partners etc.
There are no fires or floods or anything. Itโs all lies. Simply put they havenโt been paying anyone and hence the work is suffering.
They have laid off more than half of the staff. Many of the factories that manufactured for them were forced to shut down as they havenโt been paid in over a year. 100s of people have lost their jobs because of this. Fabric suppliers are not providing them with the raw materials because eShakti doesnโt pay them.
The owner B G Krishnan, doesnโt go to the office. He doesnโt answer calls. Refuses to take any accountability. Since all the orders placed by you guys ( customers) are prepaid , one can only assume where the money is going. Most likely the owner has been siphoning money out of the company and into his personal accounts. If it turns out to be true then this is all a massive scam and a lot of people are going to lose money.
Since i was an employee of eShakti , you can believe me when i tell you all these things are true.
I can not state my name as i am still owed money in terms of unpaid wages .
Please amplify this as much as possible as people deserve to know.
Oh, man, I knew it. I’m so sorry for my contribution to this situation. I should’ve quit buying when I first noticed the quality crash because it was pretty obvious that meant the company had stopped paying for good sewers. But it was shortly after I noticed that they weren’t paying for quality work anymore that that they brought out all the beautiful stuff made from those gorgeous block prints, and I made all kinds of stupid excuses for why maybe eshakti hadn’t turned into a ruthless sweatshop after all.
I did get a few really nicely made dresses made from that stuff; I’m thinking the fabric supplier and sewers were a package deal and hadn’t worked with eshakti before, so, like a lot of customers, they didn’t realize the company had stopped earning its good reputation. I’m not seeing any cute block print stuff for sale now: that’s for sure. I really hope their new linen supplier (there’s a lot of new stuff showing up made of linen) is imaginary and not a real entity currently getting scammed out of thousands of dollars worth of linen as must have happened to the poor people who made and sewed the beautiful block print things. ๐
I guess either the CEO got bored with running a legit business everybody loved and decided to deliberately destroy it by absconding with all the money or he suffered a manic episode and started a bunch of new businesses he couldn’t possibly sustain and then threw his phone out the window of his car and promptly lapsed into a catatonic depression. Either way, everyone along the chain from production to marketing to consumer care to the consumers themselves ends up screwed over. Great!
I look at the site almost every day because I’m a morally bankrupt lookyloo who can’t resist gazing at the carnage (and plus I secretly hope one day a white knight will swoop in and buy the company and then there’ll be a huge billboard up on the front page that says “UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT: WE PAID ALL OUR PEOPLE AND MADE EVERYBODY WHOLE AND IT IS NOW SAFE TO SPEND ALL YOUR MONEY HERE AGAIN”). So I’m looking every day and for a few weeks now I’ve been noticing old pictures with models I remember from a long time ago appearing occasionally, usually showing very simple-to-sew staples made from monochrome poplin. Today there was a hilarious new development: when I clicked “all new arrivals,” about a dozen pages of really old stuff I remember drooling over forever ago spooled out. Models I haven’t seen in ages. Chelsea dresses galore. That rabbit print I almost went for countless times. If you scroll down long enough, the print showcased in the last image in this blog post is supposedly a new arrival since yesterday! All the stuff I used to reflexively throw in my cart, and all of it clothes there’s no chance they could make today given they won’t have access to the fabric or the careful, accurate measuring, cutting, and sewing they used to pay people to do and now do not.
Sigh…
Anyway, EShakti Employee, please accept my heartfelt apology for my part in keeping this ridonk grift going long after it should’ve failed. I hope you find another much better job quickly and can forget the whole dreadful mess.
Thank you so much for sharing this. I’ve been watching and pining over eShakti Ads for the past 7 years, and of course the time I finally have the cash to splurge on a purchase (the dress had pockets, okay?) I had read some of the warnings here and thought “surely they’re getting better since their issues from the top of last year, right?”
Wrong.
I paid out for an un-customized dress, thinking that was where all the delays would be happening. Had a glimmer of hope regarding communications when I got a quick couple emails in rapid succession about how production supposedly works and how they would be sending me a complimentary tailor measuring tape so I can take my own measurements and get it truly customized next time.
Two days before my delivery date came and went I wrote up an email requesting information about the status of my order, seeing as it has not been updated since 1/27/24 (expected delivery between 2/9/24 and 2/15/24) and was still in the Fabric and Kit Creation phase. I called them on 2/14, but never connected with a person. Now today (2/17/24) I am sending them a message via their “help” widget, though I will likely need to follow up with something from my own actually personal email so I can have better records (I can’t find any history of what I’m sending through their website – likely by design, unfortunately).
In an event like this, I’ve found that you need to follow the proper channels, but get on it before too much time elapses so that if you are going to need a refund (and time to look for a new dress/get an old dress tailored because I need those pockets for my insulin pump!), you have time to get it done before the event.
I am so sorry to hear that you have not been paid, and I hope justice and recompense finds you all.
I’m so sad to hear this! The marketing always gave the sense that all of you were being treated so much better than those working for many other clothing brands. I really hope that you and your colleagues get what is due to you in back wages, etc.
And it does explain why I’ve received crickets (not even autoreplies!) to the request for at least a status update on why my most recent order hasn’t advanced past the “kit creation” stage. I’ve received some of the most flattering, comfortable dresses from eShakti over the years, so it never occurred to me that I should see how the company is doing before placing another order. Guess I’ll need to go back to tailoring my own clothes…
Oh my goodness, this is absolutely terrible to hear and I’m so sorry you’ve been treated this way. I can’t imagine what has driven the company to this state. Was there some catastrophic event that triggered a downward spiral or did the owner just get lazy and decide to destroy his company??
It’s extremely sad, as a customer, because the service was previously very good (though I found the fabric selection subpar for the first several years I ordered) and the end product was satisfactory. But also as a customer I hate to learn that the people working for a company I happily patronized have been treated heinously and cheated of their rightful earnings. I hope some entity is able to hold this company accountable and make good on what it owes to its staff, vendors, and factories.
I have still not received items from my order over three months ago, and there has been no communication on when they are expected. I’m so disappointed, because they finally brought in a color of their jersey I’d been wanting for years, and I ordered a bunch of items in it, only to have received none of them except for a plain rectangular scarf. The crepe items I have received piecemeal from across a few incomplete orders have had quality issues like undyed areas of fabric or shoddy stitching on highly visible areas like the neckline.
I used eshakti for years, though it had been a while since my last purchase with them. They were always my go-to because I have atypical proportions that make off the rack shopping especially difficult. I didn’t even think to check recent reviews because I’d never experienced major issues with them before. I had a delivery date of mid December, but the holidays roll around and still no shipment notification. I check the status to see production wasn’t even started. I email and after about 2 days get the excuse of fabric quality issues with the promise of an update soon. Mid-january and still nothing. Email again, no answer for days. Tried calling, only got voicemail. Left 2 messages there. At this point I’m getting concerned and check recent reviews and see others have been getting the same canned answers. How could so many people be having fabric quality issues? Why are they advertising for items they can’t supply? Whole thing stinks and after 5 days of no answers, I bring it up as fraud on my credit card. I send an email again to eshakti telling them to cancel everything and informing them I reported the purchase . Two days later, I get a response and suddenly 2 of the 4 dresses are complete and now it’s just 2 with issues. They ask me to confirm I want to cancel the whole order and even though I already stated as much, I confirm again. Four more days and I’m getting a shipment notification! At this point I don’t want them anymore, I’m not the least bit interested in further dealing with the company, and I email for an explanation. Two more days and theyre claiming they can’t cancel because it’s already out for shipping. They deliberately delayed response to try and rush a partial order out the door. I informed them I would not be paying for return shipping or accept store credit for the return. When DHL contacted me to arrange delivery, I told them to return to sender, I would not sign for it. It would take a phenomenal turn around for me to ever consider doing business with this company again.
I too am a longtime customer. I ordered 5 dresses for a wedding in Nov 2023. Once delivery date had passed, I emailed multiple times asking for an update. Finally told there were issues with the fabric lots. They could not fill my order by the end of Jan so I cancelled. Then could not get an update on my refund for over 4 weeks. Luckily I used Amazon pay so I opened a claim with them and was reimbursed within 3 days. Very disappointing and I canโt bring myself to order again. Itโs a shame because they originally were the most size inclusive company with modern styles.
I have been a customer of eShakti for years,I did notice the decrease on quality and the much smaller sizes, I requested my first do over dress in 2022 and I am still waiting for it, my last order from 2023 has been pending for months now, I don’t mind the wait honestly, however, the lack of communication on their part is quite irritating and upsetting, so much that at this point I just want to get my money back if lucky enough and move on, they will never get my business again nor my recommendation to anyone any more.
I am going through the same problem with eShakti I used to love their dresses and customer service but not anymore I have order many dresses for over 10 years. This will be my last order which has been over a month no response to my emails/phone calls I am so done with them
I’ve been an eShakti customer for well over ten years and refer them often. In early 2023, I did have a very delayed order, and some friends that I referred in 2023 also had bad experiences – either with wait time or horrible fit. While my first order of 2023 came too late for the event, I liked the dress enough to order a remake, and I did get an excellent fitting remake. The times were longer, but service was still good. I placed another order in mid 2023 and I received three items. The two dresses were great; I asked for a remake on the blouse, and I received it without issue.
So while I have experienced a diminishment in the timeliness in 2023; and a lack of communication in early 2023; I am still over-all satisfied with the service and the items I received. I really really hope they recover from this. I have loved eShakti so much!!
Was going to leave my experience, but it seems as though it’s already been stated a hundred times by different customers. I’ve started to tell anyone thinking of eShakti that they need to pay via PayPal, and then file a dispute if they actually want anyone to manufacture their garment(s) and ship them, since that’s the only way it’ll get done. If you need your items by a particular deadline, don’t order from eShakti.
Yes!!! I am experiencing the same issues. I haven’t received any responses to my calls or emails. I ordered four dresses in middle of December, 2023. I keep looking at the item status and see that no progress is being made to complete my dresses. I called today after receiving no response from my emails. The mail box is full. The voice message said, to “call back later”
It’s a shame. I have been ordering from them for a few years. I have always been pleased with the quality and fit of all my purchases. I always receive compliments on everything I have worn from eshakti. People asked me where I got them from.
I will not be referring anyone to eshakti now.
I hope I can either get my dresses or my money returned. I’d prefer the dresses though.
I’ve had the same experience. Have ordered without issue for years. My last order was placed in October 2023. After my event passed, I emailed them and they indicated an issue with the fabric. I asked for a refund Drc 29. Have not heard anything despite sending a follow up. I’m going to see if my credit card company will get involved.
Hey Y’all If you are struggling to get your money back or any response from eshakti you can dispute the credit card charge. Once a dispute is initiated, then the onus is on the eshakti to prove that they delivered the product, or provided the merchandise as advertised. If enough customers dispute the charges, then it forces the hand of the seller. Basically, if they don’t remedy the situation the credit card processors will no longer allow them to take people’s money. Generally, visa/mastercard will issue the customer a refund while a dispute is processing. You get your money back and eshakti has to prove that they delivered. If they don’t then they have the money deducted from their account plus a “chargeback fee”. It is VERY expensive for a business to deal with chargebacks.
This is super helpful. I was finally able to get through to customer care after my order was delayed by two weeks since December 8. Customer care cancelled the order end of December but no refund has been issued yet. I will dispute this transaction for sure!
I just did this, after sending in my return over a month ago and now being told that I never got a return authorization. After lusting over some of their clothes for years, I finally pulled the trigger and strongly regret my decision. Fabric was terrible, shipping was highly delayed, bespoke was not to customized dimensions (fortunately, it still fit, unlike the RTW), and now this? So disappointed.
Agree with this! I’ve disputed charges by eShakti twice in the last 6 months. (I’ve had all the same issues others have posted here in the last year, despite a decade of wonderful experiences). Y’all have to contact your credit card companies to simply dispute the charges.
I wish I had come across this post before I placed my order on April 22nd. I decided to go with some standard choices because I was curious about the quality. I got an email confirming the order and clearly stating that since I was a first time buyer, I could return it for a full refund with free shipping. The return shipping label was also provided. They even said they were sending a measuring tape to ensure I could check my size!
My package arrived on May 1st and the dresses didnโt fit. Within 10 mins of getting the dresses, I popped on the site to do the return and the only option for the return was to get Store Credit. So since then I have messaged on the website 4 times, emailed them 3 times and called and left messages twice!
Now from reading all these posts I think I can safely assume that they will never return my money back so I think Iโm just going to hang on to these dresses and see if I can get them altered somewhere. A waste of $130 and a hard lesson learned to do my research.
Iโm sorry for all the folks whoโve had a worse off experience, I do hope you will be able to get your money back.
That’s what I did. Afterwards they tried to rush a partial shipment out the door (which, if they had sent what could be completed out initially in the first place would have probably salvage at least some of the experience) . I refused to accept it. I no longer want nor need it now, over a month after it should have arrived. If they challenge the dispute, I have a long email record as my evidence to their failing.
This makes me so sad! I’ve ordered over 30 eshakti dresses and have recommended it to many. I ordered a dress on November 7 and still haven’t received it. After reaching out multiple times I finally received the email referencing the faulty fabric, but there hasn’t been an update or any change in the order since.
Iโve been waiting a month for a refund on an order that didnโt arrive and was canceled. Whatโs a solution?
Write a complaint to the Better Business Bureau. They seem to respond to those.
I have been ordering from eShakti for the past 5-6 years. I had only positive experiences, great quality, great fit, excellent customer service.
It started to slow down in the spring this year and I received several coupons, due as an excuse. Still I received good products . Only one skirt and one pair of pants were too long, I returned to skirt and kept the pants hemming them shorter.
But since this has been a disaster. I ordered 2 sweaters and a crepe blouse; I also ordered 2 dresses and the velvet duster for Christmas and then a velvet dress and another dress for the holidays. Back early November!
I am still waiting! Again I had coupons and there was a sale.
I have emailed and received a BS answer about fabric being delayed (mind you I have 4 different kinds of fabric in 3 orders and sweaters). Not even polite and no more consolation coupons.
I got very angry because I have been a faithful customer for years and my closet is full of their stuff. I have referred many people to them and now I am embarrassed I did.
I was treated like sh*t by the person who replied to my email. And I returned the favor in my reply.
Of course I didnโt get the holiday dresses. I will wait for them (Iโll probably will eventually get them, who knows).
What makes me angry is that they keep on putting out huge sales and new releases but cannot honor the orders already placed.
At this point not only it is unacceptable but it is also dishonest.
If they have issues they should stop putting out sales and slow down the advertising.
I had to cancel 1 order because they said they were waiting on fabric and my dress, that I purchased for a wedding was not going to make it in time. I returned a dress on 11/29/23 and it is 12/26/23 and still no refund. Due to this experience, I will not order again from them. It takes hours to get someone on the phone.
I have been ordering from eShakti since 2014 and wear nothing else. Up until this year the quality and customer service were consistently excellent. This year was hit or miss. Some orders arrived on time,but several were weeks late. Thankfully all were of the quality I expect. The one that threw me off was when I had an order take six weeks to arrive, bought another customized dress with the consolation coupon code, and that one sped through production and arrived in a week. My most recent order is currently three weeks late with no indicators as to when it’s coming. I’m holding out hope that I might get it one day, which is why I haven’t pushed for a refund, but I will be hesitant to order again until this order arrives and I can assess the quality for the wait. I’m really worried that they’re either facing bankruptcy or the CEO is taking them in a completely inferior direction. I will be very sad to lose my favorite clothier of 10 years, especially given how many people I referred this year. I wish they would own up to whatever is happening and stop scrambling to get orders they can’t fill.
Thank you for your comment. My daughter in law and I are experiencing the exact same thing and will be very hesitant to order in the future. We have been customers for 10 plus year. Sad.
I ordered a Christmas and a New Years Eve dress and a shirt back in October and nothing has been shipped. I was given the excuse that the fabric quality was substandard and did not pass quality inspection. It’s all a bunch of fabricated boloney. Now I’m stuck trying to find something at the last minute and trying to get the credit card refunded. What a mess. I’ll never order from them again.
So disappointingโฆ I have considered ordering from eshakti for years, and finally decided to give it a try for a formal wedding I have coming up. Ordered a custom fit dress on 11/24 and received a confirmation email stating it would arrive by 12/13. I received no other communication from eshakti, so I assumed it was in the works. On the morning of the 13th I checked the status and it appeared to still be in some stage of production. I emailed the customer service email and received no response. I called at the end of the day only to be told they did not even have the fabric yet to make the dress and had no idea when they would receive it! WHY would you sell a dress on your website that you have no fabric to make? The customer service rep seemed unconcerned that I had received no notification letting me know my dress was not, in fact, in production. She started an inquiry and indicated itโs possible the fabric had arrived that day. When I had no update by end of day today, I got the same unconcerned attitude, no update on the dress at all, and was told it is shipped from New Delhi so even if it were ready to ship today (itโs not even been started) it would be at least a week before it arrives. But at this point, they donโt know if they will get the fabric at all. HORRIBLE customer service. I cancelled and requested a refund and now need to scramble to find a new dress. AWFUL.
I too have ordered from eShakti in the past and was very happy with the clothes. Not anymore, I ordered a blouse and pair of pants on October 12, 2023, finally received just the pants yesterday, after having to reach out 4 times inquiring about my order. What makes it even worse, they did not have to make alternations on the items I ordered, yet still it took almost 2 months. I am still waiting on the blouse. And just to round out the problems, I am sending back the pants, the material is horrible, feels and looks cheap. I too hope they get it together.
Yes! I completely forgot to complain about the new extreme cheapness of some of the fabric. I ordered something in that cotton sateen, I think it is, they recently got in? That was a BIG ol’ nope. Feels like I’m wearing… what. Something made out of a slipcover? Cheap napkins? Anyway, very extremely ungood.
So just in case you’re like me and hopelessly addicted, I thought I’d share a little tip.
I’ve been noticing these problems for quite a while and noticing that I end up donating probably half what I get from them, but I’m still so addicted to checking the site every day during the spring and summer that it doesn’t seem to matter that most of what I end up with is impossible, I’m still driven to buy. Given that apparently I cannot stop, I have found a pretty-safe strategy, which is to order only stuff made from the block print cotton, preferably lined. I’ve had very good luck with that line, and fortunately I love prints. Besides, they’re really pretty and really comfy. Love.
I’m perfectly happy to wait three or four months for orders; their advertised turn-around times have always seemed ludicrous because the stuff’s being made to order and then sent from dang India: it is going to take forever.
I guess now that I think about it, believing that I could keep getting entire beautifully made dresses tailor-made to my measurements with linings and extra buttons and zippers that work and so on and so on sent across the globe to me for, whatever, $50/$70/$90 was also extremely unrealistic. In my defense, though, it did actually work exactly that way for a magically large number of years. I think the secret backstory is that that business model–dressmaker-quality clothes for fast-fashion prices–is not a moneymaker or even sustainable at all if there’s any pressure whatsoever, let alone a global event like the pandemic driving demand through the roof while at the same time literally killing off labor, and generating nightmare supply chain problems. What’s really amazing is that they’ve survived at all; it’s not at all surprising that quality has dropped off.
Fortunately for me, I have a planet-sized pile of e-shakti stuff that fits well and wears well, so as long as I don’t gain a whole bunch more pounds, I should be set for a while.
Yes, this is what I wanted to mention. When I first ordered from eShakti, each dress was usually over $100. When the prices started falling, I started to worry. Then they kept falling and falling. I would be happy to pay more for the old quality and service.
The CEO is branching out into wholesale. (https://www.linkedin.com/posts/b-g-krishnan-06021173_delighted-to-say-that-we-have-launched-wwweshaktib2bcom-activity-7117206970775834624-yK7I)
Per a recent negative review on the website, he hasn’t paid his various factories in forever and is “MIA.” I don’t know how reliable that is, but it does appear legit that he’s starting this wholesale biz, which could explain the recent decline in quality/reliability for individual sales of individual dresses to individual persons. And the whole emphasis has always been on hurling piles and piles new, perfectly-tailored-to-the-models stuff up every day to keep people coming back to look every day.
When I first started buying, they made tailored things from complicated patterns, all of which fit to my provided measurements. They were reliable, and the fabrics, cutting, sewing were all of good quality. They built a big, loyal, trusting customer base. Then I guess B G Krishnan got bored and started fiddling with it. It might’ve been okay, but there was the pandemic messing up all stages of the process and they didn’t change their promises to fit what they could actually deliver with the pandemic-generated problems and the problems generated by the CEO’s deciding to open both zappelle.com and eshaktib2b in quick succession.
For the past two years or so everything I’ve ordered from them is comically too large or small, and they don’t even offer the difficult-to-sew stuff in poplin. Everything has to be made to fit after the fact with judicious application of the gigantic sash that comes with every dress and mostly it still looks like I elected to dress myself in a large paper bag. They were wonderful; they are… …terrible.
I never received my order that was placed in October and there is no way to contact the company.
I’ve bought dozens of beautiful dresses since 2021 but I’ve been waiting for my last order of 3 since October 16th. 2 dresses have been ready to ship for weeks but no movement on number 3 and now that dress is listed as out of stock. I’m unhappy about how little cotton poplin is available and when they have it it’s always in navy black tomato red and juniper green. No new colors. I hate all the rayon and mesh. But where is my dress? No answer from C S. And I hate the change from FedEx to Xindus/UPS plastic wrap instead of dress boxes? That is the last straw for me.
I ordered two dresses this spring. Delivery took a little while, but made it well in time, and the fit and quality was everything you’d hope for. No complaints.
I ordered dresses Oct 14 that with their slow process I realized were not going to arrive in time for a wedding, so I cancelled the order Oct 21. EShakti confirmed cancellation and said refund would be sent. It’s now Dec 2. No money or communication from them… Not sure what my options are at this point. More than $400. Grrrr.
Thank you for the updates. I’m so disappointed. I’ve been ordering for years and absolutely love all my eshakti dresses. I ordered in Oct, and sure wish I had seen this before ordering. I’m still waiting well past the promised delivery date of Nov 11th. It still says it’s in pattern making… ie NOTHING has been done. I have a few beautiful dresses from them from over the years. I’m just so upset that this year I may just not go to my company Christmas party because of their lack of production and lack of communication. ๐ What a huge headache and anxiety inducing situation.
Iโm glad I found this post. Iโm a long-time eShakti customer and have a couple of orders with them right now. Nothing has been shipped after five weeks of waiting. I also returned a skirt in early October and received confirmation that it had been received and that Iโd get a credit in 21 days. Iโve emailed them multiple times to find out why I havenโt received the refund and have not received a single response. Iโm really concerned I may not get the refund and Iโm worried I may not get the other two orders. Iโve had great experiences with them since 2014 and Iโm very saddened by these recent negative experiences. They need to communicate with customers!
I’m in the boat. Requested a refund in early November and I have confirmation that the item was delivered to their facility. Also have three orders out there with no idea when the delivery will be made.
So disappointed, have been a loyal customer for almost 10 years. Communication at one time was outstanding but now nothing. At least when I have received my clothes in the last twelve months they seem to be the same quality and fit fine.
I guess it’s time to move on. Sure hope I get my refund and orders. Not happy!
I ordered a few garments from eShakti back in Feb. of 2022. They arrived on time and have been my absolute favourites!!! BUT, I placed another order early Nov.2023 with an estimated due date around the 20th, and nothing. Today is the 28th. I have called twice and after being on hold for a bit, they ask me to leave a message with contact info and order # and I’ve done that two days in a row now. And nothing. In fact, I never received a receipt for my order, even tho it shows up on the website. But the charges came thru quite promptly on my credit card. I will give it another month – I’m actually willing to wait quite some time to get the fit and quality they provided the first time, but now after reading all this I am concerned that I might have to call my credit card company and report bad business practices and see if I can get that money back.
Seriously, just an email that they are experiencing delays, please bear with us – would totally make a difference.
Update – they sent me an email after my first inquiry via the website after about a week. (Not in response to more recent phone calls at all). They said that one of my garments didn’t pass their inspection standards and they need more time to rectify that. I’m going to wait because it’s worth it, but from now on, I’ll order garments several months in advance of a date that they are needed.
Update – There is hope. My garments arrived yesterday, Dec. 13th. So it took about 6 weeks instead of 3 for the garments to arrive. As far as I can tell, same quality, same good fit – I’m not disappointed, so there is hope for some of us that our orders will be filled eventually without sacrifice of quality. I will continue to order from eShakti and be sure the orders are in 2 months before I need them.
Well, just like the rest of youโฆ.
I ordered on 2/13/24. Said it should be delivered by 2/26-3/3. I tried to call several times. No answer.
Has ANYONE received their order?
I have been ordering custom-sized clothing from eShakti since 2008 and probably 80% of my current wardrobe is from there. I’ve definitely noticed recent changes such as longer producing times, lagging communication, and even a lost return. That said, I am still a loyal customer and I believe eShakti is overall an ethical company that produces a great product at a very reasonable price.
My biggest complaint is that eShakti needs to stop over promising on the production and delivery timeline. Initially the expectation was 8-10 weeks, and I am perfectly happy to wait for clothing that I know is going to be of good quality, that will flatter my disproportionate figure and earn compliments. The company is NOT “fast fashion” and in my opinion should not be trying to compete with this industry. I simply disregard their promise of delivery within 14 days.
Initially it took some trial and error to get all my measurements right, and to learn which styles and fabrics I like best. After one lost return, I learned that it’s important to keep copies of the documentation, and to ask for a receipt when returning items at the post office. While I’m unhappy with this burden of proof, it’s worth it to ensure I won’t lose money in the event that I don’t like a dress.
I read with some alarm one of the other commenters above that the recent decline in production and service is often an indicator of pending bankruptcy, and sincerely hope this is not the case with eShakti. For over 15 years it’s been my go-to retailer for nearly all of my work, vacation, and special event wardrobe needs. I feel the company should focus marketing on the idea that their product is worth the wait, instead of over promising in an attempt to compete with companies like Amazon, Temu, and Shein. I sure hope the recent changes do not herald the end of eShakti, because I don’t know of another single retailer that can produce custom-sized, flattering clothing at the price they do.
I ordered a dress at the end of August. It was supposed to arrive in mid-September. It finally arrived on Oct. 12. However, the dress, which has a sheer overlay, has a giant black seam running down the sheer part in the front. The pics had no seam, and the contract with my skin makes it particularly noticeable. (My husband actually asked if it was on backwards). Now my event is two days away and Iโm scrambling to try to find something else, which is sad because the fit was perfect. Iโve emailed customer service to try to figure out what happened, but havenโt yet heard back. I donโt necessarily need to return it because it would be fine for more casual events, but the overlay is too sloppy for semi-formal wedding attire.
Wish I had seen this post prior to my recent order…the website has not been updated to reflect any of the issues or to provide extended processing/shipping timeframes. Now, my order, which was due on Nov 4th, is indefinitely delayed. My events are Nov 18th and Dec 2nd. I’ve been ordering for more than 5 years and this latest experience has been the worst. The response from Cus Svc took almost a week and they blamed the delay on a fabric flaw…very unsettling as I ordered 3 dresses and all had different fabric types. When I questioned further, no response. At this time, I am now scrambling for alternate options because one event is out of town. Very disappointed…
Wow. I could say the exact same thing for an order I placed on Oct. 15 for an event on Dec. 1 (my sister’s wedding). I too wish I had seen this before I ordered. I have been a happy customer since 2017 and have recommended and referred many friends. Disappointed, to say the least ๐
Sooo… update on my order. Both events have passed and I didn’t receive my order, nor did I receive any updates after a few attempts for details other than fabric issues (for all 3???!) I requested a cancelation of the order. No response. Today, I received, one of the dresses, and another dress that I didn’t order, was not my size and clearly didn’t belong to me. I am sending both back; 1. Fit issues 2. Not my dress (obvious return) 3. 3rd dress was missing. 4. I will involve my credit card company as well. I’ve kept all correspondence. This was disappointing and I had hoped for a better outcome. I will give them time to get back on teack before placing any more orders.
I placed an order back in August. Since then Iโve reached out via email and all I received were two automated replies of โWe will get back to youโ. Now I donโt even have a record of my order in my profile! Thankfully, I have the previous emails. I have requested a refund, but have no idea how long that will take. Itโs a shame, I love the quality of their clothes, but this last experience has really left a negative mark with me.
Iโve been ordering from eshakti for almost a decade. I have two dozen dresses. During the pandemic, I didnโt order during the pandemic in 2020 or 2021 I started a new job in 2022 and decided to treat myself with 4 new dresses, and then another 8. I forget because what a nightmare getting the orders. The first one took a month to arrive and the second 6 weeks. Reaching customer service was the worst. I had to email and call so many times. I randomly managed to catch someone by phone on a random afternoon. It was heated exchange. The agent was rude. When it was all said and done I only ended up getting 10 of the 12 dresses. Two of them just never arrived and two had to be returned. I did get my money back, and I randomly ended up getting a gift card for $125 applied to my account. I had told myself not to bother with it, but on August 28 I placed an order and used the gift card. Itโs October 4 and I still donโt have the order. They somehow got the zip code wrong and for one week my package has been sitting at a FedEx in in a neighboring city. Iโve sent so many emails and finally had to call and work it out with FedEx. FedEx is rerouting my order and I should have it this week. Fingers crossed. Either way, Iโm officially done with eshakti.
I ordered a dress in November for a Christmas party but cancelled my order when it sat in production for weeks. They said they would refund the order I placed on November 22n(I contacted them early December) and they didโฆon June 9th! Looking through their app dresses and shirts I had favorites have greatly increased in price. I loved everything Iโve bought from them and always do custom measurements. Iโm 5โ2 and itโs hard to find clothes the right length but I probably wonโt use them again
I ordered a bunch of dresses last winter from eShakti and was horribly disappointed. I always do custom, and they didn’t fit. Like… really didn’t fit. The back of one dress bulged because the neck to waist length was inches off. The sleeves were too small in another. The hips were too small in another. It was bizarre. It felt like they were selling me off the rack in something close to the right size… maybe. I think I ended up with one dress that sort of fit out of about 8 I paid for.
And then they started sending me a barrage of emails about sending anything back that didn’t fit. A weird number of emails, and it lasted for weeks. It felt like they knew there was going to be a problem and were trying to get out in front of the problem by appearing to be helpful.
I was so sad. I assumed the company had sold to an investment firm. That seems like the usual kiss of death for good companies.
I’m on the hunt for a new eShakti – one that isn’t owned by an investment firm.
Hello,
I’ve been ordering from eShakti for about 4-5 years and always loved the wonderful communication, relatively quick delivery of items, and outstanding quality. For example, I once really craved a dress, but it was listed as ‘out of stock.’ I called them to inquire about it and they were so nice and said that they found some of the fabric somewhere and two weeks later I received the dress.
Then, on 24 April, I ordered two dresses that I planned to take on vacation with me. The “guaranteed” receive date was between 8-10 May and I planned to leave on 22 May. The promised date came and went and whenever I clicked on the order, one of the dresses was perpetually stuck in the pattern making section. The dresses finally arrived on 8 Juneโafter my trip had concluded!
In the meantime I had sent them an email, and for the first time I received no reply. However, as an apology, they eventually emailed me a $25 gift certificate for the wait. I immediately ordered another dress, which arrived within 10 days (fastest ever!) and looks fantastic! This gesture certainly mollified me, but I do hopeโafter reading all the comments hereโthat things will improve, since eShakti used to be a really outstanding company.
PS: The latest dress arrived in a thin plastic envelope … perhaps they are switching from the big cardboard boxes to save money …?
I’ve been a loyal customer for years and have never had an issue; then in March I ordered dresses for an event in May, leaving a generous margin in predicted delivery time. And then… nothing. Stayed in production for weeks. No answer to phone calls, no response to emails. After 2 weeks of emailing, got the “problems with fabric” story. Told them to cancel order, because the dresses would not arrive in time. Refund promised… nothing came. Waited a week past date the refund was promised and filed a claim with PayPal, and finally got my money back.
I’m really sad because all of my favorite dresses are eshakti!
I placed an order on June 24th and received notice today that my package was released from India and is on its way. Should be here soon. So, they are back on track! I truly adore eShakti and have ordered from them for a few years. They really did a good job during the pandemic – impressive! Favorites: their cotton poplin, wood block prints, voile, rib knits, and ponte knits. I can attest that this spring was difficult for them. I called the California office in late May and spoke to a gal about the delay. Just as you said, I was told that they were overwhelmed with orders, plus an unfortunate incident with destroyed fabrics. She reported that orders were waaaay up because people around the world have begun getting together again and having post-pandemic events. So, that’s a good reason! She sent HQ a request to expedite my dress. The dress arrived one week later and in time for the event I ordered it for… and it was perfect.
The amount of disruption and disatisfies customers, I doubt they are staying in business.
This company is behaving like many do just before they announce bankruptcy….
Iโm curious if there has been any change since mid-April. I was hoping to make my first order in July.
Hi! I just received an order from them. I placed it on June 20, 2023 and received it via FedEx yesterday, July 5th. I was guaranteed to receive it by July 9th, so I thought that was a great turnaround time. My garment fits well, so I won’t be able to provide any insight about returns or customer service.
No. I still cannot reach them to address issues with my order from April. Nor have they processed my return, which they received June 3. Over a month ago. Looks like I’m just out money…
Iโm glad I happened across this article because Iโve been frustrated with eShakti. I ordered in March for the first time because they came highly recommended. My order took six weeks to arrive and three of the four items needed to be remade – totally my fault for not realizing how low a plunge neckline really is! On May 1 I received and email that the remake request had been accepted. On June 1 I sent an email to inquire about the status. No response. I sent two more emails and left two voicemails. Nothing. On June 15, two of the three remakes arrived randomly – I never got a shipping notice or anything. I sent another email and called again to inquire about the third remake. No responses. Today, I filed a complaint with the BBB and they notified eShakti. This afternoon I got a call from eShakti – odd coincidence, right? Anyways, no apology, no real explanation. She just said my remake would be here next week. I told her a little communication goes a long way. I donโt mind waiting for quality clothes but without communication after they have already taken my money it feels a bit fraudulent. She got mad at that and said if I felt that way I shouldnโt shop with them anymore. I again reiterated that people donโt mind paying and waiting for quality items if they are kept informed throughout the process. So, apparently my dress should be here next week and a refund for another order I had her cancel should be issued by Friday. Letโs see how this plays out. Oddly enough, my sister orders from them frequently and has had no issues. Strange business model.
My EShakti dresses that were supposed to be delivered by 5/31 just arrived today (6/27). It took me a long time and multiple calls to reach someone in early June, but I finally did and they gave me the new timeline which turned out to be correct, but no one had reached out to tell me there were delays in the first place. I also called today with a question about overstock, wondering if the overstock orders shipped faster since they are already made. I did get through to someone and she said that they “no longer” ship faster–they used to but there has been some change seemingly at an upper level and everything functions differently now. That might explain a lot of the problems we all seem to be encountering. I’m so bummed–EShakti had been so reliable for so long! Now I just hope I can manage to get a refund for these dresses that, on top of everything else, don’t fit well.
I’m so very very disappointed that Eshakti has changed. It has been my favourite go to place for quality dresses. Now I have zero confidence in ordering from them after a few poorly made items and now the latest undelivered order. They haven’t responded to any emails and I’ve had to escalate a request with PayPal to get a refund for my missing order. I was curious today about what the status of my order was ( because they no longer send a tracking number and it seems that they no longer package the order as beautifully as before in a well presented box…orders now arrive in plastic packaging…which is ok as long as the order ACTUALLY arrives!)
I would absolutely still order from them, as I have done for the past few years, but my confidence in my order actually arriving has now gone out the window!
I do however feel lucky that at least in my wardrobe I have some lovely dresses from the past from Eshakti that I love…so sad now that they won’t be my go to company of preference.
I had never heard of Eshakti before until a friend told me to order my maid of honor dress for her wedding on the site. I ordered mid May with eta of june 5th. Having never ordered from here before, and not seeing this article, I have been wondering until this evening why no one is responding to be. Wish I had never placed the order because I canโt risk not getting this dress. Multiple messages have been sent and I donโt even think the dress has been made yet. Is that what it means when thereโs a X above โproduction doneโ?
Iโve been ordering from eshakti consistently over the this year and havenโt had one single issue with delivery, returns, communication or quality. Iโve been a pretty loyal customer for five years and the only time there was a problem with an order was during the start of the pandemic – but there were problems with just about everything thing. Everything was eventually addressed. But I havenโt had any problems at all since then. In fact, my last order (June 2023) and it was great.
Well, I hope your experience is mine. I Ordered for a wedding in early July. They gave me an arrival date of June 22, but it hasn’t arrived and I don’t think it’s shipped. I am afraid I might have to figure out a different out fit. Very disappointing. I have several items from they an all have really been great. V. sad.
Iโm so sorry! I wish I had googled before placing an order. Iโd ordered in the past, but not since 2015. Then I placed an order at the end of May. Iโve been trying to reach them to find out why itโs over two weeks delayed with no communication, but canโt get a response. Iโm moving next week – donโt think Iโll ever get the dresses.
Bugger! I have great history with them too, albeit infrequent. And now when I have ordered a dress for a special occasion that allowed MONTHS for delivery it seems I wont get it in time. Thank you for posting. I had no idea and they simply aren’t answering anything.
Thank you for posting this. I have been wondering what is going on with them. I’m waiting on a dress, like many folks who have replied. Hoping they will get back to business at some point. I love the few things I have gotten in the past. Your eshakti dresses are super cute!
Never had an issue with eShakti before. Used it since 2016. Always loved it, got compliments, and recommended it to friends. Such an awesome experience to have unique clothes that actually fit me. Last order was in 2019 before this year’s experience.
End of April 2023, I ordered seven custom dresses and jumpsuits for a trip in early June. Order said “delivery by 5/19”. That date came and went with no updates. I looked at my order status and saw that only one outfit was ready to ship. To date, none of the other items have even been started. Well, my trip came and went. I have emailed twice and called support, which is just a voice mailbox. Left a message, so we’ll see.
It gives me some hope that a few people have commented on recent successful orders, but it’s disheartening how unsympathetic some other commenters are being. This isn’t a “stuff happens” situation considering the volume of incidents now documented across social and BBB. I am really disappointed in eShakti’s lack of transparency and communication. No email replies in the 3 to 4 business days the auto reply promises. If I don’t hear anything by end of this week, guess my only option is to go through a BBB complaint because I cannot afford to throw away hundreds of dollars and receive nothing, not even communication. Just wrong.
I got a reply today from an email I sent around a month ago! It looks like they are working through their backlog and are hoping to be on the mend. My order has shipped, and I can’t wait to see the items!
I posted this as a response to someone above, but it appears they are responding and taking action on complaints made with eth Better Business Bureau.
https://www.bbb.org/us/ny/new-york/profile/online-retailer/eshakticom-llc-0121-164035/complaints
thanks for the idea..in short, waste of time. The company uses BBB on their website, however they are not BBB accredited. The complaints are not addressed and BBB has not removed the website using their logo as part of the fraud. We already know the company is non-response. Not sure why people are filing complaints as recently as August 2024. Thank you for your good intentions.
I ordered a dress on 4/19/23 which should have arrived by 5/8/23, still waiting. I was hoping to wear it to my daughter’s graduation next week, but glad I found a backup at Old Navy! ๐
I’ve left 2 messages and emailed twice with no reply. Never had this happen before over the last 5 years of ordering from them.
I finally ended up making a complaint to the BBB today for a similar issue from an order I placed in February. It appears that eShakti is addressing complaints made through BBB. I hate to resort to that, but I’ve waited for my refund long enough.
https://www.bbb.org/us/ny/new-york/profile/online-retailer/eshakticom-llc-0121-164035/complaints
My order was supposed to arrive May 4. It is now May 28 and I have received nothing. I ordered 4 dresses. The hope was to wear them to events surrounding my sons graduation.
The events start in 5/30.
Iโm upset and disappointed.
No answer to emails sent to customer care.
I can see in my order status that 2 dresses are complete, but 2 have yet to be started ~ looks like they donโt yet have the fabric.
Horrible~
I so wish I read your article before ordering from eshakti. I have loved my purchases in the past years, and have not had issues until recently. My order was supposed to arrive a month ago. I have left several messages on the website portal, emails to the customer service email, and multiple voicemail messages. No reply except for the automatic general reply. No call back or explanation. I am very concerned that I lost all of my money or that I won’t be refunded.
I’m sad to see that I’m not the only one going through this! I ordered two beautiful dresses to choose from for a wedding I am going to. Ordered it in April and was supposed to receive them by May 14 .
Now for someone who is short, with a larger bosom, I need to try to find something to wear!
I have ordered a month a go and nothing has been delivered. My attempts to contact has been unsuccessfulโฆ. i wish I would know betterโฆ. Money lost!
Same story here! Something is going on with the company but they should still communicate! Good news or bad news! An investigation needs to take place.
Same thing. Ordered 3 items on 5/4/23 with an expected delivery date 05/23/23.
In this order, I used the credits Eshakti had given to me due to not receiving orders placed Winter 2022. Eshakti wouldnโt issue refunds-only credits. And I had to pay additional money for shipping on this order.
Despite 3-4 phone calls where I left messages and one message through their site, no response has been received. Note: order status on the site shows the 3 items havenโt been through production yet.
Previously I was a satisfied Eshakti customer who loves the jumpsuit and formal dress I received earlier in 2022.
Me too! I ordered on may 6, was supposed to be delivered โbefore may 25โ, but the progress status still shows โkit & fabric creationโ. I have written twice through their contact form and only gotten the automated responses promising getting back in 3-4 business days (long gone) and once thru instagram messages, with no reaction.
Came back to give an update – today on ig i received two messages, one was specific to my order and some form of apology for the delay and a promise that it will comeโฆ i think the second one is of more general interest, i am copying it here:
Dear Customer,
We hope this message finds you well. We are writing to sincerely apologize for the recent lack of communication.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, we have experienced a shortage of staff members, which has resulted in a delay in addressing customer concerns and providing timely updates. We understand the frustration and inconvenience this may have caused you, and we want to assure you that we are working diligently to resolve this situation as quickly as possible.
Once again, we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused. If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to our customer support team, who will be more than happy to assist you. We truly value your business and look forward to serving you again with an improved experience.
Thank you for your understanding.
Best Regards
Team eShakti
Another update: i wrote to the bbb and two days later there was movement on my order process. Today i received my order and am very disappointed – the textile quality is very scarce, very stiff and plastic-y feeling and doesnโt fall/drape/flare like in the pictures at all. Also, the sewing quality is very bad, the darts for forming the bust part are asymmetrical (different lengths between the left and right side as well as off-center and off-seam), the waist and the integrated cummerbund way too high and looseโฆ. I do have a right for a free remake but wonโt try for it bcs i am in general disappointed and donโt think shoddy sewing (and the textile) can be improved. This was my first and last order from esahkti.
I ordered in April so I would have my stuff when I arrived to the US in May. Iโm here, itโs May 21, and nothing. I leave the States Tuesdayโฆ I doubt I will have my dresses. Dammit.
Have you heard anything else about what’s going on? I’m still getting daily sales emails from them, and I saw today they launched a new bridesmaids collection. How are they able to still take so many orders if they aren’t fulfilling them? (I’m waiting on three dresses that are two weeks late and I can’t get ahold of anyone via phone, email, or order page. I swear I have had a dozen fabulous dresses from them over the years, so this is a very surprising turn.)
I haven’t heard anything, sadly. I too got that bridesmaid email and was so horrified to think that a wedding party will order dresses and possibly not get them in time for the big day. I’m glad folks are finding this article and hopefully, I can save someone some heartache.
That’s what I was thinking, too. It’s been my go-to place for dresses for YEARS, too.
I’m in the same boat as several others here and wish I had seen your blog post before I ordered. I ordered over a month ago a dress for a wedding and now I’m looking for other options. I have contacted them several times via e-mail with no response and the 1-855 contact phone number they have listed is “out of order.” This is so disappointing! The previous two times I’ve shopped with them I had a great experience. I don’t know if I’ll ever get the dress or get my money back… so disappointing!
I just got a “mailbox is full” message today when I tried to call. A week ago I was able to leave a message, though.
I wish I found your blog sooner lol not just for the eShakti news but for the content too. I also ordered 4/24 and ordered a dress for my cruise, not a word, and my order status has not changed in 3 weeks. Oh well I guess maybe for stuff next summer if i ever see it. If this goes on long enough I will be filing a dispute with my bank to get my money back
I’ve been waiting for an order for over a month. They haven’t replied to my emails or phone calls. I’ve challenged the pre-payment with Pay-Pal, which has been a learning experience. I’ll probably stop using Pay-Pal and stick to credit cards in the future, since they are being less responsive even in the face of a complete failure to deliver the merchandise paid for. Like the author, I’ve had great experiences with Eshakti for years so this turnabout is really shocking. This is so disappointing, but I’ll never take a chance on them again.
Wow, found your post a bit too late. I ordered one dress from eshakti in 2019 and it was a good experience. Now Iโm post wfh, post baby, and wanted to resuscitate my professional wardrobe. Made an order April 8th, originally because I thought I had a conference to attend this week. Thank goodness I was not chosen to go and can wait. It looks like 3/5 of my garments are completed. Fingers crossed they used the right measurements!
I ordered 3 items in March and they are now about two weeks past the promised arrival date. For a while, the status of the order was โin progressโ but now it just shows as not even being started. Iโm not sure whether to cancel as I really want the items!
I am so sorry you’re experiencing this. I have heard some folks have no issue, and others struggle. My fingers are crossed for you!
Thanks for the heads up! I have a few desses in my cart that I am considering for a graduation in July. Pitty, I was really looking forward to trying their customizations and love the idea of having pockets! Are there any similar retailers?
I was just talking to a friend who orders frequently from eShakti and has been for years. She recently had an order of 5 dresses (same dress, different fabrics, customized sizing) show up late and several measurements were completely off. When she sent a note telling them that, they automatically remade the dresses — without asking which measurements were off — and the new dresses were in the same wrong measurements.
So, just leaving this here as a “one person’s similar story.”
Lol! I read your post, now Iโm getting ads for eShakti on IG. Like Iโm going to buy from them after your & the WO2 communityโs warning.
I just received two dresses I ordered last month and they are perfect. Been ordering from Eshakti for over a decade. Iโm sorry so many have been disappointed but things happen.
Alison,
Thank you for sharing this information. I have purchased from them in the past and loved, loved the fit and quality. I no longer wear a dress of theirs but keep because it’s an amazing dress. However, it is helpful to know the difficulties the retailer is experiencing and the reasons why. As, always you are thorough and speak from a place of concern.
I am bummed about this because the vast majority of my favorite clothes are from eShakti (in fact, I’m wearing one of their dresses at work as I type this.) I too had a recent experience where an order took slightly longer than I expected to arrive and had less communication, although I wasn’t tracking it closely enough to say if it was really super late. The items were of the quality I expect, with the typical bra strap keeps, deep pockets and everything we love about the brand, but unfortunately I felt the sizing was running much larger than I expected. I was using custom measurements that I last used with them about 6 months ago, and I may have lost a few pounds but all the dresses were way longer than I had expected. I have also noticed they are running promotions almost constantly, which did not use to be the case, and while it may be good for customers does not seem like a good long-term sign. I really, really hope they can turn this around because their quality to value ratio has always been fabulous and they fill such an important niche.
I just remembered your post and came back here to update. I just received an emailed gift card for a return to eShakti, and had no idea what was up. After digging in my email, I returned the item MAY 2022. 15 MONTHS AGO. Yes, I should have noticed earlier that the return hadn’t hit, and I guess I give them credit for returning my funds in the end, but what the h**l. As I said before, this gives me no pleasure to share, they used to be one of my favorite companies!
Thank you for sharing this information. I have been look at some dresses to order. Glad I read your article first
I am in fact wearing a new dress today that I ordered from eShakti at the beginning of March and just received last week. About 2 weeks after I placed my order I started checking it’s progress (ordered 3 items in custom sizing and with design modifications). And I looked up recent reviews on Facebook and got so nervous. The My Order information on EShakti’s website tracks progress through the production phases, so without any direct communication from the company it was very useful in soothing my apprehensions. It was very frustrating not getting any other updates from the company on my order and no indication that production was taking much longer than the website quotes (c. 3 weeks) but then I also may have more realistic expectations of how long a custom-designed and sized article of well-made clothing SHOULD take, being a sewer myself. All in, my order of 3 dresses took 5 weeks to arrive. But when i ordered, eshakti was offering free/discounted customization fee and free shipping. So I feel I got a bargain, but I was frustrated by the lack of communication. Had the progress tracking not been available on my order I probably would have freaked out and tried to contact the company. I LOVE the dress I’m wearing today and like the other 2 very much. All in all, I’m satisfied but I would hesitate to order again until eshakti is in a better position to follow through on its quoted production times. Whether it’s due to current or previous covid ravages, or both, or to supply chain issues, or all three, it’s very unfortunate and I hope the company can get back to its full capacity. It’s so hard to find cute well-made dresses that are both plus sized AND proportioned for petites. So few brands offer their full design collection in inclusive sizes. ESHAKTI’S custom sizing service is so valuable.
See mine has shown production was completed 4 week ago. It was supposed to be here three weeks ago. No answer to calls or messages. Filed a dispute with PP.
Oof well, this has aged like a pile of dead fish. After the accelerated complaints noted on this post and elsewhere, I am definitely a FORMER eshakti customer. I got lucky last year but I hate the fact that the people who made my order probably got stiffed on their wages due to the owner’s apparently absolute lack of integrity.
Oh no! Thank you so much for this update. I’ve been very happy with EShakti, but it’s been a while since I ordered from them. Good to know so that I don’t recommend them to others.
I ordered three potential MOB dresses from them last summer (for an October wedding, allowing plenty of time) and was launched into a 6-month nightmare that was finally resolved by my credit card company in December (with a full refund). The dresses were delayed, then backordered, then canceled, then sent. I rec’d two of the three dresses, months late, but they were not the fabrics I’d requested and the custom details and measurements were not accurate. Over these months, emails were never answered, nor were phone calls to their US number. I don’t do social media, but found via Google a FB group dedicated to eShakti complaints — it’s since been closed as defamatory, I think.
The whole thing was a really disappointing, to say the least — I’m glad I realized what was happening early so I could find dresses elsewhere — and I’m glad you posted an update because I wondered all these months whether to say something here.
PS. The timing of my experience and that of hundreds of other US women and many more international customers says eShakti’s problems are not related to the destruction of fabric or the new COVID strain or some upper respiratory issues in India. I think the company was decimated by COVID and never recovered. Much of what I’ve read indicates stalling techniques — ignoring emails, not answering phone calls, shifting dates, promising items a few weeks later, not answering phone calls, having customer service send delaying emails promising action soon, delaying shipping, delaying refunds, etc. I assume they hoped they and their supply chains and their employees would recover, but apparently, it snowballed instead.
Iโve only ordered from them once. The dress wasnโt right for me so I returned it for a refund. That was in February. I know the dress was received by them because I called and did get through to someone. She said it takes 3 weeks to process a return. Have unsuccessfully tried to get in touch with someone there multiple times to check status of refund. Iโm still awaiting my refund.
Don’t wait too long, as there’s a time limit on credit card cases. For my cards, it’s 90 days. Better to file a claim now and then retract it, if needed.
I’ve been wondering what’s going on with them! I ordered several dresses on Black Friday. The dresses all arrived, but one of them was super late, and the communication about it was spotty. I ordered a few more dresses recently and I received one. The second never arrived and I emailed multiple times, with no response other than a form letter saying I will hear from someone within 48 hours. That never happened. I called them, and the woman who answered said my dress was cancelled at the production level because of lack of fabric- but no one refunded me or communicated this until I made this call. I have bought from eShakti for years- I love their dresses- and this is very disappointing to hear.
I ordered once from E Shakti years ago and I was very pleased with the custom dress I ordered. I was very large busted and they tailored to my measurements which were spot on. My only issue was being I am in Canada, they charge duty on the items because they come from India and they are not part of the free trade agreement. I havent ordered from them since, but hope they figure out their issues as they are a great option for people who have troubles with ready to wear clothes.
Really sorry to hear this, they’re a great brand! I ordered from them (one standard, one custom) about six months ago and everything was fine…I hope their staff is just briefly overwhelmed & they get back to normal soon.
Thank you for posting this! I have been thinking about placing some orders and this saved me a massive headache.