Good day, Hex Squad! Ever felt lured right into a VIP program solely to remorse it later? That’s precisely what occurred with me and Madam Glam. At this time I’m saying goodbye Madam Glam and sharing a significant replace concerning the model. Initially, I used to be captivated by their dedication to producing vegan, cruelty-free, and non-toxic gel nail polishes. Nevertheless, my latest experiences, significantly with their VIP program, have drastically modified my view.
Each model talked about bought by me. All opinions my very own. I’ve obtained PR from Madam Glam in 2021.
Madam Glam’s Lure and the Actuality of VIP Applications
Madam Glam gel polish appeared promising with its in depth “free-from” listing—vegan, cruelty-free, and free from quite a few dangerous chemical substances, making it a go-to for secure, DIY nail care. But, the VIP program, supposed to supply worth by way of month-to-month credit and vital reductions, turned out to be lower than stellar.
About Hema Free Gel Polish
I do know it’s important to make use of hema-free gel polish, particularly in case you are DIY’ing your nails at house like I’m, to stop growing a gel allergy. When you develop a gel allergy, you’ll be able to’t ever use gel polish once more. Sadly, I examine it occurring ceaselessly on RedditLaqueristas. I’ve even had a couple of buddies develop gel allergic reactions.
One of many manufacturers that I’ve seen repeatedly pop up as inflicting allergic reactions is the gel polish model Beetles. It’s a preferred, cheap model on Amazon. I’ve even bought a few of their gel polishes, however I take advantage of them very sometimes as a result of I don’t typically wish to danger my well being.
Be taught extra about gel allergic reactions from the Final Information to Nail Allergy symptoms.
Madam Glam VIP Program
From Madam Glam’s web site
Madam Glam polishes are priced at round $13.48 for those who’re a VIP member or $26.96 for those who’re not a member, relying on the components.
Regardless of claims of straightforward Madam Glam VIP membership administration, I’ve encountered points with unauthorized expenses even throughout supposed pause intervals. These incidents, together with repeated expenses after cancellation requests and delayed refunds, counsel a disconnect between their service guarantees and precise practices.
Madam Glam States You Can Pause the Membership at Any Time
Contained in the membership, it claims you can pause the membership for 1, 2, or 3 months.
From Madam Glam’s web site
Up to now, I’d pause my membership for 3 months, then permit the membership to cost and spend that cash on both Madam Glam gel nail polish or their Gel Polish remover. Then I’d pause the membership once more.
I set reminders in my calender to test the membership and pause/unpause it.
Madam Glam’s VIP web page even claims you can pause or cancel your subscription at any time. This didn’t appear to be true in my case.
The Pause Did Not Work for Me
Nevertheless, a number of instances I had the subscription paused, Madam Glam would cost me anyhow. The primary few instances it occurred I chalked it as much as a technical glitch.
In August of this yr, nonetheless, it occurred once more. I contacted assist and informed them I wished the cost refunded as a result of my subscription was paused and I wasn’t alleged to be charged. Their assist mentioned they might refund me and it wasn’t an issue.
Spoiler alert, it was an issue.
I don’t find out about you, however my finances is way tighter this yr than it was final yr.
I went to test my bank card assertion to see if Madam Glam had refunded me. Not solely had they not refunded me, they’d charged me once more. I contacted their assist once more, livid at this level. I used to be informed there was a glitch and they’d problem me a refund.
At this level, I used to be completed with Madam Glam and informed them refund me and shut my account.
I lastly obtained my refund from the Madam Glam VIP program on the finish of August, however the injury was completed.
Not Value It
At this level, my opinion on their VIP program is that it’s a shady method for them to get straightforward cash. I don’t know if most individuals monitor their bank card statements as carefully as I do.
The enchantment of unique reductions can’t outweigh the frustration and monetary unpredictability introduced by their problematic VIP system. It appears this system is extra useful to the corporate than to us as shoppers, selling overconsumption by way of attractive perks that don’t compensate for the potential hassles.
I don’t really feel the $29 month-to-month VIP membership price justifies the reductions and perks I really used.
Neighborhood Suggestions Echoes My Discontent
I’m not alone in my frustrations. Many others have voiced comparable disappointments on-line, pointing to a sample of customer support shortfalls and deceptive subscription practices amongst varied VIP applications.
I discovered complaints on a number of websites of people that had comparable points to me, resembling RaveCapture and the BBB. A number of folks had the identical problem I had the place they put their VIP membership on maintain, solely to be charged.
Many had been additionally gaslit by Madam Glam’s customer support about refunds that didn’t occur. It definitely occurred in my case and it made me marvel the place the customer support was primarily based, as a result of it appeared like there have been a number of communication points.
Easy methods to Spot a Shady Membership Program
There are such a lot of misleading membership applications on the market. When researching about Madam Glam’s VIP membership program to see if others skilled my points, I discovered that Savage by Fenty, Fabletics VIP, JustFab VIP, Adore Me VIP, and ShoeDazzle VIP all shared comparable complaints.
It looks as if shady membership applications have a couple of issues in widespread:
Computerized expenses with no warning.
Tough cancellation processes that require prospects to undergo a tedious or intentionally unclear course of.
Deceptive signal ups that make some folks assume you’re paying for a one-time buy as a substitute of a recurring membership.
I additionally keep in mind folks complaining with points like this from firms like ScentBird and Ipsy.
Sick of Subscriptions
Honestly, I’m sick of every part having a subscription service simply to exist and I’m canceling as many as I can. The place I used to subscribe to all streaming companies, for instance, I now solely hold 1 or 2 lively at any given time. I now not pay a month-to-month World of Warcraft charge as a result of I’d quite play Baldur’s Gate 3, again and again. I paid a one time charge for BG3 and it’s unimaginable.
Shining a Optimistic Gentle for a Second
Madam Glam does do a couple of issues very effectively. I actually loved their gel polish components and it’s good for them to supply mini sizes. Their gel polish remover works effectively, too. However none of that’s price it to me to place up with their VIP membership and tacky customer support.
What Manufacturers am I Utilizing as Alternate options to Madam Glam?
As a substitute of buying with Madam Glam, right here’s what I’m utilizing on my nails.
Vettsy – hema-free gel polish. Use my code of CORDELIA to save lots of 20%. They’ve some nice nail artwork tutorials. Store their $9.99 gels.
Painted Desert – hema free gel polish. They make my favourite builder Cactus Gelly Plus, and favourite prime coat. I additionally love their suggestions. Their polishes are round $14.
Every day Charme – most are hema-free gel polish. I purchase a lot of nail artwork merchandise right here too. They’ve one of the best nail artwork tutorials on IG. Their polishes are round $16 they usually have frequent gross sales.
iGel Magnificence – they make my favourite true glow-in-the-dark gel nail polish (as a substitute of simply UV reactive). Principally hema free gel polish. Their polishes are round $14.99 they usually have frequent gross sales all the way down to $4.99.
Nails by Dev – a neighborhood indie nail polish model that’s superior and Dev’s tutorials are improbable! Their gel polishes are round $14, however cheaper for those who go to their retailer in individual.
F.U.N. Lacquer – an extremely artistic indie model from Singapore. Their gel polishes are round $22.50
Apres – I purchase their pure brief stiletto suggestions and Gel-X Prep. Their polishes, which I’ve by no means tried, are round $14.99
All of those manufacturers are decrease priced than Madam Glam’s non VIP gel polish pricing. The one one even near Madam Glam’s ridiculous $26.96 is Apres. And as you’ll be able to inform, most of those manufacturers are priced round $14, which makes Madam Glam’s ‘low cost’ VIP worth of $13.48 not definitely worth the trouble of the membership, in my humble opinion.
Vettsy
Vettsy is a new-to-me hema-free gel polish model that I discovered on Instagram who curates nail development packing containers. I’ve bought a number of of their jelly and creme hema-free gel polishes. The neon components was about the identical problem stage as iGel glow-in-the-dark gel polishes, which is to say barely lumpy and takes some additional tlc to get it to look excellent, however definitely worth the effort. The cream components was glorious for me.
Painted Desert
Painted Desert makes my favourite Cactuc Gelly Plus builder, which is what I apply on prime of my Orly Nail Tip Primer in a skinny coat, treatment, after which apply it to the bottom of my full protection nail tricks to adhere the tip to my nail. Additionally they make my favourite Shiny High Coat. It’s no wipe, however I nonetheless find yourself wiping with alcohol after I’m completed with all my nails to verify they give the impression of being their greatest. I’ve a couple of polishes from Painted Desert they usually’re pretty too. I like the complete protection nail suggestions that they promote and have a number of shapes from them.
Every day Charme
Every day Charme is the nail model that I’ve bought from essentially the most over the previous few years, primarily as a result of I like their in depth nail artwork choice. I do personal their UV-reactive nail polishes, however was dissatisfied that they aren’t true glow-in-the-dark. What I imply by that’s with true glow-in-the-dark gel polish, I cost it both outdoors in direct daylight or in my LED nail lamp (sporting my LED safety gloves), after which it glows all night time at the hours of darkness. UV-reactive gel polishes solely glow beneath blacklight. I like the complete protection nail suggestions that they promote and have a number of shapes from them.
iGel Magnificence
iGel Magnificence is the model that I’ve tried essentially the most number of merchandise from. I attempted their dip merchandise, that are positively not for me. I like their gel polishes, particularly the glow-in-the-dark, temper change glow gel (thermals + glow-in-the-dark), pearl gel, platinum ombre gel, and blossom gel. iGel polishes are moderately priced they usually’re continually having gross sales the place you’ll be able to decide up gel polish for $5 a bottle. In order for you true glow-in-the-dark merchandise, you want to store iGel. I don’t know some other model that has them.
Apres
I solely use two merchandise from Apres. I used their pure brief stiletto suggestions and Gel-X Prep. Gel-X Prep is a product used to etch the within of full protection suggestions to assist them adhere higher. And I favor the Apres pure brief stiletto tricks to some other brief stiletto suggestions that I’ve tried. Their form matches me effectively.
No Extra VIP for Me
I’m over firms that make use of VIP applications like Madam Glam. I perceive {that a} recurring income mannequin, resembling a month-to-month charge, helps to supply companies with a gentle and predictable income stream. It additionally makes certain that there’s a better buyer lifetime worth with the automated renewal, as a result of many individuals overlook to unsubscribe or pause memberships.
These firms use FOMO (worry of lacking out) to get folks to affix their applications by providing VIP solely reductions, early entry to merchandise, and different issues to entice folks to maintain the memberships even when they’re not frequent buyers.
Nevertheless, these misleading enterprise practices can even hurt their firm’s popularity, particularly when coupled with unhealthy customer support.
This expertise has bolstered my stance on supporting companies that worth transparency and buyer respect over misleading subscription ways. It’s disheartening to see a model with potential falter by way of poor buyer administration. I’ll follow Vettsy, Every day Charme, iGel, Painted Desert, Nails by Dev, F.U.N. Lacquer and Apres since they don’t deal with me poorly and have truthful pricing.
Madam Glam, it’s time for a change—not simply in the way you deal with subscriptions, however in the way you deal with your loyal prospects. Till then, it’s a goodbye from me.
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