ComplaintsforOak Hall Cap & Gown

• Initial Complaint

  05/06/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The phone support was not only unfriendly but also lacked knowledge and understanding of how weeks are counted. I called to express my concerns after waiting on hold for thirty minutes because my custom cap and gown, which was supposed to be shipped by May 2nd (as stated when I ordered on March 6th), had not been shipped as of May 6th. I was informed that the gown was still being sewn and would likely be shipped within the next day or two. I expressed my frustration because I had been promised a May 2nd shipment date, to which I was condescendingly informed that all custom regalia takes 8 weeks, and since I ordered on March 6th and today is May 6th, that's exactly 8 weeks. However, this is inaccurate as March 6th to May 6th is actually 8 weeks and 5 days, meaning I should have expected it to be shipped by May 2nd, which is 8 weeks and 1 day from the date of my order, as clearly stated on the website when I placed my order. This mistake would have been understandable if not for the condescending manner in which it was communicated to me.

  

  Business response

  05/10/2024

  Hi *******Your order was shipped with upgraded shipping, tracking number ******************. Congratulations!Oak Hall Cap & Gown 

• Initial Complaint

  05/03/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I ordered cap, gown, hood, and tassel. I didn't receive my hood. My graduation is a week away. What should I do???

  

  Business response

  05/06/2024

  Hi *********,We have sent your hood with upgraded shipping. The tracking number is ******************. Congratulations!Oak Hall Cap & Gown

  Customer response

  05/10/2024

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved. Regards, ********* *********

• Initial Complaint

  04/24/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On February 17, 2024, I placed an order for doctoral graduation regalia through a link provided by my university. The total amount charged to my account was $188.48. The order (Order Number: ********) was received on March 9, 2024; however, upon inspection, I found that the size was incorrect. As per Oak Hall Cap & Gown's return policy, I initiated the return process and shipped the package back via **** on March 15, 2024. It has now been over a month since I returned the package, and I have not yet received my refund nor response or confirmation regarding the return. Despite multiple attempts to contact Oak Hall Cap & Gown via email to inquire about the status of my return, I have not received any response.

  

  Business response

  04/25/2024

  Good afternoon,Your total of 188.48 has been refunded and should be seen in your bank account in about 4-5 business days. Thank you,Oak Hall Cap & Gown

  Customer response

  04/25/2024

  I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below. I am unable to accept the offered resolution. The proposed resolution does not include a full refund for my return, and to date, I have not received any refund through my original payment method. Therefore, I must respectfully decline the proposed resolution. Regards, ********** ** 

  

  Business response

  05/01/2024

  Hi ********** **,Please find attached the proof of refund for your order. There are two separate files due to a miscommunication with what items needed to be refunded, however the two total to the amount desired. Please keep in mind that banks and credit cards do have varying time frames on when refunds are processed. Thank you,Oak Hall Cap & Gown 

  Customer response

  05/01/2024

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved. Regards,

• Initial Complaint

  04/22/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I ordered my custom PhD regalia through my school ******* ********** website on February 27, 2024, as we were told to order our custom regalia before March 7th. ******* ********** graduation for my field is on May 11, 2024. I was given my receipt and a confirmation number in the order confirmation (Feb 27). After about a month I called the customer service number given to us ###-###-#### to see about a status update on my order as I noticed I hadn't received an email about my cap and gown since the original confirmation. During that phone call, I was told that my order would take 5-9 weeks to arrive. On April 8th, 2024 (week 6) I emailed customer service at this email ******************** to ask about another status update. In the email, I was told that: "The order was placed 2/27 which would put you at the 6-week mark currently. If you do not receive tracking information around that 8-week timeframe, please reach back out and I will assist you at that time." It is now week eight and I have yet to receive my order with just two weeks left before my graduation. Today April 22, 2024, I called the number given above twice and waited for someone to answer for 30 minutes both times. While I waited I sent two emails one to the above email address and the other through Oak Hall's customer support on their website. I finally had to go a different route and call the mainline ###-###-#### just so I could speak to a live person. The person I spoke with sent me to the right department where I spoke with a representative who told me that my order was scheduled to ship on Friday 26, 2024. When I asked how long it would take to be delivered she said a couple of days. Now I have to wait another week for my cap & gown to allegedly come on time before my graduation date. No person should go through this much stress trying to get in touch with a company after they have paid so much for a special moment. I am afraid that with 17 days left before graduation leaving this to chance.

  

  Business response

  04/23/2024

  Hi *******,We apologize for the inconvenience. Your order has been shipped today 4/23 and the tracking number is ******************. Congratulations!Oak Hall Cap & Gown

  Customer response

  04/28/2024

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved. Regards, ******* *******

• Initial Complaint

  04/19/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I placed my order on 4/5/2024 for my graduation ceremony. However, it hasn’t been shipped yet. It’s still in process. My order# is *******. I sent an email to ask about this issue but no one hasn't responded to me yet. I also requested assistance but no one hasn't answered me yet. I'm really frustrated.

  

  Business response

  04/20/2024

  Hi ***,We apologize for a delay in response to your email. Please refer to our policies and procedures for souvenir regalia below.Policies & Procedures of Oak Hall Cap & Gown:Shipping Notice: Souvenir Regalia – All orders will be processed and shipped within 30 days. Once shipped, you will receive an email with tracking information.  Your order will be shipped within this time frame and in time for your graduation. If you have further questions please contact our customer service at ###-###-####. Thank you,Oak Hall Cap & Gown

  Customer response

  04/20/2024

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved. Regards, *** ****

• Initial Complaint

  04/16/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I’ve purchased my cap and gown for graduation for May 14 online. I did not know that my school was having a graduation festival that would offer the cap and gown. So I purchased it online prematurely, and have attempted to cancel the order and they are refusing to cancel my order. Even though it has not been shipped. I am supposed to get the item April 31. I had decided to cancel the order and get it from my school because I have a photo shoot that I had prepared for and I will need my cap, gown and tassel. They are telling me that I have to receive it, deny the item and get a refund. That is unacceptable. I should be able to cancel my order at any time.

  

  Business response

  04/16/2024

  Hi *******,Your order is currently being processed to ship and cannot be stopped at this point. The order is within the terms of shipment. You must now follow our guidelines for return and refund. Please take into consideration that we do not condone threats of any nature towards our employees. Moving forward we ask that any communication be absent of any hostility. Once the proper steps have been taken we will be happy to provide you with a refund. Oak Hall Cap & Gown

• Initial Complaint

  06/27/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I followed the link provided by my university to purchase PhD graduation regalia and received confirmation that my $1,417.45 order was received on 3/4/2023 for a graduation taking place on 5/13/2023. On 5/1/23, I emailed the company to check the status of the regalia and did not receive a response. On 5/8/23, I called the *** number on the site and was on the call for approximately 15 minutes. In that time, someone supposedly went to check on my order and told me that my regalia was still being made but that it would arrive by graduation. The University bookstore also sent an email to OakHall on my behalf inquiring about the status of the regalia. We received no response. On 5/11/23, someone from the university bookstore sent a text message to someone at OakHall on my behalf inquiring about the status of the regalia. To my knowledge, he did not receive a response. On 5/12/23, I called the *** number again and the call lasted approximately 22 mins. I was told that my regalia was not complete and rental regalia would be delivered some time before the graduation. I was devastated. I dreamt of wearing my university's colors regalia since I began my PhD program years ago. Instead of this dream, on 5/13/23, I walked across the graduation stage, participated in graduation activities, and took photos that will last a lifetime with family and friends in an ill fitting black robe that was clearly not what I ordered. On 5/15/23 (2 days AFTER graduation), I received an email that my custom regalia had been shipped. On 5/16/23 (3 days AFTER graduation), the regalia was delivered to my door. This is unacceptable. There were multiple opportunities for Oak Hall to make it known that there was an issue in completing my regalia. Instead they made believe that everything was fine, up until the day before my graduation. Even then, they made no effort to contact me. I was constantly the one attempting to contact them. Thank you, Oak Hall, for ruining my graduation dream.

  

  Business response

  06/30/2023

  A refund for your order is currently in processing. Oak Hall Cap & Gown 

  Customer response

  06/30/2023

  I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below. The full cost of the custom regalia needs to be refunded. For reference, the full cost has been attached (document "03.04.23-FullCost". Regards, ***** ****** 

  

  Business response

  07/12/2023

  Please contact ***************** or call ###-###-#### for any questions regarding your order. The customer service department is experiencing less volume at this time and will be able to assist you. Oak Hall Cap & Gown 

  Customer response

  07/17/2023

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved. Regards, ***** ******

• Initial Complaint

  06/22/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I ordered custom PhD regalia from Oak Hall on 3/10/23 for a graduation date of 5/23/2023, with a promise of shipment within 8 weeks. After the 8 week date passed, I tried to contact OH multiple times via email, phone call, and even ******* without ANY response. I finally got ahold of someone on 5/19, and was told my order would arrive "hopefully" by Monday. I was told to pick up loaner regalia at my university in case it didn't arrive. After negotiating, the employee agreed to refund me 20% for the hassle if my order arrived on time and sent an email confirming this. I unfortunately did not receive my regalia until 5/24/23 (the day after graduation). I emailed OH confirming this with photos without any response. After hearing no response and not receiving the 20% promised refund, I called and spoke with someone the week of June 12th about a full refund because I never got to wear the regalia I purchased. I was promised a return call - that I never received. I called yesterday and they confirmed I would not receive a full refund or ANY refund because they have in their system that the full order (robe, regalia, hood) arrived on 5/22/23. I showed them pictures of just the robe left unopened in the box and then they said "actually, we only shipped the robe because the loaner regalia you picked up at the university included your custom cap and hood. You should have kept this." Not once did they mention this on the call on 5/19. They put me on hold and now are unresponsive to emails. It is unfortunate that we are unable to have custom gowns made through other companies as the service with Oak Hall has been the worst service I've ever received in my life. The only way to rectify this situation is for Oak Hall to accept the return order and to refund my full order price of $1,182.77.

  

  Business response

  06/28/2023

  Your refund will be processed this week.- Oak Hall Cap and Gown

  Customer response

  06/29/2023

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me only if by “refund,” Oak Hall means to issue a full refund for the total price of the regalia, $1,182.77. I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved. Regards, *** ******

  Customer response

  07/06/2023

  I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below. Hi there, Hope you’re well. I am emailing because the resolution for complaint ID ******** is not satisfactory. I closed the case because that was the only option available to me, but I specifically specified in my acceptance/closure that the resolution proposed by Oak Hall was satisfactory only if they refunded me the full amount of my order. Instead, they’ve refunded me 20%.I would appreciate a reopening of this case and my full refund be distributed ASAP given the immense hassle I’ve had with this company, their poor communication, and their denial of any fault until a complaint was filed with the BBB. I look forward to hearing from you soon.***   

  

  Business response

  07/12/2023

  The 20% refund was agreed upon with our customer service department. If there are any other questions, please contact this department at ***************** or call ***** *********Oak Hall Cap & Gown 

  Customer response

  07/12/2023

  I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed were already shared in my original complaint. The company has been an absolute nightmare to work with from the start - they have repeatedly ignored emails and phone calls and MISSED their GUARANTEED deadline of 8 weeks. Even if Oak Hall had taken responsibility for their errors and been polite to their customers, the only information needed to remedy the issue is the proof that they have been unable to meet their guaranteed shipment dates for multiple customers. A full refund is the only acceptable offer. Your company should be absolutely ashamed that it took a BBB complaint for you to even consider a refund that you had promised before the items were late. Regards, *** ******

  Customer response

  08/04/2023

  I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below. Thanks for your email. I did not. I offered to on the last phone call I had with Oak Hall but they seemed to suggest this wasn’t possible and I didn’t want to return it without receiving a refund. I’m more than happy to return it at their expense as it’s been unopened so is still in the clear packaging.  To confirm, I only have the robe as the hood and cap were apparently part of the rental I ended up wearing, which I returned to the university weeks ago.  Thank you for your help here! *** 

  

  Business response

  08/11/2023

  ***,A customer service representative has sent a return label to you for your order and a refund will be processed once it has been returned. Thank you,Oak Hall Cap & Gown 

  Customer response

  08/11/2023

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved. Regards, *** ******

• Initial Complaint

  06/05/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I purchased my custom Ph.D. regalia (They said my initial will appear on my regalia that's why I bought it) on March 7, 2023, for $1005.99. Oak Hall told me at that time my regalia should arrive within 8 weeks and before my commencement (May 19) but that was half a month ago. Today is June 5, I still did not get my suit. I contacted my school bookstore because I chose my order delivered there and they told me they contacted Oak Hall but got nothing back. I called Oak Hall and their representative still can not tell me what is happening with my order. It is really terrible customer service and I have run out of my patience because I have waited for a total of 3 months. I tried to connect with Oak Hall through their website and phone but no one gave me a reply only said they are checking the order status and then never contacted me. I am really angry and disappointed about their terrible service.

  

  Business response

  06/12/2023

  Your order has been shipped 6/8 and was overnighted. Oak Hall Cap & Gown 

  Customer response

  06/14/2023

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved. Regards, ****** ****

• Initial Complaint

  05/25/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I truly have never been so frustrated working with a company before! I placed an order of custom Ph.D. regalia costing $1,182.77 on March12. The shipping window is EIGHT WEEK and should receive the regalia on the week of May8. However, I didn't receive the regalia that week and got no update on the order status. Therefore, I called/emailled Oak Hall on May10, but no one answered replied. On May15/May17, I called and I was on hold/transferred/disconnected for hours and finally was told that my order would arrived on May20. However, on May19, right before I am leaving for my Ph.D. university for the graduation ceremony, I was told that my order will not be delieved by the graduation ceremony which starts at 9 am on May22 for doctoral hooding. They lent me rental regalia to attend the graduation ceremony. I paid $1,182.77 for a custom Ph.D. regalia but ended up using rental regalia. I have no choice but to accept it because I would not be allowed to attend the hooding without regalia and this is the last-minute notification. My custom hood was finally delivered after the PhD graduation hooding ceremony finished. Oak Hall not only shipped the regalia extremely late to me, making me question whether I could even attend the very important degree ceremony but provided me with a gown of extremely inferior quality. I paid over $1,100 for the gown, hood, and cap package but received something with uneven stitching, poor-quality fabric, and shady embroidery. As Oak Hall sadly maintains a monopoly on the university's logo, I was unable to have a gown manufactured by a number of competitors, in contradistinction to my experience with my undergraduate degree and master's degree. This gown was unevenly sewn together and generally exuded the demeanor of an "economy of scale" product. Since I was unable to independently pursue a competitor's rendition of the required gown, I feel the only way to rectify this intolerable situation is through a refund at the manufacturer's expense.

  

  Business response

  05/31/2023

  ***, a full refund has been issued to your card via chargeback for the order. Apologies for the delay in delivery.

  Customer response

  06/01/2023

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved. Regards, *** **

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩