Hi friends! So I recently came across this post that made me go back into my email and re-read an email I was sent a few days ago regarding PVbody and a change in their service. I thought they were simply adding in their own brand of clothing with the other brands, but apparently that’s not the case.
Obviously I misread the email, because in it PVbody states that:
“After carefully listening to customer feedback over the past few months, we’ve decided to take it all into consideration and launch our very own new line of chic, athletic wear, Ellie!
Ellie is the newest brand in high-end, fashionable women’s athletic wear. We will have more of what you love – fun, bold, and trendy fitness fashions with a variety of designs. With a new collection every month, Ellie will consistently deliver the latest styles that are exclusively for our members! You can expect to see top quality materials, durable stitching, and of course, the perfect fit! The best part is that you will get to choose which two pieces you want each month!
Starting February 1st, the pv.body site will redirect viewers to Ellie.com and current pv.body subscriptions will begin receiving the Ellie clothing line in their packages.”
When I read it, I assumed that meant they would be simply adding Ellie to the other brands of clothing that they send out, not that they would be doing it exclusively and getting rid of the other brands all together. Obviously the main selling point to me, and probably to many of you, was that you could get Lululemon clothing at practically half the price. THAT is a great business idea and clearly got a lot of people to sign up. However, now the formula has changed and PVbody will be sending anyone who has a membership to the service this new brand, Ellie. Maybe Ellie will be great, but I just wanted to let everyone know that this change is coming. Many of you signed up through my referral code and I feel badly that the equation is being changed on you so suddenly. For that, I truly apologize. Had I known that this was going to happen originally, I never would have promoted the company (unless I had tried Ellie clothing beforehand and loved it.)
So, that’s what’s going on right now. In the comments section on Sarah’s post, Hope from PVbody clarifies why the change was made and that Ellie is going to be made from the same sewing machines and fabric as Lululemon, however I’m not totally sure how that can be since Lulu has created special fabrics like Luon and Luxtreme that they have patented . I encourage you to read it so you can know all the info. I want you to know you can cancel your membership at anytime and wanted you to be aware of this new update with the company. I apologize sincerely if this has caused any kind of inconvenience for anyone! Hope’s contact info is in her comment as well if anyone needs to speak with a PVbody customer service person directly. Also, don’t hesitate to reach out to me if I can help in anyway…and again I am SO SORRY if this causes issues for anyone.
I only try to promote things that I think you, as readers, will enjoy, and I hope Ellie is as fantastic as they are promoting so those of you already signed up for that month will still receive a quality product. You can also look into getting a refund, as well.
That sucks. I almost joined PV body early this year, but changed my mind, only because I wasn’t too impressed with the service and felt like I didn’t know what I would be receiving. If I was a customer, I would be mad about this change only because, like you mentioned most people signed up for their service because of the brands they worked. Changing it to a brand noone’s heard of and not providing both the brand name/well known brands and this new brand is a bit unfair. Idk. Maybe it’s just me, but I would feel like I was being tricked into this service when all along they were planning to do this change, when in reality this is not what their customer wanted when they joined in the first place.
Arie Rich
http://kmpblog.com
exactly. a lot of people feel like it’s a bait and switch scam…and it’s hard to think otherwise and I do think it’s unfair. thanks for your comment!
I highlyyyy doubt that pvBody will be using the same fabrics as Lululemon! I began working there about a month ago, and have learned a lot about the company. All of their fabrics are unique and patented to the brand (luon, luxtreme etc) and it definitely doesn’t seem possible that they would be using the same fabrics or equipment to manufacture their new line. There is no way Lululemon would allow it… seems a bit fishy to me!!
This sounds incredibly shady to me! To be clear, I mean the company PV Body, not you! But if it was me, I’d be pretty unimpressed with them. I think the bloggers who signed on to work with them got a raw deal on this one because it puts you in a difficult situation with your readers through no fault of your own.
Lululemon does not deal with distributors outside their chain of retailers and “strategic partners” (which are all listed on their website). They’ve also been vigilant about protecting their patented fabrics and designs.
Reading through this it looks like they don’t actually come out and say that they’re selling Lulu items; rather, they’ve made it appear that way in what I’d say is some incredibly misleading advertising. I assume what they’re saying in the above ad is ‘why spend $164 on this Lululemon outfit when you can get our version of it for $49′ – but they’re making it look like you’re getting the exact same Lulu outfit for that price. I’m a massive Lulu addict and I can’t even tell which one is Lulu (unless they both are). It’s misleading at BEST; quite possibly fraudulent at worst.
In any event, I think you deserve kudos for being straight up about the matter, I think you are handling it well. It’s refreshing to see someone being so proactive and honest about any potential issues!
This is very unfortunate. I had really been looking forward to whatever they sent next. And I only received the NUX tank and American Apparell leggings. But I did cancel. If I wanted to pick my own clothes, I would go to the store. I like this idea because it would force me to try different things. But thank you for the heads up and for being so forthright with the information. They should not have put so many of their blog partners in such a tough position.
The Kidless Kronicles
I love pvbody!! My package last month was great!
I am a pv body ambassador as well and when I got that email I thought the same exact thing as you! I was like awesome a new brand, but I was also disappointed that in my first package I didn’t get anything lululemon like I thought I would. I hope they rectify the situation but it doesnt seem promising!
I was a member but I have NEVER seen anyone get Lululemon in their package.
What a mess. My pvBody pkg should have gone out before Thanksgiving. It finally arrived 2 days ago. That said, I am thrilled with the outfit I got: quality, styling and fit are awesome. I am curious to see what this Ellie line will bring. Sad about the concept change.
yeah I have hopes PVBody will still be able to produce good things. I like the concept of the company so I hope things can take a positive turn.
I actually signed up, but never received a package at all! Luckily I was able to get my money back, but this company is a mess. Thanks for posting this.
I’m sorry you had a bad experience. I am glad you got your money back, though!
I call BS on them having anything Lulu. I got NUX stuff and American Apparel as my free ambassador samples. They were good clothes, but not lulu. It seems everyone is getting the same brands. Either way, I am glad mine was free!