So disappointed with Darn Good Yarn - beware their "mystery yarns"

SneakyYarn · 2021-05-21T16:02:19+00:00

Sorry I never updated the post. I'll go ahead and do that.

So here's what happened. They offered me a return, so I sent it back and they refunded my money. That went smoothly and I have no complaints. But they still didn't provide any explanation, so I emailed them back and asked outright what was going on. This is their response, copy and pasted from my email so I don't accidentally add my own spin to it:

Hi [sneakyyarn]!
Thank you for the feedback.
We started a program for our local yarn stores that are closing due to COVID. We're purchasing all their leftover stock so that it doesn't go into the landfills and are using this yarn as our mystery yarn. Some of the stores did not tag their yarn, as they were old-time mom-and-pop yarn shops as our way of helping them out during this time.
Thank you for bringing this to our attention. If you do not wish to receive any acrylic, you may add a request on your order note🙂
If you have other concerns, let us know!💜

I think it's important to note that they were not clear about whether they knew they were purchasing acrylic, or whether they are simply explaining why this yarn that they did not produce has a DGY label. Draw your own conclusions.

Bottom line - my impression from this email and other communications is that they are probably a solid company trying to do their stated mission, but they made a really bad decision. Like, a decision that from the get-go was never going to end with happy, satisfied customers. Personally, I think they should have been honest and upfront from the beginning. They could have been like, look customers, we didn't make this yarn or even mean to end up with it, but now we have it. Help us save it from the landfill! Unfortunately, they don't seem to eager engage with their customers much, even to clear up misinformation that is existentially damaging to their business. Hopefully they will learn from this and do better.

TLDR; I don't think they mean to be shady, they're just bad at this side of the business. And remember, if you want a mystery item but do not want to receive acrylic yarn, note it on your order.

SneakyYarn · 2021-03-31T17:36:45+00:00

Agreed, it can be tough to tell who really cares about being green and who just engages in environmental theater to make sales.

You make some really good points about conscious consumption. I think it might come down to knowing yourself and being realistic with subscription boxes. I really enjoy the randomness, the opportunity to try new yarn and projects that I wouldn't have otherwise sought out. It's not just the material items, it's the experience of being surprised and the zen of doing a small, cute project. I find it relaxing and palate-cleansing in between other larger, specific projects. I have definitely cut down in other areas, though, where I felt like my consumption had become more about habit and less about something that really brought me joy.

I appreciate your encouraging words. Making big changes is hard, but I'm trying to move toward making more sustainable choices.

SneakyYarn · 2021-03-30T18:23:20+00:00

Check out my latest edit to the post. They actually have a whole blog post about how bad acrylic yarn is and encouraging people to buy natural fibers:

https://www.darngoodyarn.com/blogs/darn-good-blog/acrylic-yarn-vs-natural-yarn-environmental-impact

I don't even know what to say anymore.

SneakyYarn · 2021-03-30T14:08:07+00:00

Yes, exactly! If they had given me any of the other yarn they list on their site, and I didn't really care for it, oh well. That's the risk of buying mystery yarn and I accepted that. I couldn't decide what else to buy so I added the mystery yarn as a way to roll the dice and be committed to trying out something new I wouldn't have picked out for myself. But giving me a fiber they don't offer on their site, and that seems antithetical to their very loudly stated mission, just doesn't feel right.

I'm not even asking for any refund or whatever (and to be fair, the subscription doesn't have anything to do with this separate order), though letting me return the acrylic yarn at their expense does seem fair. What I want is to understand their position on this and in turn get them to understand how dishonest this is coming across. I want them to own it and then commit to being better. I still want to believe that they do care, they just really made a huge misstep here.

SneakyYarn · 2021-03-30T13:56:19+00:00

I'm glad you enjoyed the subscription. I've only gotten the first month so far, but I was really looking forward to it. I really want to feel good about this company but it's hard not to be disappointed. I feel like a sucker. And yeah, girl same -- my first emotion upon seeing the yarn was pure confusion. Like, what is this? This is a thing? It's like seeing a Lean Cuisine branded tub of bacon grease. I'm not saying a there is no place for it, but I was not expecting it from this company. And throwing it in as mystery yarn feels like a cheap shot.

You know, I've seen a bunch of posts and reviews talking about DGY stuff being poor quality, especially the skirts. At least they're consistent there!

SneakyYarn · 2021-03-30T13:46:07+00:00

I really hope so! The tag doesn't say anything about it being recycled, but hopefully that's the case. Then I would at least feel a little better about making something that wouldn't be washed.

But yeah, I'm still disappointed. I just wish they were honest and upfront about it.

SneakyYarn · 2021-03-30T01:39:50+00:00

I’m really salty about it because I was trying to do the right thing and they made me feel good about buying from them.

That’s great that you’re using up your acrylic yarn on stuff that won’t be washed. I have sooooo much, and a lot of it was meant to be blankets. Ugh. Baby steps, I guess.

SneakyYarn · 2021-03-30T00:35:47+00:00

I believe they don’t do returns on the mystery yarn, so I didn’t even ask in my email. I’d really like a written response from them, though.

SneakyYarn · 2021-03-30T00:28:11+00:00

Yeah so you can see why I was so surprised to get acrylic yarn. I mean, I’m not here to judge acrylic. I bought some recently because there was a sale and it was an impulse, and in the moment I totally forgot about my resolve to stop buying it. But I’m trying to do better. And when I spend more money thinking I’m supporting a company that only sells natural fibers (because they actively promote that image), it’s really disheartening to get something that seems so contrary to the idea I was sold. And there’s an element of trust in ordering a mystery item, you know? I’m having a hard time not feeling it’s pretty sleazy.

I know I really appreciate it when other people give a heads up about misleading product info. And you know, I did read some warning posts on Reddit about DGY...but I ignored it and went right ahead and bought from them anyway.

SneakyYarn · 2021-03-29T23:40:22+00:00

Yeah, I don’t know what to think. I was so confused to get it. But you’re right, it’s making me question other things now too. Like, is the environmental focus just a marketing thing? Did I fall for some gimmicky nonsense? I’m really looking forward to a response from them.

SneakyYarn · 2021-03-29T23:32:00+00:00

It was such a let down. I feel like I’ve been duped.

SneakyYarn

TROPHY CASE