I did have one Carolyn Pollack item that went to backorder, and her things usually don't come back once they're gone. I even called her company. Someone finally found the piece and I received it in a box, with a velvet bag all wrinkled up and crushed, and the piece was just laying in the box. On top of that, it was defective, so probably the only reason I got it was because someone sent it back. I never got that one, and had to return the matching pieces because the one I didn't get was the major piece in the set.
On one other order of a pair of boots, they were presented as a very light navy blue (like a light denim blue) suede with silver studs. I eventually got them, but what I received was a pair of very DARK navy boots with GOLD studs. And the kicker was, they still had a video showing the light navy/silver stud boots! They went back and I never got the ones that were shown.
The other backorders, I did eventually receive, but I think they need to do something about this situation, because it happens all too frequently.