The return rut
March 24th, 2008The best thing about the American retail industry is its lenient and convenient return policies. The luxury of being refunded for unused items months after acquiring them is the height of customer service and quite unprecedented. This is not common practice in Europe or Asia, where full refunds are few and far between and returning items is generally tricky. Certain retailers in Hong Kong and Singapore won’t even let you try on an item of clothing before you’ve purchased it, let alone return it later.
But the ease with which we can return items has its drawbacks. I have met people who get into a cycle of continually buying and returning items without keeping anything. They don’t wear their purchases because they might need to return them. And the option of making the return sparks doubt and buyer’s remorse. More often than not, the item goes back because there might be something slightly better. This is what I call “the return rut” and it’s a frustrating shopping strategy. More trips to the store and fewer successful purchases are the result.
Returning items because they don’t fit or match is perfectly acceptable, but constant returns because we can’t commit to our purchases is quite another thing. Are you in the return rut? How often do you return items? Do you frequently experience buyer’s remorse?
March 24th, 2008 at 7:42 am
I do return quite a bit but usually is because i find that it doesn’t fit in with my wardrobe once i get it home. I find things look totally different with my own mirror, my own shoes, my own wardrobe than they do in the store. Sometimes something that i THOUGHT fit when I was trying on, does NOT fit when I get it home. Sometimes I will step outside my comfort zone and try a style of color that I would normally not wear. I will bring it home and see what happens…if I put it on right away then i know that it was a smart “risk”. if I let the item langish in my closet, then I know I was fooling myself. A good example is a cute pair of bright yellow tennies. I was doubtful but once i got them home, I put them on and they have been with me A LOT. Surprise!
March 24th, 2008 at 7:43 am
I am the complete opposite of being in a return rut. I don’t return things that I should return. I end up giving the item to a sister, or selling it at a consignment shop.
Partly because I like to wash items before I wear them. Once something has been washed, you can’t return it. Often times, I’ll like something in a dressing room (I swear they have slimming mirrors) and then I’ll immediately wash it at home, and go to wear it and realize it’s not as flattering as I thought it was.
March 24th, 2008 at 7:45 am
This is an interesting topic. I worked in retail for 7 years, much of that in clothing. At one store in particular, we had customers who would regularly buy a heap of clothing, and then return most of the items (sometimes months later). I can tell you as an associate, this is a very frustrating experience. I never worked commission, but the time involved in a large return (sometimes with multiple receipts, sometimes no receipts) was often daunting. Other customers are upset because you are not available to help them or ring them up, and keeping everything straight can be a challenge. I think returning 2 or even 3 items every once in a while for whatever reason is perfectly okay, but if a person returns a large number of items on a regular basis, I think it’s really a waste of time for everyone involved (think of how much time the person spends buying and returning).
As an associate, I would prefer that they just didn’t buy in the first place. Some stores allow a customer to put an item on hold (usually until the end of business day). If you’re really not sure, I would try this first. Go get a cup of coffee or keep shopping. If you keep thinking about the item, then you know its something you’re interested in. Go back and buy it then.
March 24th, 2008 at 8:33 am
I only have to make returns sometimes, not too often. I try to be really careful with my purchases and take my time with what I buy, looking quite a few other places to make sure this is 100% what I want before I buy it. Returns are still made from time to time, but really “investigating” the piece of clothing before I buy it makes them few and far between.
This past month, though, I did have to return 2 different pairs of shoes and both of them were impulse buys! One, a pair of white patent wedges, were too high and almost impossible to walk in, though I was very tempted to keep them because of their looks… the other pair I couldn’t even get my foot in! Oops.
Ana Elizabeth is right, take your time!
March 24th, 2008 at 8:42 am
I return things so rarely, I can actually remember all the things I’ve returned.
I took a pair of crocheted flats back to Nordstrom, because these ultra casual shoes should have been comfortable, but they left bruises on the tops of my feet after wearing them for a day. They were very good about taking them back, even though it was obvious they had been worn outside.
I also returned a raincoat I purchased online. The size on the label said “small”, but it was way too big for me.
In my life before Angie, I think part of the reason for not returning very many things was that I had no idea what looked good on me. (I saw a picture of myself yesterday wearing sweatpants and clogs–gasp!!) Now that I’ve been under Angie’s tutelage, I rarely return things, because I know what will and won’t look good on me. Thanks, Angie!!
March 24th, 2008 at 10:31 am
I rarely return things either - the few times I have returned things at the store is because I didn’t try them on first and then got home and realized that I was giving myself too much credit and got too small of a size. Since I have started paying attention to fashion more and watching what not to wear - I now try almost everything on and more often than not, don’t buy any of it or maybe 1-2 things out of the 15 things I tried on. My biggest return problems are shoes - I swear my foot keeps changing - I was a 9 before having a baby, went up to a 9 1/2 after giving birth - gained 15-20 pounds after the baby and went to a 10 - have lost most of that and now all of my 10’s don’t fit. I will try them on at the store and they fit just fine but as soon as I wear them for most of 1 day, they are falling off in the back and feel really big - how this happens is beyond me.
March 24th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
I am guilty! I see something in a store, and buy it on impulse because it strikes some chord - generally because it somehow makes me see myself in some new way that I like - and then I get it home and start to wonder if it’s really me. Will the new item wind up in the closet forever - can I really carry it off?
The latest item was a crazy herringbone cape jacket with bat sleeves. It’s really pretty and nice for the winter/spring type weather but it’s a bit out there for me. Kind of attention getting. I had buyer’s remorse pretty quickly and was all ready to take it back, but my husband convinced me to stick it out.
I think having a small clothing budget (and being cheap about spending money on yourself) makes it worse as it can be easy to second guess each purchase, as you feel the pressure to get your money’s worth for each one.
I got a Perlina purse at Costco the other day, very cute, black patent but a little small for my needs. But I’m keeping it - it sure is cuter than the usual big bag I carry.
Thanks for your blog entry Angie - I am trying to reform!
March 24th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
I think it’s probably very true that those with lower incomes are more prone to this than otherwise. I realized recently that lately I spend hours shopping and coming out emptyhanded because I can’t bring myself to spend any amount of money on a piece that is less than perfect, and since my requirements are always so specific, that almost never happens. It is incredibly frustrating, but no worse than buying a mountain of clothes that won’t work and returning them later, which is what I used to do.
Currently shoes are the only item I have this problem with. I am dreading warm weather shoe shopping. I wish I could just wear my riding boots all year!
March 24th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
I very rarely return anything, probably because I grew up in an Asian country with much stricter return policies. The last thing I returned was a pair of jeans that I picked up for cheap at Steve and Barry’s. They were the same size as another pair that I’d tried on in the store, but a different style that made my butt hang out
March 24th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
I hardly return things at all. Actually, I don’t even remember the last time I returned an article of clothing. I mostly shop in stores as opposed to online (although browsing online is pretty addictive). I’m such a picky, anal-retentive buyer that there’s no way I wouldn’t try on something before I buy it. Actually, I’ll probably put that article of clothing on hold or something and run to some other stores just to see if I’m getting the best thing possible.
Yes, it makes for a longer shopping trip, but I love the fact that each piece of clothing in my wardrobe was chosen with intense care.
March 24th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
I used to return a LOT of stuff. I’d often buy stuff with the idea that I would try it again at home with other stuff to see if I could make it work. I would often return half of the stuff I got. Nowadays, I’m more confident about my purchases, but I still return a quite a few things, especially tops.
March 25th, 2008 at 7:21 am
I’m like Nicole: I rarely return anything, even when I should. The only exception is online purchases - if I order online and it doesn’t fit or isn’t quite as I thought it was, I have no problems popping it back in the mail.
The reason I rarely return is because the store clerks make you feel so darn guilty!!! Especially since I have a habit of taking off the tags immediately. I will still have the tags and receipt, and it’s obvious all I’ve done is try it on at home with other items in my closet, because it’s not like I’ve taken it to be hemmed (a major step of commitment!!).
The second reason I rarely return is because I have a habit of procrastination and if it’s been months with the bag sitting in my trunk and me forgetting to return… then I feel too guilty. Plus I figure if so much time has gone by it’s now a different season, it’s not fair to the stores because they can’t resell it.
Incidentally, twice now I have purchased dresses that were on the sales rack and had obviously been worn and returned. One had lipstick on it and smelled like perspiration and perfume. I took it home, had it drycleaned, and then wore it to get married to my second husband.
One was not only worn - but ALTERED. When compared to other dresses in the shop, it was very clear it was altered at the bodice, and along the sides. Worked out great for me because the alterations made the dress fit me perfectly!!!
March 25th, 2008 at 9:43 am
I rarely return cloth. Specially after I registered to yr blog. I am more aware of what I get now. I rather spend the time in the stores trying on cloth and getting only the items that I love how they fit, instead of returning and all the inconveniences that represents. If at the end I decide I don’t like a piece I usually end up giving it to someone else because I usually don’t have the ticket anymore.
March 27th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
I am the worst returner. I made returns a way of life the last several years. It’s all I did– buy and return. Now I’ve gotten pickier and frankly am not buying that much. I’m trying to only buy things I know I want. I’m staying out of the stores and away from the online sites at the moment. I didn’t return something I was supposed to recently… and so I’ve had to crack down.
March 30th, 2008 at 8:09 am
I used to never have to return items until after I had my daughter a few months ago. My body has changed so much, in size and shape, that I really have no clue what will look good. Because she’s with me all the time, even while shopping, I don’t get a chance to try things on properly and rush through purchases. At a time when I have less time than ever, it’s annoying to have to go back to get another size or return the item completely. I need to figure out what clothes work for my current shape.
March 30th, 2008 at 8:12 am
I hope this is okay, but if you would consider writing a post about how larger women could dress to flatter themselves, that would be great! I think this is a common problem.
I outlined my dilemma here: http://1001petals.blogspot.com.....other.html
March 31st, 2008 at 7:21 am
Post this question on the YLF forum and you’ll get a whole slew of responses, Athena.
http://www.youlookfab.com/welookfab/
May 16th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
I don’t return things unless I bought the wrong size or it looks bad on me. I try to be careful when buying online so as not to have to return anything.