Return Therapy

[zxu426]

Hi all,

We're all familiar with retail therapy. What about that good feeling you sometimes get when you make returns? I've recently returned more than a few pieces that I thought were going to work with the rest of my wardrobe at the time of purchase. Felt good knowing that I "saved" a bunch of money. Receipts do come in handy, indeed.

[Idle_Hands]

I feel prouder when I come close to purchasing something but exercise restraint and decide against it, then later realize that was definitely the correct decision. When I have to return things, it's a minor to significance inconvenience and a reminder that I buy too much clothing.

[Eric F]

This. Yes, I've been looking for a way to describe this feeling lately to a couple of buddies. I used to have a terrible habit of "binge and purge" shopping, especially when I wasn't quite sure of what exactly I needed to fill the holes in my closet. Once I took a more structured approach to the whole process, however, I find that I'm relying on returns less often. It's always a good feeling though to recoup a bit of cash that can then be re-appropriated for future purposes/purchases (whether clothing related or not). Sadly... it's almost a better feeling than not spending the money in the first place, as strange as that sounds.

[zxu426]

No, not strange at all. I've also started to take a more structured approach to shopping.

[trash]

Hah, "binge and purge" definitely describes me. I'm a bit ashamed to admit I've taken advantage of "any time, any reason" return policies to return stuff I bought and never wore several months after I bought it. The up side, though, is I'm getting better at not impulse buying something, no matter how good of a deal it is, unless I either have a use for it, can easily return it, or possibly flip it in ebay for a profit (doesn't happen often).

[holmes10]

Haha I thought I was the only one who felt this way. While my sales resistance has grown enormously over the years, and I buy much less on impulse, I find that I still need to rely on the good old receipt. And this isn't necessarily due to impulse buying; sometimes you just don't have the time in a store to find a flaw in something that you catch later...or sometimes a color can actually look quite different in natural lighting vs. the fluorescent lights of a fitting room. Also, for me, sometimes it takes a week or so to realize whether or not something truly fits well, or whether I really need it. I agree that in a weird way, it's almost like returning something, despite the inconvenience, actually feels better than never buying it in the first place.