What would you do? Would you lie? Should I lie?

[MerinoFroggie]

A fashion catalogue came in the mail for me today and my mother opened it and had a look. She doesn't usually open my mail and I don't really care about what she opened. It was only the catalogue.

She found shoes that she likes and she wants me to check online for her and order them for her.

The issue is that she wants me to order them in her shoe size and the width size of EEE.

I would say her foot is probably a standard size or similar to mine and slightly broad. I fit better into mens shoes as an example.

I remember I bought shoes that were the 3 E's before - so EEE fitting - and they were awful. They were too big for my foot. Far far far too big for my foot. They really were awful.

My mother usually buys the EEE in boots and they fit her and I think that would be ok for boots.

I'm apprehensive about ordering her shoes in the three E's because first of all,
she has no bank account and she wants me use my card and secondly I think it might be case where I will be left with the job of returning them. I don't have time to be dealing with this. I really don't.

What would you do in this position? Would you like and say that her size is not in stock online? Should I lie.

She has loads of shoes. She really doesn't need more by the way.

I would lie definitely.

Why hasn't she got a bank account?! How does that work??
Just tell a fib.

There’s clearly a backstory here. Your mother doesn’t have a bank account??

She's older and she never needed a bank account. Her husband left her too and she controlled the money and she lived off benefits which was collected at the post office and it was money at the counter.

Thanks for the replies. I will browse online for her and tell a fib that they don't have her size.

I would order them no bother for her if she would pick the E fitting shoe but she wants the EEE.

I have a bigger foot than her and the EEE fitting was too floppy for me. I can do without the hassle of returning an item. I have enough on my plate and she's not completely shoeless. She has loads of shoes and two new pairs of boots.

The catalogue showed a sale price so that's why she wants them.

I suppose if you dont want to take the risk of returning at all, this won't work....

But a) be honest, say you've had shoes from them before...you have no idea how they measure them but they are stupid big blah blah, and recommend she orders the smaller size. Possibly does the cat. have a size guide to refer to?

B) order what you perceive the correct size. On arrival claim they sent the wrong ones if she notices. If she does, convince her she 'might as well try them just in case', much easier if you get them out the box and claim they look plenty big.