People who buy clothes, wear them, then return for a refund

[Buxusmortus]

What type of repulsive person does this?

I have just received a jacket I ordered online. The jacket itself is perfect but on trying it on I noticed that the pockets were unstitched and upon checking I could see they had been unpicked, there were creases in the lining where someone had been sitting down and a few marks on a shoulder. It has an attached label but it is hanging inside. It also faintly smells of perfume.

Clearly someone bought it, wore it and returned for a refund.

I think that's really disgusting and it rather turns my stomach. Of course the retailer should check before accepting returns but clearly they don't if it superficially looks fine. The retailer was of course very apologetic and is sending another by next day delivery, but said I should write on the returns label what has happened in case it just goes back into normal returns at the warehouse.

Has anyone on here ever worn and returned something and if so, why do you think that's acceptable?

I used to work for ASOS and the stories about what would be returned were jaw dropping - including items with period blood on them, used sanitary products in pockets, smelling of BO, etc.

Grim.

I agree

No, “seconds” are defective items. Items returned by customers are treated as normal stock unless they have an issue with them.

Online retailers have teams that process returns and they do take a look at the items and do a “sniff test” (grim but true) but they’re looking at millions of items a year so things naturally can slip through the net especially if it’s not obvious from an external look and quick sniff.

Also the problem with being stricter about returns is that the customer will kick up a massive fuss and claim that the person doing the return check was lying.

This then costs a significant amount of money - not just paying the return but the cost of resourcing the thousands or hundreds of thousands of emails / text chats this leads to.

ASOS for example have 10 million contacts a year to Customer Services - so a relatively small tightening in the returns policy can lead to a huge cost by spiking customer contacts.

And we may think it would only be a very occasional CF, but sadly it isn’t…

This happened to me! I ordered something from H&M in 2 colours and tried one on but it didn’t fit right so sent them both back without trying the other on. The return for the item I didn’t try on was refused and returned to me due to on being in an unsaleable condition! I I had no way to prove I hadn’t even tried it on.

After covid I bought a coat and there was used face masks in the pocket.

PLT were so bad at sending used and dirty clothes so I stopped ordering from them.

I saw a couple try to return a black tie suit and trousers, very clearly worn. Staff were getting such hostile behaviour that I felt sorry for them. I felt like saying it's M&S isn't a rental shop.

😮

Yeah I know someone who did exactly the same. Elopement wedding, bought a super lovely shift dress the day before, wore it, took it back the following day. She was really pleased with herself!

It's so cheeky, people are just using shops for free clothing loans.

I had something similar happen. Bought dd a shirt from Zara and the seam fell apart halfway through her shift at a restaurant. I wrote a detailed note in the return (ie this item smells very worn, but only because she had to keep wearing it as she was at work and couldn't change). Got a snotty email from Zara about how the item wasn't in a saleable condition and if it happened again I might be refused purchases! What are you supposed to do?

I could never do this. I guarantee that within 5 minutes of putting something clean on, I have dipped my cuff in gravy/dripped coffee down my front/dropped a blob of ice cream into my lap. Even if I wasn't such a mucky pup, it is akin with stealing in my book.

I'm shocked by some of the examples of it on this thread, I had no idea.
I'm also astonished at the people who do it then tell other people about it as if they're proud of it.
Some people are simply revolting.

A relative used to work in a factory processing catalog returns in the 80s/90s and apparently returned suits in would often have confetti in their pockets. Nowadays they’re always stitched up everywhere with labels on the outside, even the cheaper ones.

Someone told me that a lot of young women do it because they're wearing lots of different clothes on social media.

A few years ago, I bought a jacket in M&S in my lunch break.
Tried it on again at work & noticed the smell of cheap perfume on the lapels.
Dashed back at tea break, & they offered it to me at half price so I could get it cleaned as they could not sell it. I accepted, a good airing solved it!

I consider it a form of theft…

It is, really. You're wearing clothes that you ultimately don't pay for.

This happens a lot. They would brazenly tell you they hadn't worn it but some of them stunck of smoke, had food stains etc.

Disgusting behaviour. It is dishonest

when I try on clothes I worry about getting deodorant on them so try on straight after bathing before doing this let alone wearing them

Happened me with a pretty pricey pair of shoes. I had been agonising over spending the money on them and then went for it! Was very excited about them as they were a very luxury item for me. They arrived - had stickers on but the soles were actually worn in places, the uppers were creased and there were toe marks inside the shoe from being worn with bare sweaty feet.
So disappointing..

Have you not seen the TikToks showing the long returns queues at Amazon counter's the day after Halloween? It’s ridiculous. Lines of people returning outfits they have obviously worn!!! It’s grim!

This is very common with Influencers (reality tv z listers). I heard this first hand from someone who works at a luxury brand in Mayfair (I don't think they'd like it if I named it). They come in and purchase all types of high end items, take them home, photograph themselves in them and then return said items a few days later and demand a refund. They are a pain in the arse!

Apparently this practice is quite common in the Influencer playbook. It gives the illusion that you are hugely successful and the millions are rolling in, although my favourite influencer story is the one who faked a luxury Bali holiday by shooting it in an IKEA showroom. I think that one is on Youtube.

Cheeky - no its rank

If I buy an item I expect it to be new

My first 'proper' job was with M&S. I'm assuming it's different now but back there was a big thing about not having 'disagreements' with customers on the shop floor.

As a result, Monday's would be absolutely rife with cheeky scruffs returning clearly worn clothing they'd picked up the Friday before. Staff were encouraged to point it out if the item was worn, but if the customer argued, they had to take it as a return.

It was almost universally women, although I do remember one bloke trying to return a suit that he'd literally used scissors on to cut open the threaded-shut pockets. That return wasn't allowed 😅