Wear clothes once, then take them back?

[Massiveroastdinner]

Does anyone do this?

I remember doing this a lot as a teen, so I’d have lots of different outfits to go out in, but couldn’t afford. It was either from the catalogue or from shops.

Haven’t done it since, but was reading about how many fashion influencers on Instagram etc do

Here is called "return fraud" and it's technically illegal. I doubt anyone actually gets arrested for it unless maybe they make habit of it and the store calls and has them arrested but it's still possible. I've never done it. It's gross.

I've never done & never would but like all things, if it's deemed easy to do, people will do it..I believe it's common in student circles

My sister's friend used to do this all the time, mainly for her toddler. She wanted him to have all the 'latest' clothes so would buy them from different shops then take them back. She would sometimes pull a thread loose to make it look like they were faulted. I can't imagine she got away with it for too long as most of the shops in Newcastle would have realised after a couple of times - at least I hope they did. My sister told her it was wrong but she didn't care.

What amazes me is the clothes that have easily detachable tags - some are on a thread that loops through itself iyswim and can be undone, others have little safety pins attaching the tags to the fabric. Nothing like making it easy for people to do this!

I have never done this, even as a teen - it's gross!

I once bought a top from House of Fraser, wore it for a night out, midway through the evening the under arms literally started to smell the most pungent BO I’ve ever experienced. It absolutely was not me, almost like the warmth of my body heat had activated worn in bacteria, I was mortified and couldn’t stay the entire night out.

Returned the top the next day where it was realised someone had either tried it on who stank or had ‘borrowed’ it. The BO will fade usually but the residue will smell again under the right circumstances.

I bought a bunch of clothes including a bodysuit from ASOS. The bodysuit had clearly been worn, it was black and had white secretions on the gusset (deffo not envy)

A relation of mine let it slip that she regularly got shoes , covered the label with tape, wore them , then returned. She thought it was a funny story but I think the look of shock on my face made her realise that I didn't think it was at all OK .
Some people have no shame.

eww, that's disgusting.

No, I've never done it.

My good mate attended a family wedding a while back.

After the service, one of the matriarchs herded a large group of men into another room, & systematically got them changed out of their brand new catalogue wedding suits & back into civvies. She simultaneously filled in & checked off the returns paperwork like an admin boss, as she ordered the men one-by-one back into the fray of the party ...

@WeatherwaxLives

When I was a kid there was outrage when one of the town councillors was found to be doing that with evening dresses she 'bought' from a small local business.

Strangely they always turned out not to fit the day after an event

She came unstuck when her photo was in the local paper in a dress she'd returned!

I love this!

Honestly, these stories could be a whole Cheeky Fuckers thread unto themselves. I feel quite (not envy -- pls can we have a new emoji for churning guts and nausea?) and will henceforth check all new purchases carefully!

Sorry OP but I don't think that your age has anything to do with this. I would never have done that, even as a teenager. As far as I am concerned it is theft.

No never. Money was scarce when I was a child. We quickly learnt that if we couldn’t afford it we couldn’t have it.

Some people are disgusting

I am sure this was a thing with Marks and Sparks, they had to change their return policy

I heard of a woman who tried to do this once with a dress. Unfortunately the owner of the shop she bought it from was at the same function and had seen her wearing it!

I did it as a teenager, either that or buying something at M & S & writing a cheque( in the days when you could) at lunchtime, returning it on my way home & getting a cash refund. That was usually on the week before payday when I had no money to go out.

I did this once, with a pair of jeans, because the metal button failed and came straight through the denim.

I bought them one day, wore them the next day, returned on the third day. The shop initially refused to take them back as they’d been worn. Yes, they had, but they shouldn’t fail on the first wearing! I stood my ground and eventually they refunded.

I hate trying things on in shops so usually buy and try at home, and return whatever I don’t like/doesn’t fit. Would never buy clothes and return after wearing though, except if they were faulty like those jeans. I don’t know anyone who would.

My late nan used to do this with hats for weddings she used to attend

Never done it, never would. DD worked in River Island, she’s had people bring leggings back with snail trails in the crotch.

No, they weren’t accepted back, but she had to get the manager!

Goodness, this is enlightening people are disgusting and have no morals.

I thought Bloggers and Celebrities did this, but basically by arrangement with the designer as a method of the designer getting free advertising and the celebrity looking good! I’m sure they all do it for the Oscars etc and I’ve seen Bloggers/Instagram Influencers doing it but it’s not some sly method of purchasing clothes, wearing them then returning them, it’s a mutually agreed arrangement up front.

Never, tho I used to sir my night club dresses on the washing line to get rid of the smell of smoke

@SmellyTheSmeolaSmoteSmestika

No we didn't all do it. I know I didn't.

Me either.. minging!

I bought a bodywarmer from a catalogue... It REEKED of cheap perfume. I wrapped it up to send it back and I could still smell it... 🤮 🤮 🤮 🤮 🤮

Years ago I worked in retail and had this happen. It was galling that they thought we were too thick to notice what they had done. The worst one was an evening dress that had been worn, washed and dried in a house where someone smoked as it stunk. According to them, they hadn't worn it

I ordered my ds a new winter coat and there were sweet papers in the pocket! This was over 20 years ago.
In the 80’s when my dsis worked for Freeman’s in uni holidays she said the staff would see a nice dress etc and wipe it along the floor with ‘that’ll come back.’
They would then buy it from the damaged rail at a greatly reduced price.