Returning new clothes after wearing them

[GonnaGetGoingReturns]

I had a disagreement yesterday with someone re this, they both said, they would return new clothes after wearing them, especially if it were e.g. event clothes, e.g. for a wedding etc.

One person said "everyone does this all the time". Stated that on fashion shoots, stylists would do this a lot. In that case I don't know if the stylists have an agreement with the clothes shop, to do this. E.g. in return for the label to be promoted in the media/magazine/instagram post.

I'd never do this, firstly it's immoral, secondly although retailers could absorb the costs (so this person said), it must have an effect on their overall profits, e.g. even a large multi national company it must affect their profits. Secondly, I'd worry about spilling wine or something down the item but also I wouldn't want to buy clothes which someone else had worn for the night (not taken home, tried on, decided you don't like it and then return).

I've even had a friend of mine joke to me when I'd bought a top, took it home, she was with me, I tried it on and then was about to take the label off before wearing it out and she said "oh aren't you taking that back then after you've worn it out?" And looked slightly surprised when I said, "no".

I just absorb and plan the costs of my clothes.

I think I must have come across as really moralistic, am I wrong or right or as one person said "there are bigger things in the world to worry about".

I don’t really understand how they get away with it. Do these people not sweat? Shed skin cells? Wear any kind of makeup or fragranced product to an event? How do you wear something for an entire day or night out and put it back on the hanger looking immaculate and increased as if it was never worn? And no YANBU - the shops aren’t offering a free rental service. Someone else is paying full price for your friend’s worn dress.

Absolutely not! It’s wrong on every level!

See in some ways I see less of an issue with this- if she’s just literally trying them on and taking a photo it’s not any different to me trying stuff on and returning it, is it? And I’m guessing she’s tagging the shops / items in her posts so it’s free advertising. I mean it’s a bit dishonest but it’s not the same as someone wearing a dress for a night out and then returning it.

Once was perusing white bras in Tesco an age ago, I found a pack with a grey bra in 🤮 someone obviously tried one on and swooped it over

"Everybody" doesn't do this. It's cheap, nasty and scummy behaviour

I used to work in retail and we regularly had people trying this. They were very pissed off when we said we couldn't accept worn items unless they were faulty!

We even had someone cut a hole in a top once in an attempt for us to accept the return - they were not impressed to leave with no refund and no useable top, lol.

Maybe because it's a regular occurrence? Have you noticed lots of other topics come up multiple times on MN? No need to comment really.

People who do this are selfish ignorant thieves. Shops have to absorb the cost of shoplifters too but that doesn't make it OK, does it?

I think it's terrible behaviour. I don't know anyone who does this or who admits to doing this but it's also never arisen as a topic with my friends. I have a special outfit i bought for an event. It hasn't been used since but i bought it with the idea that it could be suitable for similar occasions - i.e. its suitable for a wedding but isn't a party dress, so could be for a funeral!

Late forties now but went Uni with a girl who did this every Friday & Saturday night
she even did it with the underwear - I stopped making purchases in the shops near the Uni

YUCK

I did once when I was about 19/20. It was for NY eve I was totally skint and nothing to wear. My friend convinced me to buy a dress and return it afterwards, I felt so guilty and couldn’t relax all night. Never done it again unless I’ve had a genuine reason.

Not clothes, but I had this with two items a while ago. I bought a robo vacuum from Lidl, excitedly carried it all the way home but when I was unpacking it, I thought it was a bit strange that the bags weren't sealed, but carried on pulling things out of the box. I realised then that there was no charger and when I looked at the vacuum, it was full of someone else's vacuumings 🤢 I took it back, the woman on the counter said that was disgusting but that she sadly wasn't shocked. I got to swap for a brand new one.

Within a week of that, I bought a new set of hair clippers from Sainsbury's I think in my shopping delivery. Opened them, again the bags for the bits and bobs were already opened. When I got the clippers out, they had been used and still had someone's hair on them.

Some people are disgusting.

I think if you return them ASAP (ie today) and explain you might get somewhere

shop staff can tell when clothes have actually been worn usually

I've only done this with items that are broken or faulty - like if a button comes off or the zip breaks when I'm wearing it for the first time. How to these people get away with not taking the tags off? Surely they're a) uncomfortable and b) visible? Or do they put the tags back on somehow?

I know a lot of people who routinely do this for nights out, weddings & funerals.

the first time I came across them doing it I was naive confused as to why, the day after a funeral, they were heading back into town & they were confused as to why I wasn't.

They thought I was 'daft' to actually buy & keep what I'd bought, I thought they were cheap & skanky to return stuff they'd worn. 💁🏻‍♀️

I can understand the posters whose DH.'borrowed a suit' and the poster that 'borrowed a jacket'. I think it's one thing to do it and wear it as briefly as possible out of desperation & quite another to do it all the time 'just because'.

When I was a student I lived with someone (in halls) who had one of the tag machines, the ones that attach the plastic bit between the clothing and the paper tag.

i suspect she stole it from a retail job she worked at.

she was constantly buying clothes wearing them a couple of times, spritzing them with fabreeze and then reattaching the tags and returning them.
it was literally a weekly thing for her to do all of her returns and go and buy a load of new stuff.
she bragged about it constantly, she would regularly buy designer dresses for £££ and then return them after wearing them out.

i thought she was disgusting but plenty of the other girls in halls thought she was really cool and would ask her to help them do the same.
😒

I'm sure I had a friend do this (many years ago) once or twice - she quoted the Sale of Goods Act at them and back then it wasn't really a thing.

I think if something doesn't fit (like a bra, and you just tried it on) or if you really have worn it e.g. to an interview for an hour or so then fine. But when I bought jackets for interviews (Oasis/H&M did very good basic black jackets for £20/£40) I had them as interview wear. Or I borrowed clothes to wear.

There's a sample sale shop just near where I work actually (got some good bargains from there).

I was just a bit shocked as the person doing this was planning on buying several items (is still planning on doing it) and didn't have time to do Ebay/Vinted/DePop etc and didn't want the hassle of doing dress hire. She's been given a 2 week notice period to attend lots of work socials. Should work give her something towards this? She told me her colleague (on a Zoom call) opened her wardrobe and showed her her 'Events Outfits'. This person is normally quite good re morals. The person who said about the returning clothes is my DB who used to be a fashion photographer - so he was saying I think, more for shoots and less himself. I don't think he's the type to return clothes after wearing them as he's a bit forgetful anyway.

Exactly - basically you're a shoplifter but you're not actually going into the shop and stealing with it under your arm.

Years ago I worked briefly in a high end clothes shop with kids wear in it. The amount of women/men who used to steal mostly the kids wear (the expensive stuff was in the back end and more visible) was shocking, and yes it was quite upsetting. I'd have had to have had eyes in the back of my head as mostly it was just me as a naive 20 year old working there in summer.

Absolutely not ok.

I’ve not done this and wouldn’t. But I’m now looking for samples sales online. Anyone know any good ones where you don’t have to join up to browse? (Sorry for derail)

That’s utterly disgusting. If I bought something new and it had been worn before, I would be able to smell it a mile. My sense of smell Is excellent.

How are they allowed to return it with the label cut off? Usually places will only take stuff back if the label is still on, or if it’s faulty. Or do they wear it out with the label hanging off?

No I think it's wrong and no better than shop lifting. Return after wearing only if it ii faulty.

It's been going on for years sadly and I agree it's totally immoral and skanky

Couldn't you have bought a jacket that could have been reworn?