At what point do returns raise eyebrows? - YouLookFab Forum

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At what point do returns raise eyebrows?

JennyK (NC)

I did not have time this long weekend to get to Nordstrom and I'd really like to order some of Angie's recommended items to try them. I have a darn hard time knowing what size I wear in anything without trying on, so I'm thinking about ordering at least two sizes of a LOT of dresses and shoes so I can try them on at home and take back to the store what I don't want.

Do any of you have experience with returning many items to Nordies? I wonder at what point their eyebrows go up. If I find this a good method for buying from them, I may want to continue, as I am just running out of time in my life to do in-store shopping.

Shopping

31 replies

Latest reply was from stylemama

Inge

(website)

Good question Jenny. Return policies are much stricter here, in fact, it's very difficult to return anything here, so I'm curious to read about all your experiences.

Have fun picking and trying on all those fab dresses and shoes, though, hope we get to see your loot soon!

marianna

Veteran

Nordstrom will take anything back, in any quantity, no questions asked! Order away!

JennyK (NC)

Marianna - have you ever ordered/returned in quantity like that?

I noticed that shipping is free if you order $200 or more. I'll surpass that for sure. Is that just for the sale, or is that their usual policy, I wonder?

I'm starting to get sort of tingly thinking about this now!

Steph

Veteran

I have been known to order over a thousand dollars of merchandise, often the same thing in several different sizes/colors, and return the items without a problem. At Nordstrom they don't even blink.

Awhile ago I read that some stores were flagging customers with a history of buying and returning a *lot* of merchandise. However, Nordstrom is absolutely not one of those stores.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Order 100 items and return 100 items - still no raised eyebrows. All you'll get are apologies that nothing worked out.

Have fun!

marianna

Veteran

Jenny, I have never returned that many items at once, but I am a serial returner. I make returns all the time. Honestly, they will take anything back. Nordstrom is the BEST store for returns.

JennyK (NC)

ok - y'all have convinced me. I'm off to order everything on Angie's Nordstrom list!

Well, ok - maybe not *everything*

I am going to order a LOT and hope for the best!

agrace

Well, I return stuff all of the time b/c I can't shop well with two small children. So if it raises eyebrows I am in a host of trouble LOL I've never had a problem, but I am very careful to leave tags on, have receipts, etc etc and often it is a next day return. And this is with much lower-end stores like Target. With Nordstroms, the couple times I returned things I had no problem whatsoever - I ordered boots in two different sizes this winter b/c I did not know my size - neither worked and I had zero problem returning both.

Steph - I have read about this as well, and stores that do this are required by law to state that they do so. For example, NY & Co. does this and they state on their receipts something to the effect of a picture I.D. being required to do returns and that they keep a record of all returns. So it is stated up front on their receipt. To my knowledge, a store cannot do this 'secretly' and then spring it on you. I also think NY & Co. limits the amount of returns you can do in a given time period.

Kristen

(website)

Veteran

Nordstroms will never raise an eyebrow. Never.

When I worked in retail, there was only one time that anyone even noticed someone who returned a lot of items, and that was only because she clearly had a shopping problem as well as a host of other emotional issues. She would come to the store sometimes 2-3 times a week, try on things for hours, ask everyone's advice, and buy hundreds of dollars of clothes. Then a few days later would return everything and do it all over again. And again, and again, and again. She was a lovely, tiny thing, but so fragile-seeming and soft-spoken, like a bruised butterfly, and we all just let her do her thing. I worried about what happened to her after our store closed, but I haven't seen her at other stores at the same mall.

So unless you get to that point, I wouldn't worry about anyone noticing or being concerned.

JennyK (NC)

All right - I just ordered over $1,000 worth of stuff from Nordstrom... Angie, I clicked through on each one individually from your blog posting. I certainly hope that means you get credit for each thing I ordered, because you deserve it!

I ordered some things in two sizes, ordered others just to see if they will fit and flatter. I'm pretty excited!

I'm also wondering if my credit card will be flagged, as I don't normally spend that much in one shot.

elpgal

Veteran

Jenny, Call your credit card and let them know in advance. I do that when I am anticipating a huge charge for international tickets and so on.

Queen Mum

Veteran

haha- I'm sure you'll be getting a call form your credit card company any minute now
Cant wait to see your loot! You must model everything for us!

JennyK (NC)

Holy Sheath Dresses, Batman! I have completely lost my mind.... I'm up to $1,500 now.

Off to call my credit card and turn off this darn computer!

Claudia

Veteran

Jenny's living my YLF fantasy!

JennyK (NC)

LOL - Claudia, but I can't keep everything... lots of multiples in there. My goal is to limit myself to about $300 total in the end, though that will be shot to H-E-double hockey sticks if some of the fancy-schmancy shoes fit and feel great!

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

I actually got myself banned from returns at Target for a period of time (long ago). Honestly though- that was their fault and not mine. I would purchase and bring things home to try them on (my son was a baby at the time, and I just couldn't try things on at the store). At the time, they took returns without a receipt, and even though I would have the receipt they were usually too lazy to enter it. I got flagged because I had been returning too much without a receipt- except that I always had the receipt. It's no wonder that they changed this policy.

Claudia

Veteran

Jenny, If you're home at the time, I hope the UPS guy is really cute too!

marianna

Veteran

See, credit cards CAN be a good thing!

MNsara

Veteran

Jenny - I have to mention that I just got denied a return this past week at The Limited. I could hardly believe it as I have just started shopping there this past winter.

Anyway, as it turns out you are allowed FIVE returns in a 90-day period. That count has nothing to do with how many purchases you make, how many items are purchased, nor how many items are involved in a return transaction.

Their returns use your driver's license each time. I am one who returns each item as I decide against it - or I at least get it into my car in case I get to that store - and I apparently have maxed out.

The manager told me to have my husband or someone else return it for me. Today I was with my daughter and she returned it with her license. Isn't that stupid!!??

MNsara

Veteran

Oh, and there was the time Macy's called me to ask if everything was okay because I had apparently returned more than 50% of what I had purchased over a couple month time period. Boy, that surprised me! Considering every clerk tells me (when I am undecided and that is almost all the time) to buy and I can always bring it back.

Although my reason then was that I needed to bring some balance back into my finances - VISA too large, Macy's must decline.

He made it sound like they were looking for quality/satisfcaction problems, but my cynical side says otherwise. . .

marianne

I *heard* that even though Nordstrom accepts everything without asking, they still track your purchasing history, and there is supposedly a limit for "abusing" the policy, which would be returning worn or altered items, etc. I don't know how true it is but I heard it from a not-so-clueless source
But if you are returning unworn stuff with tags on, it shouldn't be an issue.

AJ

Veteran

Wowie Zowie! What a package that will be!! How fun to look forward to all that!!

stringy

Veteran

I cannot wait to see the post that happens when your package is delivered!

I just bought two items from maxshop.com.au and when I went to look at their returns info, found that they have a little optional checkbox thing for the reason you're returning: wrong size, doesn't fit right, wrong colour, etc. And one of the reasons is "bought two, returning one". So I guess that's at least one Aussie store who's used to this kind of thing by now!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Wow! Jenny. You are a marathon online shopper! I'm impressed and thank you for your support.

I have clients, very busy executive clients, who spend thousands online because they do not have the time to shop. 80% of it goes back of course and that's the way we have to work sometimes. All I can say is that thank goodness we live in America. This type of returning would not be tolerated anywhere else :0)

Anonymous

I'm thankful that we have places like Nordstroms where it's easy to make returns. Getting things home where you can try them with pieces you own and take time is important to me.
Sometimes some places (not Nordstroms!) have fitting rooms that are iffy and that I'd rather not use. An aquaintance who worked at Kohls told horror stories of fitting rooms commonly used as restrooms, especially by children. She said not to use Kohls fitting rooms. This was in an upscale area

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

Eeeeewwwwww!!!! :O

yublocka

(website)

Veteran

What have you ordered from maxshop stringy?? Spill the beans!!!

DressLover

Veteran

Nordstrom doesn't care what you return, when you return it, or how much you return. Case in point - I did some massive online ordering and went to return the rejected items at my local Nordstrom. When they saw me approaching the door, two associates ran out and helped me carry my boxes in. Crazy box lady was very humorous to onlookers.

Normally, I'd feel weird, but Nordstrom is the friendliest shopping environment ever. I'd never order as much as I do from them if they batted an eyelash at $1000+ returns.

Maya

Veteran

When I used to work near Urban Outfitters, I would go in during my break, buy stuff, and try it on at home because I didn't always have time to try it on in the store. Obviously a lot of it ended up being returned, and I feared that I might have unwillingly created a reputation among the hipster staff. I could just hear them all buzzing each other on their walkie talkies, warning that "returns girl is here" and rolling their eyes, judging me.

In reality, I don't think they cared one bit and probably didn't even recognize me.

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