Poll: What percentage of online purchases do you return? - YouLookFab Forum

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Shopping

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Poll: What percentage of online purchases do you return?

Becky

Veteran

I'm curious to know what percentage of online clothing/shoes/accessories purchases you end up returning. Since YLF and becoming much more choosy about quality and fit, I certainly return far more purchases than I ever did before. For clothing (not shoes or accessories), I'd say I return well over half of my purchases made online. For shoes, that percentage is even higher. I haven't kept track, but I would bet I return about 75% of shoes I order. Thank goodness for Zappos' free shipping and return policies! I don't order many accessories online, so I can't really give a percentage there.

Am I alone in this? It's just so hard for me to tell how something might look on my body from a doctored photograph of the item on a tall, thin model. I must say it gets discouraging to spend so much time and effort tracking down items to try and not have much to show for it (other than money wasted on shipping/return fees).

Shopping

17 replies

Latest reply was from Kate

Aida

Veteran

I probably return 30%, but I do most of my shopping in person. Often if I am buying something online it's something I've already tried so that helps tilt my success rate.

Don't be discouraged! If you can get measurements of the garment that helps a lot. As does remembering how various garments look flat when you're shopping in person as an online reference. If you can keep the silhouettes that you know look good on you in your mind while shopping online it can help you separate what will and won't work for you.

catgirl

Veteran

I have been returning much more frequently as well, but that's because I am shopping around more! I would say I return at least 50% of what I try. Shipping costs are a big factor for me, though, in whether I will order. Anthro, ATL and J Crew are all quite high to Alaska IMHO.

ticksgirl

I return about 90% of ALL my purchases, online and otherwise. Not only do I have a hard time visualizing what things I see online will look like on my body, but I can't even really tell what something I've tried on looks like till I've seen a photo of myself in it. *sigh* I feel your pain.

Aida

Veteran

Ticks, you could bring a camera shopping with you and take a photo in the dressing room. A little weird, I know, but I did this at first when I started this process and it's pretty helpful. Even if it's just your phone's camera

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I'm Team Store so I hardly purchase online. But I return about 95% of my online footwear purchases.

Anonymous

Wow at least 90% gets returned or exchanged for the right size.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I usually do eBay and returns are rare. I luck out 75% of the time. I ask for specific measurements, though.

Maya

Veteran

80% probably. I am team online. One of the reasons I'm team online is because shopping in the store doesn't guarantee anything anyway.

Queen Mum

Veteran

90%

Tricia

Veteran

I'm glad I'm not the only one who returns 80-90%. Surprisingly, most of the shoes I've bought online stay. I read reviews to make sure the shoe I want is true to size or runs big or small and order accordingly, and there just seem to be fewer ways to screw up the fit of shoes.

taylor

Veteran

I don;t order much on line, but when I do it is from a company that I am familiar with and know exactly how my size fits...AT or ATLOFT. My size is not always carried in the store so I have to order some items and they always fit.

Becky

Veteran

Glad to know I'm not alone! It makes sense to order online if you've tried an item in-store and need a different size, color, etc. I'm Team Online out of necessity, not because I want to be, so that's really not much of an option for me. Having Angie's store and lists with her picks from the Norstrom sales has certainly helped narrow the field down to quality items. I do like when retailers such as Boden give specific measurements; that helps tremendously. And then sometimes I can't even believe the details they leave out. I had to e-mail BR's customer service to find out if a particular skirt was lined. It was, so why in the world wouldn't they include that in the description?!

Late Bloomer

(website)

It took me a while to learn to return what doesn't work in spite of the online return charges. I Think I return between 1/3 and 1/2 of what I buy online. I order more from familiar brands now and that helps in getting the size right.

I'm to the point where I have a pretty good idea of what I want before I shop at a regular store so I like to look online to see what the stores might have before I go. It really helps as I don't live or work right in town so I don't just browse like I used to when I could shop after work before I headed home.

Sparky

Veteran

I return a lot more than I used to, mostly because I am much pickier since joining YLF but also because I am playing around with new styles and pieces I wouldn't have thought of before, so I try them out and if they don't work, back they go. I've always been a big online shopper, but even in-store purchases get lots of scrutiny once home and before the tags come off.

Sparky

Veteran

Oops, forgot to give a percentage. I probably return about 1/3 to 1/2 of what I purchase online nowadays.

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

Somewhere between 10-25%.

Kate

Veteran

I think I'm around 75% now, and the more I order multiple sizes of the same item, the more the percentage increases!

I don't buy at least 90% of stuff I try on in general.