Rule of tags

Do you have a rule about return a purchase if it's been sitting too long in your wardrobe with the tags still on? And if so, what's "too long"?

11 years ago

Shopping

9 replies

Latest reply was from rachylou

Diana

Veteran

I figure as long as the retailer allows me to return it, I shouldn't feel bad about doing so. I do try to wear things sooner rather than later though. I admit I still have a nordstrom purchase (EF silk track pants) with tags on because it got too cold to wear them and I figure I'll reassess in the spring to see whether I'm still excited about them.

11 years ago

DonnaF

Veteran

If there's been a few weather and occasion appropriate days to wear the garment and I still haven't worn it, I seriously question whether I should keep it. I'm (finally!!!) learning that my most worn garments are the ones that I want to tear off the tags and wear immediately. Lingering doubts = warning sign that I need to pay attention to.

11 years ago

unfrumped

Veteran

If it's truly unworn, I'll give returning a go. Usually the retailer is the rate-limiting step. For example, sometimes the item will now be discounted and a full refund will not be offered, so that has encouraged me to make more rapid decisions.
I try not to be completely off-season with a return but I can't say I'd never do it.

11 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I usually know pretty quickly if I want to keep something. When I have doubts, I tend to return as soon as I can, regardless of the retailer's policy. Like Donna, my doubts tend to be telling me something.

I've made the mistake of cutting tags too early, though. Times I thought I loved something but it wouldn't really work for me long term. I've also done the opposite -- returned something that would have become a workhorse.

I still make mistakes now and again.

11 years ago

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

After reading some horror stories from YLF, I now wash everything before I wear it. Which makes it tricky with the stuff that I haven't worn yet - do I cut off the tags before I'm sure, or do I wait but then I have a delay before I can actually wear it? Like Suz, I've had mistakes in both directions - cutting off tags and then regretting it, and returning stuff that I later want back.

Usually I try to let things I'm unsure about hang out in the closet for a few days, so that I can take some time on the weekend or on a less busy weekday to try it on and demo some outfits. Also, if it was expensive or unplanned, I like to let my monkey brain fade a bit and take a sober look at my budget before cutting off tags. Then there's the third limiter: when am I going to be in the area where the store is? I much prefer to run errands in serial instead of wasting a trip on just one return.

11 years ago

carter

Veteran

The store's return window is my default return window. Assuming it's the proper season and I've had an opportunity to wear something before the end of the return period, but the tags are still on, it goes back. If it was an out of season purchase or something I haven't had an appropriate opportunity to wear, it still gets reevaluated before the end of the return period.

I absolutely positively DO NOT want to know about the horror stories Laura mentioned, because I do not cut the tags until the item is on my body and I'm walking out the door.

11 years ago

Gaylene

Veteran

I'm Canadian, I shop mostly in smaller boutiques, I like to launder items from mass merchandisers before wearing, and I'm old-school when it comes to dealing with retailers--all of which adds up to pretty fast decision-making and tag-cutting, usually a week at the longest. I can't really see any advantage to hanging onto things "just in case" I might feel differently a few months down the road. If the occasional prize slips away, I'm sure I'd recover. It would also bug me to give over limited closet space to a bunch of "maybes".

I'm trusting my first instincts more and more these days, as opposed to analyzing and weighing pros and cons. My happiness quotient is much higher and I seem to have fewer regrets or orphans in my closet.

11 years ago

Astrid

Veteran

Usually you get 14 days return window here. I always wash before wearing and I try not to buy when I'm not sure. I'm down to very few returns to B&M stores. Sending back things I bought online is a different animal of course, because I don't know if the fit works when I order. I'm always sending things back as soon as possible, most of the time the day after it arrived.

11 years ago

rachylou

Veteran

I return within 30 days. It's arbitrary, but I feel like after that, I own the thing and it's my job to deal with it.

11 years ago

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