Do you wear and return clothes to save cash?

Poll started 13 Aug 2013


Many big stores, such as M&S, have generous no-fault return policies. Some people use this as a form of free rental – you buy the clothes, wear them once, then return them.

The legality is questionable – it depends on the terms and conditions. Yet with 14-day no-fault returns for internet goods coming into law next year, we want to see how common this behaviour is.

Which one of the options in this week's poll is closest to your situation?



Did you vote? Why did you pick that option? Are you surprised at the results so far? Have your say below clicking reply to discuss. If you haven’t already, join the forum to reply. If you aren’t sure how it all works, read our New to Forum? Intro Guide .

To see the results from last time, click this.
«13

Comments

  • liz545
    liz545 Posts: 1,726 Forumite
    I'll be honest - I did this when I was a student, because the cost of buying a nice outfit to wear to a wedding, after paying for transport and wedding gifts was just totally out of my budget. I spent the whole night being extra careful to make sure the dress didn't get dirty, which kind of made me think it wasn't worth bothering with. The week after I returned the dress, it went into the sale anyway, so if I had bought it, I would have felt very ripped-off! Thankfully now I'm DF and much more able to budget for things like this, but at the time, it was a case of needs must.
    2015 comp wins - £370.25
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  • matt_66
    matt_66 Posts: 93
    Savvy Shopper!
    Forumite
    Buying, wearing and returning clothes is something I had never thought of before.

    Personally I find it a little weird but each to their own.

    It is a serious:money: to be fair
    2016 saver #80 - £8,379 / £11,000
  • Herbalus
    Herbalus Posts: 2,634
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    Forumite
    Hope this poll doesn't legitimize it for some people, or make people think they can do it on a regular basis.

    Buying something and not liking it/it not fitting when you get home and wear it around the house is one thing, but buying something with the intention of taking it back is akin to borrowing without permission.
  • duchy
    duchy Posts: 19,511
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker Xmas Saver!
    Forumite
    I agree -I don't believe it is widespread and it's a bit like the so called moral questions - more a figment of a bored intern at Moneysaving Towers imagination than an issue one way or the other. Honestly apart from students needing a one off outfit I think it's too tacky for most.

    Debs if you want to do it - it's a matter for your own consience - please don't ask us to legitimize it for you !! ;)
    I Would Rather Climb A Mountain Than Crawl Into A Hole

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  • Lagoon
    Lagoon Posts: 934 Forumite
    I would never, ever do this. I think it's terrible.

    As it is, I don't buy new clothes often anyway. Maybe five items a year, maximum. If I buy something, it has to last me at least a decade. :p
  • Gigervamp
    Gigervamp Posts: 6,583
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Post
    Forumite
    I wouldn't dream of doing it, it's wrong!

    I'm surprised and saddened at how many people have admitted to doing it in the poll though.
  • MSE_Martin
    MSE_Martin Posts: 8,272
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Money Saving Expert
    duchy wrote: »
    I agree -I don't believe it is widespread and it's a bit like the so called moral questions - more a figment of a bored intern at Moneysaving Towers imagination than an issue one way or the other. Honestly apart from students needing a one off outfit I think it's too tacky for most.

    Debs if you want to do it - it's a matter for your own consience - please don't ask us to legitimize it for you !! ;)


    Actually this is my poll not Deb's. And she isn't an intern, she's a fully time member of the team one of whose jobs is putting up the polls (which usually I write).

    In fact this isnt some triviality its deliberately looking at a trend issue ahead of next years change in Distance Selling Regulations where the return policy shifts from 7 to 14 days.

    Its not meant to condone or legitimise, but it is meant to gather information. With 14% currently saying they do this - that is not an insubstantial number.

    Martin ;)
    Martin Lewis, Money Saving Expert.
    Please note, answers don't constitute financial advice, it is based on generalised journalistic research. Always ensure any decision is made with regards to your own individual circumstance.
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  • I understand that some people feel that "needs must" because they were poor students and wanted something new and pretty to wear to a wedding, but this is moral relativism at its worst. We've all been struggling students. Buying something from a store, using it and then pretending you were returning it because you didn't want it is stealing. It's not a victimless crime. It's also gross and selfish. Do you think people don't mind that you got your sweaty genes all over a dress? What an adult does is go to a thrift shop to buy something affordable. They often have brand new clothes available for a song or accessories that will make an old outfit new. Or rent an outfit from a dress shop. If you want something free you could borrow clothes from a friend. Or shop your own closet and use your own accessories in a new way. What an adult doesn't do is steal something under the guise of "borrowing" and then say, "Well I had to do it. I needed something pretty."
  • g8rgirl96 wrote: »
    It's also gross and selfish. Do you think people don't mind that you got your sweaty genes all over a dress?

    I for one always wash things before wearing them. Even if nobody has actually worn it properly before, there's still a high possibility of someone having tried it on. And you never know where clothes have been on their journey from wherever they've come from!
  • I honestly wouldnt do it, makes me wonder whether MSE is representative, one in seven admit to doing it, disgraceful.
This discussion has been closed.
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