Denis: Women who have a new wardrobe sale or return plan

Mar 12 2010 by Denis Kilcommons

THERE are ladies in America who make a career of returning clothes they buy from stores after wearing them only once.

The purpose is to get their money back or change them for something else. This means their wardrobes are the size of Marks and Spencer.

“What shall I wear for that special date? I know, I’ll take back something old and exchange it for something new.”

I remember seeing these ladies confess all on one of those US talk shows.

They were proud of their achievements at taking advantage of the returns policy of stores that allowed them to get away with this scam.

All were sitting there in outfits they had specially chosen for their TV appearance and which would be going back in the morning.

Two things struck me at the time.

What a cheek.

And what on earth was I doing watching Sally Jesse Raphael?

This practice is carried on in the UK, too, but to a much lesser extent, although a few years ago, when my wife Maria was in charge of the suits department at Burton’s on New Street, she was surprised when a young man returned a very nice two piece after three weeks and asked for his money back. Especially as it had the stub for an airline ticket in the top pocket.

Cheek.