If we haven't done it before, we've at least thought about doing the old "buy it, wear it, return it" for something that was a bit out of the budget or impractical. But now it appears that stores are catching on to those who are merely looking for a loaner, creating a secret profile "database" for customers who buy, return, and repeat.
According to AP, if a dress is purchased and then returned, certain stores are sending that information to a third-party company which will compile your information. This method is hoping to tag those who are frequent returners — even if they do so at different stores. Certainly, the loss of revenue due to returned merchandise is a problem — apparently worth $264 billion each year. Yet the idea of some centralized database that records shopping habits is a bit creepy, and privacy advocates are understandably unhappy.
Sure, retailers have every right to try to cut their losses, but tracking customers doesn't just seem to be time-consuming and expensive; it also feels awfully big brother. Return policies are hard enough to sort through, as is. Maybe just, you know, check closely to see if a dress has been worn before? (Stylecaster)
Photo: Via StyleCaster