So this seems like an awkward blog. Maybe something that could have just been a sign on the sales point and a note on the receipt? Well yeah, it's there too. It's all those places.
But I'm harnessing the power of the good old SEO to get this message out in support of us and other businesses like ours.
Short version, if you wouldn't buy it in the condition it's in, and knowing it's a return, it's not returnable.
Here's our official policy:
Unworn merchandise with the tags may be returned for store credit within 14 days of purchase.
Sale items, non-stock special orders, shapewear, swimwear and all underwear are not returnable.
And here's why:
Our margins are thin. We don't add more to the cost of our bras to cover people wearing them for a month (or more), washing them etc. and just deciding they don't like it. We have to damage out the items and donate them or throw them away. We can't be sure when you took those knickers home that you didn't try them on just your skin. Now, still rolled Hanky Panky that's low rise and you wanted original? We'll swap those. No human can get those suckers back in their sleeves as well as the robot. Other than that, we can't be sure they haven't been on adventures that make them unsellable. No one wants used knickers.
We're not a big box store. We have overhead and staff and took time to help you. We can't afford to keep throwing away bras you don't like.
Has it been a month and your new bra is defective? A hook popped or the wire busted free? We can exchange that (because we warranty it with our vendors). Broken is different than just not liking it. And a month is different than a year of heavy wear.
Why for store credit?
Credit card fees.
We paid 3-4% to sell it to you (more if it's a rewards card). We pay another 3-4% to put it back on your card. Then you come back a few days or months later and get something else and we pay again. Now we've paid $6 in fees for a $50 item. It's not sustainable.
What about the long list of non-returnable items? We covered the knickers. We can't sell them once you've worn them, or once we can't be sure you didn't. Shapewear same deal- if you wore it without knickers, we have to pitch it. Same with swim. Sale items- well, we're breaking even on those and need them gone. The longer out of season it is, the harder it is to find homes for sale bras. Non- stock special orders are final sale because too many people have asked us for a very specific item we don't carry then changed their minds. It's really hard to sell one thing in one size- we have to find the perfect person.
And here's the last thing- strapless. Don't make us add strapless to the list. Sometimes the price tag is on the strap (an issue we're bringing up with our vendors). We've had people buy strapless, take the straps off, wear it to the event, put the straps back on, then insist on getting their money back. That's stealing. Don't do that.
So the next time you're in a small business, know that they want you to be happy, but they also want to feed their families. They developed their return policies on purpose. Shopping small sometimes means keeping the knickers you went out on a limb to try or the bra in a color you weren't sure of. It's easy to buy a bunch and return it at Walmart because they didn't pay much for the items and they can send them overseas to be scrapped.
Thanks for coming to my Ted talk!