Shopping Pitfalls

Yesterday was a shopping extravaganza with a girlfriend and her daughter and Boy! did it take me back? My friend’s daughter was on the hunt for a specific thing, a dress for a get-together and she knew exactly what she wanted, unfortunately the stores did not know what she wanted, we couldn’t find it anywhere!  It was a hunt of epic proportions, so as I accompanied them, I was a lookie-loo because you can’t take me to the Mall and expect me NOT to shop. It just can’t happen when I have cash in my pocket and there are so many choices out there, so much potential, so much beautiful clothing! I AM a clothes whore!

The memories it stirred, for when I was a young girl, like my friend’s daughter, my Mom was THE Mom doing the same job of being the patient dragee of attending the shopper on the hunt for the perfect “thing” for a specific occasion, and it was not the easiest job. A teen knows exactly what they want, and no one else can really help . . .just being a good Mom and follow along is the job!

As we were in her wake, I decided I would shop for myself, since I couldn’t help on said mission. As other woman know, the “trying on” process can be so time consuming, I decided I would bypass that and buy and take home, try then and return whatever I didn’t like or didn’t fit. Unfortunately, 3/4 of my purchases have to be returned! What a disappointment! Why aren’t sizes the same everywhere?

One of the Malls we went to was an Outlet mall and as I look at those receipts, I see that those receipts have caveats about returns. So buyer beware, some stores do have different return policies, try to pay attention though there may be so much going on while you are shopping some stores won’t let you return for a full refund, just a store credit. With all the hubbub of this shopping situation I wasn’t on my A game and will now be stuck with store credit for a few things I didn’t try on. Oh, well live and learn.

Silver lining, I’ll go shopping quietly by myself, return, exchange and unfortunately, undress (I hate dressing rooms) and find some hidden treasures! Shopping is therapeutic . . .

Wish me luck!

PS. I found an Auto-Flow Pet Fountain for Spooky the cat and I’m waiting to see if he’ll take to it! Hopefully that won’t have to be returned too, otherwise I’ll have to disassemble it and put it back in the box, ugggh! Only good thing about that is I bought that at Macy’s and they have the greatest return policy. Just hope Spooky starts drinking his water from it, it’s so healthy!

Written by Evelyn Garone 11/6/11