14 DAY TRIAL // They say there is nothing – or close to nothing – women know how to do better or enjoy more than shopping. According to a new survey by OnePoll and cited by the Daily Mail, it seems they, whoever that may be, might have been wrong, since it’s not the shopping itself that women enjoy, but rather the thrill of getting something new, even if that means having to return it the next day.
What this means is that women don’t necessarily like to pile up item over item, that’s just a natural consequence of their desire to own something new. This, together with the recession and the need to cut down a bit on expenses, has prompted them to turn to what is known as “freestyle shopping,” the practice of “buying” a dress, wearing it just once for a special occasion and then returning it to the store on the grounds that “it doesn’t fit.” While not new, this type of shopping fraud has now come to know impressive numbers, with one in every three women doing it.
The poll, conducted on 3,000 women who agreed to honestly answer a couple of questions on the Internet, reveals that ladies are truly ruthless when it comes to getting what they want – especially if that happens to be a designer piece or an overpriced but nice item, the Mail says. Aside from the aforementioned percentage, one in ten women actually resorts to this shopping fraud every time she has a big event coming up. Of the queried ladies, three quarters argued their motive was not having enough money to buy the clothes they wanted, while an overwhelming 28 percent revealed they were merely doing it for the thrill.
“This survey shows how ruthless women can be when it comes to shopping. Buying something and then realizing it’s not quite for you is one thing, but wearing something and then expecting a refund from the shop takes real nerve. It is a way to look good for less but retailers should wise up and be more stringent when customers return things.” a spokesperson for OnePoll tells the Mail in regard to the findings of the survey.
The survey also reveals that the average freestyled item goes for about £70, while approximately 28 percent of women believe there is nothing wrong with returning something that has already been worn. Of course, accidents can – and do – happen that make it impossible for an item to be taken back, like many respondents to the survey also revealed. One, for instance, was at a party and a fellow guest came up to her, reminded her that she had “forgotten” to cut the price tag, ripped it off and handed it to her. The dress had cost her over £200.