Returns & Sale Shopping

Are you sitting on a pile of returns from the holiday season and just not in the mood to go back to the mall? Do you have a bunch of gift cards burning a hole in your pocket? Or are you like me and want to see if you can find any of the items you have been pining for all season in the hopes they are marked down to your satisfaction?

No matter which one of these scenarios best fits you I have a bit of advice that will make your whole shopping experience that much more successful and less stressful.

Things you Need to Know that the Sales Girls aren’t going to Tell you

Returns

The best time of day to do any returns or shop sales is as soon as the store opens. One, there are less people and the sales person has not been dealing with jerks all day that didn’t read this; Two, the store is more than likely cleaned and reorganized from the night before making it easier to see the merchandise.

Boutiques

First and foremost if you have “return” merchandise from a boutique, go and return them as soon as possible. Boutiques do not have the luxury of an endless return policy. Although most boutiques will extent their normal return (most likely exchange) policy you don’t have that much time, this is true of speciality stores like Forever 21, BCBG, etc. as well.

We don’t always get receipts with our gifts but as long as you have the tags attached you’re usually ok. My first bit of advice is be pleasant and remember the person who’s helping you worked throughout the holiday season, the store policies are not their policies and they are required by their employer to carry out the policies. Being nice will get you a lot further with any issue than being angry. You do not need to give the sales person helping you with the return a song and dance, just give them the item, ask their return/exchange policy and just be happy someone bought you something, Even if it isn’t perfect. Most store’s store credit does not have a time limit. If you want something new hold on to your store credit until February because lots of new clothing starts delivering then.

Department Stores

Major Department Store have just about an endless return policy thanks to Nordstrom. At most of these large change retails you can more than likely get money back from your gifts, but not all. The sooner you return your gift the more likely you are going the get the amount of money the gift was purchase for. If you do not have a receipt and you wait too long the item might get marked down again and again until it’s worth almost nothing.

Moral of the return… Sooner is always better than later.

 

Sale Shopping

The most important rule of sale shopping is only buy it if you would have full price. What does this mean? Most of us want things we can not afford so when that item you wanted but were not willing to pay the amount for goes on sale to a price you’re willing to pay-get it! Never buy some thing just because it’s on sale. You’ll never wear or use it. Are you thinking what if it’s not my size but I’ve wanted it all season and now it’s the right price-Should I buy it? The answer is simple if it’s too small, NO. But if it’s a little too big and you’re willing to have it tailored then go ahead. But you must have it tailored right away or you won’t and it again was a waist of money. We don’t need to waist money ever!

Understand that final sale means just that, FINAL NO RETUNS. This will make your life easier. Don’t think you can come back to store and beg and plead or get mad and they’ll take it back-they won’t. And if you scream and cry and they do, they will remember you forever in a bad way and you don’t want that.

I have to say that most of my shopping is sale shopping. I buy well so I don’t need too much. When I see something I need and it’s on sale I’m happy but most of the time it’s not what you need that’s on sale. It’s a crazy item you’re not to sure about and now it’s cheaper and you think, “Why not”? I’ll tell you why not… unless you can style that item in your head into at least three different outfits for at least three different events then don’t get it. BTW if you don’t have the skill to know what you have in your closet and restyle outfits in your head, you need to read this magazine way more.

Gift Cards

My best advise on a gift card is spend it before you loose it. We’ve all done it. So you know what I’m talking about. If your saving them up for some reason find a safe place for them and Happy Shopping.