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5 August 2013

do you suffer from buyer's remorse?

i read a piece recently by the debt advisory centre that says that a whopping 82% of us here in the UK suffer from buyers remorse. you know, when you get a second to stop and think about something you've just bought on impulse, and instantly regret your decision? yeah that. buyer's remorse. it's a real thing.

i recently bought a pair of high-waisted, floral trousers in a loud, chiffon fabric with an elasticated waist band. in the store, they looked fab. don't they sound fab? i knew in my head how i would wear them, and what with. i was all excited about them, and even bought other items to wear with them. then i got them home and put the outfit together, to parade around in front of boyfriend. it was then that good god, i realised that i looked like i was one plastic visor away from retiring in florida. horrendous. the worst part? i bought them on sale, and so can't refund them. whaddamigunnadonowwwwww?
so. much. remorse. for those trousers. which is not unsurprising if you read this report, as it blates aknowledges the 'most regretted' items overall are clothes at 62%, and shoes at 36%. and i would concur with those statistics, if the state of my account history at asos is anything to go by; dress bought, dress returned. shoes bought, shoes returned. repeat, with a bag. it's a dilemma with online shopping i tell ya. (although apparently, even when i try things on, i have no idea what i'm doing.)

there is a strangely high amount of us though, that get buyer's remorse over the cost of our purchases. the cost, as opposed to the actual purchase. that's 6 million of us, spending more than we wanted, on something that we wanted enough to spend that amount of money on. i... just don't get that logic. if i want something, and it's too expensive, i don't buy it. if i want something, and it's too expensive, and i buy it anyway, i usually brag about it. to everyone. because dude, it was flippen expensive, and now i own it. ner ner ne-ner ner, etc.

the best bit of this study was the result of the remorse, and the irrationality that comes with it. more than half of brits with buyer's remorse would rather keep the item, than face the inevitable "why do you want to return it?" question at the customer service desk. so, if the above is anything to go by, they regret the cost of their purchase, and then they're too scared to take it back. what's wrong with these people!? then there's the 18% that would rather give the item away than return it. these fools!

understandably i'm sure, i fall into the measley 8% of brits that would quite happily march themselves back to the store in question, and have no qualms in asking for their money back. holla at me if you're on my team. the rest of you... well, sort it out.


do you suffer from buyer's remorse?
what's your beef? return it!
[update] it should be noted that i have since exchanged these loud chiffon trousers for a loud chiffon skirt instead. as mentioned in my comment reply below, although i no longer feel remorse for the trouser purchase, i now have this irrational resentment for the skirt in its place - mostly because i was forced into exchanging the trousers for something of equal or more value, and ended up having to pay an extra £8 for a skirt that - although i do really like it, i don't consider it 'worth it'.


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  1. This is me! I constantly buy items of clothes that I know do not suit my body but I convince myself I will wear... then I get home and they hang in my wardrobe and I feel almost instantly "urgh why did I waste my money on that" I am terrible!

    Most of the time, i'm like you and I will happily return it but sometimes it's from eBay or somewhere I can't return them from then I feel even more guilty!

    I'm glad i'm not the only one out there who often feels like this!

    PS I don't think those trousers are that bad.. a bit loud!

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    1. they're awful amy, don't lie! i managed to exchange them for a really pretty skirt in the end, but i kinda have a bit of resentment for the skirt, because i feel like i was forced into buying it, rather than really wanting it. oh, shopping is such a fickle thing!

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  2. The only times I have suffered from buyers remorse is when I've come home from shopping and realised I couldn't pay my bills, but it soon wears off when I put on my pretty things and make a payment plan with the electricity people haha :)

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    1. hahaha! make sure you skype them so they can see how pretty you look :) x

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  3. Oh man, I'm having buyer's remorse this weekend. I splurged on something on a whim and then felt guilty as soon as I got home. I've decided to bring it back though, partially because splurge! but also because it doesn't fit as well as I thought!

    You'll find a great way to rock those pants! Never fear!

    -Becca
    Ladyface Blog

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    1. thankfully becca, i now no longer fear the wearing of the trousers. i'm glad you're brave enough to return your splurge though!

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  4. Yes! This is the story of my shopping life! I'm now trying to just spend what I've raised on eBay to account for my bad, bad self! We should hold a virtual blog swishing event! xx

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  5. I am so regularly full of remorse! I quite often feel sick when I realise how much I've frittered away but I only ever feel remorseful enough to return when something better comes along and I need to extra cash to make me feel better. Right now, two items are waiting upstairs to be returned for that very reason!

    - Tabitha at scaredtoast.com x

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    1. i love that! save them all up, cash them in!

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  6. I go through phases where I don't see the point in regretting any purchases, then after a while it's almost like 'oh god, why am I buying all this?!'. I have no problems returning things though if I decide I can't keep them. I just say it didn't suit me or something rather than I wish I hadn't bought it xx

    D Is For...

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thank you for your comment, you lovely thing you.