Sign of the Times? Guys Return Gals' Luxe Buys
Friday November 14, 2008
PageSix.com reports that New York's Madison Avenue stores are seeing lots of luxury goods being returned -- anything with a price tag still attached -- as a sign of bad economic times. Which is not a big surprise. The article goes on to say that women make their husbands return the unwanted/unaffordable luxury items, because "it's fitting for the man to collect the cash, since he paid for the unnecessary items in the first place." Say what? Even if a woman is solely supported by her man, isn't it their money, and not just his? I buy my own stuff -- luxe or (mostly) not -- and you'll never find me sending my husband back to the store with my purchases because then he'd find out how much I spend and, well, we don't need to go there, do we?
Comments
Wow, “it’s fitting for the man to collect the cash, since he paid for the unnecessary items in the first place”. Gee, that’s not one bit mean-spirited on their part. /sarcasm Guess that author doesn’t believe that a married couples’ money is theirs, just the husband’s — and certainly not the wife’s.
Anyhow, it is perhaps a sign of the times, but then I’ve always enjoyed being able to return things that I wasn’t sure about. I’d have to first buy luxury items in order to return them, but I usually do return a decent percentage of my clothing purchases. I keep tags on clothes till I wear them out of the house and I keep new things in a special area because I know that I often change my mind about pieces once I see them at home with my other clothes, in front of my mirrors, in my home’s lighting, etc. I’ve never just returned something because I couldn’t afford it, but I’ve certainly returned things after reconsidering if something was worth what I had paid for it.
Fortunately, my husband doesn’t mind returning things for me. We only have one car and I work from home, so usually it’s just more convenient for him to drop things off when he’s on the way home.
Hello, it’s the 21st century!
Based on what I read, it really doesn’t matter who’s (man or woman) doing the returning. The issue is having the common sense to return something that probably wasn’t “needed” in the first place.
DkM
I think the women are too embarassed to return the purchased items themselves and make their husbands do it under the pretext of “his money he should get it back”. Where was that attitude when they were buying the stuff in the first place?
i know many would disagree but since the person (here: the man) has made the money,he is righ to care about getting money from this. it is money made by them.
I interpreted the statement as “husband spent it, husband should get it back. What strikes me is the “I’ll teach you” mentality behind it. How many women complain that their husbands stop making an effort to get them gifts or dote on them. Well, I suppose if we swat them on the nose with a rolled up newspaper (it does hurt a man for a woman to reject a gift) and say “You bought this unnecessary item, now you take it back” they will learn to avoid painful/embarrassing experiences. Regardless of whose money or how much, it was spent with you in mind… aka, he was thinking of you! Positive reinforcement, ladies! Suck it up and accept the gift. At the very least, if the purchase was poor judgment because finances are very strapped then show him you completely appreciate the gift and gently SUGGEST that it go back. If it was joint money then you should offer to take it back (it was your idea), if it’s his money than let him make the call. What it boils down to is that he has feelings too (allow him to save face) and if you care about him you will treat him just as well, if not better, than you would treat one of your friends.
~chuckles~ maybe the supportive men have been paying too much attention to HGTV and have turned the tables on the old “honey have you seen my old football sweater?” disappearing act on their wives…
Check her closet and anything with a price tag means she probably doesn’t remember she has it…and takes it back.
Somehow, it reminds me of a Dagwood and Blondie cartoon.
Cheers!