Why I love online shopping:
- It’s easy to do from home or work
- You do not have to wait for a fitting room
- You do not have to deal with unhelpful sales associates
- More likely to find your size (especially in pants for me)
Yes, I love online shopping for all of these reasons. Plus, I get little presents (that I paid for) delivered to me at work. It’s like Christmas or my birthday but throughout the year!
And sales tax is usually cheaper (especially if you live in Chicago where it’s 10.25 percent.).
Sure, returns are annoying sometimes, but overall, it’s easy.
The only thing that dampers my love of online shopping is the bait and switch.
This means: what looks great online looks awful in person.
Wah wah.
Yes, the trouble of “maroon red” looking more brick red, or “dreamy green” looking more like some odd mix of grass green and puke. Not so dreamy after all.
Or when that lux-looking fabric and dress feels like a bad polyester/nylon blend. Ick.
I don’t have this happen a lot but when it does, it really irritates me. I hate getting all excited about the stuff I purchase, only to find out it looks totally different in person. That does not make my shopping experience easier.
And I’ve found Old Navy and Land’s End are the biggest offenders of this bait and switch. When I complained once, a rep from Land’s End actually told me, “oh yeah, we hear this a lot.”
Really? Well maybe…something should be done about that? If I have to go into the store to make sure that what I buy online looks normal in person, I would just BUY in the store.
Speaking of that, I have a stack of returns for this weekend. Sometimes, I wonder if I should just stick to buy things in black, gray or white online because those colors are tough to really mess up.
Lots of questions to ask! Do you online shop a lot? If so, what do you usually shop for? Or have you had this happen to you when you shop online? Or do you prefer to still go in store to purchase?
Movie review: I’m off to the movies this weekend but you can still check out my review of An Education in the meantime!
I shop online a lot, but for clothes I stick with trusted brands. Very trusted brands. Like Fashion Bug or certain clothing lines on QVC. I’ve tried to shop on Torrid.com and find that the sizes are just all over the place and I hate sending stuff back so shopping for clothes online is no fun for me.
I just haven’t been able to online shop for regular clothing. I get too nervous about not being able to try it on, especially because I am not always the same size depending on the style and brand. I did buy a winter coat recently from Target.com and when it came it wasn’t quite the color I thought so I am returning it. Darn the shipping costs!
I really enjoy online shopping for the same reasons you do, but I’ve tried to limit myself because I find some better deals in person. And because of the bait and switch and things NOT fitting well. *shrugs*
What are your favorite online shopping spots?
I used to shop online all the time when in college because I didn’t have a car. But now I don’t really shop online for clothes anymore — I usually check them out online first then go in the store to try them on because I’m finding myself not having patience anymore to go to the mall and find nothing.
I have never shopped online for clothes. There’s too much variability in sizing (and not knowing my specific size). And I hate the hassle of returning online items to begin with.
I would love to buy some things online though, now if only they would go on a big sale.
I might succumb to shopping on Gap though.
I’ve had this happen a few times. I try to shop at places that either have an awesome returns department (Victoria’s Secret is really good, in my experience) or places where you can return online purchases in-store. It makes it easier to commit to buying something even if I’m really unsure of how it will look.
I don’t order a lot online and have never ordered clothes … I like being able to try ‘em on to make sure they look fabulous me.
I love shopping online, but I never buy anything online that has to be a specific size (shoes, clothes). I use Amazon and Play.com for ordering books, DVDs, etc. For clothes and shoes I always go to the store. I know how many times I will try on stuff at the store and three quarters don’t fit or look awful, and I just cannot be bothered to have to return half of my order (or more) every time.
i rarely shop online because i’m too afraid of stuff not fitting and the color scheme unless i’ve already seen it in the store. and the one time i did buy a dress online it was too small and i couldn’t return it so now i’m determined to fit it one day, haha.
I love online shopping for everything BUT clothes. Clothes online, mostly meh.
Once I get a feel for a place (like Modcloth) and how things really fit and whether their colors are true to the photos, I feel a lot more comfortable with it. Otherwise, I stick with the “free shipping on returns” places.
I’ve never bought clothes online…I’m a virgin!
I have had this issue MANY times when shopping for bathing suits from Victoria’s Secret. I go there because I have bigger boobs and NEED a suit with underwire up top, and I know my bra size there, so no brainer, right?
No. These models are too gorgeous to model swimsuits for us average folk.
I never shop online because I have a very odd shaped body–small on the top, bigger down below, and so it’s just safe to assume I should try it on. Also, I hate it when you see something online and it’s cute and then the material is entirely different than you thought it was.
Oh my God–YES!!! And you can add Target to that list. Something will look so amazing online, but looks like it came out of the rag bag in person.
I’m a huge fan of online shopping. However, I always know some of the stuff will be returned.
I love the idea of online shopping, but it’s sometimes tiring to go through the trial-and-error way of figuring out what works for which online vendors when it comes to ordering. Example: this week I just learned that if I buy clothes from ModCloth, I can only buy them in XS; S just looks frumpy on me, and there’s no physical store I can take my returns to. DSW is cool about taking returns/exchanges (plus it’s a good excuse to be visiting the store to see their new inventory in person), but it still doesn’t remedy their bait and switch. :\
Last week, it was a coat that looked chocolate brown online but was poo brown in person. :(
I love the idea of shopping online too, but sometimes it’s just really tough! I think you have the right idea, find a great cut and then stick with it and order the size you need online.
I like the idea of shopping online. I love looking through catalogues and often will visit the websites of some of my favorite stores. But, the reality is, I have very little luck shopping online. So, I rarely buy anything. In fact, pretty much the only thing I buy for myself online is workout clothes. Shopping for gifts, though? I do almost all my gift shopping online.
Ok first off- Old Navy clothes are shit. There I said it. They have horrible cuts, colors that fade after the first wash and they don’t last. Do I own ON clothes? Yes, but they’re my workout clothes or stuff I wear only at home. The quality just sucks. I would never order from ON online.
I’m a big online shopper because I hate malls. I never thought I would say that, but I do. Generally I go by if I know how the sizes/quality/colors run with the store, then I’m more apt to buy online. If it’s a place with sizes that continuously vary, then I’ll suck it up and go to the mall or just never buy from them online.
I love online shopping, but I generally shop at stores that I’m familiar with so I don’t have any size snafus. Still, Old Navy has screwed me with their fake colors more than once. I’ll never learn.
I love online shopping but I usually don’t buy clothes. I use it either for books, cd’s, accesories, bags and shoes sometimes :p sizes can be different from one clothing brain to another too, so is the color. You’re right maybe stick to the basic color for online clothes shopping would be good to avoid disappointment.:)
I do shop online. A lot. Being from a small town, we don’t have a lot of fun stores that carry a big selection of things. Shopping online gives me a wider variety and I order all sorts of things online. Its just so convenient.
I love the idea of online shopping, but like you, I hate to see the colors looking different when I get it. So, I browse online and once I find something I like, I go to the store/mall to check it out and if I like what I see, then I buy it. Too much work sometimes, but it works better for me…
i rarely shop for clothes online because i spend about 20 times more than i would in the store & because of the problem you just described! i buy a lot of other crap online, though. :)
I used to work for Old Navy’s call center and holy cow…it was a daily issue. They really are the worst.
I don’t shop online alot and when I do I avoid clothes. I mostly stick to books. Though I have had some success with special order bras. Yeah probably a little TMI. Sorry.
When I shop online for clothes I tend to stick to brands I already know work for me. However, I’d much rather go to the store so I can be sure that I like the way something looks on me before I go though the hassle of ordering and returning. I don’t usually have a problem with color (sometimes with fabric) but I hate when it looks awesome on the model and then makes me look all lumpy or dowdy.