By unicorn_skies - 18/01/2014 08:33 - United States - Yorba Linda

Today, I bought a new, expensive dress for a date. I left the tag on and hidden in hopes of returning it later. Someone saw it and ripped it off for me to "save me from embarrassment." FML
I agree, your life sucks 28 593
You deserved it 57 738

Same thing different taste

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Well, that's not the other person's fault and really, if you were intending to return it, you shouldn't have bought it in the first place.

I think your saviour did a poor job of keeping you from being embarrassed.

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It could fit into karma I guess... I mean.. That's kind of being cheap, buy within your means. Don't need to try and impress your date to the point where you have to take back what you bought. That's like the guy renting a Porsche and saying it's his, just to impress her!

a car is a lot different than a dress, you couldve said its like a guy renting a tux. its not unheard of.

She hasn't rented it, she bought it and then was going to return it, pretending there was an issue, which could be deserving of karma cause it's a bitch move.

its the same concept as renting a tux.

I don't think there is anything wrong with buying something nice for a date and then returning it. maybe she knew she would only wear it that one time. what's the point of owning a bunch of dresses your only gonna wear one time. she should have just saved the tag and then return it. they can reattach the tag. Not a bitch move just smart saving (:

DKjazz 20

Except the dress store provided a service, but didn't profit from it. Renting a tuxedo costs money, but she got to wear the dress for free.

Alternatively you could just buy clothes that you wear more than once.

DKjazz 20

Or, if you intend to wear it just once, rental is an option.

There's no reason for you to go out and buy an expensive dress if you're only going to be wearing it once. Especially if you have intentions to return it after. That is a bitch move. You're only making it harder on the stores part. Not to mention it is extremely unhygienic to be wearing clothing out and then returning it. If you're going to buy a dress to wear, go for one you know you will wear more than once/you will be able to afford. Otherwise, do the smart thing and rent something.

Instead of buying one and cheating the store, she should've just borrowed a friend's dress.

that says a lot about op that she thinks this warrants a FML. sad world

I don't know why #1 was voted down. The OP intended on returning the dress, which the store can no longer sell. Now she is stuck with it. Next time go to a rental store. Or buy a cheaper dress.

BradTheBrony 19

Because that isn't what ******* Karma is. Karma is a Hindu concept which decides which caste your soul is reincarnated into, and has no effect on your current life.

It's the same concept as renting a tux? Right, because you get all your money back when you rent a tux... good job.

124, it's pretty well known that "karma" is used colloquially to mean that good things happen to people who do good things and bad things happen to people who do bad things. It's like telling a person to go to hell--you're not actually telling them they're going to be tortured by the devil in the afterlife.

129, Sounds like a lot of people in the comments are trying to tell themselves they're not stealing when they buy cloths for the sole purpose of using it and returning it. In defending OP I see them really defending themselves. How one could conclude such actions are acceptable is beyond me.

SuperMew 22

The arguments people are making involve how much money the big guy has. They don't think about the poor 'slaves' working the counters, losing hours because people return clothing. Wardrobing costs businesses 1 billion a year.

you people will bitch about anything hahah

Yeah, she could've rented a wedding dress! Problem solved.

guckylynn 19

What does a wedding dress have to do with anything?

Well, you only rent a tux for a wedding.

incoherentrmblr 21

Does anyone else wonder why the title has nothing to do with the FML?...

ChristianH39 30

Or, you know, you're actually just wrong

Huge difference between this and renting a tux. The tux is rented with the knowledge that it would be worn and then returned. A tux is cleaned thoroughly before being rented to someone else. In this case, it is actually fraud. All the people who are defending this would be the first ones to complain if the store didn't notice it had been worn and put it back out on the rack. This is basically stealing and there are no excuses to be made for it.

190, the title is the User's name, not a title.

I think your saviour did a poor job of keeping you from being embarrassed.

I wonder if the saviour foiled OP's plans on purpose. Maybe the saviour knows OP does this all the time and instead of calling her out, just sweetly & innocently "helped" with the tags.

If you really can't afford it they might take it back. If you can, now you have a pretty dress!

jazzy_123 20

This has me wondering how expensive the dress was. You can buy dresses just as pretty for 20-40 bucks. I wouldn't spend a shit load for just a date though. Specially if I can't afford it. The most expensive dress I ever bought was my prom dress and I have friends who bought some just as pretty for a lot less cash than mine. Way to go OP. Next time, stick to your budget and lets hope this date was worth it (:

wellthen7154 12

The tag would've looked a little tacky on a date, and the dress couldn't have been that much. Normally dresses you wear to outings (fancy outings) cost $100-$200 at most, and even then it won't make you lose your car or anything. I have to say YDI though, because you shouldn't buy things you can't afford. You'd probably look just as good in a less expensive dress OP!

100-200? Back during my Junior prom, all the girls were wearing short/cocktail dresses (I don't know the difference), and my date wore one that was over $1000. Quite a fancy outing, and more than 200......

She could have bought a Burberry or Michael Kors dress, or something like that. Those can be going-out dresses, with price tags of over $500.

skyttlz 32

I got my prom and winter ball dresses at a cheap store and it turned out just fine. I don't understand the girls that pay $200+ on a prom dress they'll wear once.

I completely lucked out with my "prom" (debs) dress. I was at a fete like thing and I got it for 1 euro. My date got hers for 6 euro at the same place and we looked just as good as the girls in 500 euro dresses

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jazzy_123 20

111, you know, I felt the same way but then I thought "I didn't have a quinceanera (I'm Hispanic so we do that. Its kind of like a sweet 16) so I didn't get a pretty dress... I never went to any other dances in my 4 years in hs, I don't even wear dresses that much in general, I'm going with my bf and I want to look stunning.. so what the hell I'll do it!" and even then I kept a budget of $100-$200. I believe my dress was either $120 or $160. It was worth it! :)

10showgirl 16

#111, everyone's budget is different. $200 isn't expensive to everyone.

guckylynn 19

116, Probably because over $1000 is beyond excessive. My wedding dress was about a third of that cost, and it is absolutely beautiful. You don't have to spend a ton of money to look good.

167, you don't have to, but it certainly helps. Would you rather be in $10 rags, or a $600 dress? .... win

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For some reason I always found this to be a cheap trashy thing to do. I relate it to stealing from the store and being fake in front of your date. Maybe that's a little too harsh but I think people who do this deserve whatever humiliation they get.

Completely agree 24, can't believe people actually do this! Someone might buy it after you and it won't be clean. :( Just dishonest and trashy, if you can't afford something then you can't afford something, simple as.

It's not genius. It's illegal. A little something called "refund fraud", which can get you in prison. You've been lawyered. - Marshall Eriksen

Well, that's not the other person's fault and really, if you were intending to return it, you shouldn't have bought it in the first place.

People don't always have the money to buy an expensive dress and keep it, and are you going to blame OP for wanting to look nice for a date and getting a dress that she thought would impress? People do it all the time, there's no shame in it.

Then don't buy something you can't afford to falsely impress others. The greatest shame is your lack of it.

Since when are people such downers on other's happiness, and all of a sudden all "righteous"? If you feel shame for making yourself happy by taking advantage of a system that hurts no one, then keep it to yourself, you don't need to guilt someone else because they're smarter and don't have shame where shame isn't necessary.

It's wrong to buy something with the intention of returning it. The store now has to sell it at a reduced price.

It does hurt - it confuses sales records, wastes peoples time, means someone is going to but dirty clothes and can lead to the shop losing money if they have to discount it.

If everyone did that, stores would never make money and would have to close.

Um...it IS the other person's fault. Sure it was well-intentioned, but that doesn't change the fact she butted in and tore it off - what if the OP had bought it, but wasn't sure about the size and was giving it a test run before deciding whether or not to return it? People need to keep their damn hands to themselves.

Aaaaand this is why we're in a recession.

frizz101 22

40 that's why so many people are in debt, they buy crap they can't afford. And even if you do return them it causes the store to lose money, causing them to raise prices making less people buy and causing the economy to stagnate.

BradTheBrony 19

74: Ever heard of a dressing room?

The person who ripped it off probably knew exactly what was going on and wanted to ensure the OP got stuck for it. That person is my hero.

The store maybe losing a bit of profit if they reduce the product. But the reality is stores sell products at a much higher price than when they buy it so it doesn't harm the stores really, they'll still make a profit...just not as much as before. However I don't believe it's right to buy something and intend to return it. Unless there is something wrong or it doesn't fit.

SuperMew 22

Wardrobing, as it is called, costs stores upwards of a billion dollars a year. It might not seem like a huge deal, but people do this professionally. They get good at it. You cost people jobs. It's like saying one match won't start a wild fire. If everyone is lighting matches and throwing them into the woods, something is going to burn.

I agree that buying something you fully intend to return after using it is a shitty thing to do, but at the same time, so's just walking up to a total stranger and ******* with their clothes. Regardless of how well-intentioned it may be, it's extremely rude and none of your business in the first place.

This is what thrift shops are for. Besides you NEVER know what germs the person who tried something on before you had. I always wash new clothes before wearing them. The one time I didn't I had a rash over every part the shirt touched, not fun!

lb0812 18

I work at a high end department store, coincidentally in the dress department, and witness this lack of class on a daily basis. We make commission, so when something is worn and then returned, it directly affects our pay and IS equivalent to stealing our hard earned money. It's synonymous to eating at a restaurant, tipping your waiter, and then taking the tip back because you threw up the food. I've come to despise people who do this. It's utterly classless and dishonest. If you can't afford a $300 dress, there is likely a forever 21 nearby with plenty of cute ~$20 dresses to satisfy your need and bank account. And the best part is, that man you're trying to impress, won't be able to tell the difference, nor will he care.

EmsyyyRose13 24

Maybe she saved you from embarrassment, but she sure didn't save you any money!

moonsalt 20

I'm sure he or she meant well. This could've been approached better though.

Like by not buying a dress and planning to take it back. Entire situation solved.

Why didn't you just buy a nice dress you could afford, keep and wear for another occasion?