Man, Thinking About Returns These Days… Especially the Old School Ones
So, I was trying to sort through some old stuff the other day, and it got me thinking about how much shopping has changed, especially when it comes to returning things. You know, like how it used to be. And then, for some reason, the name “Lord & Taylor” popped into my head. I started wondering, what was their return policy even like back in the day? It feels like a completely different world now.
I actually had this whole ordeal not too long ago trying to return something – not from Lord & Taylor, mind you, because, well, times change and stores come and go or go online only. But this whole experience just threw me back and made me think about how different things probably were at a place like that. I’d bought this jacket, right? Saw it online, looked perfect. Thought it would be great for this trip I had planned.
So, I clicked “buy,” feeling pretty good about it.
Then the jacket arrived. And, you know how it is sometimes, the fit was just… off. Way off. Not like the pictures at all. Or maybe I just imagined it looking better on me. Anyway, it was a definite “nope.” So, I thought, “Okay, no big deal, I’ll just return it.” Famous last words, apparently.
First, I had to actually find the return instructions. It wasn’t just a slip in the box like it used to be. Oh no. I had to go on their website, log into my account, find the order, and then start this whole online return process. It felt like I needed to submit an application in triplicate.
- I had to state the reason for return from a dropdown menu that didn’t quite have my reason.
- Then I had to figure out if I needed to print a label or if they’d send one, or if I could take it to a physical location that was miles away.
- And the original packaging! They made a big deal about that. Luckily, I hadn’t totally destroyed the box yet.
It Just Made Me Pine for Simpler Times
Honestly, the whole thing was a pain. It took way more time and effort than it should have. And it made me think, I bet the return policy at Lord & Taylor, back when their stores were everywhere, was probably more straightforward. You’d just take it to the counter, with your receipt, and a person would help you. Maybe I’m romanticizing it, but it feels like customer service was more… personal?
I remember my mom talking about shopping at places like that, and if something wasn’t right, it just got handled. No fuss. Now, you’re dealing with chatbots and email chains if something goes even slightly off script from the online portal’s expectations. It’s like they design the process to be just annoying enough that you might give up.
The Irony of It All…
The trip I bought that jacket for? It got postponed anyway due to some crazy weather. So, in the end, I didn’t even need a jacket like that at that time. But the hassle of returning it, that’s what stuck with me. I eventually got my refund, weeks later, but the memory of the process still makes me sigh.
It’s really changed how I shop now. Before I even think about buying something online, especially from a place I don’t know well, I dig deep for that return policy. If it looks like it’s going to be a nightmare, I just close the tab. It’s not worth the potential headache. It makes me wonder if those old-school, more lenient policies, like what I imagine Lord & Taylor might have had, actually built more customer loyalty. Maybe making things easy on people isn’t such a bad business model after all. Food for thought, anyway, next time I’m stuck in an online return loop.
