Sleeping bag Return Shipping Etiquette

[Joe Geib]

Sometimes, time is of the essence, like the "secret" Backcountry.com coupon code. You may get caught up in the moment, and order yourself a few different WM bags to try, knowing that you will only keep 1 of them. There are no physical stores nearby to touch/try in person before you order and take advantage of the discounted price, so you order many at a time.

If you buy/return one at a time, it is too time-consuming to go through every one and make a choice. By that time, the sale price may end, and you're at a loss. What if, by the time you reach item #4, you liked item #1, and the sale price is no longer valid? It would be just plain silly to do it this way.

Brick-mortar stores have to hire sales staff that may go all day without selling an item. They also have to stock demo items and items for sale.

Online stores have a better time absorbing the buy-try-return practice. It may also be a necessary evil, since they don't have to pay for a storefront and sales staff. Being online, they also have the economy of scale on their side, so they can sell nationwide, not just in that certain town.

I feel bad returning unused items to stores. I try to do most of my comparison shopping beforehand (reviews, BPL suggestions, etc). When I do this practice, I tend to do it with the larger stores (REI= Return Every Item), as they have the ability to absorb it, and also re-sell it.

It does bug me when I return an unused item to REI, I think I see them but a "garage sale" tag on it, and put it in the garage sale pile. Most of these items don't belong in the GS bin, and can return to the shelves. Oh well, it is their decision how they price and sell things, and the happier a GS buyer may be when they find the item on deep discount in the GS.

FWIW, during December's huge REI sale, I took advantage of the "discontinued" prices on the REI Spruce Run jacket. I read some reviews that said the sizing was a bit off, so I couldn't make a good decision based on that. I wound up ordering 2 different sizes, and 2 different colors. Needless to say, I only kept 1 to wear.

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