EEEWWWW - Retailers caught restocking used womens underwear

richlevy • Mar 14, 2010 12:57 pm
The Today Show did an investigation at 8 mainstream/upscale retailers returning used bras and panties. They did one run with tags removed as if worn, and one run with the same and mineral oil 'stains'.

On the first run 6 out of 8 restocked the 'used' items.
On the second run 4 out of 8 restocked the 'soiled' items.:eek:

I am so glad that as a guy I buy my underwear in a wrapper.

From here
Bluesky • Mar 14, 2010 2:14 pm
ewwww....
SteveDallas • Mar 14, 2010 2:15 pm
If this were Japan, they'd use the returned items to stock vending machines.
richlevy • Mar 14, 2010 5:05 pm
I'm just thinking that if women got smart, they'd buy their lingerie in plastic bags, too. Maybe only have samples hanging. I assume women try on bathing suits over their clothing, but do they try on panties in a store?
lumberjim • Mar 14, 2010 7:28 pm
they have wax paper liners that are mildly adhesived to the crotchal region of bathing suit bottoms
SamIam • Mar 14, 2010 7:29 pm
I buy panties in plastic packs, and I wash bras beore I wear them. The thrift store here sells used undies. I never saw the charm, myself.
Tulip • Mar 14, 2010 10:12 pm
Department stores don't have the underwear in plastic bags but hanging on hangers or folded in bins. I buy my underwear from Victoria's Secret, and the stores have them folded in drawers or trays on top. They only come in plastic bags if ordered through mail.

In response to used bras/underwear, I thought they could not be returned unless not worn?!!??
SamIam • Mar 14, 2010 10:14 pm
The joys of shoping Wallie World. ;)
lumberjim • Mar 14, 2010 10:17 pm
if i was some mook working at the gap, and someone wanted to return underwear....I'd be all like.... lady, these have snail trails in 'em. gtfo, ok?
classicman • Mar 14, 2010 10:22 pm
Same here - I'd be like "I am NOT touching that shit no way, no how."
classicman • Mar 14, 2010 10:24 pm
Where is Zen when you need him? What are the odds that a female cellar poster has bought some of them?
lumberjim • Mar 14, 2010 10:24 pm
liar... you'd be sniffin em. ya sick freak
classicman • Mar 14, 2010 10:25 pm
EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

Just the fact that you thought of that grosses me out!
lumberjim • Mar 14, 2010 10:26 pm
yeah...,..

er... ch'yeah....


sniffer
classicman • Mar 14, 2010 10:27 pm
lolz - you are farked in the hedz
monster • Mar 15, 2010 12:41 am
So here's the deal....would you return used underwear? Right. Eeeeeew. Now... Imagine the skanks who would. Now imagine you're paid minimum wage to deal with them. Really want to start something? Are you going to buy the used undies? So it's not skin off your nose if the manager tells you to retag them.

caveat emptor
ZenGum • Mar 15, 2010 1:58 am
classicman;640937 wrote:
Where is Zen when you need him? What are the odds that a female cellar poster has bought some of them?


You rang, sir?

I'm no expert on any of this, apart from media reports about the Japanese used underwear trade.

Seriously, these stores are stupid. Not only does this risk offending/losing actual customers, those used undies are probably worth more sold online as used.
richlevy • Mar 15, 2010 9:47 pm
What's really odd about this is that some of these same stores have been caught destroying new clothes that they couldn't sell before throwing them away.

So they'll throw away new clothes, but resell used underwear??
jinx • Mar 15, 2010 10:02 pm
monster;640968 wrote:
So it's not skin off your nose if the manager tells you to retag them.



I can see this happening at the single brand stores, but how do Bloomies or Macy's have all the various manufacturer tags available? They would only have their own price tags I would think.

Still, washing new shit is a no-brainer.
Clodfobble • Mar 15, 2010 10:27 pm
I do it even if it comes packaged in plastic, because I hate that chemical "new clothes" smell.
monster • Mar 15, 2010 11:33 pm
jinx;641172 wrote:
I can see this happening at the single brand stores, but how do Bloomies or Macy's have all the various manufacturer tags available? They would only have their own price tags I would think.

Still, washing new shit is a no-brainer.


Even in the 80s when i worked in clothing stores, manufacturers sent spare tags. Tags genuinely get lost all the time.
monster • Mar 15, 2010 11:36 pm
...no I never retagged used lingerie -in fact that was in the UK pre customer-is-always-right days. We didn't accept returns at all unless accompanied by the corpse of your first born :lol:
wolf • Mar 16, 2010 12:57 pm
I only buy undies in original, sealed packaging ... there aren't a lot of stores that sells panties by the each in my size. When I do find them, they get checked before buying and washed before wearing. I get my bras from QVC these days ... once you find a brand and style you like, you stick with it.
Spexxvet • Mar 16, 2010 1:45 pm
When I worked for a "low price" optical, years ago, We recieved a frame, in original packaging, with a prescription lens in it.
Gravdigr • Mar 18, 2010 3:05 am
Every time I hear something about bras, I thank God that we men don't have to wear something similar for our boys. Like a nut-sling. Or a huevo-hammock.
monster • Mar 18, 2010 11:38 pm
jockstrap?
Shawnee123 • Mar 19, 2010 9:00 am
Walkin' 'round restocking underwear.

(sung to the tune of Winter Wonderland)
squirell nutkin • Mar 19, 2010 9:12 pm
Mercifully, you have left out the rest of the lyrics to that song.
Pete Zicato • Mar 20, 2010 12:42 am
squirell nutkin;642005 wrote:
Mercifully, you have left out the rest of the lyrics to that song.

She's saving it. It'll be a big hit next Christmas for Weird Al.
TheMercenary • Mar 20, 2010 9:01 am
ZenGum;640983 wrote:
... those used undies are probably worth more sold online as used.


:lol: @ zen
Gravdigr • Mar 20, 2010 4:55 pm
monster;641860 wrote:
jockstrap?


Perish the thought.
squirell nutkin • Mar 21, 2010 12:41 am
Pete Zicato;642049 wrote:
She's saving it...

She told you that too?
DanaC • Mar 21, 2010 9:12 am
monster;641186 wrote:
...no I never retagged used lingerie -in fact that was in the UK pre customer-is-always-right days. We didn't accept returns at all unless accompanied by the corpse of your first born :lol:


I believe Marks and Sparks have reinstituted that rule :P
Big Sarge • Mar 21, 2010 7:39 pm
See, another good reason not to wear undies
Tulip • Mar 23, 2010 12:59 am
Big Sarge;642313 wrote:
See, another good reason not to wear undies

Ewwwww.....Anyways, I had to wear my pants without undies once. I forgot to bring my undies in when I went to take a shower. Had to wear my pants into my room to grab the undies. (I'm explaining the whole thing so y'all won't call me nasty. :nuts:) It felt really weird. :p:
squirell nutkin • Mar 23, 2010 1:53 pm
After having a couple of kids, one's whole concept of nasty and gross is completely annihilated and a new grossness paradigm is installed.
glatt • Mar 23, 2010 1:55 pm
squirell nutkin;642606 wrote:
After having a couple of kids, one's whole concept of nasty and gross is completely annihilated and a new grossness paradigm is installed.


Absolutely true. I'm tempted to give examples, but I won't.
squirell nutkin • Mar 23, 2010 1:59 pm
Same here, I figured let's not scare the passengers.
jinx • Mar 23, 2010 2:13 pm
The puke stories alone...
College kids think they know from puke. They do not.
Clodfobble • Mar 23, 2010 6:03 pm
I posted horrific poop photos on the board once. And those aren't even the ones I send his doctors.
xoxoxoBruce • Mar 23, 2010 6:05 pm
Puke? Poop? When are you people going to learn not to feed the little monsters. :haha:
monster • Mar 23, 2010 8:35 pm
Doesn't matter if you feed them or not, they will find a way to mess up your carpet, keyboard, favorite book and hair all in one explosion. Or maybe two.
classicman • Mar 24, 2010 2:21 pm
Those subsequent attacks are always the worst!
classicman • May 17, 2010 4:28 pm
bump - update

After outing several major retailers for their filthy practice of putting soiled undies back on the shelves, NBC's "Today" show recently returned to the stores in its ongoing "Secret Filth Exposed" series.

The good news? The investigative team found that each store that had been caught re-selling returned, deliberately soiled garments has since cleaned up its act.

The too-gross-for-words news? A whole new group of retailers -- including Walmart and Marshalls -- was caught returning questionable intimates to the sales floor.


The news team removed price tags and hygienic strips from panties, stained them with baby oil, and marked tags with two black dots for identification purposes. All of the stores accepted the soiled returns, and the show's investigators found the merchandise back on the shelves at Gap, Victoria's Secret, Macy's, Nordstrom, and Bloomingdale's. A Victoria's Secret whistle-blower told Rossen it was common practice to put returned panties back on sale. Fortunately, the stained undergarments were not found at J.Crew or Saks.

A microbiologist who has worked with "Today" explained that soiled undergarments can harbor bacteria and viruses for several weeks, with the most imminent danger coming from "fecal material."

The offending retailers all put out strong statements condemning what "Today" found and vowed to reeducate their sales teams, adding that what happened was not store practice. Some noted that they have generous return policies, and while customers may have legitimate reasons for returning worn garments, they should never have been put out for sale.

To see if they were true to their word, "Today" went back to the retailers, this time at an upscale suburban New York mall instead of New Jersey, where the original returns and purchases took place. Some stores outright refused the returns, pointing out that the panties had been worn. Nordstrom did accept the underwear, but "Today" watched a clerk seal it in a plastic bag and never saw it back on the shelves.

Still, "Today" found other retailers engaging in the highly questionable practice. They did the black dot/baby oil test on swimwear and underwear from Walmart, JCPenney, Target, and Marshalls. Target and JCPenney accepted the returns, but investigators did not find the merchandise on the racks. Unfortunately, the garments were back on the sales floor at Marshalls and Walmart.

Again, the newly identified retailers condemned what "Today" found and insisted it was not in keeping with their policies on undergarments or swimwear. They, too, vowed to prohibit the practice and stress the matter with employees.

"Today" show host Matt Lauer summed it up by saying this is a cautionary tale for shoppers: "The lesson here is if you buy, wash before you wear."


link
lumberjim • May 17, 2010 7:00 pm
how about looking at it with the eyes that you have in your head before you buy it?

especially if it's on a hanger fer fux ache.
Elspode • May 17, 2010 10:03 pm
Apparently, no one has considered that, in some circles, this is not only *not* a disincentive to buy, but for a certain clientele, a downright boon.
lumberjim • May 17, 2010 11:26 pm
you're part japanese now?
Elspode • May 18, 2010 8:36 pm
Not my circles. But some people's circles.