I have an issue with buyer’s remorse. Or I should say I have an
issue with feeling obligated to buy something and then I feel remorseful
not only for buying it when I didn’t intend to but then for returning
the item later. Like I have inconvenienced everyone involved, but I
don’t even think about the inconvenience I put myself through. I’ll
give you an example.
About three weeks ago I was in the mall and decided to stop in the
Michael Kors store because a really cute oversized black wristlet with
gommets all over it caught my eye. I am a sucker for anything that
looks a little punk, bad-a**, or edgy. Not to mention the fact that I
love the smell of leather and when I walk in that store sometimes it’s
just to inhale the scent for awhile. Did you know they make leather
scented candles? No? Well they do but there’s nothing like the real
thing! So there I was admiring this bag. I picked it up and looked
inside it and it felt so yummy in my hands and I was all in Happy Kelly
Place feeling the leather, and the metal, smelling it and lost in
leather la la land. But I used restraint and was a good girl and put
the bag back. Yes, I did whisper a little good-bye to it, telling it
maybe we’d meet again someday and I left.
Last week I was at the mall again and as I was traipsing by Michael
Kors I noticed my leather grommeted friend was no longer on display.
Out of curiousity (and maybe to smell the leather) I poked my head in
and asked if they still had the bag. The sales clerk produced a blue
one and I asked if the black one was still in stock. The sales clerk
proceeded to dig around in some drawers until she produced that coveted
wristlet and handed it to me. I had no intention of buying it (yes, I
smelled it) yet as I stood there talking to the sales clerk I started to
feel guilty that she went to the trouble of finding this for me. Then I
felt as if I was wasting her time (there was no one in the store but
me) and before I knew what was happening I was at the counter buying the
bag! I literally had a conversation with myself at the register, while
simultaneously talking to the clerk – no easy feat let me tell you.
My inner voice was saying, “You should tell her right now you’ve
changed your mind. I mean, really do you need this? Yes you have the
money for it, yes it’s really you, but you had no intention of buying
this. But then she willl think you’re nuts! And she’s so nice! And
you led her on thinking you would buy this!” all the while I was
chatting with the clerk about who knows what. There was no doubt in my
mind that I would be coming back over the weekend to return the bag. I
mean, I didn’t need it, I didn’t intend to buy it so what happened? And
more importantly why did I feel that because I walked into the store
and felt the merchandise and that the clerk did her job that I owed her
something? That’s the bigger question.
After some conversations with some friends I’ve found I’m not the
only one who has done this or sometimes feels that way. I’m not quite
sure what to do about this strange phenomena of mine except be aware of
it and know that I’m being ridiculous and that if I just say no in the
first place I will save myself a lot of trips to and from the mall! I
still haven’t returned that wristlet. It was wrapped in tissue and
still in the bag until a few days ago when I told a friend this story
and showed it to her. We both admired it and she asked if I was going
to keep it. I said I hadn’t decided. Then I made her smell it and as
she inhaled that rich leather scent she closed her eyes and said, “Yes,
you should keep it.” We’ll see.
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