The Student Room Group

Buy a suit for an event and return it the next day..?

I've got my graduation coming up and really needed a new suit, but due to time constraints I couldn't find one that was value for money to me (up to around £150). All of those were out of stock and would require a week to arrive.

For that reason I'm considering buying an expensive suit (£250-£300), wearing it on graduation day ONLY and then returning it the next day. It'll still be in brand new condition, which complies with the returns policies and they can certainly resell it afterwards. Hence, I wouldn't actually be harming the store.

Has anyone ever done that and knows if you can get away with it? What should I say is the reason for the return?

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you'd have to wear the suit with the tags on it though wouldn't you?
Reply 3
Original post by nurtasher333
you'd have to wear the suit with the tags on it though wouldn't you?


Damn! Never thought about that. Thanks. Where are the tags usually located on suits? If they are at the back of the neck like all shirts, jumpers and co, then it can just keep hanging at the back inside the jacket.
Original post by muffingg
Damn! Never thought about that. Thanks. Where are the tags usually located on suits? If they are at the back of the neck like all shirts, jumpers and co, then it can just keep hanging at the back inside the jacket.


most likely yes you could wear them and the tags would be hidden, but if you were willing to pay £150 for a suit id recommend renting one out.. I know for girls you can rent out designer dresses for one night for like £60 so I'm sure they have a similar thing for men? Could probably get a nicer suit and not face embarrassment of a tag poking out all evening haha
Reply 5
Original post by nurtasher333
most likely yes you could wear them and the tags would be hidden, but if you were willing to pay £150 for a suit id recommend renting one out.. I know for girls you can rent out designer dresses for one night for like £60 so I'm sure they have a similar thing for men? Could probably get a nicer suit and not face embarrassment of a tag poking out all evening haha


Well, that would only work if I needed the suit only for that night. If I would've bought the one for £150, I wouldn't have thrown it away after the graduation. I need one for the long term (at least a few years), so renting is out. Renting it is like throwing money in the bin when I could save that up to invest in a real suit.
Reply 6
Anyone else have any ideas on this?
Reply 7
You'll probably crease the tags. It will ne obvious (they know what to look for)

Posted from TSR Mobile
Reply 8
you should get a savile row bespoke 3 piece suit, or a 2 piece double breasted
Original post by Juno
You'll probably crease the tags. It will ne obvious (they know what to look for)

Posted from TSR Mobile


And why does that matter in the slightest?

As long as the ITEM itself is in brand new condition, then the OP can buy the suit and return it.
You've really exhausted all the places doing half decent ~£100 suits?

H&M, Next, River Island, Burton, ASOS, M&S...?
(edited 9 years ago)
Any suit that fits PROPERLY is the one you want btw.

Because you're only using it for a day, you need not spend extra unless the fit or the suit material itself is visibly better/
Reply 12
I wouldn't risk it if it was me. Simply because other people will be buying suits for the day and I'm sure they'll know when graduation is and they are told to watch out for this type of thing.

If you do it, just don't spend something you can't afford it if worst comes to worst.

Posted from TSR Mobile
I wouldn't risk it. If they figure it out and it's likely they will as this type of thing probably happens every year they'll be on the lookout and you'll be down £200.

Just buy a suit, there a plenty places you can go that are cheap and that you can afford. You don't need to steal just because you want something you can't afford.
(edited 9 years ago)
I'd always recommend the cheapo M&S machine washable ones. They're really pretty good for the money
Ugh, come on. Don't do that.

You can get away with it, so long as you don't damage the suit in any way, but it's a pretty trampy thing to do.

Just rent one.
Original post by TimmonaPortella
Ugh, come on. Don't do that.

You can get away with it, so long as you don't damage the suit in any way, but it's a pretty trampy thing to do.

Just rent one.


Is it really?

The OP would be the smart one, brb wearing a suit, and returning it for free.

He's beating the big multinational companies.

On the other hand, you are advocating mindless expenditure to hire a lesser quality suit from rental places.
Original post by tehforum
Is it really?

The OP would be the smart one, brb wearing a suit, and returning it for free.

He's beating the big multinational companies.

On the other hand, you are advocating mindless expenditure to hire a lesser quality suit from rental places.


Yeah it's totally smart. I wish I were smart enough to come up with such a cunning plan dishonestly to abuse returns policies which are manifestly open to abuse. If OP develops this potential for super-smart plans he'll be planning Hollywood casino heists within a couple of years. That'd really show 'the companies'.

Just act like a normal honest human being and rent a suit.

edit: oh, you'd also have to deal with the sleeve label. I'm not sure how well cutting that off would go down. (And it is absolutely not a good look to leave it on.)
(edited 9 years ago)
I thought only people from 3rd world countries did and thought of such things, guess there are plenty of 3rd world mentality in developed countries.
Reply 19
Original post by Drewski
You've really exhausted all the places doing half decent ~£100 suits?

H&M, Next, River Island, Burton, ASOS, M&S...?



Original post by lipslikemorphine
I wouldn't risk it. If they figure it out and it's likely they will as this type of thing probably happens every year they'll be on the lookout and you'll be down £200.

Just buy a suit, there a plenty places you can go that are cheap and that you can afford. You don't need to steal just because you want something you can afford.


In the long run I'll definitely be buying a suit for a decent price. The problem is only that it is far too much effort and time consuming to find a perfect suit. I don't have the time as my graduation is very soon. After that I can actually take out time and search for a good suit for the long term. Another problem that can occur is that certain suits could just not be in stock and they could tell me that they can order them for me, which also isn't an option as it would take too long to arrive.

Basically, too inconvenient to find an appropriate one for now, but I can make the effort after graduation when I go back home from uni.

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