I work in the clothing space and most people are moving away from them because there’s been a sudden very sharp uptick in abuse. We had a product that we made for a major retailer that have a lifetime guarantee against defects in workmanship. Certainly, there were always some consumers who’d legitimately wear it out and ask for a replacement every 5 years, but the number that would actually follow through was comparatively small.

However, the returns skyrocketed a few years ago and we actually went to the trouble of having all the product collected and shipped back to us so we could analyze it.

• Lots of it was filthy like consumers would get it dirty and then return it rather than washing it
• A significant portion was different products, some even from other stores. I guess store employees aren’t willing to push back on customers, and frankly, I don’t blame them
• Some were weirdly damaged - we’ve been in this industry a long time and know what normal wear looks like and know exactly where holes are going to show up if a product is badly made. I’ve seen things that were obviously cut with scissors or looked like they’d been dragged across concrete.
• A good chunk looked brand new, perhaps people bought it for a weekend event and returned it. Certainly, they could be dissatisfied with the purchase, but that typically only amounts to 1-2% of our buyers.

I don’t really understand the shift, but it really feels like a few shitty people ruining a good thing for everyone else.