Wardrobing: The Dress That Came Back
Bought, worn once, sent back with the tags tucked in. Wardrobing is refund abuse that looks like a normal return.
It comes back folded. The tags are tucked in the sleeve. It smells of someone else's perfume. And there it is on a stranger's feed, from last Saturday.
A name for it
Wardrobing is when items are purchased, used, and returned within the refund window. It is one kind of refund abuse. That is any attempt a customer makes to exploit a business's refund policy and unfairly get money or goods.
See what is missing. No stolen card. No bank. Refund abuse bypasses the bank and the card network. The money goes out through your own refund button. Your fraud filter never sees it, because the payment was real.
Who does it
Mostly people you know. A dress before a wedding. A camera before a trip. A suit before a job talk. Look for a big price, a date, and a return a few days later.
Some of it is a business. Refund cycling abuse creates multiple accounts and runs the same pattern across all of them. Shipping addresses tied to freight forwarders and reshipping services are often associated with refund abuse. The same orders can fail the AVS check up front.
What helps
Write the rule before the dress comes back. Put a clear description of refund and cancellation policies in your terms of service. Show it at checkout, where the buyer must agree to it.
Then fit the rule to the item. Tags must be on for a refund. Less time to send back a gown. Check the item before the money goes out, not after.
The buyer you keep
Most people who send back a dress did not wear it. Keep it easy for them. Count returns per account. Then the one who did shows up on a list, not as a hunch.