I'm a Chronic Cyber Returner

by Gina LaGuardia

Hi, my name is Gina, and I'm a chronic cyber returner. I can spend hours clicking through items I swear I'll love, only to be disappointed when the brown package arrives at my doorstep and I actually try things on. All that time I spent attempting to avoid mall crowds gets replaced with a wounded ego and a trip to the post office to spend money on returns for which I have nothing to show.

I wish I had more cyber-shopping confidence—or, a "secret" way to ensure my 100-percent satisfaction. I'm not the only one. "I like to see, feel, smell what I'm getting," says Diane Mapes, a freelance journalist from Seattle. According to Elizabeth Durand, style expert of ideeli.com, an invitation-only shopping community, we need to remember that the past doesn't determine the future.

"Online shopping has never been more user-friendly or more fun," she says. And, luckily for those of us who can't fashion-purchase function without a mirror, more and more sites like ideeli.com feature high-quality images with detailed specs and sizes, a streamlined checkout process, and lots of interactive features. "All of these innovations decrease the risk of negative experiences and increase the rewards."

Of course, part of the allure of online shopping is the element of surprise, reminds Davida Hall, editorial director of Shopflick.com, which boasts videos that can help provide a 3D feel for the dimensions and proportions of items item so you can visualize how it will realistically fit on your body. "Even if you think you know exactly what you are ordering, when that perfect pouch gets delivered to your doorstep, there is that inherent excitement and mystery in the process. That's part of the fun. If you know your sizes, the brands, and styles that fit your body, then it is high time to take the plunge."

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