Buyer’s remorse: 10 Fashion Journal readers share an expensive purchase they regret

“I was convinced the purchase would eventually pay itself off, but it took a long time to pay off the credit card debt.”

Anyone who’s encountered a pushy sales assistant or gone online shopping after too many wines will understand the concept of buyer’s remorse. While the initial purchase might provide a quick dopamine hit, the item may leave something to be desired. You might regret it and not be able to return it or, alternatively, convince yourself it was a great purchase and not realise until it’s too late to take it back. Everybody makes mistakes.

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This experience is particularly painful when that regretful purchase burns a hole in your bank account. Impulse buys are rarely a good idea, and they can really sting in a cost-of-living crisis. So what’s not worth it? We asked 10 Fashion Journal readers to share an expensive purchase they regret.

Victoria*, 21, she/her

A $350 bikini. I bought it for a themed party and it’s cute, but you have to hand-wash it which is the last thing you want to do after coming back from the beach. I also then proceeded to forget about it when I was getting dressed for the party and wore something else. That’s $350 down the drain – it now sits in my wardrobe waiting for summer to come back to try again.

Mia*, 39, she/her

RM Williams boots. They never broke in so don’t fit properly (despite it being an in-store purchase with a sales assistant doing the fitting). I thought they would be classic staple, but I don’t like ’em.

Sally*, she/her

A Thermomix. I was on an entry-level wage at the time and was convinced the purchase would eventually pay itself off, but at $2000 it took a long time to pay off the credit card debt! Never again. It proved to be an over-hyped blender. I bought this after getting suckered into the hype at a Thermomix ‘party’, and then had to host a party of my own after being conned into a freebie by the sales rep. I had no idea about the perniciousness of multi-level marketing schemes before that point but I quickly learned about them afterwards!

Celia*, 21, she/her

Dyson Airwrap – I love it but it was absolutely not worth the money. I did buy it on sale at least and had been thinking about it for a very long time, but I think there are definitely better options that are significantly cheaper. The first time I used it, I was so disappointed because I thought it was going to be much easier and faster and I just couldn’t get the hang of it, and then my curls only lasted for about an hour (I have naturally curly hair, too).

I was so upset because I knew I couldn’t return it and had just blown a lot of money. I still use it all the time but I feel guilty for spending so much on something I don’t completely love. All my friends told me it’d be a waste of money before I bought it and in hindsight, I probably should’ve listened.

Marcus*, 28, he/him

A very expensive Pokemon necklace I’ve worn twice since, but I also very much love it. I put a bid on it about six months before I won the bid and had actually forgotten I’d bid on it.

Pearl*, 19, she/her

I bought a stunning 1960s formal gown from eBay with giant batwing sleeves and flowers embroidered on it. I wanted to wear it for my year 12 graduation but in the end, I decided it was too OTT. Never wore it and no one wants to buy it.

April*, 34, she/her

My original wedding dress. It was custom from a Melbourne label and cost over $1600 yet didn’t fit me or the vibe properly. I had raised concerns, but these were brushed off and not really dealt with in the way I had hoped. I ended up just paying for the dress to end the torture. It’s still hanging in my wardrobe two and a half years later, unworn, just giving off bad vibes.

Freya*, 33, she/her

I paid $400 for a resume service and it was dog shit. It had way too many pages and was probably just put through Chat GPT. I got no callbacks from using it. I only used the service cause I was feeling so insecure about my skills and abilities. I ended up looking at a friend’s resume and reworked mine and have actually gotten interviews. Avoid all resume-maker people – literal scam!

Daniel* 26, he/him

I bought the infamous Gucci sneakers with the bee on the sides while I was travelling abroad, and now I can’t wear them in my city because it’s a lot. Fuck Gucci.

Leah*, 29, she/her

A pair of RM Williams. They were an aspirational purchase and something I thought about and wanted for many, many years. Before starting my first full-time job, I went in-store to purchase a pair, as a celebration of finishing my studies and starting my career. I was having trouble with the sizing and needing to fit orthotics into the boot. The sales assistant convinced me to choose a size that was way too small, insisting they stretch half a size or more.

I’ve worn them about four times in great pain. That was eight years ago. I think about it a lot. I still have the boots and can’t bring myself to do anything with them. There’s the option of having them stretched in their manufacturing factory (at least there was all that time ago?), and I’ve considered selling them. I just shudder every time I see the box.

For more on being a conscious consumer, head here.