What makes you think you can buy that online?

You are 100% on the mark! I am a net banking and online shopping freak. But so far I have never considered buying clothing & accessories online. I mostly buy made ups even at the stores and know my size & fit quite well. But you are right, there are wide variations even with a stated size. Convenience is fine but it doesn't meet the requirement.

The logic is fairly simple: if a shirt says it's size 14, for example, the consumer expects it to be a certain size. Unfortunately, sizes can vary by several inches in all directions because there aren't really any standards (or manufacturers don't give a damn about them if there are). Whenever my lady orders clothes online, we always order 2-3 different sizes and send the ones that don't fit back. It's just the way things are done now. If manufacturers actually followed their own industry standards, we wouldn't have to (and you'd have less hassle). I can totally see your point with shoes, though - and things like bras, which have very specific measurements and fits depending on style. Ordering those online is just asking for trouble!

that's the reason i never buy shoes or clothes online as i won't be able to try them... and also, i usually would like to be able to see and touch the stuffs that i want to buy first before i am willing to spend my money... the things that i will buy online are the things that i don't have to try like books, tickets, hotels and tours reservations, etc... take care and have a nice day...

Wow, so true, my friend. We can't stress this enough (though I had no clue it was 70%), especially buying such items for gifts. Clothes and shoe sizes even differ from brand to brand. And trust me, those stores that cater to the younger crowd. When it says size 10 (American) they mean 3. I guess it keeps UPS in business.

thats a high percentage of returns! i have never wanted to buy shoes online just because of the fact of not getting to try them on even if i knew the size and model etc since it seems you can look at 2 pairs of the same shoe in the stores and they will still feel different. they may either be home bound, not have time or like me and not have a car a lot and can find codes online and get stuff way cheaper than if i went to a store having a sale.

People are either (1) over-confident of their "slim" size OR (2) they enjoy the hassle of returns I agree with you. There are just some things you have to try or at least see physically before buying. I don't buy perishables or clothes online, so far, only items that are ebooks or things that I do not worry about the aesthetics too much. Maybe your discussion might help others think twice before buying certain things online ...say...a wife? hahaha...just kidding.

That's why I don't order those things online. Just trying stuff on in a store you can see that different brands size differently whether it's jeans, shirts or shoes. I can sympathize with people who would rather order online--I'm going out in a few minutes to shop for a sweater for my dad. It will be crowded, my back will start hurting after about 5 minutes and I'll be hurting the rest of the day. But I want to feel the fabric and eyeball the size so I get a nice, soft one that fits properly. It's worth taking a heavy-duty pain reliever later to get it right. On the other hand, those returns are job security, right?

I don't really buy clothing online, provided I know the seller well, and the seller willing to take refund. I usually only purchase products for household, or anything as such but not somethings that vary in sizes.

I think people must know better their size and measurement system. US, UK, Japan system of shoes measurement is different. So every one should take responsible with what they bought. Even in my country, although we buy directly we should careful, it said LARGE but it is MED.

I never buy clothing online unless very specific measurements are given to the product's size in actual units and not something like "size 10" or whatever. Shoes I don't ever buy online since it's hard enough to find a proper fit in store with my awkward foot size. Since it seems like each company has its own standards of how to measure the size of something, people who order such products online should know that they need to be weary unless they're absolutely sure that it will fit them, or (in the case of clothing) can be tailored to fit them if they're willing to put up the money for an alteration.

Actually I've had some success in buying shoes online without trying them on first. Mostly because the company I dealt with had specific instructions on how to measure your feet to determine your size. I never assume that the shoes I bought in brick and mortar stores represent my correct size. This company also had helpful pointers like "if you wear a 12 normally you want to buy one size larger". They also had pictures that were close up and not too glossy so you could see what they actually looked like. Their description texts were very exact too. I think that ordering those types of things can be done right if the online store really knows their products and represents them truthfully and completely. Unfortunately, it seems to me most online stores seem to just be pushing inventory without any concern other than price. That is a recipe for a lot of returns. Now in direct answer to your question. I live in a small town. The prices are outrageous for most items or the items are unavailable. I don't have a choice if I want to pay a fair price for most things.