[zijax]

Help!!! I went to Belks Tuesday. It's a department store in the S.E. US. I spent $400.00 on make-up and perfume. I opened a credit card account there too which I swore I would never do.

I HAVE to take it all back. I have all the original packages. I have the receipt and all the zillions of free samples the lady gave me. I hope she's not there today when I try and return it. What should I say when they ask me why did it not work out? Ummm. I have Bipolar Disorder and I was manic when I bought this?

I'm scared they won't take it back.

[wildflowerchild25]

Mist stores take stuff back no questions asked these day’s. Just say you decided you didn’t need it all or something like that. It’ll be fine.

If they pester you even though they're not supposed to, you can just say you wanted them for some events and you aren't going to those events anymore.

[~Christina]

I’d confuse the hell out of them and say “ I’m Bipolar and I bought too much in loads of stores that day” But that’s just me. LOL

[zijax]

The sales lady frowned and asked me why I was returning all of it. She soured when I told her I had Bipolar Disorder and was manic the day I bought it. There was no sympathy there but I got my money back.

Thanks for responding. Now I'm going to cancel the credit card.

[~Christina]

Money back is all that matters

[SorryShaped]

Lessen learned.
I do this for things I don't need when I'm manic too

Ooh, what kind of makeup?

I do the same thing. I am embarrassed to admit this, but I spent almost 5 thousand dollars on nonsense stuff this summer. IDK WTH I was thinking. Supposedly I was hypomanic — I never mentioned the spending to my doctor bc I feel bad for losing control like that. But seriously, how many pairs of Anne Klein flats did I think I needed? (8. The answer is 8.)

[Nola0250]

I spent $1000 on shoes this week. Seriously. I did take most of them back when I regained my senses!

[pirilin]

They will take it back all right.
I've returned opened underwear packages and they take it.
What do they do after, is anybody's guess.

What you do is fill the cart over the rim, and get exhausted getting everything you want. Take hours.
When the pile is overflowing, you do what sensible Americans do. Abandon cart.

[zijax]

It’s like when I’m on a shopping binge there is no awareness of the money flying out the window. I know but somehow I don’t care. It’s not until I’m stable and reality sets in. Knowing this is a common feature of mania/ hypo mania does not stop it from happening.

It was Lancôme and MAC and Lush makeup and Michale Kors and Kate Spade perfume... all gone now! Nice on the Anne Klein shoes. Once I stole 10 pairs of leather gloves from the dept. store I worked in when I was 19. I never got caught but every time I opened my drawer and saw them I felt guilty and never wore them. I threw them out after a nightmare. When I got sober the first time my sponsor made me send a big fat check to that store. Anonymous of course.

[NolaMae]

When my mania was at the absolute worst, I ran up $25,000 in credit card debt. After it was over, I looked back and couldn’t think of one major important purchase I made. It was just a fog and I really couldn’t remember what all I bought. Telling my husband was the scariest thing. I wouldn’t have blamed him if he’d divorced me but he didn’t. We had to take out a second mortgage to pay it off. The house would have been paid off by now, but we’re still paying the second mortgage. I no longer have any credit cards or department store accounts. I live on a cash only basis. If I need something online, my husband buys it. If I want something but don’t have cash to pay for it, I just can’t get it. This might not work for everyone but it’s a very freeing way of life for me. I can never have any credit cards again because I just can’t manage them.

[~Christina]

I only use cash myself. Cuts way back the spending for most people if you have nothing to swipe and it’s yours.