According to Vouchercodes.co.uk researchers, one in six women has admitted to ‘wardrobing’ and one in ten has also admitted to committing the offense regularly.

‘Wardrobing’ is the name given for shoppers taking advantage of retailers’ returns policies by buying items of clothing, wearing the garments once and then returning it so that they are able to get a full refund. The research also found that one in twenty adults admitted to deliberately damaging an item so that they could get a refund or exchange and the same number also admitted to falsely claiming that an item hadn’t been delivered in order to get a refund, or replacement.

Sally Griffiths, Director VFM Services, said: “Retailers know that fraud in the industry is a huge problem and ranges from offences such as ‘wardrobing’, to fraudulently obtaining and subsequently spending on a store card. On their own, the amount of money claimed from a retailer may seem insignificant but the frequency is steadily rising, costing the industry an estimated £3.4 billion in 2012.”