Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-01-04
THINGS SENT ON APPROVAL.
A Very Interesting Swindle to Which
Store Keepers Are Subjected.

ihiNDS SENT On APPROVAL
A Very Interesting Swindle to Which
Store Keepers Are Subjected.
There is a certain sort Of swindling that is
practiced almost exclusively by people who
would be called genteel," said the keeper OF
big Washington store to STAR reporter yester-
day. 1--WE call it the approval game and it is
a very old one indeed. You know it is the
business custom OF all such establishments as
this to send home goods on appreciation 10 pur-
chasers whose financial responsibility is known
to us. The member OF the family buying may
be doubtful as to whether an article will please
other members of the household. and for this
or score of other good reasons request may
be made that the thing be delivered for consid-
GRAFTON. to be returned the following day if
found unsatisfactory. Such an accommodation
cannot be decently refused, and the system
works very well, save in the case of certain
dishonest persons who abuse it almost
criminally"
For example?"
well, wraps for instance. II is a common
thing for women to order handsome cloaks
sent home on approval and return them to our
carriers the next day. Meantime they have
worn them once free of charge. Our senior
partner was at the National theater the other
night and was much interested TO observe that
the lady who sat Immediately in front of HIM
wore superb sealskin dolman which he recog-
nlZed as one newly imported for our coat and
fur department His identification of the gar
ment was rendered entirely satisfactory by the
price tag, marked S450, which. unImagined by
the wearer, stuck out over the collar. The
next afternoon. however. he was surprised to
ind the cloak adjoining a lay figure in the shop,
and upon inquiry he ascertained that 1t had
been returned In the morning as not quite
suitable Did he kick? Oh, no. What would
have been the use? 1t would only have raised
a howl, the lady would have made an indignant
protest, and her friends would have transferred
their custom to another store. The helpless
shop keeper is always the victim"
HOW 1T Is WORKED.
"What does that sign over there mean by say
ing that no fans will be exchanged unless the
same day they are bought'?"
simply that a woman will often buy a costly
ian Just before she is to attend party, and
then, after having used it for the occasion re-
turn 1t and get her money back. This practice
has grown SO common that we have been
obIged to hang up the sign. The same thing
Is practlced to a great extent with necklaces of
rhine stones and beaten silver, lace goods hair
ornaments and all sorts Of personal decorations.
Our chief precautions against such imposition
are taken just before events of special festivity
such as! New Year day. a great ball, or some
big celebration, orders are quietly circulated
to the effect that no goods are to be
sent home without being paid for, and
specific warnings on the subject are given to
the clerks OF departments exposed to this kind
OF Cheating. For it is always a favorite scheme
to procure some SNOWY and costly article from
the shop, wear it for few hours-of course
there Is whole days time in the case of
holiday-and return it afterward. L have
known female person to get in this way
handSnuna Snifo 60 all IS -
boys, rig the children up in them for Sunday
and on Monday morning send the clothes
back as unavailable. The evil is most diff
cult of correction, for the reason that the
people who practice it are, as rule, of FASH
ionable position. Washington is a town where
money is plentiful and the indictments to dis
play are great Thus it is not surprising that
the annoyance l speak of should be unusually
aggravated here. Where such dishonest Gus
toners have not the credit to secure the send
ing OF goods on approval they pay for them
and, bringing them back twenty-four hours
later, demand and receive the money. But
have seen instances of cheek in this way to
which that Is as nothing"
'.Really!''
THE ACME OF CHEEK.
Goodness me, yes. Many time people
have stolen valuable things from this store and
have brought them back afterward to get the
money instead. On one occasion young
woman came in with a valuable lace fichu and
demanded the cash. For some reason smelt
a mouse and. having made inquiry, couldn't
discover that any such fichu had been sold the
day before, when she claimed it was bought L
asked her to point out the clerk who had sold her
the article, but she replied that her sister, and
not herself, had purchased il. Then l said that
if the money was desired it would be necessary
for her sister to come and get it. She told me
that her sister had left town and il was impos-
sible. But repeated that We could not recog-
nize her as the purchaser and that only her
sister could receive the cash.
"'Well, then,' said she, angrily, give me
back my ficEu.'
"'No, madam responded. L will not give
you back the fichu, because it is not yours, but
your sisters; she can come and claim it,
AT this she stormed and almost swore leay-
ing the store at length with threats to send her
husband down and SO on: L never heard any
thing more from it; but must confess that she
was the checklist thief l ever heard Of"
THE JEWELLERS EXPERIENCE.
Said Pennsylvania avenue jeweler: 1--WE
suffer considerably from the fiends who have
goods sent on approval 1t is no uncommon
thing for society woman in this town-one of
many such-to appear at an evenings enter
tainment glittering with gems and bijoutcrie
contributed by the dealer, to whom thev are
returned punctually the next morning. La this
way lady of fashion may display an appar-
ing a cent in the luxury. 1t goes without say
ing that no one who has not the position which
implies considerable credit can get such valua-
bles sent home on appreciation, and 30 you may
see for yourself of what sort the persons are
who do swindling tricks of this kind. Costly
necklaces and earrings, especially of diamonds,
are the favorite borrowed plumber; but even
fruit baskets and lorgnettes go the same way.
In many cases the things are secured for the
few hours desired by leaving deposit, which
is got back when the goods are declared unsat-
isfactory. But that is nothing. have known
of a woman's having a whole set of superbly
decorated china delivered at her house on the
pretext that she wished to zee how it would
look on her table; the same night she gave a
big dinner party and sent the china back
having used it for the evening to her immense
the carrier who called for it
the following morning."
TESTIMONY OF A FURNIsHER.
A general house furnisher said: rugs are
the things people obtain from US most on APP
probation. We have known women to get as
many as Is magnificent rugs sent home that
way in batch and hang them as portieres in
the latest style, besides strewing them all over
the floors just for a night. There is nothing,
you are aware, that will give a more luxurious
appearance to a house than handsome rugs
m