Crooks fleece The North Face accounts with recycled logins Joining the long queue of retailers dealing with cyber mishaps is outdoorsy fashion brand The North Face, which says crooks broke into some customer accounts using login creds pinched from breaches elsewhere. According to a consumer notice filed with the Vermont Attorney General's Office, the outdoor gear seller spotted …
That reminds me of "The South Butt" saga...
A Missouri teenager is defying the might of clothing manufacturer The North Face, which is a bit hacked off at his "The South Butt" range of clobber.
The North Face Apparel Corp moved in August to eliminate the threat to its international business posed by 18-year-old Jimmy Winkelmann and his company The South Butt, LLC.
https://www.theregister.com/2009/10/02/north_butt/
icon: A "The North Face" jacket
"targeting users [i.e. customers] who reused the same credentials across multiple websites"
It's hard to have too much sympathy for them although I suppose North Face and the previously hacked sites require an email address as the login ID which means that half the credentials are already shared. But that puts the onus on the customers to use unique passwords.
For outdoor gear, I buy items in shops. Given how shipping prices are going and the time it can take, I would want to make sure something fits. Photos on a web site are likely wrong for clothing as changes get made all of the time from the article used to create the photos (if they aren't just CGI/AI these days). The big issue I've found are pockets in odd places, openings, zips and cuts that just don't work for what I want. Handing in a bunch of sensitive information to a vendor I'm not going to buy from very often is an issue as well.
To buy things on eBay, I introduced errors in my information that must be corrected or payment will be denied. The debit card I have has a registered address that's different than what's in eBay's system (different street address, different post code). At first, this was not planned, but when I was going to get everything "corrected", I saw how useful it was and how little time it takes for me to type in the correct information. Both addresses are valid addresses for me with one being a family member's home so if there are notices or packages sent to the wrong one, I'll get them with very little delay. Convenience has a cost.
@MachDiamond
Definitely agree that for footwear / clothing you definitely need to try before you buy.
I suppose the only exception would be something you have already purchased previously & you were buying an exact replacement (as happened to me on walking shoes, the model I had & really liked no longer available in local shops (tedious trend to always stock the "newest kit" ) but I was able to source a pair of the discontinued shoes online*)
* like an idiot I only purchased 1 replacement pair at the time**, not found a pair of walking shoes I like as much as those (even from same manufacturer)
** I do lots of walking, so walking shoes get a lot of "hammer" & thus relatively short lifespan
"I suppose the only exception would be something you have already purchased previously"
Most certainly. Socks and skids I have no problem buying online. I don't since the big box store has been carrying the same ones for ages and I can just get them there (I have too many socks). I really like the Nike Dri-fit polo shirts for work and will buy those online (eBay, pre-owned). A new cold weather jacket is something I'd want to test fit and anything formal/fancy I won't buy online. The last suit I bought was quite expensive, but it fits really well, high quality and I may get another this year. I bought it in person and I think returned twice for fittings to get it dialed in. It will last me the rest of my life if I can keep the kilos off and I don't fall in a bucket of paint.
Shops should still stock the basics since if I were traveling and my luggage went missing or was wiped out, I'd need to buy replacements immediately. The question is how deep they should have inventory and maybe bias their in-store offerings to things that lend themselves to in-person purchases. If a lady is going to buy a cocktail dress for an upcoming event, buying online is risky. I've seen accounts of how that's been an issue many times. I would hope they learned their lesson, but sometimes it's for something such as a wedding where it's a one use garment. Guys wind up lucky as a formal tux (often rented) can be worn on other occasions if purchased.
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