(on the money back guarantee, introduced in 1865)
"all shoppers have had the experience of regretting a purchase, and worry that they will do so again. the money-back guarantee meant that the possiblity of regret was evaded, a tactic that very likely moved many items, only a small percentage of which was returned.

moreover, the policy made husbands feel less worried about their wives' purchases, because they could exercise a veto. and the gentltemanly tone of the promise, with its implicit affirmation that the store's customers were trustworthy people, flattered the customers and made them feel that they were dealing with a high-class merchant.

money-back guarantees have largely disappeared during the last half century, probably because shoppers no longer need so much reassurance. but they have recently resurfaced on the internet, a new retail environment in which shoppers are not entirely certain that they trust the seller, the merchandise, or themselves."
-i want that! how we all became shoppers-