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[SahmIam]

and don't live "the lifestyle they show in their blog photos".

I visit many a blog that is about home decorating (how to tear down walls, color choices, how to install stuff, etc) as well as decorating tips. Their homes always look so great, so perfectly decorated but I always assumed that it was staged; meaning, it just looks like that for the photo and then it goes back to looking boring and plain.

SIL sent me a link from a blogger she follows who shows her before and afters of her pictures and tells everyone how she'll buy lots of stuff and then return it all after her blog posts (including flowers, pumpkins, furniture, etc). Apparently, this has created an outrage among her subscribers as well as other forums where house decor/home bloggers are discussed. My SIL is one of those who is ticked off; she assumed that their homes are decorated beautifully and this is the lifestyle they always live and is even more angry about the returning of items afterwards. I replied with "are you kidding me? If they have pets or kids, no way". I think the returning is a bit much, especially potted plants and such.

Do you think home/lifestyle bloggers actually live in homes that look like their pictures or, like me, did you assume that it was staged just for the photo? What about returning items used for a photo shoot? Thoughts?

[Mominohio]

Boy, I guess I never thought of it, as I don't really follow any blogs like that.

I guess they wouldn't have a blog very long if they didn't 'turn things over' and make new designs.

[sweetee2]

What's the difference between home bloggers and Facebook? You can post anything you want whether it's the truth or not. I'm sorry for your SIL, that's why I don't do either. You can be anyone or anything you want who's going to know the different.

[ChynnaBlue]

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@sweetee2 wrote:

What's the difference between home bloggers and Facebook? You can post anything you want whether it's the truth or not. I'm sorry for your SIL, that's why I don't do either. You can be anyone or anything you want who's going to know the different.

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There's a big difference. People with blogs and YouTube accounts often make money from their blogs and YouTube pages. They are often given promotional items or otherwise compensated for their reviews as well as getting paid via ads displayed on their sites.

Someone just posting on Facebook does not make money from those Facebook posts, Facebook makes the money from Facebook content. (Bloggers/YouTubers who post blog entries, videos, or sales sites on Facebook are still making money, but the money comes from Facebook visitors clicking through to their blogs, videos, and sales sites, not from visiting Facebook.)

[ChynnaBlue]

I don't think that's terribly common. A lot of people with lifestyle blogs have the same items showing in photos and videos over the months or years.

Which blogger is this? Is she someone big and well-known or someone just starting out? And I'd note, your title says "home bloggers" plural, but you've indicated a single example of one person doing this.

[Sooner]

I think "playing with" then returning merchandise is far far more common than any of us realize.  Especially with online shopping where you don't have to face a person.

People have done it here on these boards and bragged about it a lot.

They are just stealing from all of us.  They are thieves.  And they get away with it and cost us who knows how much?  

[SHOPR]

In what few blogs I've seen, I figured that they probably really cleaned and neatened up, added or removed as needed, and then took photos.  I never thought anyone would have a 100% perfect home all the time, because we all have to live. 

Returning many things like mentioned in the OP?  Won't that eventually catch up with that blogger?  Aren't stores starting to crack down on chronic returners?  That doesn't sound very smart to me. 

[SahmIam]

@ChynnaBlue  She's not a blogger I've heard of (which means nothing) and I said "bloggers" because the conversations in the comments of her blog is where subscribers are discussing other bloggers who do the same.

Remember, this is coming from my SIL who follows her and lives in the UK. It's not so much the blogger per se, but the issues/thoughts that it brought up for discussion that I'm asking about.

Being real honest, I couldn't tell you the name of any of the house people I follow because I don't subscribe to them; I just remember the name of one and then see who she follows and I click and go from there.

@SHOPR  Don't know. I've never returned pumpkins before, nor plants. I didn't know you could return them.

[chrystaltree]

I don't know about home decorating and lifestyle bloggers, I don't follow any of them but my friend's daughter is a fashion/style blogger.  She could put LR's vlogazine to shame..lol   And she's only 21, she started when she was in high school.  Well, in her blog, she's this super cool and sophisticated, upscale woman.  She gets tons of freebies to showcase products in her blog and some of the high end clothing  and accessories are on loan.  She also gets a boat load of cosmetics and skicare.   She has her boyfriend take pictures of her attending all these trendy bars and clubs and going to all types of $$$$ and events.  It's all fake.  She gets all dolled up and dressed to the nines for pictures for the blog.....she doesn't have the connections to get into any of those places.  Or the desire.  The "real" her is a jeans and tee college kid.  Some companies and businesses pay her but most pay her in product and she sells the freebies to other college kids.   But the thing is, I am 100% certain that the majority of her followers think she really is her alter ego.  The cool sophisticated big city fashionista.  They bought into the fantasy.

[Marsha2003]

Aren't blogs for entertainment?  I would never assume that I knew who a blogger really was based on their Internet presence.  Does your sister-in-law believe that reality television shows are real?  

As for using items for staging and then returning them, I can't see a problem with that.  As another poster mentioned, the blogger may eventually be rejected by a retailer for extensive returns, but that's between the retailer and their customers.  I don't think it's morally right to buy a garment, wear it, then return it as unused, but if I feel differently about home decor items as those aren't really damaged by trying them out.