Lateral thinking is thinking outside of the box e.g. not giving an answer that is completely straightforward. I will put up new lateral thinking puzzles every few days lets see if anyone can solve them.

A woman walks into a store to buy a dress. In the store she sees a sign that says "Money back if not satisfied." After she purchases the outfit she leaves. A few days later she comes back to return it because she doesn't like it and the owner refuses to give her money back. Why?

Hints: 1) The outfit has not changed at all since leaving the store.
2) There is nothing unusual about the store.
3) The sign had not changed since she left.
4) The sign is in the store she bought the outfit in.

The sign fails to point out who must be satisfied. Presumably the store owner is satified with the sale.

Her cheque bounced

It would be nice to learn the answer after two years.

The store was under new ownership and did not have to honour the deal.

He had given her incorrect change the previous visit. Change worth way more than the dress was worth.

It says she went in to buy a dress then says she bought 'the outfit'. In some places that means she bought a dress, in others it means she bought the shop. Was she returning a dress or the shop?

Or, she is related to the Shop owner (wife?) and didn't pay retail in the first place.

Or, she is wearing the dress and so how could she be dissatisfied with it?

Or, it was part of the "Empress' New Clothes" line and there's nothing really to return.

The store also sold signs, one of which was "Money back if not satisfied." That was the sign she saw.

Hands up who really cares what the answer is?(to put it politely).

After four plus years, I'm with ren on this one.

Yah, Jon53 probably had it right but the poster, golden0000, didn't honor that fact by replying.