11 Great Tips for Gift Returns

                                                                                         

Everyone loves the holiday season to get together with family and friends. We especially love getting gifts. The one drag about getting gifts is you may get a gift you don’t like or one that doesn’t fit properly.  You should accept the gift so as not to offend the gift giver but in the future provide possible items that you would like for the holiday season to prevent future mishaps and disappointments. The busiest gift return day is December 26^th. In addition January 3rd is National Return Day when many shipping companies such as UPS receive return packages.  If you need to return a gift here are 11 great tips to make the process easier. 

1. Gift receipt. Ask give givers to give you a gift with a gift receipt. If you don’t receive a gift receipt ask the gift giver to provide you with the receipt, return the gift for you or go with you to return the gift.
2. Review. Read the return or exchange policy for the store you want to return the item. Some stores offer store credit or exchanges, a credit card refund, gift card or cash back.
3. Time limit. Some stores offer a limited time to return items. Some stores require returns for electronics within 7-14 days.
4. Fees. Ask if restocking fees are charged for returning items.
5. Don’t open. Don’t open the box or remove the tags if it’s a gift you know you don’t want. Some stores will not accept opened boxes or missing tags or will only give a partial refund.
6. Wait. Wait at least 3 days after Christmas before returning your gifts to avoid long lines.
7. Defective items. Call customer service for guidance. Return defective items quickly which are usually returnable but have different guidelines than non-defective returns.
8. Shipping. Find out the store’s shipping policy for returns. Some stores offer free shipping for returns, some charge a fee which is usually deducted from the refund.
9. ID. You may be required to show your ID to reduce fraud for returns although you did not purchase the item.
10. Exchange. Some stores allow you to return items purchased online in-store which saves money on shipping fees.
11. Refundable. Verify if the gift you purchase is refundable or can be exchange, some holiday deals and prices are final.