Many (un)happy returns? Exchanging your gift could be tricky

SALT LAKE CITY — The National Retail Federation predicted 17% of items purchased for the holidays will be returned to the stores from whence they came, making this week a busy week in retail. Total returns for 2024 — not all during the holidays, of course — could amount to $890 billion, per the federation.

But for shoppers who don't check store policies or who didn't hang onto receipts and, in some cases, even zeroed-out gift cards, this could be a time of unhappy returns.

Deadlines for returns vary widely, sometimes within the same store, depending on the item itself.

You'll almost certainly lose out on shipping costs for items ordered online, whether returned or exchanged in the store or by mail. And some stores — including American Eagle, H&M, T.J. Maxx, and Zara now charge a restocking for returns that are shipped back, though in-store is typically free. If the stores have "membership" programs, the fees may be waived for those people. Typical fees at these stores are about $5. Other stores may charge much higher restocking fees, especially on expensive items.

Some tips for making returns, exchanges

• Keep your receipt. Everything will be much easier. But since it's likely a gift, that may not be possible. Hopefully you were given a gift receipt.
• If you have a receipt, read it. Some items aren't covered under the general return policy. That's usually noted on the receipt.
• Take your government-issued identification with you. Some stores require it, especially if you don't have a receipt.
• Don't go crazy with refunds and exchanges. Because there's been so much fraud, many stores now keep track of those who make frequent exchanges that might indicate something suspicious.
• Don't throw away gift cards you used to buy something if you might want to return an item. Stores increasingly put refunds on the method of payment, so your zeroed-out card may get money put back on it.
• Store clerks are going to be swamped for the next few days. Being pleasant is apt to make the exchange or return go better.

Varying deadlines and rules

There's a lot of variety, even at the same store.

Walmart, for example, has extended its holiday returns for most things to the end of January 2025. But cellphones must be returned within 14 days of purchase. And if you got a major appliance, hop on it. You have two days.

There are also different purchase date windows. So some stores have extended return and exchange times that cover the last six weeks, others two months. They have different end dates for those items. And while holiday policies at one store may include purchases made until the end of the year, some cut off that policy for anything after Christmas Day.

Some stores will accept items if the tag was removed, as long as you have the tag. Others won't touch it.

Deseret News combed through the return policy for some popular stores, but this list is far from complete. And policies change. So before you head to the store, look at the policy that governs the item you don't want to keep.

You have 90 days to return items at Target, so Black Friday items can be exchanged, according to the Target website. But the company "reserves the right to deny returns, refunds and exchanges including but not limited to prevent fraud, suspected fraud or abuse." The return window starts when an item is invoiced, if it was purchased online.

Target is one of the stores where you need to read the receipt. Some items have a different return policy, noted there. That's not always easy to do if someone gave you the gift and they have the receipt.

Best Buy has extended its holiday return season, noting that anything purchased from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31, allowing returns through Jan. 14. That doesn't include items with a third-party contract, like cellphones, which have a 14-day return period. Nor does it include holiday decorations, which need to come back within 15 days.

And there are sometimes restocking fees at Best Buy, including $45 for devices like cellphones that need to be activated. Some products — drones, digital cameras, electric bikes, projectors and special-order items are just a few of them — have a 15% restocking fee.

Macy's has also extended its holiday return season. Most items can be returned or exchanged until Jan. 31, 2025, if they were purchased between Oct. 7 and Dec. 31. Items have to be in original, sellable condition with original tags. And shipping and delivery fees will not be refunded. Those items bought at a store have to go back to a store, though online items can be shipped back or taken to a store.

The company generally accepts returns within 30 days. But again, there are exceptions. It's free to bring items to the store, but people who are not Star Reward members will have $9.99 plus tax deducted from their refund if they return things by mail. And the store reserves the right to say no, "with or without a valid receipt." You'll want to check the return policy that applies to your item.

Want to know more about the return policies for different stores? Read the full article at Deseret News here.

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