Unsatisfied Gift Receivers To Make Smart Returns

Didn’t like the sweater your great-aunt bought you this Christmas? Or did you get the same video game twice? The Better Business Bureau encourages unsatisfied gift-receivers to make post-Christmas returns as soon as possible.

Marketing and Communications Manager Lisa Smith said return policies fluctuate around the holidays.

Some businesses give store credit for returns without a receipt.

“Just making sure you do it in a timely manner because stores will change their return policies. So you may think you have 90 days somewhere else,” Smith said. “and you don’t want to deal with the actual traffic that goes along with the holiday returns. Around the holidays, the policy might be different.”

Smith said certain items may be more difficult to return, especially without a receipt.

“You know clothing, especially if tags are taken off, you just can’t tell if someone has worn it,” Smith said. “Also electronics, again if they are opened and taken out of the box, I think that it is harder to return.”

Some stores will give store credit for returns without a receipt.

Smith said businesses should watch out for return fraud as well.

“Just returning stolen merchandise or merchandise purchased with a stolen credit card. That’s the big one around the holidays and then returning non-defective merchandise after using it,” Smith said. “So clothes, holiday dresses. Also electronics like cameras or TVs you have set up for the holidays and as soon as it is over, you put it back in the box and return it.”

Smith said businesses can cut down on return fraud by implementing strict return policies.

“Also making sure that there is an ID, so that if you get an ID from someone who is returning the items,” Smith said. “That way if there ends up being some sort of issue, you at least have some information for some recourse.”

Overall, Smith said keeping a receipt will help people avoid problems when returning gifts.