GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – Holiday returns aren’t an easy process – and no, that doesn’t include explaining to your mother that everything was the wrong size…again.
There are no state or federal laws that dictate to retailers about their return policies, and stores aren’t legally required to accept any kind of return unless merchandise was defective or misrepresented.
But Susan Bach of the Better Business Bureau says that doesn’t rule out your chances of returning that fifth new blender you’ve been gifted in as many years.
“Most reputable stores will accept returns because they want to keep you as a customer and make sure that you’re satisfied,” Bach told WTAQ News. “Make that return in a timely fashion, and make sure that the packaging is intact and that you bring a receipt and that you also bring your ID, so the whole return process can go smoothly.”
But what if you don’t have a receipt? Bach says one positive outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic is that many retailers have become more lenient in their return policies.
“It’s definitely worth the time and the trouble to try to return or exchange it. But just know the store is not legally required to accept that return,” Bach said. “Be as nice and polite as possible and explain to them that it was a gift and you don’t have a receipt, and see if they would be happy to either refund your money or offer some kind of exchange.”
But be sure to double check policies this holiday season, even if you are familiar with the brand, as stores can change their policies whenever they want.
“Really, it’s important to know the return policy as the purchaser to make sure the return process goes smoothly,” Bach said. “Ask if there is a return policy, if there’s a restocking fee, if the gift recipient needs to pay for shipping if they send it back to a store online or something.”
For more tips and tricks on how to navigate the post-holiday gift returning landscapes, head to BBB.org.
