During the season of giving, lots of gifts get exchanged. Chances are there’s something you or someone else might not like.
As you start thinking about returns, Temple University Associate Professor of Marketing Sheri Lambert says many companies are now charging customers for return shipping.
It just happened to NBC CT Responds consumer reporter Caitlin Burchill. She bought some clothes for NBC CT's "picture day" online with free shipping.
But when the outfits were a flop, about $7 was taken out of her total refund for shipping costs when she sent the items back.
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You can get around this by returning an item in person to a brick-and-mortar location, instead of mailing it back. But of course, the storefront where Burchill bought clothes had just shut its doors in Connecticut.
Even if you do return an item in person, you can expect to see restocking fees this return season and cash refunds may be less common this year.
Instead, retailers are offering store credits so they don’t completely lose out on the sale.
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Most importantly, Lambert says be sure to read the store policy about how long you have to return an item.
“Don’t sit on it guys. Get out there, return it. You’re going to get the value that you want and part of the reason why you don’t want to sit on it is from a retailers perspective, you could get less right? Because when you go in, the product could be discontinued, the product could be drastically reduced on sale. It could be out of season and a retailer does not want to take a Christmas sweater back, right? If you got a Christmas sweater for a gift and it’s now March,” she said.
Another tip that could make your return easier: some stores are offering curbside return service, so you don’t have to go inside.
Call or check the store’s website to see if that’s an option.
Tracy Davidson and Leigh Lesniak contributed to this story.
