Gift Cards:
If you received a gift card for a store that does not sell anything you like, you might be out of luck. Many companies do not offer gift card returns. In some instances, the money is refunded to the purchaser’s credit card which is not really helpful to the receiver either. So, what is a person to do with an unwanted gift card? There are a few options: save it to re-gift to another individual, sell it on eBay or Craigslist, or simply use it to purchase a gift from that store to give away or donate.
Online purchases:
Read the fine print. If you have to send an item back, find out if you have to pay for shipping. Many sites (including most shoe retailers) pay for return shipping expenses. If the cost of shipping the item back is more than what the item is worth, don’t waste your time or money. Find a good donation place such as Goodwill and be charitable if you don’t want something.
Some items found on Gap.com, Bananarepublic.com, and OldNavy.com are “return by mail only”. Macy’s won’t accept returns in store for rugs or lighting purchased online. Sports Authority stores will not accept any returns for items purchased online.
Gift receipt hassles:
Many stores will probably require a receipt to get the full price of an item back. If you do not have the receipt, retailers (in many instances) are offering gift cards for the amount of the purchase price or they will give you store credit.
Retailers that have excellent return policies:
Land’s End, Nordstrom, REI, Kohl’s, CVS
Always read the fine print on return policies when purchasing in-store or ordering online!
Comments