Watch Twin Cities Live on ABC in Minneapolis where I talk about the best and worst in holiday gift returns this year. Many new return policies this year. Some stores are more lenient, while others are making their return policies more vague. If you need to make returns you won’t want to miss this show
This holiday season has been the first in years to have decent return policies across the board—well almost. If you’ve been wondering how long you have to return your holiday presents, policies have changed somewhat this year—more favorable to customers.
In an aggressive bid to win loyal shoppers, stores have pulled all the stops when it comes to returns this season.
BIGGEST TRENDS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
- Vague return policies—need to really read the policy carefully, and even then, you may be missing some of the facts (Ex: Target and Victoria’s Secret).
- Returns at store/department manager’s discretion: this policy hasn’t been in place for more than a decade
- Receipts not crucial in many stores (Target, Macy’s)
- Extended time for returns; now 90-120 (Target- 90 days) days instead of 14-30, with the exception of electronics/games (14 days the norm, and restocking fees after that)
- Stores are not locking into return policies—Policies are changing all the time—even after the holidays, allowing flexibility for the stores; a wait and see approach. Good and bad.
- Tracking the number of returns—Wal-Mart, Target—could hurt your chances for a refund.
