Five Tips for Returning Unwanted Christmas Gifts

Christmas and New Year's holidays are accompanied by several traditions: the exchange of gifts, a polite smile of gratitude and the return of unnecessary gifts to the store.

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Edition Time Gathered a few tips on how to make a return as profitable and simple as possible.

Usually, customers return 8% of purchased goods, however, during the holiday season, the return rate reaches 20%, a third of which are Christmas and New Year gifts.

If you are among those who received an unwanted gift, then, deciding to return it, note the following.

1. Act fast

Many retailers extend the deadline for the return of Christmas gifts. For example, usually in Sears can be returned to the 30 day, but items purchased from 1 November to 24 December can be returned to January 31. Amazon and Target have a similar policy, which accept returns for goods purchased in December until the end of January.

However, it’s worth starting the return process as quickly as possible, since its conditions are always quite complicated, and it’s best to know about them when you still have time to take additional steps. In addition, each store has a list of products whose return period is shorter than for other purchases, even during the holiday period.

In addition, the longer you pull back, the more likely that you or someone from your family will open or damage the packaging, the check is lost, or you simply forget that you intend to return something.

2. Read the rules of the store to return purchases

Each retailer publishes return policies on the site. Read them before you take or send an unwanted gift to the store to avoid unpleasant surprises. Be sure to pay attention to the fine print, limitations and exceptions.

In addition, some stores - such as, for example, Zappos, Nordstrom and Apple offer free shipping of returned goods to the seller, the terms of which are also listed on the website.

3. Bring your check and ID

If you have a receipt for the return of goods, be sure to take it with you to the store. This not only proves that the item was purchased at this store, but also shows what price it paid for. Without a check, the store will not refund your money, but will offer an exchange for another product, and the returned item will be accepted at a lower price compared to what was paid for it.

In addition, most return shops are asked to show proof of identity in order to protect themselves from fraud.

4. Do not expect to receive cash

Walmart is one of the few stores that will give you cash back on an item, but only if it costs $25 or less and you have a receipt.

If there is no receipt, or the value of the returned item is more than $25, you will receive a Walmart gift card in the amount lower than the price of the returned item - the store will take into account the lowest price for a similar item online, and post-Christmas discounts often significantly reduce prices, so you will not receive for the returned item the product is the same amount that the person who presented it to you paid for it.

If you have a gift, not an original receipt, then most retailers will also refund your money in the form of a gift card.

But the most unpleasant thing is that many stores return money to the card with which the goods were paid, and do not give out cash to those who return the gift. Certain difficulties in returning may also arise if the buyer paid for the goods with a gift card.

5. Be prudent

According to surveys, about 25% of all customers lose gift cards without having used them. Therefore, if after returning the goods you received such a card, not money, it is better to use it as quickly as possible, otherwise it can remain a piece of plastic at the bottom of the bag or desk drawer, without becoming anything useful.

If you definitely want to receive cash for a returned gift, we offer you a material about how to sell gift cards for cash.

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