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Chances are good you may have received one or more holiday gifts this year that you’d rather not own.
Maybe you’ve put on a few pounds since Aunt Edna last saw you and you need a sweater in a different size, or perhaps you’d prefer not to have a sweater covered in kittens at all. Two thirds of shoppers are expected to make some kind of return this holiday season. If you’re one of the majority of people who need to do so, then it’s in your best interest to make that return as soon as possible.
How long do I have?
Most stores tend to have a 30-day return policy, but that 30 days started the day the gift giver purchased the item, not when you received it. While a number of retailers adjust that rule a bit around the holidays, it’s a good idea to get your gift back as quickly as possible so you don’t run out of time.
If you received something like electronics, that return window may be even smaller. Apple, for instance, typically requires items to be returned within 14 days of purchase. It extends the timeline around the holidays for items purchased between November 15 and December 25th, but that 14-day timer started for all those gifts on December 26th. That means you only have until January 8th to make that return.
Marketwatch rounded up the return policies for a few major retailers. You can check that out here.
When should I return?
The “best” time to return packages according to Reader’s Digest is 10am on Sunday morning, followed by next Monday. Tuesday, January 2nd is supposed to be the most popular day for returns. UPS expects to take 1.9 million packages on that day. In contrast, the company typically only handles 1 million packages per day, so we’re talking about double the number of items.
When you do make that return, the closer you can get the product to looking “new” the better, That means putting it back in its original packaging if you still have it available, and making sure you have all the accessories that came with an item inside the box as well.
And even though it might be uncomfortable, it pays to ask the gift giver for a receipt for that unwanted item. Without a receipt, you might be required to take store credit, only get a portion of the purchase price back, or not be able to make the return at all.
And it should go without saying, but be nice when you make that return. Yes, the line to do so will be long, and the whole experience pretty unbearable, but the store associate who’s helping you has gone through that experience for days now. It costs nothing to be pleasant when you make that return, and you’ll improve the experience for both yourself and the person responsible for taking that Cat-mas sweater back.
from Lifehacker https://ift.tt/2rCfKBe
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