Holiday Gift Shopping: Where & How To Spot Return Fees

As the holiday season gets underway, stores around the world are bound to be flooded with shoppers buying gifts as well as returning them – but how many stores are incorporating fees into their holiday returns?

According to Yahoo Shopping, many holiday shoppers are facing an expected change this year as major retailers quietly update their return policies to include fees.

These charges, often called restocking or return fees, mean that even if your gift is unopened or in its original condition, you could still lose part of what you paid, Yahoo Shopping said.

In a report from the National Retail Federation, the federation found that the majority of merchants (about 72%) now charge for at least some return options, often citing rising shipping costs and fraud as justification.

Of those surveyed, many retailers acknowledged that while these measures help to manage margins, they also increase customer complaints and lost customers.

To ensure a smooth return process this holiday season, here’s a list of some major retailers with return fees as well as what those fees cost, according to Yahoo Shopping:

• Best Buy: $45
• Marshall’s: $11.99
• J. Maxx: $11.99
• Macy’s: $9.99
• JCPenney: $8
• J. Crew: $7.50
• Abercrombie & Fitch: $7
• American Eagle Outfitters: $5
• H&M: $3.99

In order to avoid return fees, here are some tips from Consumer Affairs and Yahoo Shopping to employ this holiday season:

• When shopping online, pick your return path before buying – on the product page or at checkout, click “returns.” If there’s a dollar amount for mailed returns, assume you’ll need to return in-store to make it free.
• Join the free loyalty tier or program when it waives mail fees for members.
• Buy from stores with large holiday return windows.
• Avoid opening or using gifts if you’re going to return them.
• Consider exchanging gifts instead of refunding them.
• Know your deadlines for holiday gift returns.

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