WASHINGTON – December is the month for giving and receiving.
After that? It’s time for returning. And as much love and thought as went into your gifts, something will, in all likelihood, be returned. Business and planning site Kiplinger put together a great list of the places with the best and worst return policies.
Awesome return policies:
Anthropologie: No time limit except for 30 days for furniture. No receipt? Refund will be for item’s current selling price
Macy’s: No time limit and Macy’s can look up the original price customers paid within two years.
Bloomingdale’s: No time limit on most items, or a gift card if there’s no receipt
Kohl’s: If a purchase was made with a Kohl’s charge card in the past year, associated can credit the account. Outside that time frame, or without the purchase being made on a charge card, customer’s can get corporate refund or store credit.
JC Penney: No time limit with receipt except for furniture, jewelry and electronics, which have a 60-day policy.
L.L. Bean: No time limit. Items received as gifts can be returned for a gift card.
Bath & Body Works: No time limit. No receipt? Store credit instead
Nordstrom: There is no return policy and employees evaluate situations on a case by case basis – receipts are helpful but not required.However, Nordstrom Rack items usually have a 30-day policy
Costco: No time limit on everything except for tech items, which have a 90- day policy
REI and Zappos each have a one-year policy.
Stingy return policies:
Overstock.com: Customers can only get a refund if new, unopened items are returned within 30 days of delivery. If the item is opened or shows signs of wear, there will be a partial refund.
Best Buy: Basically, you have 15 days. Best Buy Elite members have 30 days and Elite Plus members have 45 days. One exception is gifts bought between Nov. 3 and Dec. 31 — those can be returned until Jan. 15, 2014.
GameStop: Items must have a receipt and be returned within 30 days. Opened items can only be exchanged for the same item — same for pre-owned items returned after a week. Customers with gift receipts have 30 days.
Gilt: Since Kiplinger describes Gilt’s policy as complicated, we’ll let them explain it: “For starters, this members-only shopping site allows only sized items — clothing, footwear and belts — to be returned for a refund. Handbags, toys, ties and other non-sized items aren’t eligible for return. Customers have 21 days to return eligible items, which must be unused and in their original packaging. Items priced at $199.99 or less can be returned for Gilt credits. Items priced at $200 or more can be returned for Gilt credits or a refund minus $7.95 for return shipping. On its website, Gilt justifies its return policy as a trade-off for ‘instant insider access to top designer labels and coveted products at a significant discount.'”
Follow @WTOP on Twitter.
