Tiffany Raiford
Holiday shopping does not come with a guarantee; you might love something that you find for someone else, and they might not love it so much. With that said, always get the gift receipt. It’s going to make a huge difference when it comes to your holiday shopping and gift giving. Before you become offended at the idea that someone might return your gifts because they don’t like them, consider this; perhaps they don’t fit, they are not a useful item or they simply already have one of what you purchased. We do not mean to imply that any of our readers are terrible holiday shopping gift givers – but you never know.
With that in mind, it’s imperative you know which stores offer the best holiday returns and which do not. This might help you with your holiday shopping, making it easier for you to give gifts that can be returned – and so that you know how to return the unwanted, imperfectly sized or duplicate items you also receive for Christmas. Some stores offer amazing holiday shopping returns and exchanges, and others do not; and almost 15 percent of all holiday gifts are returned, so it seems the world needs to know where to do their returning.
Target
Target is a favorite store for holiday shopping, and holiday shopping returns. While there are some serious restrictions associated with the return of many items at Target, there are also some good policies in effect. For example, all Target brand items are eligible for return for a full year after purchase. Other items that have not yet been opened can be returned for a full 90 days after they were purchased. You have 30 days to return electronics and any item that you purchase while doing your holiday shopping between November 1 and December 25 do not begin the 30 day return period until December 26, so all your holiday shopping can be returned if you act quickly. If you have a REDcard, you have an additional 30 days to return anything you purchase when you do your holiday shopping.
Bloomingdales
Very liberal with their returns, Bloomies is a great store to return holiday shopping purchases you no longer want or need. Almost any item in the store is eligible for return at any time, regardless whether or not you have a receipt. The only exceptions to this rule include mattresses, which do have a return limit. You can only return them within five years of buying them, so hurry and make sure your mattress holiday shopping purchase is returned in the next 60 months. Additionally, dresses for special occasions are only available for return with the tag still on them and if you return furniture, you will need to pay the return shipping costs on each item.
Macy’s
It is one of the most famous department stores in the world, and for good reason. Macy’s return policy is pretty lenient. You don’t want it, like it, fit into or whatever it, they will take it back. You don’t have a receipt? No problem; bring it back regardless. You bought it six months ago and want to return it? Okay; not a problem with Macy’s. The catch here is that anything returned with a gift receipt is not eligible for cash. It is going to be refunded to you in the form of a Macy’s gift card. If you do not have a receipt for your item, that’s fine. Macy’s will return the item and give you a gift card to the store that reflects the lowest price the item has sold for in the past 180 days. It’s not ideal, but it’s better than nothing.
Zappos
With designer brands and off brands available, you can purchase shoes at Zappos anytime. Not only is shipping always free, too, you will find that you can return anything for 365 days after you make the purchase. This is a good deal for just about anyone looking to go out and make a deal with their holiday shopping. If you buy shoes and you do not like them, simply return them for nothing. The good news is that you can return those shoes you purchased when you were holiday shopping if you have some sort of buyer’s remorse. You can do it right now or you can wait until this time next year; it does not matter. However, you will need to make sure you don’t wear them for the next year. The company might give you a year to make returns, but they cannot be used returns.
L.L. Bean
A store known for its outdoor quality items and its quality, L.L. Bean is happy to take back anything at any time. Why? They believe in their products and state that they are made to last, so they will take back anything at any time if it does not meet their guarantee. The only issue is that there are not many L.L. Bean stores in the country, so most people do the bulk of their returns online. If you do this, you will be charged a $6.50 return shipping fee. If you have an outlet or store near you, hit it up to do your holiday shopping so you can do your holiday shopping returns there free of charge. Otherwise, however, the fee is not a bad one.
Costco
This is a warehouse store that believes in its items so much that you can return anything within 90 days – even a cucumber. If you have a product you no longer want or want to give after holiday shopping, go ahead and return it to Costco. They give you 90 days to do this, and they will refund anything at the full price. If you miss the 90 day cutoff, however, you will not get a refund. This could be a problem for anyone who likes to do their holiday shopping throughout the year, picking up deals as they see them. Go ahead and see if you can make it a point to return your items in the 90 days allotted.
Athleta
Never heard of them? You have; this is that other store on the Old Navy and Gap website. It’s a store that specializes in workout gear for women, and it’s a great shop to do a little holiday shopping. Unlike Gap and Old Navy, however, this is a store that will take back anything at any time. What does that mean? This means that you can wear your workout clothes a hundred times, return them because you don’t like them and get a full refund. There is no policy with this store that states you cannot return anything. Athleta will take back anything, any time, regardless of the condition in which it is in. You even get to ship your items back to the store free of charge; now that is a nice deal.
JC Penney
Another large department store, JC Penney offers a few returns that are good. Most everything you purchase here can be purchased with a full refund if you have a receipt. Anything that you want to return that does not come with a receipt can be accepted as a return but only if you are willing to accept a refund in the form of a JC Penney gift card, and you must be willing to accept the item for the lowest price it was marked down for during the past 45 days. Additionally, you will need to provide a photo ID if you return anything without a receipt.
Kohls
You cannot return gift card here, but anything else is fair game. This is a store that will happily take back just about anything that you want to return provided you are able to get it to the store. You can bring it back at any time, no matter the condition. It’s a great offer for anyone who is willing to return their holiday shopping at Kohls, and we believe it’s one of the best return policies in the business. You can return any of your holiday purchases even without a receipt, so long as you make an even exchange or accept a merchandise credit for the store in the amount of the product’s lowest sales price over the past 13 weeks. If you paid for your holiday shopping return with your Kohl’s card, you will be refunded the price of the item on your Kohl’s card.
Nordstrom
If you’re going to return any of your holiday shopping, Nordstrom is the place to go. This is my favorite store in the world, and for good reason. I don’t return much to them, but occasionally I’ve had to return things that did not fit correctly after purchasing them online. Their return policy is spectacular. They’ll take back just about anything, anytime whether you have a receipt or not. Additionally, you can do this anywhere since there is no return counter or customer service line in which you have to wait to make any returns. They’re quick, on point and always friendly when you’re there to return or exchange an item for any reason. I often have to return shoes I order for my kids because different brands require different sizes and many times when they haven’t the same shoe in the size I need, I’ll find myself returning the shoes I purchased and choosing new ones as replacements without any hassle.
Photo by Getty Images
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