What You Need To Know About Return Policies

What you need to know about taking purchases that don’t work out back to the store where you got them.

SHOPPING SMART | It takes me a long time to make up my mind about buying something so I have always tended to take things home, think about them and then return them once I’m sure they’re not right for me. I do this even more since I started shopping at stores such as T.J. Maxx and Winners where there may be only one of something so it’s best to grab it while you can.

Here’s what I’ve learned about returning merchandise back to the store where you bought it.

5 Tips For Happy Returns

1. Ask about the return policy. When you purchase something, ask the salesperson whether it can be returned for a full refund. Some stores do not accept returns, especially for sale items. Others will take items back but only for exchange or a store credit.

2. Check how long the return period is. It is usually stated on the receipt. If not, ask the cashier.

3. Keep your receipt and all tags. Even better, do not remove the tags until you are sure you want to keep the item.

4. Understand that returns are an inconvenience for the store and be respectful. On the other hand, if returns are part of store policy, there is every reason to expect the store to accept the items and no need to feel apologetic.

5. Inquire about store credit expiration. If the store issues a credit instead of a cash refund, check how long the credit is valid so it doesn’t expire before you use it.—Felicity Stone