Retailers prepare for flood of returns
By Lynda Arakawa
Advertiser Staff Writer
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So the aloha shirt you got for Christmas is too small, or that ceramic bunny from your auntie is not quite your style.
Many stores accommodate exchanges and returns, but make sure you're familiar with their policies, which can vary.
Some merchants have shorter time limits on returns for certain goods or won't give refunds when they're opened. Some will give store credit but not cash refunds for returned merchandise, and some may require a valid ID.
Returning gifts purchased online can raise different issues, such as whether the merchant or the customer pays for shipping costs. Many retailers, however, allow goods purchased on their Web site to be returned at their stores, said Scott Krugman, spokesman for the National Retail Federation.
"But the thing is that every retailer's return policy can differ, and it's very important for the consumer to find out what the return policy is beforehand, and they can do it by looking on the receipt, by going onto the Web site or simply by calling the store," he said. "That way they won't have any hassles on the day they go to return the merchandise."
Many retailers have become stricter with return policies to combat fraud, but Krugman said customers with legitimate returns shouldn't find the return and exchange process more difficult.
"As far as our customers with honest returns? No, I don't think it's becoming tougher," he said. "I think though for consumers who are trying to defraud retailers with dishonest returns, they're going to have a tougher time doing it."
Return and exchange policies differ among retailers:
Macy's customers can get a cash refund if the purchase was made in cash and they have the original receipt, a policy of many retailers. Without the original receipt they may receive store credit on their Macy's credit account or a gift card.
Hawai'i law prohibits "restocking fees" that some big chains charge on the Mainland, but other fees can be charged so long as they are disclosed before the purchase, said Stephen Levins, state Office of Consumer Protection executive director.
Such fees can apply to returns on certain custom orders. A merchant may also recover repacking and transportation costs on certain items, such as if you decide you don't want a clothes dryer after it has been delivered, unpacked and set up, he said.
But most stores aim to make the return and exchange process easy for customers.
"We actually don't get very many complaints on refunds because we find that most stores try to accommodate their customers," Levins said. "But if someone has a concern they can file a complaint with the Office of Consumer Protection."
Lydia Okada, a 51-year-old mortgage loan coordinator from Mililani, said she almost never returns or exchanges Christmas gifts. But when she buys presents, she makes sure to include receipts whenever possible so recipients don't run into problems if they want to return their gifts.
"While I take pains to try to pick the right gift, I'm not clairvoyant," she said. "And I don't control duplicates that they might get from other people. I want to ensure that in the event they exchange, they get full value for what I paid for the item."
Stores usually make the general return and exchange process pretty painless, Okada said.
"I think that to the extent that they're reasonably able to do it, they really go above and beyond the cause to keep the customers happy."
Reach Lynda Arakawa at larakawa@honoluluadvertiser.com.
