Tis’ the season for holiday shopping, and searching for that perfect gift.
At times the result isn’t so perfect, and friends and family might be looking to return that Santa tie for something more their style. That means as shoppers, we need to ask about return and exchange policies before we buy.
Many people assume stores have to take an item back. That is not true. Businesses can set their own rules and policies on refunds and exchanges. Some stores don’t accept any returns, others only do exchanges, and some only give you store credit on a gift card.
Stores are not required by law to post their return policies, it is a customer’s responsibility to ask. You should also check the fine print on your receipt, as some companies print the policy there.
Businesses that do accept returns or exchanges may have a strict deadline, sometimes as little as 7 days, so it is important to check specific timelines. This time of year many stores extend their policy deadline because of the holidays, but watch out as you may have limited time in the new year to take items back.
Keep all of your receipts, just in case. Store them in a safe place, or even better, photocopy them or keep the originals in a sealed plastic bag away from heat and sunlight. Receipts fade very quickly, and you may not be able to read them by the time you need to do that return or make a warranty claim.
When you do a return, stores are allowed to ask for your name and contact information to protect themselves against fraud. Clever crooks shoplift items and then try to take them back without a receipt and ruin it for the rest of us. Stores will keep track of customers who have too many returns. Don’t ever give your Social Insurance Number to a store. Companies can write down your driver’s licence number, but can’t take a photocopy of it.
Stores have to have privacy policies in place to protect any customer information they take in. If you have any concerns about privacy, question the store on it or contact the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner.
I wish you many happy returns this holiday season!
Julie Matthews
Trouble Shooter
On Twitter @GlobalTshooter
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