TA K E AWAY
Beat the Gift Return Clock
Planning to return a holiday gift? Better get busy. Several big retailers have shortened their deadlines for returns, and some
have different rules for different types of items, according to a survey by ConsumerWorld.org. For example, you may have less
time to return a big-screen TV than an unwanted sweater. Here are examples of some major retailers’ policies. Keep in mind that
t h e r e a r e l o t s o f e x c e p t i o n s —s o me r e t a i l e r s ’ e x c h a n g e p o l i c i e s a r e mo r e t h a n 9 0 pages long.72 KIPLINGER’S PERSONAL FINANCE^ 03/2020 ILLUSTRATION BY VIDHYA NAGARAJAN
Amazon: Returns
of most items within
30 days qualify for
a full refund. Items
returned later are
subject to a 20%
“restocking fee.”Macy’s: 90 days for most
items; shorter deadlines for
some items, such as designer
clothes and jewelry.Ta r g e t : 90 days for most
items, 30 days for electronics
and only 15 days for most
Apple products.Bed Bath and
Beyond: 180
days for most
items; 90 days
for electronics.Walmart: 90 days
for most items.
Costco: No deadline
for most items; 90 days
for TVs, computers and
other electronics.