NRF gives tips for after-holiday returns

To help consumers make the return process as smooth as possible, the National Retail Federation has compiled several tips:

• Consumers should know a retailer’s return policy before buying gifts. Most retailers have prominently displayed return policies, especially at this time of the year.

• Keep all receipts. Receipts are still the key to hassle-free returns. Many retailers will allow consumers to exchange merchandise without a receipt. However, without a receipt, a retailer may only provide merchandise credit for the lowest markdown-price at which the item was sold in the past 30 days.

• Provide all original packaging and all parts (including all tags) when giving a gift. Some retailers won't accept returns unless the item is in its original package.

• If the gift came with a gift receipt, use it when making returns. These receipts contain all the necessary information to prove the items were purchased, minus the price. The third annual Returns survey conducted for NRF by BIGresearch found that 49 percent of holiday gift givers enclose a gift receipt or an original receipt most or some of the time. In the 2004 Returns survey, only 47.6 percent indicated doing so.

"Requesting a gift receipt has become second nature for many shoppers, alleviating post-holiday frustration for both consumers and retailers" said NRF President and CEO Tracy Mullin, in a news release.

• Make your online returns easy. Online gift returns require some specific knowledge such as knowing whether the recipient or the merchant will pay for shipping, whether there’s a physical location where the return should be made and the correct address where returns should be shipped. Some online merchants have off-site service centers that handle returns that may be in a different location from where the merchandise is sent.