Many Happy Returns

By: Ron Burley | Source: AARP.org | December 24, 2008

1. Keep the Receipts—If your gift-giver was thoughtful enough to include a gift receipt, don't toss it out. Last summer, my toaster couldn't even "tan" a piece of bread. I was sure it was toast until I remembered that I'd received it as a gift last year. I dove into my file cabinet and found the gift receipt. Voila! The next morning I was back in the breakfast business with a browned-and-buttered blueberry bagel. Keep and store all those little slips in an envelope labeled "Gifts 2008." res it in a place that you'll remember when that new camera, game, or power drill suddenly stops working next September.
2. Get the Awful Ancestry—OK, so your relatives aren't organized enough to include gift receipts. (Sounds like you're part of my family.) There's still hope for ensuring a refund for an unwanted gift, but you're going to have to do a little acting. When there's not a gift receipt in the box, practice this line: "It's beautiful; where did you get it?"  Write down the answer. Later, when everyone else is sagging on the sofa watching bowl games, get on the Internet, research the item and its sale price. Print out the page and store it with the gift receipts (See tip No. 1). While not as good as a gift receipt in guaranteeing your refund, this ad hoc documentation can be a great help in securing a store credit.
3. Avoid Boxing Day—This year, the day after Christmas will be Friday, Dec. 26. Lines will be long. Tempers will be short. Policies will be tight. This year, the best day for returning gifts, and shopping for replacements, will be Tuesday, Dec. 30, when worker bees are back at the office. On the other hand, if you absolutely love waiting hours in line and dealing with the most irritable and impatient customer service agents, be sure to head to the stores a few hours after the doors open on Dec. 26. If you can't get up that early, you might try walking in the store with a couple of dozen return items near closing time. If the person behind the desk is counting the minutes before clocking out for the day, it might be quicker for him to refund your purchase rather than enforce policy.
4. "Sell" the Return—Believe it or not, some people try to get refunds for used toys and tired clothing during the harried post-holidays. Clerks are told to be on the lookout for such scams-in-reverse. Whether your return is accepted or not is often a store clerk's snap judgment. You can increase your chances if you "sell" the return. Return the gift attractively in its original packaging and, if possible, its store bag. Make sure it looks nice…and new. This will greatly increase your chances of getting a positive response to your refund request.
5. Loyalty Counts—Merchants are more likely to give you a refund if they know that you are a one of their loyal customers. When you get to the head of the return line, make sure to stress that you are a regular customer and will continue to be if they treat you well. "We shop here all the time and know how well you treat your customers, compared to the other guys." You don't have to mention the possibility that they'll lose your business if you don't get your way; they'll figure that out . And remember to smile; if you're the one pleasant person among a dozen "problem" cases, you'll likely get the best treatment.
6. The Credit Card Exception—Most credit-card company–merchant agreements require refunds within 30 days if you have a store receipt. A merchant's "all sales final" sign likely won't count if the gift was paid for with a credit card. Don't play lawyer, play nice. Just remind the manager of the store's obligations as a credit-card merchant, and point out it would be much simpler to just make the refund. Of course, you don't know the exact terms of the store's merchant account, and there's no way the manager is going to review it with you. Your goal is to convince the merchant that it may be much easier and less time consuming for her to just give you a store credit. You can also remind her that, in the end, you are likely to spend more than the credit.
7. Meet Them in the Middle—You want your money back. The merchant wants to keep the sale. On the surface, it's an irreconcilable situation. But a store credit may be an acceptable compromise for both of you. Ask yourself whether or not there's any chance that you'll ever buy anything again at that store.   While a store credit is not as rewarding as clinking change in your pocket, getting one means thatyou will have the chance to get some real value out of that Thomas Kinkaid-replica necktie.
8. Stand Your Ground—A gray-haired spitfire of a woman told me a holiday-return horror story that I'll never forget. She had received a sweater as a holiday gift, but it had a split seam. The sweater had been purchased at a major department store and even included the store label in the collar. When the woman tried to return the item without a receipt, the customer service agent asked for proof that it had been purchased at their store. "It’s got your label," the woman said. "We still need a receipt," said the clerk. "That’s our policy." The woman replied with the best consumer response I've ever heard, "Your internal policy decisions have nothing to do with my customer service expectations." She politely held her ground. Eventually the store manager showed up and she received a refund.

When a customer service associate says, "That's our policy,"… don't walk away. That tired phrase is often waved around like a magic wand to make customers disappear. Again, play nice; just don't play by their rules. Don't leave. Keep your cool and keep asking for the "boss." You might be surprised how quickly the associate changes his tune.