'Tis The Season For Christmas Gift Returns
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Ugly holiday sweaters, the wrong toy, and yet another boring tie.
The day after Christmas was bustling at the malls as people who had the day off from work headed out to return or exchange gifts they didn't like or want.
Believe it or not, two-thirds of people return at least one holiday gift.
Many places opened early and will remain open until late Monday as customers not only return but also take advantage of sales.
A family visiting sunny Florida from Icy Michigan stopped and shopped at Dolphin Mall.
"They wanna hang out. So I said, 'OK'. Nothing better than the mall the day after Christmas and see all the people," said shopper Abdullah Al Ethan.
Other shoppers were in shock over after-Christmas shopping.
"We didn't know what to expect. It's really crowded but we have made a lot of special deals and it's like 20 percent off, 30 percent off and we are totally overwhelmed and totally happy," said shopper Karen Richter who is visiting from Germany.
It was no different at Aventura Mall.
"I think I saved a hundred dollars, maybe," said shopper Sylvana Gaviria.
If you're heading out to the store or post office to make exchanges, you should know that return policies vary dramatically, depending on the retailer.
GoBankingRates ranked 50 retailers and said that the best ones offer generous return windows of 90 days; accept returns without receipts and provide satisfaction guarantees. The top three were: Nordstrom, Costco and Bed Bath & Beyond.
Many of the big ones have return policies that apply to certain items. Kohl's added a deadline of January 31st for "premium electronics"; Toys"R" Us imposes a 30-day return period for computer hardware.
Target, Wal-Mart and Toys "R" Us now have new, short return periods of two weeks to 30 days for drones. For the online behemoth Amazon, you have until January 31st for most items shipped within the last two months of the year, but there are no refunds on downloads. Overstock also gives you until January 31st for most items purchased November 1st or later--fees apply if opened, used, or late.
Happy Returning!
