Call 4 Action: Which Stores Are Naughty, Nice With Return PoliciesStores Keeping Tabs On Who Returns Too OftenPOSTED: 4:38 pm EST December 16,
2008 PITTSBURGH -- Santa isn't the only one keeping tabs on who's naughty and who's nice.A popular consumer publication is keeping its own list -- comprised of major retailers, pointing out which ones have gift return policies worthy of a lump of coal.  Call 4 Action: Which Stores Are Naughty, Nice With Return PoliciesThe good news is that retailers on the whole are actually making some progress this year. But plenty of the big stores have all sorts of fine print when it comes to returning a gift, some of which just may affect your buying habits during the next week.When it comes to holiday shopping, many consumers will compare price and quality. But what we often don't research is how easy it will be to take the item back."A retailer could certainly lose business over a policy like this, especially if their competitor is more lenient," said Jeff Inman of the Katz Business School.Inman is referring to what's known as the "naughty and nice" list of holiday shopping when it comes to individual retailer's gift return policies.In recent years, many of the big stores have gotten tougher by shortening the return window and adding fees, much to the chagrin of consumers."That's all part of the gift giving. You have to be able to return it. I would be want to be able to return a gift I got," said holiday shopper Jeff Baer.According to the website ConsumerWorld.org, which compiles the annual list, you could interpret "Best Buy" among the naughty, because the electronics retailer shortened its return period for some items by a week.The site also doesn't like the 30 percent restocking fee at Overstock.com for items that are opened or returned late.Among the nice is Circuit City, which has extended its return delay for everything to the end of January. Macy's and Sears also got "nice" nods for lowering their restocking fees."I think given the state of the economy, some retailers are going to have be a little bit more lenient on their policies because they want to lower the risk of purchase for consumers," said Inman.To do that, some big retailers are specifically targeting bad customers, keeping a database of who is returning gifts. If you bring back too many items during the year, it might be you, not the store, who's labeled as naughty.To see the "naughty and nice" list visit www.consumerworld.org Related Links:
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