3 On Your Side: Best Return Policies
By Jim Donovan
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - An item you love in the store doesn't always work when you get it home. And returning it can be simple and quick or a huge hassle. It depends where you shop.
Dealing with a return can be the worst thing about shopping. And no receipt may mean store credit or worse
"You can get stuck with something you don't like," said Jessica Patel with Bankrate.com.
That's why Bankrate.com came up with a list of stores with the best return policies.
"When you think about a good return policy, you really have to think about the ease of the return. What your time limit is, whether you need a receipt or not and whether there is free shipping if you purchased it on line," said Patel.
One of Bankrate's favorites, Nordstrom, is also a favorite of consumer advocate Edgar Dworsky.
"Certainly historically Nordstrom has been known for taking back anything at anytime," said Edgar Dworsky with ConsumerWorld.org
Next on Bankrate's list is Costco.
"You can return something anytime you want, without a receipt, no questions asked," said Patel.
Just be aware that Costco has started to crack down on electronics, which have a 90 day time limit.
"Too smart customers took advantage of the store and would buy an HD TV, return it three years later, get all their money back and then buy the latest model that was much bigger," said Dworsky.
Number three on the list, LL Bean. For decades the catalog retailer has been known to take just about anything back, even if it's well-worn.
"In the lifetime of owning the product you can go back and send it back for a refund," said Patel.
And finally there's Zappos. You'll generally pay full price for many of their shoes but their shipping is free and quick and sending them back is a breeze.
"Free return shipping 365 days. If you are not happy you can always return it," said Patel.
So if you're the type of shopper that tends to get buyer's remorse, it may save you money in the long run to pay a little more to shop at places like Nordstrom or Zappos. This way you can be sure you'll get your money back if you change your mind.
