WASHINGTON — If you were able to give a convincing performance while opening a holiday gift you hate, the hardest part is over. Returning unwanted presents is generally not so difficult.
Despite the truism that it’s the thought that counts, a lot of us receive Christmas or Hannukah presents we would never buy for ourselves.
Here are the return policies at a dozen major retailers, compiled by Gizmodo.
Amazon: To return an item that was bought on Amazon, you’ll need the gift’s order number. Once you ship the item back, you’ll receive an Amazon gift card as a refund.
Apple Store: Don’t delay too long, because you only have 14 days to return something purchased at the Apple Store. Bring the gift receipt or the original receipt. You’ll get a gift card for the full price of the item, but not cash. Some purchases aren’t eligible for refunds, including subscriptions to the Software Up-to-Date Program, opened software, and electronic software downloads.
Best Buy: All gifts bought in the past two months can be returned until Jan. 15. You can return in-store or by mail with the original receipt, gift receipt or a packing slip. If the person who received the gift brings it to a store, they’ll receive an in-store credit. If the person who placed the order returns the item, a credit will be issued to the original form of payment.
Dick’s Sporting Goods: If the item is returned with a gift receipt, you’ll get a gift card or exchange. If you don’t have a receipt, you can still get a gift card credited with the lowest price of the item. There’s a 90-day window for returns.
Fry’s Electronics: Gift purchases made between Nov. 17 and Dec. 24 can be returned or exchanged until Jan. 18. The only exception is if you received a device on a wireless contract or postpaid — then you just have 14 days from the date of purchase.
GameStop: If you bring in a gift receipt, you have 30 days to get a gift card or exchange.
Kohl’s: When you return a gift to Kohl’s with a gift receipt, you can get an even exchange, a gift card or a corporate-issued refund. If the item was bought online you can mail it in, but you have to pay for shipment.
Macy’s: There’s no time limit on returns. If the gift was bought on Macys.com, you can mail it in and receive a gift card about a week later. Same deal if you return it to a store. Without proof of purchase or a receipt, you’ll get a gift card for the lowest price the item has been available for in the last 180 days. If the gift was bought at a Macy’s store, no mail-in returns are allowed.
Neiman Marcus: If you bring an item into a store, you’ll get a gift card that can be used at Neiman Marcus, Horchow, Last Call, CUSP and Bergdorf Goodman stores, catalog and online. If the gift is valued at more than $2,000, you’ll be mailed a check rather than getting a gift card.
Nordstrom: There’s no time limit, and Nordstrom actually doesn’t have an return policy, but says they’re handled “on a case-by-case basis with the ultimate objective of satisfying the customer.” According to Gizmodo, “from personal experience, you can get cash back for a gift even without a receipt if you give the salesperson adequate information about who bought it for you and you have a government-issued ID.”
Target: When you return an item with a gift receipt, you’ll get a Target gift card for the amount the item cost. It’s possible to to return a gift that was purchased on Target.com without a gift receipt, by going to the Manage Returns page.
Walmart: If you bring the original receipt, you may be eligible to get cash back, according to Gizmodo. Bring the gift into the store to exchange it for a gift card or another item. If you don’t have a gift receipt, you’ll need the order number or the email address of the person who bought you the gift.
Williams-Sonoma: If you bring the gift receipt within 30 days, you’ll receive a gift card. Without a gift receipt, you’re out of luck.
