Overcoming Holiday Merchandise Returns

E-commerce returns are the final act to close the holiday season.

January 12, 2022, Los Angeles, CA – Holiday shoppers and gift recipients can close out the holiday season with just one more daunting task -- returning merchandise for replacement, exchange, or a refund. E-commerce purchases can be more of a challenge than a simple return to a local retail store. E-commerce sites each have their own policies and practices, but consumers will find that the return period is usually extended over the holidays.

Shoppers return about 20% of merchandise purchased online, about double that of retail store purchases, according to Appriss Retail, a service that helps companies manage returns. The reasons vary from not getting what you want, wrong or damaged items, or dealing with the inexhaustible flood of counterfeit, fraudulent, and replica merchandise. Consumers may find that the third-party online seller that they purchased from and paid months earlier has vanished.

Amazon's return policies

Year-round, you'll get 30 days to return your Amazon purchases. Amazon extended this policy over the holidays. Items purchased between October 1 and December 31, 2021, can be returned until January 31, 2022, for a full refund. Items "Fulfilled by Amazon" (FBA) can be returned for free to Amazon, but third-party sellers may have their own stated return policy and require you to pay return shipping. Out-of-country destinations require additional postage and a customs declaration.  

Amazon's lax return policies have conditioned consumers to easy returns, but be aware, the e-commerce giant bans shoppers from the site for infractions such as returning too many items, sometimes without telling them what they did wrong.

Amazon offers a simple and free process to return products. Look closely at the Amazon return page for the "See more return options" link Amazon tried so cleverly to hide. Just put your return in a box -- UPS will bring a prepaid label and pick-up at your home or office - it's FREE and avoids a Kohl's or UPS Store drop-off.

Walmart's return policies

Most Walmart items can be returned within either 14, 30, or 90 days of purchase, depending on the item. Merchandise with less than a 90-day return window purchased or delivered from November 1 through December 25, 2021 begins the return period on December 26. Items with a 30-day return period may be returned until January 24 and items with a 15-day return window may be returned until January 8.

For low-dollar items, the cost of returns can obviate the value to the seller of getting the product back, so sellers may tell the customer to keep or donate it.

The first step in returning an item is to contact the seller or e-commerce website, often through online forms that open the communication channel. Amazon's online automated "bot" system is a challenge; phone calls are better if you can avoid the overseas customer service "outsource partners."

If you don't get the desired results or resistance from the seller, open a formal complaint or claim with the website or payment service, or dispute the charge with your credit card company. Don't forget to leave seller feedback for your return experience.