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HomeNewsTennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance Shares Tips for Holiday Gift Returns

Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance Shares Tips for Holiday Gift Returns

Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance - TDCINashville, TN – The holidays have come and gone, leaving some Tennesseans with gifts to be exchanged or returned.

Before bundling up and heading out to the store, the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance (TDCI) Division of Consumers Affairs encourages consumers to review the following tips from the Federal Trade Commission to help the gift return process go smoothly.

Consumer Tips to help avoid Hassles when returning gifts.
Consumer Tips to help avoid Hassles when returning gifts.

Holiday Gift Return Tips

  • Check on return and exchange policies. You can usually find them on the back of sales/gift receipts, at the store, and on the seller’s website. Be aware: Merchants often have different refund and return policies for sale items, especially clearance merchandise. For items purchased online, check to see if the seller has a storefront that lets you make in-person returns and exchanges.
  • Bring your ID. Even if you have a receipt, some stores require a driver’s license or other government-issued ID.
  • Take your receipts. Having the original receipt or a gift receipt usually makes things easier, and improves your chances of getting a full refund or exchange. Without a receipt, you’ll probably only get a store credit for the lowest recent sale price.
  • Ask about fees. Some merchants charge a restocking fee — often 15 percent or more of the purchase price — for returns of electronics and big-ticket items.
  • Keep items in their original packaging. Products like computer software and DVDs generally aren’t returnable once their packaging has been opened, unless they’re defective.
  • Digital gifts. Refund and exchange policies for e-books, downloadable games, software, apps, and digital music and video services vary by seller. For example, some will exchange an e-book for a gift card, as long as you haven’t downloaded the book. Others require the purchaser to request refunds for e-books and music subscriptions. Most sellers generally don’t allow returns for downloadable games, software or apps.
  • Ask to speak with a manager. If you have trouble returning or exchanging a gift, ask to speak with a manager or visit customer service.

For more consumer tips, or to file a complaint about store returns, visit www.tn.gov/consumer.

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