CARMEL, Ind. — As holiday parties begin to wind down, many are looking to return gifts that weren’t up to par.
Experts want to warn consumers of what they should keep in mind before swiping their cards at check out.
Overall, people in central Indiana had a Merry Christmas.
“We stayed home with my family and opened gifts,” said 8-year-old Emma Spurgeon. “I got a necklace from my grandma and a new outfit.”
While almost everyone got everything they asked for and more, many are back at the mall to swap sizes.
“My sister has to exchange some pajamas, so that is on our list,” said one shopper, Ashlee Douglass.
Some are planning to go to stores just to get their money back.
“I need to go to Hobby Lobby,” said another shopper, Emily Erickson. “I have a couple things to return there, but I think that’s about it.”
The Better Business Bureau advises shoppers to know the return policies of each store they’re going to, especially since some shops change the rules during the holiday season.
Another reason so many people are out, to take advantage of those post-Christmas deals.
“I bought a pullover from Lululemon the other day, and it was like $120-$118 or whatever, and then today it’s $69 so I went into Lululemon to do a price adjustment,” said Erickson.
The BBB said it’s always important to hold onto your receipts so you don’t get stuck with just store credit.
“We actually just left Dry Goods and Bath and Body Works, so, yeah, spent that gift card already,” said Douglass.
Many stores only offer a set time frame for returns, so the BBB reminds shoppers to get in the door before it’s up, even if it’s busy.
“I walked right back out because I couldn’t handle that line,” said Erickson. “It was like all the way back to the back of the store.”
Despite the long lines, shoppers said the positive customer experience they’ve had this holiday season makes the wait not too bad.
