Expert advice on returning Christmas presents

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) – Gifts are open, but stores will still be busy as people give back.

The National Retail Federation reported that Americans would return nearly nine hundred billion dollars worth of purchases by the end of the year. A big portion… especially this week.

RetailMeNot’s Stephanie Carls said searching for return policies online can make the process less stressful.

“Look again at how many days you have. This can be 30, 60, 90 days. “I’ll go and plan it maybe in a few weeks,” Carls explained.

She also has advice when returning a gift:

“Be careful who pays for shipping. If you have to pay, you may be able to save some fees if you can also return the product to a local store.”

The Better Business Bureau has put together a list of tips to make the return process as smooth as possible.

Research retailers beforehand
Familiarize yourself with store policies
Find out about the return policies of online stores
Find out about a product’s warranty
Use credit cards for additional protection
Save your receipt and packaging
Know the rules for returning gifts without a receipt