Some Brands Are Now Charging a "Return Fee" - Here's How to Avoid It

"It's always hard to know exactly what to get the people in your life - whether it's your significant other or your coworker at that White Elephant party. Sometimes you take a big swing and it's a hit, and sometimes it's a miss. But what you might not know (I certainly didn't) is that sometimes when gifts have to be returned, retailers will charge you a fee. And right now, two major retailers - T.J. Maxx and Marshalls - are making waves by implementing their own return fees."

"A "return" or "restocking fee" is a fee that retailers will charge when you return an item. It's primarily applied to online orders returned by mail, and costs can reach as high as $11.99 deducted from the refund of a single item. According to the National Retail Federation, nearly three out of four retailers charge a return fee in some form - particularly amid the surge of online shopping over the holidays."

Return or restocking fees are charges retailers deduct from refunds, primarily on online mail returns, sometimes reaching $11.99 per item. Nearly three out of four retailers apply such fees, a trend that increased with holiday online shopping. Fees have risen as companies attempt to offset costs of processing returned products and to recoup losses from return fraud, which accounts for nearly one in ten transactions. Despite 82% of consumers valuing free returns when shopping online, retailers are shifting the financial burden of returns back to consumers, potentially discouraging returns and altering purchase decisions.

Read at Apartment Therapy