Gretchen Bossio

The Best Return Policies

As you get older, you learn things about yourself. And I, have learned one very important thing about myself and my shopping habits … it’s about return policies.

I’m pretty strategic about the things I buy. I research, I price compare, I hold my breath, and save. When it comes time to spend my hard earned money I want my purchase to be quality. If something goes wrong, or if it arrives and isn’t what I expected, I want to be able to return it. And if it breaks after normal wear within a reasonable about of time – you better believe I get in touch with the store. And no, I don’t want there to be a 30 day limit or a “you must have your receipt, tracking number, thumb print and firstborn child” as evidence that I indeed purchased it and should be allowed a refund in my original form of payment.

I could share some pretty sad stories of returns gone bad. But, instead, I figured I’d highlight the winners out there! Positivity folks, it goes a long way! These shops will receive my business again and again because they’ve got one thing figured out right, and that’s customer service! I heart them big time and I know you will too. Shopping with peace of mind, especially around the holidays, is a big deal – so check those return policies and shop responsibly :)

First up … Costco! This probably comes at no surprise. I think it is pretty well known that Costco has a divine return policy. They’ll take back anything. There is a window for electronics, but that makes sense. Although, they do waiver on that it seems. I know from experience since our XBOX 360 debuted the star of death about a year after buying it. Simplest exchange ever. Thank you, Costco. I’ve also returned a couple food products that have expired before their expiration date without a problem. Don’t have a Costco near you? No problem, Costco.com is great too!

Nordstrom. Oh, Nordstrom how I adore you. They may just be better than Costco, maybe. Example 1 – On our honeymoon, Dominic packed his bottle of cologne. It leaked. Everywhere. When we were back home I visited Nordstrom and explained. They offered to exchange it for a full bottle. And, they said next time we traveled to just pop in and ask for a sample spritzer to avoid future problems. Awesome, right? Most recently, I returned a pair of pants that stretched too much between washes leading me to need a different size. These were definitely worn, but they understood and were happy to swap me out sizes.

Best of all, over Black Friday there was a sale on an item I had purchased the previous week. I live chatted them through their website and they credited me the 20% savings! I didn’t even have to visit the store with the item to save money. Yep, Nordstrom lover for life right here.

Similar to Nordstrom is Anthropologie. I don’t frequently shop there, and when I do, it’s always part of a big sale. My favorite being when they have an extra 50% off sale items. Over they years though I have accrued a handful of clothing and housewares. Last year I had a quilt get really lumpy in the wash. I think it was my fault :( I had previously washed it in a front loader and without thinking washed it in a top loader with a middle post thing. It ruined it. I was heartbroken. They no longer had the same style in stock, but after I explained my misfortune they looked up my purchase on my Anthro card (not a credit card, just the club card) and refunded me! When they had another sale I was able to pick out a new duvet. They told me there policy was “anytime, any reason”, or something to that tune. Which. Is. Amazing.

Lastly, let’s talk about baby registries. If you can, avoid Target. They’ve got the most strict return policies with day/amount limits and all that jazz. Toys R Us and Babies R Us on the other hand, has a much looser policy. As long as the item is in stock and you’ve got your ID, they happily accept returns. Usually on a gift card if you don’t have the receipt, but that’s fine by me! Mamas can always use a little extra money for birthdays, Christmas, and baby supplies, right?

Are you a stickler for customer service issues like return policies? Where have you had good experiences?


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