{"id":80881,"date":"2025-12-25T14:20:06","date_gmt":"2025-12-25T14:20:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/80881\/"},"modified":"2025-12-25T14:20:06","modified_gmt":"2025-12-25T14:20:06","slug":"exclusive-retail-stores-now-charge-customers-eye-watering-return-fees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/80881\/","title":{"rendered":"Exclusive | Retail stores now charge customers eye-watering return fees"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hassle-free returns might be a thing of the past. <\/p>\n

You might want to reconsider returning that pile of unwanted gifts sitting under your tree because major retailers, like Macy\u2019s and Zara, are charging fees for holiday gift returns. <\/p>\n

Which means that the hideous, itchy sweater Aunt Suzy excitedly gifted you this year may actually cost you more to give back than to keep.<\/p>\n

The good news is that in-store returns remain free \u2014 but if you plan to take the lazy way out by mailing something back, even if it\u2019s unopened and in perfect condition, it\u2019ll cost you.<\/p>\n

Macy\u2019s is charging displeased customers a $9.99 fee if they\u2019re not a Stars Rewards Member, and sister stores T.J. Maxx and Marshalls are hitting their customers with an $11.99 return charge.<\/p>\n

JCPenney, J. Crew, Abercrombie & Fitch, H&M, Zara, American Eagle Outfitters, UNIQLO and Urban Outfitters are being less Scrooge-like with their return fees, with a more nominal range from $3.99 to $8.<\/p>\n

Large online retailers like Amazon are even toughening up by charging a fee \u2014 which can vary depending on the returned item \u2014 if you don\u2019t use their box-free, label-free, in-person drop-off option.<\/p>\n

\"AThe National Retail Federation estimated that 19.3% of online sales will be returned by the end of the year. Matthew McDermott<\/p>\n

Even if you use a gift receipt to rid an unwanted gift, you\u2019re not safe from the wrath of return fees: retailers will simply deduct them from your store credit.<\/p>\n

So what\u2019s causing this tightwad behavior from stores? <\/p>\n

\u201cThis [return fees] started happening a couple of years ago, I think, because people were taking advantage. We saw a big lift in online shopping throughout the pandemic, and retailers who initially said, \u2018Oh, we\u2019ll pay for the shipping back,\u2019 all of a sudden, it started becoming egregious,\u201d smart-shopping expert Trae Bodge<\/a> told The Post.<\/p>\n

Understandably, these strict policies are frustrating shoppers, with many taking to social media<\/a> to bash stores like Marshalls and T.J. Maxx for charging return fees that cost the same as some of their products.<\/p>\n

What customers don\u2019t realize is that processing a return can cost retailers nearly 40% of an item\u2019s original price, which causes them financial strain, according to a 2023 Optoro report<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m always looking out for the consumer and how we can save money because sometimes retailers aren\u2019t doing the right thing, but in this case, it\u2019s tricky \u2014 it\u2019s a business. People are returning tons of things. Sometimes those things go in landfills, it\u2019s so wasteful and bad for the environment,\u201d Bodge added.<\/p>\n

In 2025, an estimated19.3% of online sales will be returned, and the retail industry is expected to incur about $849.9 billion in total returns by the end of the year, according to the National Retail Federation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

So, if anything, stores are finally wising up.<\/p>\n

Best Buy is one of them. The tech retailer now charges a whopping $45 restocking fee on activatable devices, such as smartphones and tablets, because once a box is open, \u201cthe perceived value goes down. and stores have to figure out how to package it up and get it back on the shelf,\u201d Bodge explained to The Post.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor a tech retailer, a lot of its products are coming from China. They\u2019re paying that 30% tariff, but they\u2019re [the retailers] are trying not to pass the full burden onto the customer, so charging a return or a restocking fee helps them balance their books a little more easily,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\"PeopleTry to resist opening an unwanted gift so you can return it in-store, and retailers will have an opportunity to resell it. Matthew McDermott<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re adamant about returning an unwanted gift this holiday season, to avoid the eye-rolling fees, Bodge advises doing an in-store return the first week of January to dodge post-Christmas crowds and sales, since you ideally want to get the full value back on a return versus the clearance value.<\/p>\n

The expert also advises shoppers to return items in as sellable a condition as possible so the retailer can put them back on the shelf.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can also get creative and sell your unwanted items on Facebook marketplace, eBay or Black Market,\u201d Bodge pointed out. \u201cThere are even platforms like mpb.com, which specializes in camera and videography equipment, and will pay you for that unwanted tech you were gifted.\u201d<\/p>\n

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