Have a gift you need to return after the holidays? Well, that just might cost you. The end of the year is a great time to visit the mall to catch after-holiday sales and spend those gift cards you were given on Christmas.

Before you go, you should also consider bringing those items you want to return.

Many retailers are introducing a new policy charging customers a fee for online returns.

So those Christmas gifts that you pretended to like could cost you anywhere from a few dollars up to $11.99. Retailers like Macy’s, J.C. Penney’s and Marshalls all have return or restocking fees for online purchases.

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We spoke with shoppers who expressed mixed feelings to us about these new policies. One mall-goer Meghan Baker, had this to say: “For some people, the convince of shopping online and definitely making those returns, opposed to going out in the elements and in the weather, and kind of struggling with traffic, can maybe, transportation issues can be a problem, I don’t see a problem with the ten to twelve dollars, I think it can get excessive at some point.”

She reasoned that while return fees aren’t ideal, she is okay with them if they aren’t too expensive. Some other shoppers, however, don’t like it at all.

Teenage mall-goers Faithlynn and Macy were enjoying shopping at the mall with their Christmas money.

As avid shoppers, they expressed concerns about these new fees. “I would be really mad. I would be upset, I feel like they shouldn’t charge you for returning something,” Faithlynn said.

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According to the National Retail Federation, 82% of consumers said that free returns are an important consideration when shopping online.

From a retailer’s perspective, return fees may help to dissuade returns and help offset the cost of processing and shipping. So if you’re thinking about making a return, it could be worth considering doing so in person.

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