5 tips on returning an item you should never have bought
You thought coral would be your colour. It looked great in the shop. You really needed another blender. Funny how all justifications seems to evaporate in the cold hard daylight of a purchase. Suddenly you realise how much you never needed it, how it doesn’t really suit you anyway and you have no money with which to afford it.
Now you have two choices. You can add it to your 15-year-old pile of things you’ll never wear, or you can return it to the store. One look at you drawers will confirm how much money you have wasted on things you never use. Don’t let your latest impetuous purchase join the list.
Check it out
First things first- you can return an item to a store with a no-return policy. Vintage stores are major culprits at this. If you have to swap the item, a DVD for example, for an identical item then you stand to lose just as much money. Keep receipts as lots of stores will never accept a returned item without a receipt. Blunt money know what they’re talking about in their article about returns.
Don’t over think it
Delaying your return will only compound the problem. Lots of stores have time limits, and you don’t want to be saddled with the item because you didn’t return it on time. Return it the next day or the start of next week. Don’t leave it in your cupboard because that’s where it’ll stay.
Be boy scout-ish
When you’re returning an item, make sure you bring it and your receipt. Customer service desks are your destination. If you bought it on a credit card, take the card with you and if you’re super lucky, they’ll put the money straight back onto your card.
If you don’t have a receipt, you can still try can return the item. When asked for the receipt, explain why you don’t have it. For instance, if you have an Aunt Milly and she’s lovely but bent on giving you My First Pony presents even though you turned 25 last year, that’s a pretty good reason to return the gift and buy yourself something more your age.
Tickets on yourself
Tickets to concerts and festivals are always pesky things. You buy them in the heat of the moment and, six months later, you’re expected to still be free, healthy, relaxed and perfectly able to attend three days in the mud. Unfortunately, festivals are often the event that won’t refund tickets. Make sure you check the refund policy of the concert or festivals. In a previous age, you could easily resell your ticket but in this day of scalping, that has suddenly become much harder. The only other way to get a refund is if a band cancels from a festival line-up and you can claim that they were the sole reason for your attendance, i.e. Jane’s Addiction at Splendour 2009 and The Killers at Good Vibrations.
Pretty please with sugar on top
Best way to increase your chances at returning at item? Being nice to the sales assistant. After all, their are only human and are much likely to bend a rule or tell a useful hint if you’re not throwing a diva-like tantrum on their front desk.
What are your tips for returning items to stores?
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