ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, December 22, 1996 TAG: 9612230094
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-2 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: MIAMI
SOURCE: Knight-Ridder/Tribune
Retailers' memories of holidays past:
The desperate student buys a computer to type his term paper, then returns it after turning in his work. The woman with a big date buys a fancy dress, hides the price tag under a scarf at the party, then returns the dress. The football fan buys the big-screen television, watches the Super Bowl, then returns the TV.
Tired of consumers who treat friendly refund policies like free rental programs, retailers are just saying no. Or sometimes yes, but with a healthy charge to the customer.
``It's a matter of striking the balance between serving the customer and eliminating the abuses,'' said Keith Morris, a Wal-Mart spokesman.
Retailers' refund policies could put consumers in a jam after the holidays, when gift items are returned.
Consumer officials are warning shoppers to check the policy before making the purchase.
``One of the myths shoppers have is that retailers are required to accept items back,'' said Leonard Elias, Metro-Dade County's consumer advocate. ``They don't, if the policy is posted [in the store]. So you have to be careful.''
Mostly, stores are placing restrictions on big-ticket items, such as computers, camcorders, radar detectors and special occasion dresses. The typical 30-day policies on such items have been sliced to seven or 14 days.
It's about economics.
When retailers accept items back, especially those that are out of the original wrapping, the goods must be repackaged and sold at discounted prices. So some companies now charge a restocking fee if the item is not defective. Be prepared to pay.
For example, the customer who returns a $2,000 laptop computer to Computer City within seven days will pay a $300, or 15 percent, restocking fee.
``We've seen too many cases where somebody takes the laptop on a business trip or needs it to do a business report, then attempts to bring it back,'' a Computer City spokesperson said. ``This is why that category only has seven days for returns.''
Three years ago, Burdines department store stopped accepting social occasion dresses without the price tag attached. And the tags are now placed somewhere conspicuous, such as in the armpit.
``People will wear the dresses and bring them back,'' Burdines spokesman Carey Watson said. ``That's unacceptable.''
Wal-Mart, which has one of the more generous policies, gives customers 90 days to return items for refunds, exchanges or credit. The policy used to be open-ended.
``But then we had people coming into our stores during the summer, returning coats and wanting to exchange them for summer apparel,'' Morris said. And in college towns, he said, students bought and returned computers, coincidentally about the time of semester mid-terms and finals.
So the company set up customer focus groups that helped determine the current 90-day policy.
LENGTH: Medium: 63 linesby CNB