As the season's festivities wind down, so ramps up the annual ritual of 'returnuary,' a time when many shoppers are looking to exchange or return their holiday purchases. Fox10 Phoenix reports that consumers are bracing for a less cheerful post-holiday reality: a potential hit to their refunds in the form of restocking fees levied by major retailers.
These fees are particularly common with online returns, ranging from $8 to $12 at stores such as Macy’s, TJ Maxx, and Kohl’s for items mailed back. Best Buy is also in the mix, charging a hefty $45 for opened, activatable devices like phones and tablets. According to a Fox10 Phoenix interview, one shopper voiced their strategy, saying they are "definitely returns via Amazon and so I'm over here looking at how much I have credited towards my Amazon return in the next two days and getting things that actually fit here in person."
The National Retail Federation estimates that returns for this year will soar beyond $800 billion, indicating a significant impact on both retailers and consumers. While some shoppers understand the necessity of the restocking fee, as former retail worker Lacey Pryor explained to Fox10 Phoenix, "It's basically an inconvenience fee, you know, like oh we had to take it back and fold it right and make sure you know, it wasn't damaged," others see it as an unfair penalty.
Ralph Alvarado, another shopper, told Yahoo News, "I don't think it's right, because when you buy, you buy, you pay the price for it," "Why should you have to pay to get it returned?" This sentiment is echoed by other consumers who feel penalized by these fees, especially considering the trial-and-error nature of online shopping. ""That doesn't seem right. I mean, everybody knows that you're buying it off online, so you're not able to try it on," said shopper Alicia in the Yahoo News article.
