And which store charges a restocking fee of up to 25% of the item’s purchase price if you decide to return it?
A Consumer Reports post listing ten companies that are naughty (and ten companies that are nice to customers) has the answers. As for the three questions above, the answers are Buy.com (to return a TV 27 inches or bigger, you’ve got to deal with the manufacturer), Best Buy (only a 14-day grace period to return computers, monitors, digital cameras, and camcorders), and CompUSA (no exact details given), respectively.
[NOTE: Buy.com tells me that it accepts returns on all TVs regardless of size; check out its return policy here.]
As for the companies that are “nice”—meaning they have way more customer-friendly policies—stores that receive praise include Walmart:
No receipt, no problem. Customers can return most items to a Walmart store for a cash refund (for purchases under $25), a gift card (for purchases over $25), or even exchange. There’s one catch: More than three such returns within 45 days requires a manager’s approval.
And L.L. Bean:
100 percent product satisfaction guarantee. Return anything at any time for any reason.
Both of these retailers, by the way, also have free shipping throughout the holiday season.