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Six stores with great return policies

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By MoneyTips

Have you ever made an impulse purchase in a store and wish you could return it for a full refund? Have you ever taken a piece of clothing home to try on, only to find out later that it did not fit and the store has sold out of your size?

Some stores may give you a hard time about returning an item by not refunding your full purchase price, but these six stores make returning purchases easy and promise to refund you in full. Even better, some of these return policies are extremely liberal to allow you long periods of time to return items, while others do not even require you to have your receipt.

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​Sam's Club

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Sam's Club is a warehouse club that requires an annual membership to shop for its best prices. While an annual membership does cost money, Sam's Club offers one of the best return policies around.

The company has a 100 percent guarantee on both merchandise and membership. It will refund members' purchases in full with a receipt. If you cannot find your receipt, you will receive your full refund with a Sam's Club shopping card. Also, if you are not satisfied with your membership, you can get a full refund at any time.

In addition to its normal return policy, if you buy any fresh products such as meat, bakery items or produce and have to return them, you can get double your money back or a refund of the original purchase price and a replacement of the product.

Of course, some exceptions apply when it comes to electronics, 3-D printers, e-readers, software, GPS devices, mobile phones and other carrier-connected devices, refrigerants, and a few other specific items. These items can normally be returned or exchanged with a receipt, but make sure to check out the full policy for details. Time limitations can limit your return period to as short as seven days.

​Kohl's

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Kohl's says its return policy is "No Questions Asked -- Hassle-Free" and it backs that up. No time restrictions exist for returns as long as you have your receipt. Additionally, you will receive a full refund. If you charged your purchase on your Kohl's Charge Card, you do not even need your receipt for any purchases in the last 12 months because an associate can look it up and apply a credit directly to your account.

If you did not buy your items on a Kohl's Charge Card or the purchase is more than 12 months old on your Kohl's Charge card, you can qualify for a Kohl's Merchandise Credit or a corporate-issued refund without having a receipt. You will get a refund in Kohl's Merchandise Credit based on the lowest 13-week sale price, so make sure to keep your receipts if you want a full refund.

​Bath & Body Works

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Bath & Body Works offers a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee on its items. If you are not completely satisfied at any time, you can return your purchases to the store.

If you have a receipt, you will receive a full refund of your purchase price, less any coupons or free items that you may have received on the same purchase. If you do not have a receipt, you may exchange the item or get a merchandise credit based on the lowest selling price of the item.

This policy rocks if you keep your receipts because there is no time limit on the 100 percent satisfaction guarantee.

​Macy's

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Macy's offers a full refund as long as you keep your receipt. According to its policy, the store has no time limit, and your refund will revert to your original form of payment. If you do not have your receipt, you can get a refund on a "Happy Returns" gift card, but your refund will result in a credit equal to the item's lowest selling price within the last 180 days.

While this policy covers most items sold at Macy's, it does have separate return policies for items like area rugs, cosmetics, fine jewelry, watches and a few other specific categories. Check out Macy's website for the full details.

​Anthropologie

Anthropologie.com

Anthropologie has one of the best return policies available. It unconditionally guarantees all of its merchandise, so if you ever have a problem simply take the product back. The store will issue a full refund on your original form of payment.

If you do not have your receipt or packing list, you can still return your items, but if they were purchased over a year ago, your refund will cover only the current selling price.

​REI

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REI recognizes that you have to try out its items to know if they will work for you, and because of that, it offers a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee. If you are not satisfied anytime within the first year of ownership, you can return the item for a replacement or full refund. However, note that REI does not cover ordinary wear and tear or damage caused by improper use.

To process a return for a full refund, REI requires you to have your receipt. Additionally, you must clean used items before you bring them in to the store to return or to have them exchanged.

Many retailers, including several online stores, stand behind their products long after the typical 30-day return period most companies follow. Just make sure to keep your receipts in order to get a full refund. Without them, you may end up with an exchange or gift card at a discounted amount due to recent sales on the item you bought.

Next time a clerk gives you a hard time about a return, think about taking your business to one of these stores instead.

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