Shoppers flood stores for holiday gift returns amid rising retailer fees

BALTIMORE -- While the thought always counts, sometimes a gift just isn't for you. It's why experts predict millions will be returning their Christmas and other holiday gifts this week.

A survey by uShip found around 40% of people plan to return at least one gift this holiday season. It comes as more retailers are starting to charge fees for returns.

Bria Turner came to Kohl's after some gifts for her daughter, Ciyana Turner, just didn't work.

"The drum set was just cheaply made and then the car that I bought her [broke the next day]," Bria Turner said.

Since they were bought on Amazon, Turner is able to return the toys at Kohl's, which is something she loves being able to do.

"It's really easy, you can go straight back and return the item. They just scan it and they give you a 20% off coupon, which is nice, too," Bria Turner said. "You get your money back really fast, like probably an hour or two."

But, sometimes you hit a roadblock, like Rick Vincent. He was at Kohl's Wednesday trying to return a pair of pants for a family member.

"I'm going to the post office [because] they opened [the package] up and it said [to return the item at the post office]," Vincent said. He said he waited in various lines trying to return the pants in Kohl's.

At The Mall in Columbia, the holiday return crowd can be just as busy as the holiday shopping crowd.

"You're not searching around the mall for that perfect gift, all stressed out. Now you're just coming here to take care of yourself," said Mary Williams, senior general manager for the mall.

Returning a gift to a physical, brick-and-mortar location is one way to avoid fees. Narvar, a retail technology company, said around 40% of retailers are charging return fees for mail-in returns.

That's up from 31% last year.

Narvar believes expense is the reason why, shipping fees for the returns and other costs can add up.

"It arrives in the warehouse, it's got to be scanned and put back in to be made available to sell," said Anisa Kumar, chief customer officer for Narvar. "There's labor involved with all of that."

Another thing to keep in mind, how long your return window is. Some retailers allow until the end of January, while others can be shorter or even months longer.

Best thing to do is act fast to make sure you get the most out of your refund.

"I like to get rid of things immediately, don't want them hanging around the house so I return quickly," said June Young.

Of course, it's also important to keep receipts handy.

Here are some return policies of major retailers and Amazon:

Amazon.com - Most items, other than Apple brand products, purchased between Nov. 1 and Dec. 31 can be returned until Jan. 31. Apple brand products purchased in that timeframe can be returned until Jan. 15.

Kohl's - Most returns can be made up to 180 days after original purchase date, even without a receipt. Premium electronics, watches and Sephora at Kohl's items purchased between Nov. 1 and Dec. 25 can be returned until Jan. 31 as long as they're in their original packaging and valid receipt. You can also verify the purchase through an account lookup.

Target - Most new, unopened items can be returned within 90 days for a refund or exchange. You get another 30 days to return an item if you paid with a RedCard.

Walmart - Most items purchased in-store and online from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31 can be returned until Jan. 31.

Best Buy - Purchases made between Oct. 27 to Dec. 30 can be returned through Jan. 13. Some exclusions apply, like items purchased with a third-party contract.