Does your son need a computer to finish off a term paper for college? Thinking about buying a computer so he can use it for a few days, then returning it?
Think again.Taking gifts back - and expecting cash in return - may not be as easy as it once was.
After years of generous return policies, many retailers are turning into Scrooge at the refund desk. They're tightening return rules, trying to curb fraud and prevent customers from bringing back used merchandise.
They're also charging fees for merchandise with missing parts, refusing to issue refunds without receipts and setting time limits for exchanges.
"Stores had become very generous in their return policies, and consumers started taking advantage of the retailers," said Bruce Van Kleeck, vice president of the National Retail Federation, a Washington-based trade group.
"Now, stores have dealt with a lot of fraud and have been forced to make adjustments to their policies," he said.
Stores have no legal obligation to accept merchandise returned without a receipt or obviously used. But previously, many were willing to give back cash to please customers.
Returns made up about 12 percent of department stores' gross annual business in 1995 and 8.6 percent for specialty stores, according to the NRF.
Electronics and computers are the most difficult to return, especially if they are opened or used. Chains such as Best Buy and CompUSA are charging "restocking fees" - 15 percent of the purchase price on returns with missing parts and packaging.
"I heard about the charges and didn't want to get stuck" paying extra, said Diana Diaz, who made sure all the Sony PlayStation parts were intact before she returned the video game player to a Comp-USA store.
Other retailers selling electronics and computers, like Kmart Corp., give 90 days from the date of purchase to make a return, and it must be accompanied by a sales receipt.
Apparel and home-furnishings retailers also have tightened their policies, setting time limits for consumers to make returns or exchanges and giving cash back only with a sales receipt.
"If you don't have a receipt, you're basically stuck buying something else in the store," said Stacey Cohen, who got store credit for a sweater she returned to Ann Taylor last week without a receipt.
At Target discount stores, consumers without a receipt are entitled to a store voucher for goods they'd like to return. Under the new policy that began in August, Target will not issue checks to consumers unable to provide proof of purchase.
"People were misusing our policy, so we had to make some changes," said Target spokeswoman Carolyn Brookter.
Kmart, too, altered its return policy in 1994. Without a receipt, consumers can exchange merchandise or get money back at the sale price, even if that's lower than the price paid, said spokeswoman Shawn Kahle.
Sears Roebuck & Co. established guidelines for returns two years ago, giving consumers a year to bring back apparel and home furnishings, but only 60 days for electronics, appliances and power tools.
"Many consumers were using retailers as rental centers - buying the goods, using it and then returning it without paying anything," said Van Kleeck of the National Retail Federation.