If you’re thinking of sending back a disappointing gift you just received over the holidays, the return may bring even more disappointment.
Americans have grown accustomed to free returns, but a growing number of retailers are charging fees as returns squeeze retailers’ bottom lines.
Macy’s, Abercrombie, J. Crew, H&M and other companies have all added shipping fees for mail-in returns.
And it’s not just the big mall brands, either. Eighty-one precent of merchants are now charging a fee for at least some methods of returns, according to Happy Returns, a logistics company that specializes in returns.
Or at least people will return to bricks and mortar stores for purchases of the types of items that get returned most often.
I am not doing that. Going to get into my car and drive all the way to the outskirts of my city to some box store just to find the item I want isn’t even there? No way not happening.