WASHINGTON (7News) — Some retailers are tightening their return policies this year — It’s because return fraud has become a huge problem.
Last year, there was $100 billion in returns fraud. This year, that number is expected to go up by 2% according to the National Retail Federation.
“Return fraud has become such a huge problem,” said Trae Bodge, a shopping expert for truetrae.com. “It’s mostly from theft, and then people returning the items that they’ve stolen. Obviously, you’ve seen these situations where a bunch of people run into a store at the same time, steal a bunch of things, and then, of course, they try to either sell those items or return them. So retailers are really cracking down. “
Tactics include wardrobing, which is returning used items, using fake receipts for stolen goods, and switching high-value items with knockoffs.
REI recently posted a statement saying that they reserve the right to reject a return. Amazon is doing the same. And if you are a consistent returner, you could be flagged as a problem and your return could be rejected.
An estimated 40% of retailers now charge return shipping fees, ranging from $5. to $10. per shipment. Restocking fees are also going up.
“I am seeing some retailers using restocking fees. This is more common in tech, where you will have to pay a small percentage of the purchase price in order to return something,” Bodge said.
This year, most major retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and Target are expected to extend their return windows for items purchased in November and December — until Jan. 31.
