And bang, Christmas is already over again. While many have been given plenty of presents and are happy about them, others can’t do anything with their gifts. Many therefore ask themselves anew every year: Can certain things be returned, and how does an exchange work best?
Even the Christ Child makes mistakes from time to time. Whether it’s unnecessary last-minute purchases that don’t bring you joy, clothes that don’t fit, books that you now own in duplicate, or electrical appliances that you don’t need at all, when it comes to Christmas presents, you can do a lot right. Still, you can also do a lot wrong. As a receiver of the gift, one often makes an excellent face to the foul play while one considers already secretly how one can make the gifts best to money.
However, anyone thinking of exchanging or returning a gift should familiarize themselves with a few trade rules because things are often not as simple as one might think. Consumers should not automatically assume that they can exchange the products. They often have to rely on the goodwill of the retailer. However, the situation is different for gifts ordered from online stores.
It is not uncommon that gifts are not liked. While some thank someone politely anyway, and the gift slowly collects dust in the box or is passed on, others try to get some money out of it or exchange the product for a “better” one. But before this happens, it is better not to rejoice too soon. Because retailers are not obliged to take back the purchased goods, and if they do, they usually give you another product or a voucher. In the rarest of cases, cash is the only thing you get out of it.
If you have doubts about whether the gift is the right one, it’s best to get a written assurance (for example, on the receipt) that the product can be exchanged in an emergency if you don’t like it.
Exchanging and returning damaged gifts
However, the situation is entirely different if the gift is damaged or defective. Here, the legal warranty comes into play. However, there must be proof that the product was already damaged at the time of purchase. If this is the case, the retailer must repair or exchange the goods, reduce the price or refund the money. It also does not matter whether the gifts were purchased online or in-store.
Exchange and return of gifts from online stores
The easiest way to return and exchange gifts is undoubted if the goods were ordered online. Almost any contract concluded on the Internet can be revoked within 14 days. And without any further reason. This is because customers cannot inspect the goods on-site. To compensate for this situation, one can withdraw from the purchase contract during this period and get the money back or receive another product in return.
However, in all the above cases, to get the receipt or the order confirmation, the recipients must first talk to their relatives or friends who made a mistake with their gifts. And this conversation can often go in a very unpleasant direction. Last resort: exchange markets or second-hand stores …
Are you exchanging Christmas gifts this year?
- source: miss.at/picture:
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