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Retailers Introduce Fees for Merchandise Returns

2025-12-27

The BareStory

Several major U.S. retailers have begun charging fees for returning merchandise, a policy change impacting consumers seeking to send back unwanted Christmas gifts. The new fees often apply to returns made by mail, even for items in original condition.

Among the retailers implementing these charges, mail-in returns now cost $9.99 at Macy's, $11.99 at both TJ Maxx and Marshalls, $7.50 at J. Crew, and $7 at Abercrombie & Fitch, according to one report. Other companies with new return fees include H&M at $3.99 and Zara at $4.95. For certain electronics, the fee at Best Buy can be as high as $45. Amazon has also updated its policy, charging some customers for returns unless an in-person, box-free drop-off service is used.

A report from the National Retail Federation estimated that U.S. consumers will return $850 billion worth of goods this year and that nearly one-fifth of all online purchases are sent back.

David Sobie, a co-founder of a company specializing in returns, claimed that merchants are facing significant cost pressures and are attempting to offset return-related expenses by having shoppers share the financial burden. He stated that White House tariff policies could be a factor in these pressures. Sobie advised that the best way for consumers to avoid these charges is to review a store's return policy before completing a purchase.

Left Perspective

  • Retailers are implementing fees to manage significant cost pressures.
  • The volume of merchandise being returned is extremely high.
  • The fees are framed as a response to external economic factors.

Right Perspective

  • Shoppers now face new fees for returning unwanted items, including gifts.
  • The return fees vary significantly across different retailers.
  • The responsibility to avoid charges now falls on the consumer.

How it may affect me

As a U.S. reader:

• Returning items by mail to major retailers may now incur fees, ranging from a few dollars to as high as $45 for certain electronics.

• You may need to review a store's return policy before purchasing, as the responsibility to avoid new fees now falls on the consumer.

• To avoid charges, you might need to return online purchases in person, as new fees often apply specifically to mail-in services.

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