Holiday gift return tips and reminders from local shops and experts

TULARE COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Some people may be looking to return or exchange gifts they don't want to keep this holiday season.

Many stores, including Exeter Mercantile in downtown Exeter, have certain return and exchange policies.

"Can't return clearance items. Know they have to hold on to those. And I always just ask if you are not gonna use something please don't open it up please don't rip it open so that way i can put it back on the shelf and try to get it to someone who will actually use the item," said Michael Gaspar, manager at the locally owned store.

He says returned items should not be used.

And when it comes to shopping locally, small stores can feel the impact of a present that missed the mark.

"It goes on the clearance table and then you lose. You end up losing like that," explained Michael.

People should waste no time in taking their item back.

"Ideally people would see what they have and bring it in right away, so we can exchange it for something that does work for them or give them back the money," says Michael.

Most stores have a 30, 60 or 90 day return policy.

Exeter Mercantile and Exeter Flower Company down the road.. give customers 30 days to exchange or return their items.

People should also bring in their receipts.

"That would make the process quite a bit easier for us. We would appreciate you having that all lined up for us prior to coming in. Have everything ready and in a returnable state," said store owner Becky Harlien.

Stephanie Carls with RetailMeNot urges people to double check return and exchange policies.

She says if you don't have a receipt, some retailers are willing to work with customers in possibly exchanging an item.

Plus, if you are shipping an item back, be sure to double check additional costs.

"So, looking at the seller's return policy, pay attention to who pays for that shipping? Because if you have to pay, you might be able to save on some fees if you're able to also return that to a local store," said Carls.

Local store owners say it is pretty slow right now but will pick up in the coming weeks.

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