Tips for returning unwanted gifts

If you didn't get the perfect gift this holiday season and you're worried about having to deal with the nightmare of trying to return it, don't be. There are a few things you can do to make that process easier .

It's a good idea to know the return policies of specific retailers before attempting to bring a gift back to a store, according to Consumer Reports .

Retail stores are not required to give cash back when a customer returns something, and they don't even have to let a customer exchange the product, although most do.

Some retailers only allow as few as 14 days to return certain items . Electronics can be especially tricky to return. Very often you cannot return laptops, TVs and camcorders once they're opened. Be sure to check the policies on these items before opening the boxes if you're not sure you're going to keep them.

Along with knowing the policies, don't be defensive when returning an item. Most stores understand that it is part of the cost of doing business and they will try to make the process as pleasant as possible in order to secure your business in the future.

If you're returning something that was bought online , beware of shipping costs. Follow the instructions on your online purchase receipt carefully. You'll likely have to pay for the postage to return the item, but you don't have to pay for the postage for the item being shipped to you if it's an exchange.

ShopSmart magazine reviewed the return policies of 88 popular online retailers and found some real winners and losers .

15 Best Return Policies

• Bed Bath & Beyond
• Bloomingdale's
• Costco
• Ikea
• Kmart
• Kohl's
• L.L.Bean
• Lands' End
• Lowe's
• Nike
• Nordstrom
• Piperlime.com
• Sam's club
• Shoebuy.com
• Zappos.com

13 Worst Return Policies

• Amazon.com
• BJs.com
• Bidz.com only gives you 15 days to return and there's a 15 percent restocking fee.
• Boscov's has lots of restrictions, especially on big items like mattresses. Plus there are restocking fees on some items.
• Buy.com gives you 30 days from the date your product left the warehouse to ship it back, regardless of when you actually received the item.
• Dillard's requires a receipt or proof-of-purchase label and packaging on returns.
• Fingerhut.com makes it difficult to send something back after 30 days.
• Finishline does not accept returns after 45 days, even if your shoes have a manufacturer's defect.
• Home Depot does not accept returns on some items and no online items can be returned in-store.
• Macy's has many limitations on items from furniture to jewelry.
• Office Depot gives you only 14 days for electronics and furniture.
• Overstock.com has restrictions such as you can't return TVs over a certain size.
• Smartbargains.com is really strict on the condition of the item to be returned. The package must be unmarked and not defaced to qualify for a full refund.

Gift cards can almost never be returned or exchanged for cash. However, two fairly new Web sites similar to eBay -- CertificateSwap.com and Swapagift.com -- let gift-card holders post their certificates at a small discount and sell them to the highest bidder.

Whatever the policy, one way to make returning unwanted presents simpler is to get gift receipts. That way, the person returning it will get the amount you paid, not the after-holiday sale price.