How to Get a Refund for Online Purchases

Need to get a refund for something you bought online? To reduce your chances of of getting ripped off or stuck with a purchase you don't want just follow these simple guidelines.

• ALWAYS READ AND UNDERSTAND THE RETURN POLICY BEFORE BUYING. Having worked in the returns department for an online retailer that sells women's clothing I can tell you that the number 1 mistake shoppers make is that they don't read the return policy! Certain item such as panties and wigs may be nonreturnable due to health regulations. Some items may be final sale items because they are on clearance or for other reasons. 
• ALWAYS RETURN ITEMS WITHIN A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME. If the return policy says there is a 30 day limit you might get away with returning it on day 31, but retailers often refuse returns when you try to return things weeks or months past their time limit.
• SHOP WITH THE SAME SELLERS CONSISTENTLY. If you have a problem with an item the retailer can look up your  buying history and see that you are a good customer that has repeatedly bought from them without incident and you don't have a suspicious history of repeatedly claiming that you never received your packages or that everything you buy is supposedly defective.
• IF YOU SHIP A PACKAGE TO RETURN AN ITEM TO A COMPANY ALWAYS KEEP YOUR SHIPPING TRACKING NUMBER. If there is a shipping problem and the company does not get the package the shipping tracking number proves that you did send the package to them. If the company has no package and no proof you sent a package to them they probably won't give you your money back.
• ALWAYS USE A CREDIT CARD OR PAYPAL, NOT A DEBIT CARD. I recently ordered some DVDs through eBay and never received them. I contacted eBay and got a full refund. I believe I got a refund partly because I paid through Paypal. The fact that the seller did not provide a tracking number when  asked to verify the package was sent and I have purchased many items on eBay without incident may have also worked in my favor. 
• ALWAYS RETURN ITEMS IN THE CONDITION YOU RECEIVED THEM. Trying on a piece of clothing for a few minutes to check for fit is usually fine as long as you don't leave makeup or deoderant stains on the item (provided it's not a final sale item). The retailer wants items back in a condition that allows them to be resold to another customer. So handle with care when you are checking out your new purchase.

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