Return and Exchange Policy

In the Philippines, people seldom return items they bought in the store. Maybe because we Filipinos are not accustomed to it or because few stores implement the return and exchange policy. I tried it once when I bought a pair of pants for my father. I told the salesperson that I am not sure about the waist size and asked him if I can return the pants if the waist size is wrong. He said yes and showed me the store's return and exchange policy. The policy states that an item can be return provided that it is in the original package with the original receipt. Return and Exchange of item can be made within 7 days upon purchase. The salesperson added that they would just replace the item with a bigger or smaller size. So, if my father didn't like the style, there's nothing I can do about it. Lesson learned - don't buy something for someone if you are not sure about his preferred style.


Here in the US, it is very different. Return and exchange of items are widely acceptable. So if you bought something, don't throw the receipt or remove the tag yet. If you changed your mind for whatever reason, return it. Either exchange it for another item or have your money back! The store will accept the item, with or without the original receipt, as long as the tag is still attached to it. Items can be return 30 to 90 days. The customer service may ask you about the reason, but you can say any reason or simply say, "I changed my mind". And if you tell them that you wanted to return the item because you saw from other store that the price is lower, they will give it to you at the same price. Also, you can use the item and return it afterwards, just don't remove the tag (of course, it should be clean). Wow! But... returning an item that easy made me ponder. How sure are the people that the things they bought are brand new and not just second hand? And... I knew someone who had rashes just by trying a blouse on. Isn’t it scary?