Have Holiday Gifts to Return? Here's Why You Shouldn't Delay

You don't want to miss out on the chance to get your money back.

If you did a lot of shopping during the holiday season this year, you're not alone. Whether you were buying gifts for your kids and family members or treating yourself to purchases you'd been saving up for, chances are, you racked up a pretty sizable credit card tab along the way.

But what if some of the items you purchased during the holiday season didn't work out? Maybe you decided to treat yourself to new boots, only when they arrived at your door, they didn't fit. Or maybe your kids aren't loving their new electronics and want to swap them for something else.

The good news is that most retailers offer an extended window for holiday returns. But that window may be closing sooner than you'd think. If you have holiday purchases to return, the time to get moving is now.

Don't lose out

Chances are, you worked hard to save up for your holiday purchases, or you stretched your budget or gave up other things to afford them. The last thing you want is to get stuck with items that aren't of good use to you because you missed the return window.

Now, the amount of time you have to return holiday gifts and purchases varies by retailer. Your best bet is to sort through your returns, see which stores or sites they came from, and then look at each retailer's return policy so you know what you're dealing with.

In some cases, you may be able to return items at a local store and get refunded on the spot. In other cases, you might have to ship them back and wait for a refund to follow. Either way, there's an end date beyond which retailers won't accept holiday returns, so make a list with those deadlines so you don't miss them.

Meanwhile, here are some holiday return policies from popular retailers you may have shopped at:

• Target will accept returns for most electronics and entertainment items purchased between Oct. 6 and Dec. 25 through Jan. 24.
• Walmart will accept returns for most purchases between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31 through Jan. 31.
• Amazon will accept returns for most items purchased between Oct. 11 and Dec. 25 through Jan. 31.

Read the fine print

Many retailers will let you return holiday purchases at no cost whatsoever. But some retailers do charge a return shipping or restocking fee. It's important to see if you'll be subject to one, as that might prompt you to keep an item you're on the fence about.

Let's say you bought a $20 sweater for your daughter that she likes but doesn't love. Your first inclination may be to return it and get your money back. But if you'll be charged a $10 restocking fee to return that sweater, you may decide to just keep it, since at that point, it's effectively a $10 purchase.

You might also avoid shipping charges in some cases by returning items to a store instead of through a courier. That's why it pays to read the fine print and see what options you have.