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Clark Howard's Tips

December 11, 2006

This year, more than any other, returning gifts is going to be harder than ever.

Retailers have a terrible time with internal theft and they're losing a ton of money. Stores are losing so much money that they are changing their return policies.

These days, almost no stores allow you to return an item without a receipt these days. That means some kind of proof of purchase. So whenever you give someone a gift, you should give a gift receipt just in case.

It may seem a bit tacky. But that person could be stuck with someone they already have or may be unable to switch the size of an item if you don't include the receipt.

How is it all happening? Thieves will print up a fake bar code for an item and pay just pennies for it. Then, they'll either sell the item on eBay or return the item for the full price.

So when you see brand new stuff on eBay, you may be purchasing an item that was basically stolen from another retailer. So never forget your regular receipt or your gift receipt.

Consumer advice courtesy of