Canadians who weren91裸聊视频檛 happy with some of their holiday gifts or who changed their mind after making purchases might face trouble when trying to get their money back.

Scores of retailers across the country have changed their return policies to quell the spread of COVID-19, making it trickier to get an exchange or refund, depending on the store.

91裸聊视频淚t is absolutely a patchwork of all kinds of policies that are constantly changing 91裸聊视频� and you have no control91裸聊视频� said Joanne McNeish, a Ryerson University professor specializing in marketing.

91裸聊视频淭his is truly customer beware territory.91裸聊视频�

Shoppers who took a close look at fine print and store signage might have discovered that in recent months Walmart Canada temporarily stopped accepting returns of three or more of the same items and won91裸聊视频檛 process returns for any items purchased after June 1 without a receipt.

The retailer is also not allowing returns for a slew of items including swimwear, earphones, air mattresses, sleeping bags and trading cards, and has adjusted the return period for many electronics.

Costco Canada shoppers have posted photos on social media of store signage revealing the company has stopped accepting toilet paper, paper towels, sanitizing wipes, water, rice and Lysol products for returns in some provinces.

Canadian Tire said in an email to The Canadian Press that during lockdown its Ontario stores are not accepting returns and those in Quebec will only process returns for essential goods.

For purchases where the 90-day returns window expires during the lockdown period, the retailer will offer a 15-day extension to return items when stores reopen.

And if you picked up the wrong bottle of wine at the LCBO, drink up. The Ontario alcohol purveyor has stopped taking returns during COVID-19 shutdowns.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 all very difficult to figure out because websites are not necessarily clear and I started looking at the back of paper receipts it91裸聊视频檚 not necessarily printed there,91裸聊视频� said McNeish.

Stores switched up policies because COVID-19 has been a burden for retailers, she said. They have had to purchase hand sanitizer and Plexiglas shields and are grappling with the demand and high costs associated with delivery.

To avoid being disappointed later, she recommends customers get as much information as they can about returns during the purchase process.

Snap a photo of the policy if it91裸聊视频檚 on a store wall or print a copy of the fine print because sometimes employees can misunderstand their own company91裸聊视频檚 policy and their word won91裸聊视频檛 be worth much later, she said.

If you buy something you later decide you don91裸聊视频檛 want or that you have a problem with, she urges people not to wait to return it because policies could change in that time.

91裸聊视频淩eturns policies are going to continue to tighten up, especially over the next couple of years, while stores recover from the huge expense they91裸聊视频檝e incurred,91裸聊视频� she said.

It91裸聊视频檚 also important for customers to know what they91裸聊视频檙e entitled to, she said.

Canada has no laws requiring retailers to accept returns, but provincial and territorial legislation gives consumers some rights.

For example, under the Consumer Protection Act in Ontario, products ordered for delivery must be dropped off within 30 days of the promised date or shoppers can request a refund. However, if the item arrives late and you keep it, you lose your right to a refund.

While companies are not obligated to offer returns and the Alberta government has discouraged it during the pandemic, many businesses offer them anyway as a sign of goodwill and a way to build consumer trust.

To avoid confusion, Ken Whitehurst, the executive director of the Consumers Council of Canada, has simple advice: 91裸聊视频渁lways ask about exchange and return policies.91裸聊视频�

If customers feel wronged by a return policy they can always take the company to court, although that is less likely to succeed unless the retailer has agreed to liberal return terms., Whitehurst said in an email.

If they91裸聊视频檙e trying to return phone or internet equipment, Whitehurst said they can turn to the Commissioner for Complaints in Telecom-Television Services. Car return troubles may be arbitrated by bodies like the Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council, he added.

If there is no industry association or council to take concerns to, he said, 91裸聊视频淚t never hurts to report the nature of return problems to provincial consumer protection offices.91裸聊视频�

ALSO READ:

Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press

Like us on and follow us on .

Want to support local journalism during the pandemic? Make a donation