Isles buck Hawaii retailers are staving off a national trend to tighten rules about merchandise returned to their stores.
return trend
By Russ Lynch
rlynch@starbulletin.comAcross the board, Hawaii stores seem more liberal than those on the mainland. One reason is the existence of a fairly strict state law on the subject that says that unless customers have up to 60 days to bring back merchandise for a full refund, full details of a particular store's return policy have to be disclosed in conspicuous signs.
Retailers say there's a spirit of aloha, too, and they try to help customers and not be too strict. There is always a possibility of an exception to the rules, they said.
While mainland stores have started requiring original purchase receipts and instituted tight policies such as no returns more than 14 days after purchase, Hawaii's rules are broader.
At Macy's Hawaii stores, for example, merchandise brought back with a valid proof of purchase will be accepted for refund or exchange within 180 days of purchase, store officials said.
A receipt covering the original purchase would help, Macy's said, but items sold in Macy's stores carry labels that can tell Macy's where and when the item was purchased.
Even if a returned item doesn't meet all the conditions of store policies, a customer with a reasonable explanation will likely get a refund or exchange unless there is an obvious scam, Macy's and other stores said.
"The thing we guard against is the people who use it and try to bring it back," said Walter Watanabe, Shirokiya Ala Moana manager. "Or if it's stolen. They say they received it as a gift and they bring it back to the counter with the price tag on."
People who give gifts don't leave price tags attached; that is a good sign the item was swiped off the shelf and presented to the cashier later for a refund, he said.
Shirokiya's policy, posted at all cashier outlets in accordance with state law, is the goods have to be returned within 21 days of purchase but "if the merchandise comes back to us within a reasonable amount of time and the package is unopened" the return will be honored, Watanabe said.
Carol Pregill, president of the local retail trade association Retail Merchants of Hawaii, said the state law is specific and requires clear signs if a store has a policy tighter than a 60-day return period.
If it is less than that, there needs to be a "conspicuous" sign explaining the policy. The law leaves policies up to the retailers. They can choose to accept no returns, only those with a specific receipt or other proof of purchase, or only those brought in within a limited time.
"You have to inform your customer exactly what your policy is," Pregill said. "The customer needs to know what the policy is at the get-go," she said.
But, "the letter of the law is one thing that says what you have to do. If you choose to post a sign and your policy is on the sign and your policy is in compliance with the law, then it's up to you if you want to make exceptions," Pregill said.
At Hilo Hattie, a clerk said there will be a full exchange for other goods if the person bringing in the item has a receipt and the return is made within 90 days of purchase. But the stores aren't that particular about proof of purchase because they know their merchandise and know whether it is something they sold.
Reyn's chief operating officer for retail, Mike Jenness, said the Hawaii-based clothing business hasn't changed its return policy for several years.
"Our policy is posted in all the stores. Returns and exchanges must be accompanied by an original receipt of purchase or a gift receipt and it must be done within 30 days of the purchase," he said. Reyn's always slips a gift receipt into items it gift wraps.
Even without that, the return likely can be accomplished, maybe not for the original price but at least for the price the item is selling for when the return is made, he said.
"At one time it was 'the customer is always right.' Mostly you want the customer to be right. But unfortunately that is not always the case," Jenness said.
