File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – A shopper carries bags down Fifth Avenue on Black Friday, Nov. 25, 2022, in New York. Holiday sales rose as shoppers showed some resilience during the most important shopping season despite surging prices on everything from food to rent. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson, File )

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pennsylvania) A survey that was conducted across the nation confirmed that policies to return items are causing buyers here in America to keep things that people do not want instead of returning them, according to Media Specialist Jen LeMair. The survey concludes that:

• 75% of consumers have kept unwanted items due to complicated or expensive return processes, losing an average of $78 

• 71% avoid shopping from online retailers that charge for mailed returns 

• 89% believe retailers should extend their return windows during the holiday season 

LeMair finds that the survey listed close to half of people in America returning a single gift or either two or three as the holiday season continues and that a quarter of people that buy products look at the policies for returns before buying something.