How many times have you purchased an item, decided you did not want it after all and then returned it to the store? Have you ever been told that you can not return an item? Or that there’s a “re-stocking” fee to return it? We often think that we have a right to return an item if it is in the same condition as when we purchased it and if we have the receipt. However, in Maryland, a store may have whatever refund policy they want, from “no refunds” to “refunds cheerfully given even if you do not have a receipt” but the store’s refund policy must be disclosed to you at the time of sale, either by a sign in the store or by some notation on the receipt or label.

If no return policy has been disclosed, then you can assume that you can receive a cash refund for a cash purchase, a credit for a charged purchase, or a merchandise credit for the return of a gift.

If you are not sure you absolutely want an item before purchasing it, be sure to ask about the return policy before you buy and get it in writing.

For more information on Refunds/Exchanges, see the Maryland Attorney General’s website.

The refund policy does not apply if an item is defective. For more information on defective goods, see OCP tip on Defective Goods.