"Consumers who are planning to return their orders through the mail ay have to pay a $5, $6, $7, $8, $9 return fee," retail expert Trae Bodge tells Inside Edition.
The Christmas holiday has come and gone, which means for many it is time to return a few of those unwanted gifts.
Millions of Americans are now finding out, however, that some top retailers are now charging fees to return online orders while others have slashed return windows by nearly a month.
"Consumers who are planning to return their orders through the mail may have to pay a $5, $6, $7, $8, $9 return fee," retail expert Trae Bodge tells Inside Edition.
Macy's is charging a $9.99 shipping fee to return online orders, while T.J. Maxx and Marshalls shoppers will have to shell out $11.99 if they are returning their order by mail.
Amazon does not charge a fee, but those returns need to arrive three weeks earlier than last year as the online retailers has shortened the timeframe for returning goods.
"Some retailers are shortening the return window so you want to get those returns back as soon as possible so you can get full credit for your merchandise," says Bodge.
She also tells Inside Edition that the best way to avoid all these fees and make sure you meet the return deadline is by returning gifts in store.
