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2016 Times Leader High School Football All-Stars

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LuLaRoe, a direct sales women’s clothing line, grows in popularity in Northeastern PA

<p>Merry Christmas to those who celebrate the holiday!</p><p>&#8216;Tis the season for gathering with family and friends, sharing festive food and drink, and giving and receiving thoughtful (and sometimes unthoughtful) gifts.</p><p>Get prepared to return well-intentioned presents with these tips.</p><p>&#8226; Don&#8217;t get too excited.</p><p>It&#8217;s easy to damage a gift when you tear at the presents like a hungry dog rips open a bag of treats. Items that are unopened and in the condition in which they were purchased are better candidates for getting exchanged. If you know you aren&#8217;t going to watch that DVD copy of &#8220;Ernest Goes to Jail,&#8221; don&#8217;t open it just to make Grandma happy. Also, don&#8217;t forget to check for and keep that gift receipt; it will save you time and frustration at the customer service counter.</p><p>&#8226; Be prepared.</p><p>Take a look at the company&#8217;s exchange/return policy before hopping in line. Pennsylvania has no law stating merchandisers need to have a return policy &#8211; really. So you have a much better chance of things going smoothly if you follow the rules. Some retailers also use a computerized process for returns to detect fraud, so have your ID handy in case you need to prove your identity.</p><p>&#8226; Take your time.</p><p>A report released by ConsumerWorld.org noted that some retailers recently have <a href="http://www.consumerworld.org/pages/returns.htm" target="_blank">changed their windows for returning items</a>. The organization states even though you might have less time to bring back the unwanted gifts, don&#8217;t rush out on the day after Christmas, when most people are heading to that customer service line with the same intentions.</p><p>&#8226; Beware shipping fees.</p><p>Some online retailers will not pay for shipping on returns, so be sure to look at the policies carefully. Some merchants also might charge a restocking fee for online returns.</p><p>&#8226; Keep your cool.</p><p>Consumer World also offers this advice: If a store won&#8217;t take an item back for any reason, talk to a manager first. If the situation isn&#8217;t resolved to your liking, you can contact the state Attorney General&#8217;s office or the Better Business Bureau.</p><p>&#8226; Become a re-gifter.</p><p>Don&#8217;t be like Dr. Tim Whatley in that episode of &#8220;Seinfeld&#8221; when he re-gifts something to a close friend of the person who gave him the gift initially. Try to tactfully repurpose the present by offering it to someone who will use it &#8211; someone who doesn&#8217;t know the person who gave you the gift in the first place.</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>Consumer Watchdog</p><p>Sarah Hite Hando</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Sarah Hite Hando is the Times Leader business editor. Reach her at 570-704-3945 or shando@www.timesleader.com.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Consumer Watchdog: Follow these tips for exchanging unwanted gifts