Don't Fret Over "Merchandise Credit" Reciepts

Have you ever taken an item back to the store, only to realize you no longer have the reciept? And then, to make matters worse, you realize all they'll offer you is one of those merchandise credit reciepts so that you can exchange the item for something else in the store? Being the fickle shopper that I have, its happened many times. And usually the store in particular has nothing else Im interested in. But instead of kissing my money good bye, here's what I do.

1. I always ask them to put the exchange amount on a gift card instead of a reciept. You'll see why in a minute.

2. I store the gift card with my credit cards, or in my jewelry box or some place safe. Thats the first advantage of having it on a card; I'm less likely to throw that away or lose it. Obviously, I don't have much luck with reciepts.

3. I shop the gift card around on eBay, so I can get actual cash back instead of being obligated to find merchandise at that one store. I think eBayers are more inclined to purchase a gift card than they are a merchandise credit (and they may be non transferrable at some stores), reason #2 to ask for a gift card.

Simple as that. On average, you will only lose $3 or $4 from what you paid, possibly less. It really depends on how much your card is worth (cheaper cards tend to sell closer to the actual amount). I really recommend doing this instead of ending up with merchandise you're not completely happy with.