You’ve done your research, read the reviews online, compared the features, and you’re ready to buy your next new electronics product. Stop right there! Before you pull out your wallet, get to know their return policy. It’s the single most important thing to know when purchasing electronics.

More important than all those subjective reviews you read online. More important than having 23 items listed on that features list instead of 22 items. More important than trying to understand a warranty that covers everything but somehow covers nothing. Let’s face it, electronics are fun but expensive. It’s not like a t-shirt you got on sale that ends up stuffed away in your closet because you wore it once and didn’t like how it fit after all. Electronics are usually used over and over and need to last a while because their expensive.

I recently purchased a digital camera from Sears but didn’t ask about the return policy.  I read the return policy on my receipt. Well, I thought I had read it. I read the front of the receipt which said that I had 90 days to return the item for a full refund. Satisfaction Guaranteed! I didn’t read the back of the receipt which said that I only had 30 days to return it because it fell under Home Electronics.  So when we got around to printing some pictures and saw that we weren’t happy with the quality of the images, we tried to return and found out that I should have read the fine print or asked about it when I bought it.

So here’s what to pay attention to in a return policy so you won’t make the same mistake I did.

- How soon do you need to return the product if you want to exchange or get a refund?
This is a big one. Just because you have purchased something at the same store and returned it 43 days after you bought it doesn’t mean you can do that with the camera you are about to buy. Most all stores have different policies for electronics. 30 days is common for electronics but not always the case. So make sure you ask.

- Is there a restocking fee?
15% on a $400 dollar camera is big deal for most. Thats $60. If your like me, thats going to eat at you. If you find a store without a restocking fee, I would go there every time.

Make sure you ask about the return policy and make sure you pay attention. If the product is $15 cheaper but the store has a horrible return policy you know what to do.