Exchange, yes; refund, no

Exchange, yes; refund, no

Exchange, yes; refund, no.

That is the attitude of most retailers along Orchard Road which The Sunday Times surveyed.

Unlike retail outlets in the United States which often have no-questions-asked full refund policies, retailers in Singapore are not so generous.

Out of the 55 stores polled, only seven have a full refund policy as well as an exchange policy, subject to proof of purchase. These include big names like Borders, Robinsons and Zara.

While 46 of those surveyed allowed only exchanges, two said they will not refund nor exchange goods sold.

Sephora, a popular French cosmetics store which opened its first South-east Asian store at Ngee Ann City last month, allows only exchanges, not refunds.

Said a spokesman: 'If a customer has an allergic reaction to the product, then we will allow an exchange.'

Sephora in France allows refunds for up to three months from the date of purchase as long as the product is still in its original packaging.

At electronics and furniture chain Harvey Norman, exchange policies differ for different departments.

While computers could be exchanged within seven days of purchase with a receipt, items such as sofas are non-exchangeable as they are colour customised to a buyer's needs.

At all the retail outlets surveyed, exchanges and refunds have to be made between three and 90 days from the date of purchase.

Smaller retailers are more cautious about allowing exchanges.

One clothing store in Far East Plaza, Spellbound, said it does not entertain exchanges because its designs come in limited quantities, and it may not have something similar to trade.

Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_330534.html