Consumer Catch-up: Atlanta airport ripple effect, Christmas shopping rush, gift return policies

Atlanta airport outage causing ripple effect across the country

Delta announced its operations at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport are finally returning to normal. More than a thousand flights were canceled after the world's busiest airport lost power for several hours Sunday.

Passengers delayed by the outage will not be getting a big pay day. By law, airlines only have to refund the price of the ticket or allow passengers to reschedule their flights.

Because this is a busy time of year, some of the rescheduling on smaller airlines won't take place until the last week of December. For many passengers, the best course of action is to get the refund and buy a ticket on another airline. However, it will be more expensive.

A few airlines may allow passengers to re-book on other airlines, but it happens very rarely.

Christmas shopping countdown is on

Christmas is on a Monday this year, giving consumers an extra weekend to complete holiday shopping.

Pleasanton's Stoneridge Shopping Center says with so many shoppers waiting until the last minute, this Saturday is expected to be the seventh busiest shopping days of the 2017.

What will we be buying? A lot. Shoppers are planning to pick up 15 gifts this year. Clothing and gift cards rank highest, followed by electronics, toys and books.

Gift return policies vary widely

Return policies vary widely for those holiday gifts that just weren't quite right. California law says retailers can set any policy they like - and they certainly do so.

Macy's return policies vary depending on what you are purchasing. You could get months to make a return, or only a few days.

Best Buy has a 15-percent restocking fee for drones, DSLR cameras and other items.

Ask about returns before buying. It is estimated a third of us return at least one holiday gift.

Click here for a look at more stories by Michael Finney and 7 On Your Side.

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