What you need to know about returning unwanted holiday gifts

NEW YORK -- After a day of opening Christmas presents, many will be hitting stores and the mall Wednesday to returns those gifts that either don't fit or may have been less than appealing.

"If I had gifts I wanted to return, I would do it (Wednesday)," shopper Shantelle Bisson said.

She won't be alone. Historically, the busiest days for returns are December 26 and 27.

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"I made sure I got everything, what people wanted," shopper Vanessa Nunez. "And if you don't like it, you'll be returning it."

Americans return nearly $90 billion worth of gifts, and if you've got returns or exchanges, there are some things you should know before you head to the stores.

The number of days stores allow you to return those unwanted gifts can vary from 15, 30, or 45 days from the date of purchase. The policy is stated on the receipt.

"I didn't realize that," Bisson said. "That makes sense, because they don't want a big crowd of people coming in after Christmas."

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Many big retailers, including Walmart, Target, Best Buy and Amazon, extend return policies over the holidays.

"I'll be prepared," Nunez said. "So I know Macy's has a 90 day return policy, so I know I have 90 days to return."

You should beware that not all products are included under that return policy.