Online Holiday Shopping Series #4 Price Matching

Nothing is more frustrating than buying something and discovering later that another store has it for less than what you paid. And you know its going to happen sooner or later. Most of the great shoppers know how to go back to the store and ask for a price match. Most stores will give you a refund for the difference. This is especially true during the holiday season.

Being a great shopper means never having to pay too much. Price matching has become a powerful tool for many stores who want your business. African-American spending power has passed $1 trillion in the last year. And you better believe that retailers want a piece of that action. As an savvy consumer you ned to know who is doing price matching and how long you have to take advantage of it. You also need to pay attention to Black Friday prices and Cyber Monday as well. Some of these stores will price match even those ultra low prices. And what is really awesome is that you can get that a price match as much as 30 days after you make the purchase. So after you buy that killer microwave oven or flat screen television make sure you keep an eye on the sales. You might have a few dollars coming back at you.

Here is a list of stores that offer price matching and how long you have to get that money back.

Abercrombie.com (14 days)

• You have 14 days from date of purchase to get a price adjustment if price is lowered.
• From their website, “For orders shipped to the US and Canada, we are happy to process a price adjustment for you if we reduce the price of any merchandise (in the same color and size) that you have ordered from us within fourteen (14) days from the date that you submit your order.”
• Item must be purchased at the original price. This means you can’t get a price adjustment on a marked down clearance item.
• Will it Work on Black Friday/Cyber Monday: Yes, as long as your purchase is within 14 days.

Amazon.com (7 days)

• While Amazon.com does not advertise a price protection policy, I have it on good authority that you can successfully request one within 7 days of your purchase if the price is dropped.
• I actually called and spoke with a customer service rep and was told I would have 7 days to request a price adjustment.
• Price adjustment excludes items sold by an Amazon 3rd party.
• Simply call Amazon customer service at 1-888-280-3321 to request your price adjustment.
• Will it Work on Black Friday/Cyber Monday: Definitely worth a try. The rep I spoke with didn’t know for sure which was hilarious.

Ann Taylor (14 days)

• Price adjustments are not eligible on special promotions, including %’s off (e.g., 25%, 40%, and 50% etc.) and $’s off.
• One price adjustment for merchandise purchased at full-price, which has been marked down for the first time, may be made within 7 days from the original date of purchase.
• Ann Taylor stores are not able to process price adjustments for online orders.
• Will it Work on Black Friday/Cyber Monday: No.

Anthropologie (14 days)

• When you buy in-store, or online, you can get a 1-time price adjustment within 14 days of purchase if the item is now on sale.
• From their website, they “do not offer price adjustments on shipping charges at this time.”
  • Will it Work on Black Friday/Cyber Monday: Yes, as long as       your purchase is within 14 days.

Banana Republic (14 days)

• Just return to your local Banana Republic within 14 days of your purchase (with your receipt) if the item you bought is lowered in price.
• To obtain a price adjustment on an online purchase call 1-800-GAPSTYLE or send an email message to [email protected] within the 14 day window.
• Stuff bought with a promotional discount or coupon aren’t eligible for price adjustment.
• No price adjustments allowed on clearance items.
• Will it Work on Black Friday/Cyber Monday: Yes.

Best Buy (15 days)

• From the Best Buy website, “If we lower our price during the return and exchange period (15 days), we will match our lower price, upon request.”
• Just keep your receipt and head back to the store to get the lower price.
• For online purchases, call them at 1-888-BEST BUY (1-888-237-8289) and request your price adjustment.
• Will it Work on Black Friday: No.

Children’s Place (7 days)

• The Children’s Place has a very clear 7 day policy.
• Item must be originally purchased at full retail price.
• Sale and discounted items are not eligible.
• Online orders cannot receive price adjustments in brick & mortar stores. Instead, call them at 1 (877) 752-2387 to get price adjustment.
• Will it Work on Black Friday/Cyber Monday: Yes, as long as your purchase is within 7 days prior.

Costco (30 days)

• Costco has a very nice price adjustment policy of 30 days.
• Just bring your receipt back in within 30 days and get your price adjustment.
• If for some reason your Costco does not allow a price adjustment, just return the item and re-buy it at the lower price.
• Will it Work on Black Friday/Cyber Monday: Yes.

Dick’s Sporting Goods (14 days)

• I called my local Dick’s Sporting Goods and spoke with a manager and was told I would have 14 days to get a price adjustment on an item that I bought which then came up for sale in their ad circular after my purchase.
• Be sure to return to the same store (with receipt in hand) that original purchase was made for best results.
• For a price adjustment on an online purchases call them at 1-877-846-9997.
• Will it Work on Black Friday/Cyber Monday: Yes, definitely worth a shot.

Express (14 days)

• Express will happily give you a price adjustment if the price is lowered within 14 days of original purchase.
• Only valid for in-store purchases and not valid at the Express Factory Outlet.
• According to their website, “Price adjustments are not provided during storewide sales.”
• Will it Work on Black Friday/Cyber Monday: I am to assume that Black Friday is a storewide sale so you won’t be able to get a price adjustment.

Fry’s Electronics (15/30 days)

• 15 day price adjustment on laptop computers, desktop computers, CD and DVD recorders, camcorders, digital cameras, and air conditioner units.
• 30 day policy on most everything else.
• Price adjustments not available on items that were originally bought on sale or clearance.
• Call customer service at 1-408-350-1484 to get your online price adjustment.
• Will it Work on Black Friday/Cyber Monday: Definitely worth a try.

GAP (14 days)

• Just return to your local GAP within 14 days of your purchase (with your receipt) if the item you bought is lowered in price.
• To obtain a price adjustment on an online purchase call 1-800-GAPSTYLE or send an email message to [email protected] within the 14 day window.
• Stuff bought with a promotional discount or coupon aren’t eligible for price adjustment.
• No price adjustments allowed on clearance items.
• Will it Work on Black Friday/Cyber Monday: Yes.

Gymboree (7 days)

• Take in your original receipt within 7 days of purchase and get your price adjustment at Gymboree.
• According the Gymboree website, “Online purchases cannot receive price adjustments in retail stores.” Call them at (877) 449-6932 to get your price adjustment on an online purchase.
• They reserve the right to designate that price adjustments are not available during certain promotional events.
• Will it Work on Black Friday/Cyber Monday: Be sure to ask, although I am guessing that Black Friday will be a predetermined promotional event that doesn’t qualify for price adjustments.

Hollister (14 days)

• According to the Hollister website shoppers have 14 days to get a price adjustment with original receipt in hand.
• Clearance items are not eligible for a price adjustment.
• Take in-store purchases back to the store you purchased them at.
• To get a price adjustment on an online purchase you must send an email to [email protected]. Be sure to include your order number, and the item(s) that are eligible for the price adjustment, and they will take care of the credit.
• Will it Work on Black Friday/Cyber Monday: Yes.

Home Depot (14 days)

• Home Depot will happily work with you within a 14 day time frame of your original purchase.
• Be sure to bring product and receipt back in to the store with you as you might have to return the item and re-buy it at the lower price. I have had to do this a few times in lieu of a simple price adjustment.
• For a price adjustment on an online purchase, call HD customer service at 1-800-430-3376.
• Will it Work on Black Friday/Cyber Monday: Yes.

JCPenney (30 days)

• I called our local JCPenney and was told that shoppers had 30 days to get a price adjustment.
• I was also told that the manger has some discretion to decline a price adjustment request in very limited cases.
• For a price adjustment on an online purchases call them at 1-800-322-1189.
• Will it Work on Black Friday/Cyber Monday: Yes.

J.Crew (7 days)

• J.Crew offers price adjustments on full-priced merchandise only within 7 days of original purchase.
• Only 1 price adjustment available per item.
• Will it Work on Black Friday/Cyber Monday: Yes, just be sure to buy at original price in order to get a BF/CM price.

Kmart (7 days)

• You can get a single price adjustment per item within 7 days of original purchase at Kmart.
• To request a price adjustment on an online purchase, simply call Kmart customer service at 1-866-562-7848.
• Will it Work on Black Friday/Cyber Monday: Yes.

Kohl’s (14 days)

• You have up to 14 days from the date of the original purchase to get a price adjustment atKohl’s.
• You’ll need the original, dated sales receipt to get the price adjustment.
• The item cannot be a clearance markdown.
• The item cannot be at “Kohl’s Cares” cause merchandise.
• Buy One, Get One (BOGO) items are not eligible.
• The item cannot be a current Buy One, Get One (BOGO).
• Will it Work on Black Friday/Cyber Monday: Yes. I found nothing on their website to the contrary.

Limited (10 days)

• From the Limited website, “We will honor a one-time price adjustment for online and store purchases when an original sales receipt is presented within 10 days of the purchase date.”
• In-store purchases must be taken back to store, with original receipt, in order to get the price adjustment.
• Online purchases from the Limited.com can also get a price adjustment. Call toll free at 1-877-LTD-1963 to get some money put back on your credit card.
• Will it Work on Black Friday/Cyber Monday: Yes.

Macy’s (14 days)

• For in-store purchases at Macy’s you have 14 days to get a price adjustment if the price is lowered.
• Online purchases: I also found the link to get a price adjustment on an online purchase.Click Here.
• Will it Work on Black Friday/Cyber Monday: Yes

Meijer (10 days)

• From the Meijer website, they “will provide the difference of any Meijer advertised price for an item that goes on sale in the weekly ad within 10 days of the purchase.”
• They have a list of exclusions: Grocery items, special event days (example mPerks or Meijer Credit Card events), limited quantities, clearance items, mail-in rebate offers, supplemental ads, Black Friday ads, and gift card promotion.
• Will it Work on Black Friday/Cyber Monday: Unfortunately, no.

Nordstrom (14 days)

• Within 14 days of your purchase Nordstrom will happily credit you if the item you purchased it lowered in price.
• Important note from their website: “Please note that we can only make one sale adjustment per item and designer goods originally purchased on sale are excluded.”
• Call them at 1-888-282-6060 to get your price adjustment.
• Will it Work on Black Friday/Cyber Monday: Yes.

Old Navy (14 days)

• Just return to your local Old Navy within 14 days of your purchase (with your receipt) if the item you bought is lowered in price.
• To obtain a price adjustment on an online purchase call 1-800-GAPSTYLE or send an email message to [email protected] within the 14 day window.
• Stuff bought with a promotional discount or coupon aren’t eligible for price adjustment.
• No price adjustments allowed on clearance items.
• Will it Work on Black Friday/Cyber Monday: Yes.

Piperlime.com (14 days)

• You have 14 days from date of purchase to get a price adjustment if price is lowered.
• Will it Work on Black Friday/Cyber Monday: Yes, as long as your purchase is within 14 days.

Pottery Barn (30 days)

• I could not find any information online about Pottery Barn so I called them up and sure enough they offer a 30 day price protection policy.
• For in-store purchases just return to the store and for online purchases call them at 1.888.779.5176.
• Will it Work on Black Friday/Cyber Monday: Yes.

Sears (14 days)

• Sears calls their policy the “Price Protection Policy” and it gives shoppers 14 days get a price adjustment if the item they bought goes on sale.
• Return to the Sears store of purchase with your receipt and get some cold hard cash.
• For online purchases, fill out this Price Protection Form to get your price adjustment.
• Online exclusions include clearance apparel and conditional online only special offers.
• There unfortunately is one BIG exclusion which is no “Price Protection” adjustments between Thanksgiving Day and the Monday after Thanksgiving also known as Cyber Monday.
• Will it Work on Black Friday/Cyber Monday: Unfortunately, no.

Staples (14 days)

• If the price gets lowered on something you bought in the last 14 days, Staples will happily give you some money back.
• To claim your price adjustment, just see an associate at the customer service desk at your local store or call Staples at 1-800-333-3330.
• For an online price adjustment call the same number above.
• Will it Work on Black Friday/Cyber Monday: Yes. [Update: There are some conflicting reports as to whether the price adjustment applies to Black Friday sales.]

Target (7 days)

• Target will give you exactly 7 days to bring in your receipt (you don’t need to bring the item back in) and get a price adjustment if the item you bought goes down in price.
• Clearance items are not eligible for a price adjustment should they happen to go even cheaper which they eventually will. See my article on cracking the price tag at Target for details.
• Also, you have 7 days from date of purchase to get a price adjustment if you find a lower price at Amazon.com, Walmart.com, BestBuy.com, ToysRUs.com, BabiesRUs.com or in a competitor’s local printed ad.
• Will it Work on Black Friday/Cyber Monday: No.

Toys R Us & Babies R Us (7 days)

• While not readily promoted or publicly known, Toys R Us and Babies R Us both offer price protection for 7 days after your original purchase.
• Item must be originally purchased at regular price to get an adjustment.
• Will it Work on Black Friday/Cyber Monday: I can’t find any evidence that it won’t work.

Victoria’s Secret (21 days)

• Victoria’s Secret will do a price adjustment on items bought at full price, and subsequently lowered in price, within 21 days of purchase.
• Always keep your receipt and go back to the store of purchase to get your money.
• To get a price adjustment on an online purchase call Vicky’s Secret at 1-800-411-5116.
• Will it Work on Black Friday/Cyber Monday: Yes.

Walmart (7 days)

• Walmart will happily give you some money back if the item you bought is lowered in price up to 7 days after the date of your original purchase.
• Return to the store of original purchase with your receipt to get your price adjustment.
• You cannot get an adjustment when there is a difference in an online price vs. an in-store price.
• Exclusions: Clearance items, special buys, value of the day items, or items purchased up to 7 days before Thanksgiving, Black Friday or Cyber Week.
• Will it Work on Black Friday/Cyber Monday: Unfortunately, no.

Williams-Sonoma (30 days)

• Similar to Pottery Barn, Williams-Sonoma also offers a 30 price protection policy.
• Just return with receipt in hand and politely ask for a price adjustment credit if the item you bought goes on sale or clearance.
• Call them at (800) 840-2591 to request a price adjustment on an online purchase.
• Will it Work on Black Friday/Cyber Monday: Yes.

This post originally appeared on Rather Be Shopping.