European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 27, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                First the Rush to buy and then to Exchange by stars and stripes Ooshi shrieks the elderly aunt holding up inc size 34. Purple sweater. Pooh. How Lovely " a land glance is thrown Al the 8-year-old Nephew who she realizes could not to expected to know she loathes the color purple can t Wear a 34 eventually Shell head downtown to Exchange in wherever in the world Christmas presents Are Given similar scenes Iro bound to Lake place. Every year it adds loan Aller who Holiday crush in downtown stores. Retailers in Iho Mlod sales. England and Germany take Ine return of goods in stride Christmas pro sans thai Are detective Are generally exchanged without question. For example the new dress with one Arm Hal is Shorter than the other Iho appliance that us won t operate or the cake that is Green and Bug molested in these cases the store is Obliga cd to give you your Money Back or Exchange the merchandise in Britain. Juno Doyle a spokeswoman for Iho department of Trade and Industry explained thai most stores have a fairly Liberal return policy. They will Exchange goods for something else give the customer credit or give them their Money Back even if the complaint is Only that Iho product was the wrong color. It s up to the stores. She said. Most of them Are commillar to pleasing customers and iry to be reasonable Aboul their return policies. Doyle warned Hal shoppers Al any Lime of the year must look Tor imperfections or damage in whatever they buy particularly at sales and on seconds tables one of the largest and most respected British retail chains Marks and spencers adheres to a fairly flexible return policy according to spokesman Ronnie Jacobson you can return anything for most any reason As Long Asil was bought there. It you Don l like the color you can get a refund or Swap  me said customers should bring a receipt but i in t always necessary dissatisfied customers always get a refund in they want it Jacobson said. Doyle advised taking unresolvable problems to the the Fay of Holiday giving and receiving also has a tred Llonel aftermath. Local trading standards office which usually is listed in the local phone Book. She said they can enforce the Law and Lake or recommend regal action in Germany the rules for resuming merchandise Are much the same. The Rule is you must Havo proof of Purchase hut Olen Here Loo in will to overlooked in the inheres a of Good customer relations. Whan it comos to defective products customers rights Are spoiled Oul by led Oral Law the customer is Given three choices. He can Lake the item Back to the store and demand his Money to can keep the item and ask for a return of part of the Cost. He can have the Horn exchanged Lor one that is not defective. Things change however when a contract Type of business arrangement is involved. Tho contract terms take precedence. For example your new Couch collapsed As soon As you sat on it. You demand your Money Back. No says the store owner. Our general business conditions slate that defective merchandise Wilt be repaired nol  general business conditions Are perfectly Legal if they Are included in the contract or clearly posted where the customer can see them clauses in Fine print thai Are so uncommon a consumer cannot reasonably expect them however Are not valid. Neither Are clauses which unfairly take advantage of the customer but what happens if the general business conditions state the merchandise will be repaired and it is nol done properly on Small uncomplicated items such As hair driers or mixers the seller gets one iry. If the hem can t be fixed he then must return lha Money or Exchange the product for a now one. For larger More complicated equipment such As dishwashers the Storo gels three repair chances general business conditions generally Are included in contracts with firms soiling furniture or the Lik or by companies that provide services such As repair shops and cleaners. In Germany. The local consumer advisory office  similar to the better business Bureau in the slates will assist in cases where you Don t believe a store is living up to its obligations. In Italy returning merchandise is not so easy. Larger retailers will allow it Only it done within not More than 15 Days of Purchase and with a receipt. Most smaller stores however generally refuse. If you do have Luck in talking them into taking Back an item it will be As an Exchange for merchandise of the same value or More you pay the difference. They never will return your Money. Smaller stores in Tacl even balk at exchanging defective goods. Many Ower will argue that you should have noticed the defect when you made the Purchase. As to shopping at cafes Mark Besich chief of the information services Branch says cafes customer refunds and adjustments Are based on its satisfaction guaranteed policy. Each request is handled individually at Slora Leve with emphasis placed on treating the customer  patrons with detailed questions about the policy should Contact the customer service counter of their local  Ireri gave Tettl. A Brugo ant Mary Netti cd trimmed it this Erma Bombeck it s just another Day ii spans the usual 24 hours. Trafic moves phones ring. Babies Are born. Pain continues. Loneliness still flourishes in a roomful of people. But what expectations we have for this one Clay a year commemorating the birth of the Chrisl child. To want to be children again with All the innocence and excitement Hal comes with it. We want of hear Chimes when we open our Gills. We want to see White Snow and hear a crackling lire when there is neither. We want a Miracle on this perfect Day. But it is just another Day. The Best we can Hope for Are a series of moments. A moment when a child gives you a Crumb scraper made out of half a paper plate and a lace doily. A moment when the Gravy finally thickens and you know you re Home free. Page 16 the stars and stripes a moment when you realize it has been an entire hour since you be thought of someone who was with you last year bul nol this year. A moment when you see new life around you and know that you will live on through them for generations to come a moment when you see your siblings at peace with one another a moment when after 30 years your husband finally stumbles on the right size or you. Christmas became what in is when in was put in the hands of a or firm that created a 12-week Blitz Campaign of so much Joy and happiness you could die from it. By the time in gets Here it in like a rocket that has lost its thrust. Everyone is just too tired to make a Joyful gasp. Let alone noise. The older i become. The less i expect from Christmas saturday december 27,1986 and the greater my rewards. I seize every moment. It s enough for me to see my Mother winding up every bit of ribbon around her Finger like she Cou a turn it in and get a refund. I smile Whan i see my dad who has alien victim to mtg at by decibels. I feel Good when i hear my sister in Law s voice from Florida with noise in the background. I feel Relief when the Turkey leg i hid behind the Jar of Cherry peppers is still there at 11 o clock Al night. I would miss my husband feeling the Christmas tree lights every five minutes and saying this place is going to Burn  Christmas is just another Day it spans the usual 24 hours. Traffic Movas. Phones ring. Babies Are born. Pain continues. Loneliness still flourishes in a roomful of people. Thai s the Way it should be. C Loa anal Flroa times Syndette