Hobby Lobby is an interesting store as they appear to sell very little actual “Hobby” products. They’re more of a home décor store (along with arts & crafts) similar to Michaels. They sell a huge inventory of products and have a large number of returns everyday, making the Hobby Lobby return policy important to understand. Here’s EVERYTHING “return related” that you need to know plus a few bonus hacks to help you save money on your next purchase.

1. How Many Return Days Do I Get?

90 days.

You have exactly 90 days from date of purchase to return items.

PRO TIP: SCORE A PRICE ADJUSTMENT

Did you know that Hobby Lobby offers 14-day price protection on everything you buy (except clearance items)? If the price goes down on something you bought, just bring back your receipt, and the item in question, and they’ll refund you the difference.

2. Do I Need My Hobby Lobby Receipt?

It’s HIGHLY recommended.

If you have your receipt you can opt for a refund to your original form of payment, an even exchange, or store credit.

See Also: Michaels Return Policy: Get Crafty and Shop Smart

3. What If I Lost My Receipt?

If you lost your receipt, you still have options (in most cases).

If the item is in sellable condition, Hobby Lobby will issue you store credit based on the lowest selling price of the item in the last 60 days.

Be aware that they track all “non receipt” returns and they can say “NO RETURNS FOR YOU” if you take advantage of their policy too many times.

In order to track your return history, they will ask for your valid ID.

PRO TIP: AIM FOR SAVINGS AT 90% OFF THE ORIGINAL PRICE

The Hobby Lobby Sale Schedule dictates that they continue to mark seasonal items down until they reach 90% off savings. If they have a lot of inventory of something you want, simply check back the following week as it will surely be marked down again.

4. What If I Opened the Item?

That’s okay if the item’s been opened, it just has to be in “Sellable” condition.

This mean it must have original packaging, instructions, etc., and not appear to be in “used” condition.

See Also: Looking for Work? Check Out the Hobby Lobby Job Perks

5. Are There Any Exceptions to this Policy?

Only two exceptions which is kinda nice.

Cricut and Silhouette products CANNOT be returned without a receipt and must be brand spanking new.

6. What About Returning an Online Purchase?

Online purchases come with the same 90 day return policy.

You can return an online purchase to any Hobby Lobby store or you can initiate an online return.

To start an online return, visit their Return Form Page and fill in your order number and billing ZIP code.

You’ll be stuck paying the return shipping charges unless the reason for the return is an error by Hobby Lobby.

For this reason it’s wise to make the return in-store to avoid the return shipping charges.

Plus, it takes up to 2 weeks for your online return to be processed where in-store returns are instant.

See Also: Hobby Lobby Hours: What Time Do They Open and Other Oddities

7. What If I Lost My Online Invoice?

No worries, just call Hobby Lobby at 1-800-888-0321 or email them and they’ll get you a copy so you can make the return.

Be aware that if you paid for shipping they will NOT refund your shipping charges.

8. What If I Received Damaged Merchandise?

You CANNOT take damaged items ordered via HobbyLobby.com back to a brick & mortar location.

You must call Hobby Lobby at 1-800-888-0321 and they’ll walk you through the process of either an exchange or a return for a full refund.

9. What If I Paid by Personal Check?

You’ll have to wait 10 calendar days before you can make a return and get cash back for the purchase.

Otherwise you’ll have to settle for store credit.

10. Can I Do An Online Exchange?

YES.

But it requires you to either Email Them or call them at 1-800-888-0321 to make it happen.

Ask the Reader: What’s been your experience returning stuff to Hobby Lobby? Any tidbits about their policy that I may have missed?

By Kyle James

Photo credit to JJBers.

If you’re not hacking Black Friday, you’re clearly doing it all wrong. After all, it’s not Black Friday 2016 anymore, where the only way to save money was to set the alarm for an ungodly hour and go fight the unwashed masses for that last cheap 55″ television.

The game has changed, and so have the strategies and hacks you should employ on Black Friday weekend. Here are nine Black Friday hacks that will not only save you money, but in many cases, will allow you to enjoy time with your friends and family, and still score a killer deal.

Know Which Products Are Cheaper Closer to Christmas

Don’t be fooled by the ads, not all Black Friday deals are created equal, and most are NOT the cheapest prices you’ll find this year.

Many popular retailers, selling electronics, toys, apparel and gift ideas will actually have cheaper prices closer to Christmas.

Based on the coupons and deals that we get here at Rather-Be-Shopping every December over the past 18 years.

Below are the absolute best days to shop this year in order to maximize your savings.

2024 Predictions:

Christmas Toys: Saturday, December 7th.
Stocking Stuffers: Wednesday, December 4th.
Apparel and Shoes: Saturday, December 14th. (Free Shipping Day)
HDTV’s: Weekend of December 1 – 3rd.
Tools & Hardware: Friday, December 6th.
Laptops: Saturday, December 7th.
PS4 and Xbox: December 12th-15th.
Winter Apparel: Saturday, December 14th.
Jewelry/Wedding Bands: December 4 – 25th.
Fitness Gear: Tuesday, December 3rd.
Kitchen Stuff: Saturday, December 14th.

In most cases, these days will definitely give you “better than Black Friday” prices.

For more info, check out our article: The Absolute BEST Days to Shop Between Now and Christmas to Score a Deal 

PRO TIP: SHOP ONLINE…THEN HIT UP LIVE CHAT

When shopping online the week of Black Friday, and all the way through Cyber Monday (December 2nd), you’re bound to run into a situation where the price, or shipping charge, is a little higher than you were expecting. It’s times like this where you’ll be happy you stumbled upon this article.

Simply hit up the live chat feature that many online retailers employ and politely ask the operator for a coupon for free shipping or a percent off your purchase.

Dumb & Smart Black Friday Buys

First, the Dumb Buys:

Name Brand (Quality) Televisions.

Don’t buy on Black Friday. Sure there are always some screaming deals on TV’s on Black Friday.

The problem is the brands you’ll find on sale are typically unrecognizable. Along with the 3rd tier brands are questionable specs and quality.

If you’re a college student and looking for a disposable TV from Best Buy for your dorm room you’ll want to head out BF morning.

If you’re looking for a quality TV that will hold up for the long run, you’ll want to look for deals right after Christmas through February.

The reasoning is new models are typically released in late January at the Consumer Electronics Shows in Vegas. Plus, sellers always offer sweet deals around the Super Bowl.

Both of these reasons will help you score a sweet deal on a high quality brand like Sony, Samsung, and Panasonic.

Christmas Toys

Don’t buy on Black Friday. Instead, wait until 9-10 days before Christmas as that’s when prices are notoriously lower than on BF weekend.

Sure, you might see some deals sprinkled in the Black Friday ads but none as good if you wait a couple weeks.

Also, shop at Costco for toy deals, more on that later.

PRO TIP: SHOPPING FOR TOYS? HEAD TO COSTCO

When most shoppers think about buying Christmas toys, they think Amazon, Walmart, Target, and Toys R Us. But when it comes to finding the best prices on popular toys this year, your first stop should be at Costco.

In Christmases past, they have consistently beat the price of the competition on popular brands like NERF, Melissa & Doug, Fisher-Price, KidKraft, Disney, Hello Kitty, Star Wars, and Maxim to name a few.

Don’t believe me? Use the Amazon app to do a quick price comparison at Costco, you’ll find their prices to be 15-40% cheaper than Amazon. While they might not have the largest selection in the world, the popular toys that they do offer are consistently cheaper than the competition plus their return policy lets you return pretty much anything with no time exception.

Fitness Equipment

Don’t buy on Black Friday. Always wait until January to shop for fitness equipment.

Retailers notoriously offer some great sales and incentives to folks looking to get in shape as a New Year’s resolution.

Look for products like elliptical machines, treadmills, and weight machines to be offered at up to 50% off in early January at Sports Authority and Dick’s Sporting Goods.

Winter Apparel

Don’t buy on Black Friday.

Deals will NOT be abundant in late November as retailers take advantage of a cold and captive audience for jackets, hoodies, boots, and parkas.

When it comes to scoring deals on apparel, the general rule is that it is always the most expensive during the season it is being worn.

Wait until the last few weeks of winter and you’ll easily save 50% off that next coat or pair of boots.

Large Appliances

Don’t buy on Black Friday.

New model refrigerators, dishwashers, and ovens hit the sales floor in September and October.

Because of this, you might be able to find a good deal on last year’s models on Black Friday but new models are typically not discounted very much.

Smaller kitchen appliances like microwaves, blenders, and mini fridges will be on sale at Home Depot and Lowe’s.

Tools and Hardware

Don’t buy on Black Friday.

Unless you absolutely need them, power tools are a much better deal during the few weeks leading up to Father’s Day.

Our research has shown that Father’s Day coupons and sales on cordless drills, table saws, routers, and the like, are 30% better than Black Friday weekend.

If you can afford to wait you’ll save some significant money.

DSLR Cameras

Don’t buy on Black Friday.

Buy your high-end DSLR camera in February after the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas.

You’ll be able to score a sweet deal on last seasons model as retailer discount them heavily in order to make room for the newest and greatest models.

Also, if a slick little ‘point and shoot’ digital camera is in your future, then there will be plenty of deals to pick from on Black Friday.

See Also: 8 Insider Tips to Save BIG on Cyber Monday

And, of course, the smart buys…

The Smart Black Friday Buys:

3rd Tier Televisions

Buy on Black Friday.

Many of your door-buster BF deals are on 3rd tier HDTVs, also known as “off brand” televisions.

Last year saw some pretty crazy deals. 42″ HDTV’s in the $90-100 range.

But be prepared to settle for brands you have never heard of in most cases.

A Best Buy employee actually just told me that most of the door-buster TV’s they get for Black Friday are specifically made for that day and are not of good enough quality to stock all year long. Yes, the deals are often amazing but know what you are getting. Buyer beware.

Clearance Apparel

Buy on Black Friday.

Retailers really start slashing their fall clothing lines every Black Friday weekend.

We are talking like 65% to 75% off at stores like Old Navy, American Eagle, Kohl’s, Macy’s and Lands’ End.

My wife and I regularly stock up for our 3 kids on Black Friday.

We’ll buy a size or 2 up and store until the following autumn. With savings in the 75-80% off range it just makes sense.

Plus, if you prefer to stay at home on Black Friday and sleep in, just shop on Cyber Monday when you’ll see the best online coupons of the year at online clothing and apparel retailers.

Budget Laptops (and Chrome Books)

Buy on Black Friday.

Last BF we saw quality budget laptops from Dell ($98 at Best Buy) and the 14″ Chromebook for under $75.

Look for similar, or better, deals this year.

These systems usually come equipped with a 14″ or 15″ screen and a dual core processor and RAM in the 2-4 GB range.

If you’re not doing any serious gaming, video editing, or going to be running a bunch of programs at once, they will definitely suffice.

Tablets

Buy on Black Friday.

Tablets from brands like Samsung, Microsoft, and Lenovo have been a major draw in recent years and the deals have been pretty amazing.

This year look for the Samsung Galaxy tablet to drop to below $80 on Black Friday.

Also, Amazon.com will be running big deals on their Kindle Fire tablet.

Black Friday is an excellent day to score a deal. Also, look for the iPad Air Pro to be $100 off at Best Buy.

Apple Products (Except the Newest iPhone)

Buy on Black Friday.

Most years there’s only one day when Apple products go on sale almost across the board.

Any guesses? Yes, it was Black Friday.

The discounts were modest but definitely noteworthy: $41 off the iPad Air and iPad 2, $21 off the iPod touch, $101 off the MacBook Air, $101 off the MacBook Pro with Retina display and $101 off the popular iMac.

Just be sure to not shop at the Apple Store as deals at stores like Walmart and Best Buy will be better.

Look for both retailers to offer significant gift cards with an Apple purchase to entice Black Friday shoppers.

Home/Kitchen Goods & Decor

Buy on Black Friday.

Deals are always abundant on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Great time to stock up if you’re not brand specific.

You might not find a screaming deal on All Clad and Calphalon but cheaper brands will really have their prices slashed.

Xbox and PS5 Games

Buy on Black Friday.

According to many gaming websites the single best day to pick up a screaming deal on new and older games is on Black Friday weekend.

Look for new titles to drop by 20-30% and older titles to really be cleared out and sold for up to 75% off.

Also, if you are cool with pre-owned titles Gamestop will probably offer the same offer as last year of “Buy 2 used products, get 1 Free”.

Perhaps you’d rather avoid the Black Frenzy frenzy altogether, keep reading…

Stay in Bed and STILL Score a Deal

Perhaps my favorite way to hack Black Friday and score a deal is to shop on eBay the few days after BF.

The reason is simple, yet often overlooked. Many “wanna-be entrepreneurs” will stand in line for hours, or days, to snatch up the VERY limited number of door-buster deals.

They’ll then try to turn a quick profit by placing their loot on eBay for a quick sale via an auction.

But those familiar with supply & demand realize the market gets a bit saturated and thus you can buy the item for just a fraction more than if you stood in line for hours.

This works best for small electronics, laptops, HDTVs, Blu-ray movies, external hard drives, flash drives, and smartphone accessories.

Early Bird Gets the Worm

By “early bird”, I’m not talking about being the first one through the doors on Thanksgiving or Black Friday.

I’m talking about shopping on the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before Black Friday and scoring a deal.

In many cases, you can get the same deal you’d get by camping in a ridiculously long line on Thanksgiving or the Friday after.

For example, I was recently talking to a loyal Home Depot shopper and she informed me that she shops their right before every Black Friday and scores some amazing savings.

She said they put Black Friday “teasers” in the aisles towards the front of the store and last year she got a mini-fridge for $98 (regularly $159) and the year before that she scored a Ryobi Drill set for $99 (regularly $149).

Skip the crowd, shop early, and get the same deal as Black Friday shoppers.

Besides Home Depot, look for these Black Friday teasers in Walmart, Target, Michaels, Office Depot, Best Buy, and Toys R Us.

Say “Alexa, What Are Your Black Friday Deals?”

Try this on or before November 26th and Alexa will tell you to be patient.

Ask her on November 29th and she’ll tell you about a bunch of exclusive Black Friday deals from Amazon that’ll save you a wad of cash.

You’ll even be able to buy the item with your voice and not have to waste an ounce of energy.

If you’re like me, and still in a turkey and pumpkin pie comma, you’ll appreciate this.

Abandon your Virtual Shopping Cart

During the week before Black Friday this year, try filling your virtual shopping cart with merchandise, then logout of your account.

By doing so, in many cases, it will trigger an automated coupon sent to your inbox pleading for you to come back and complete your purchase with the coupon.

Coupons are often for free shipping, 10%, 15% and even 20% off your purchase.

Here are 17 popular retailers that have been known to send you a coupon after you abandon your cart.

The key is to register with the site so they have your email address. Give it a try this year.

Final Note

In the end, remember that most Black Friday deals will be available online this year.

The only exception is the five door-buster HDTV’s that Best Buy and Walmart will have really cheap for those willing to camp-out for a hours.

Totally not worth it, as those 3rd tier models are garbage.

I was even told by a Best Buy employee that they’re made specifically for Black Friday with inferior parts.

So in the end, in terms of quality, they may not be worth the cheap price tag.

Happy savings.

By Kyle James

Photo credit to m01229.

I keep hearing in the news that online scammers are out in full force this year. So I figured it was time to write a post on how to protect your personal information, especially your credit card information. If you are planning on doing any online shopping between now and Christmas morning you need to read this post. After all, a great deal or coupon ain’t worth a darn thing if your personal info is compromised in the process. Here are five very prevalent scam tactics you need to be aware of so you can protect yourself this holiday season.

Phishing Emails

The above photo is of an actual email sent out to look like a real Amazon email telling folks about their ‘Deal of the Day’.

Pretty well done, huh? But once the receiver of this bogus email moused over a link they saw that the url pointed to an ED pill website.

Be wary of any promotional email you receive that you don’t recall signing up for as there’s a good chance it’s bogus and “fishing” for your private information.

Never click on a link in an email or open an email attachment unless you know with 100% certainty who the email came from.

Email Examples to be Aware of Include:

“Click to Verify” Emails

For example, an email saying that your order has been shipped with “XYZ retailer” and you need to click on a link to verify your delivery address.

The sender knows that .03% of the spam emails they send out actually has a recipient that placed an order with XYZ.

They are banking on that person clicking on the link and verifying their address and probably credit card information as well.

If you actually did place a recent order with XYZ retailer and get an email like this, go to their website and log-in or call their customer service department and see if you have any messages and if you actually need to verify something.

Do NOT click on any link within the email.

See Also: Did Your Amazon Account Get Hacked? 6 Things To Do Immediately

“Last Chance” Emails

An email saying that today is your last chance before Christmas to save 40% off at a major retailer like Amazon.com, Walmart.com. or Best Buy.com.

Followed by something like, “Just click this link to add the coupon to your online store account.”

Again, if it sounds to good to be true, it is. The scumbag sender is digging for your account log-in ID and password in the hopes of getting to your credit card information.

“From eBay or Apple” Emails

Also, be wary of emails claiming to be from eBay and Apple.

There are some really authentic looking ones floating around right now. They typically ask you to verify your recent purchase or delivery information.

Never trust an email like this, always go directly to ebay.com or the Apple Store website from your browser and log-in to your account.

Take a look at the email above claiming to be from Apple. In particular, look at the red circle and the bogus email address it supposedly came from, this is a BIG red flag.

That is the only place you should be verifying anything having to do with your account or personal information.

Price Is Too Good to Be True

While this tip seems completely obvious, many consumers still fall for it, otherwise online scammers would have moved on to a different strategy a long time ago.

If you get an email or are on a website and the price of the product is substantially lower than anywhere else, and you have never heard of the seller, the red flag in your brain should be raised.

Always follow your gut instincts as it’s right a majority of the time.

If you’re concerned about the legitimacy of a retailer or seller, I suggest checking out their track record with the BBB and do a quick Google search for any reviews.

The prospect of a great deal is never worth compromising your personal information or credit card number.

See Also: Guide to Using AI to Save on Black Friday and Cyber Monday

Funny Looking Website

If you somehow end up on a site called Amazan, and it looks very similar to Amazon.com, get the heck out of dodge and leave the site ASAP.

While this example is kinda simplistic, you would be blown away with the number scam sites that are set-up to look identical to legit online retailers.

While the spam team at Google is getting better at detecting these sites and keeping them out of your search results, they still slip though the cracks from time to time.

When trying to figure out if a website is legit, look for these signals:

– Does the website have a contact us section or page with an actual phone number or mailing address? Can you call and talk to someone? If the website in question gives you ZERO possible ways of getting in touch with them, they are probably not legit.

– Does the URL at the top of your web browser turn from http:// to https:// when you’re on the payment page? If it does not, then the site is NOT secure and you shouldn’t enter your credit card information under any circumstances.

– Does the website have grammatical errors along with pictures and item descriptions that aren’t professional in nature? If it does, the site was undoubtedly hastily thrown together and NOT to be trusted.

Password Protect Your Smartphone

I read an article recently about a lady who set her iPhone down on a table at Starbucks and walked up to get her drink and add various creams and spices to it.

In that short period of time when she wasn’t paying attention, a horrible person was able to use her phone to get her credit card information off a shopping app.

So you’re probably saying, “Why would she leave her phone just sitting there for anyone to take?”

Good question, but I can honestly say that I leave my phone unattended way too often.

Whether it be at my son’s basketball practice when I don’t have pockets in my shorts, or on the driver’s seat when I walk into the gas station to pay, it’ll inevitably happen.

The solution: Always password protect your smartphone so would-be thieves can’t get access to your personal information.

It’s also really smart to create strong passwords for all your email and shopping accounts.

Beware of Gift Card Scams

In the past I’ve talked about buying “discounted” gift cards, but if you’re planning on buying a gift card or two as Christmas gifts this year, you should proceed with caution.

Purchasing discounted gift cards from auction sites like eBay or Craigslist has a risk associated with it.

If the gift card you buy is stolen or fraudulent it is going to be canceled by the merchant before it can be redeemed.

The risk is much higher during the holiday season as scammers know that the demand for gift cards is greatly increased.

Avoid this risk altogether and only buy gift cards directly from the retailer or from authorized sellers like drugstores, department stores, and discount stores.

Ask the Reader: Have you or someone you know fell victim to one of these online scams?

Image courtesy of: Tim Parkinson, spamwars.com

By Kyle James