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Help! Last-Minute Christmas Shopping Tips

BOSTON (CBS) – If you haven't finished (or even started) your Christmas shopping yet, here are some last-minute tips from Consumer World founder Edgar Dworsky.

WBZ Radio's Deb Lawler talks to Dworsky

Podcast

CHECK THE RETURN POLICIES

"I surveyed return policies at the major stores this year and actually found, in some cases, they're getting more lenient. So there may be many happy returns this year."

"Best Buy is dropping their re-stocking fee. They had a re-stocking fee of 15-percent on cameras, camcorders, laptop computers, that kind of stuff. It goes away."

TOO LATE FOR DEALS?

"It isn't too late for deals. You'll see things at Kohl's, if you scratch off a thing you may get 30-percent off your purchase and $10 back for every $50 that you spend."

"Some last-minute shoppers are going to get great deals on TV's. They really want to get rid of the big-screen TV's, for some reason they're not selling well. There's an over-supply."

"And look for coupons. You may still find some $10 off $25 coupons from Macy's for example."

LATE STAGE STORES

"The malls are crazy this week. Certainly this week every mall parking lot is going to be full. I like them just because that's where the bigger sales are. You're more likely to find a good deal at the Macy's or at a Wal-Mart."

"Keep checking the papers. Almost every day there are circulars."

"If you really wait to the last-minute, meaning Friday, I think you're going to find a lot of stuff has been picked over and no one is going to be deeply discounting at the last minute."

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