The amount of time you have to return items at retailers is being reduced – again. Some retailers have shortened the length of time to seven days. It’s happening because of the loss of revenue from shoplifting and theft, most of which is perpetrated by employees. Retailers are losing $16 billion per year from retail fraud, according to the Detroit News. Store detectives used to catch thieves from the outside. Today, they are there to catch runners who work at the store and steal the items. As a result, the 99 percent of us who are honest and who pay for our items are treated like criminals. So, be familiar with a store’s return policy before you buy there. This is especially true if you’re giving someone a gift and the store only allows seven days to return an item.