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The December issue of Consumer Reports' ShopSmart magazine has rated the best and worst return polices of 88 popular online retailers.

ShopSmart examined time limits, restrictions on the types and sizes of products you can return, restocking fees, and other catches.

15 Best Return Policies

* Bed Bath & Beyond

* Bloomingdale’s

* Costco

* Ikea

* Kmart

* Kohl’s

* L.L.Bean

* Lands’ End

* Lowe’s

* Nike

* Nordstrom

* Piperlime.com

* Sam’s club

* Shoebuy.com

* Zappos.com

8 Runners-Up

* Ace Hardware

* Bath & Body Works

* Famous Footwear

* Neiman Marcus

* OfficeMax

* Staples

* Talbot’s

* Target

13 "Not-So-Hot" Return Policies

* Amazon.com, according to ShopSmart, has strict limitations regarding what can be returned (no computers after 30 days, for example). There's also a 15 percent restocking fee regarding computers and fine jewelry.

* BJ’s has a great in-store return policy. But the Web site "is full of gotchas," according to the magazine. "And another catch: 'bjs.com reserves the right at any time after receipt of your order, without prior notice to you, to supply less than the quantity you ordered of any item.' "

* Bidz.com only gives you 15 days to return. There's also a 15 percent restocking.

* Boscov’s "has lots of restrictions, especially on big items like mattresses," the magazine says. "Plus there are restocking fees on some items."

* Buy.com gives you 30 days from the date your product left the warehouse to ship it back, regardless of when you get it.

* Dillard’s requires a receipt or proof-of-purchase label and packaging on returns.

* Fingerhut.com "makes it a huge pain to send something back after 30 days," according to ShopSmart.

* Finishline does not accept returns after 45 days, even if your shoes have a manufacturer’s defect.

* Home Depot does not accept returns on some items. No online items can be returned in-store.

* Macy’s, according to the magazine, "has lots of limitations on items from furniture to jewelry. For example, any rings besides women’s size seven and men’s size 10.5 are considered custom and no custom sizes may be returned."

* Office Depot gives you only 14 days for electronics and furniture.

* Overstock.com has lots of restrictions, the magazine says. One example: you can’t return TVs over a certain size.

* "Smartbargains.com is really strict on the condition of the item to be returned," according to ShopSmart. "The package must be unmarked and not defaced to qualify for a full refund."