Experts have some tips on post-Christmas shopping and returns. Here’s a look:

If you’re returning holiday gifts this year, the first thing to do is wait — a little. The lines at return counters are worst in the few days following Christmas, but they tend to thin out quickly.

Don’t wait too long to make your exchanges, though, because many retailers have special holiday gift return periods that may offer you more flexible return and exchange policies, but only through that time frame, which often runs through mid or late January.

Find the return policy of the store the item came from, and read it carefully.

Know whether you’re well within your rights to ask for a refund, or if you’ll be asking for an accommodation, especially if you don’t have a receipt.

Sometimes this information is easy to find on the back of a receipt.

With more retailers going online, sites are increasingly competing on customer service as a way to draw in people who don’t already shop online, or who shop somewhere else.

So if you got something from an online retailer, check the site to make sure you know about the return policy — in some cases it’s right there on the home page.

It’s common for retailers to charge a “restocking” fee of 15 to 20 percent for many electronics items if the box has been opened. Those items may also have shorter periods in which they can be returned.

In order to stave off fraud and abuse of return policies, some retailers keep track of how many returns are made by individuals and turn down shoppers who make too many.

The Return Exchange, a privately held company in Irvine, California, keeps track of exchanges patterns at several retailers, a little like a credit bureau does for credit ratings.

If you think you’ve been unfairly denied an exchange, ask The Return Exchange for a copy of your return report.