If you still need a list to check twice this holiday season, perhaps a good place to start would be the recently released annual Consumer Reports “Naughty and Nice” list.

What determines how a company earns a slot on the naughty and nice list? According to Consumer Reports senior editor Tod Marks, the naughty list consists of companies that have “hidden or tricky fees, fine print or generally unfriendly practices,” while companies on the nice list simply “went the extra mile” to make their customers happy.

Consumer Reports is quick to emphasize that the list is not an accurate representation of a company rating; it's more a thumbs-up or -down on specific ways they do business.

Below are a few companies that made this year’s list. To read the entire list, click here.

Nice List

  • Home Depot wins a spot on the nice list for hauling off people’s old appliances at no charge. The delivery crew will also set up and test your new appliance for you, free of charge.
  • Kohl’s is on the nice list because of their “No Questions Asked / Hassle Free” return policy with no time limit.
  • Nordstrom made the nice list for simply providing free shipping, with free returns on orders of any size.

Naughty List

  • Delta Airlines gets naughty marks this year due to tripling airfare costs merely for the convenience of making their tickets refundable.
  • Forever 21 has naughty refund practices: refunds on online orders are only given if they are returned by mail. Taking return items to the store will only earn you in-store credit.
  • Ticketmaster gets naughty points for charging customers $2.50 just to print their own tickets.

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