Tolland RadioShack Customers: Use Gift Cards, Make Returns ASAP

Connecticut officials are warning consumers that they should use RadioShack gift cards and make returns as soon as possible after the chain announced it plans to close more than 20 Connecticut stores.

The company may close store as early as Feb. 17 and as late as March 31. The company will accept returns until March 7 and only intends to accept gift cards through March 7.

“The rule of thumb with gift cards is to always use them as soon you can after purchase or receipt as a gift because, if a store closes or goes bankrupt, there may be little to no recourse to recover an unspent gift card balance,” said Attorney General George Jepsen. “If you currently have a RadioShack gift card, you should use it immediately to avoid losing what credit it may contain.”

RadioShack filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this month. It has begun liquidating merchandise and many of its stores will be taken over by General Wireless Inc. and Sprint.

“While Connecticut gift cards don’t expire, businesses can and do fail unexpectedly. In fact, I lost the value on a gift card after a company closed its doors,” said state Department of Consumer PRotection Commissioner Jonathan said. Also, if you plan to return a Radio Shack item that you recently bought, bring it back immediately to the store where you made the purchase.

Harris also urged consumers to inspect items bought at RadioShack to make sure they work.

Finally, inspect any items you’ve bought from Radio Shack to ensure that they work; otherwise you may miss the opportunity to return them if they don’t function as they should.”

RadioShack operates about 59 stores in Connecticut.

Below is a list of Connecticut locations that are expected to close:

• Manchester: 399 Middle Turnpike West
• Newington: 3065 Berlin Turnpike
• Windsor: 1095 Kennedy Rd.
• New Haven: 1455 Whalley Ave.
• Hamden: 2300 Dixwell Ave.
• Orange: 90 Boston Post Rd.
• Avon: 395 West Main St.
• Naugatuck: 727 Rubber Ave.
• Cheshire: 953 S Main St.
• Trumbull: 5065 Main St.
• North Haven: 120A Universal Dr.
• Norwalk: 595 Connecticut Ave.
• Tolland: 9 Fieldstone Commons
• Norwalk: 30 Belden Ave.
• Cos Cob: 160 E Putnam Ave.
• West Hartford: 1481 New Britain Ave.
• Waterbury: 495 Union St.
• Branford: 1060 W Main St.
• Willimantic: 95 Storrs Rd.
• Danbury 67: Newtown Rd.
• Bridgeport: 120 Boston Ave.
• Fairfield: 913 Post Rd.
• New Haven: 906 Chapel St.

Image via Nicholas Eckhart, Flickr Commons