If you spent more than $100 on a nonfood item last month and decided you didn't like it, could you return it?

That's the problem a West Virginia man had with a birthday present his wife bought for him from a southwestern Pennsylvania business. It was a remote-controlled toy helicopter.

Although the refund/exchange policy at the bottom of the sales receipt said items must be unopened and in the original packaging, and a sticker on the box repeated that information and added an additional caveat -- the item must be unused -- the couple said the salesman didn't tell them that before they bought it.

The husband opened the box when he and his wife got home, charged the batteries overnight and took it for a test flight in their home the next morning. He said he had no trouble getting the helicopter to hover and land. But the second flight ended when the helicopter hit a pillow on the sofa. Both survived with no apparent damage.

He called the store that morning, explained what happened and said he had changed his mind about the helicopter and wanted his money back. The salesman stated the store's refund/exchange policy. When the husband asked why the salesman hadn't told him that, the salesman said the information was on the receipt and on the box.

The husband then offered to pay for any damage that may have occurred during the second brief test flight, but the salesman said nothing could be returned after it had been opened.

Sometime later, the wife called and asked to speak to the owner or a manager. A woman got on the phone, repeated the store's policy and said the helicopter couldn't be returned.

The wife then asked what the store did if a customer couldn't read? She said the store should require its employees to verbally inform customers about the refund/exchange policy before they bought anything.

The discussion deteriorated from there. Both women said they became exasperated and angry with one another and used harsh language. The store employee told me she ended the conversation by hanging up.

The West Virginia couple are both in their mid-30s. They each own and operate a small business. They said they go out of their way to satisfy their customers. "You won't stay in business long if you don't," the husband said.

The owner of the store said she also is customer-friendly and that her customers have confirmed that over the years by returning to make additional purchases.

She gave me a copy of a receipt and pointed out the refund/exchange policy at the bottom. She also gave me a sticker that the store places on each box. I told her the only change I would make would be to increase the size of the type to make it easier for customers to read.

The owner said customers have to understand that the store cannot sell as new something that has been opened and used. Even if it works perfectly, has been used only once and isn't damaged, it no longer is new.

Although the what-if-a-customer-can't-read argument might sound bogus to some, Post-Gazette head librarian Angelika Kane confirmed that it isn't.

After contacting the Allegheny County and Greater Pittsburgh literacy councils, she found that there are about 200,000 illiterate adults in the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland counties.

She also learned there are 1.4 million illiterate adults in Pennsylvania and 40 million in the country.

Both the store and the West Virginia couple were surprised at the number of illiterate adults in southwestern Pennsylvania, state-wide and in the nation.

When I asked the husband for advice he'd like to pass along to other consumers, he didn't hesitate. "Really pay attention before you purchase anything," he said. "Definitely do your homework. And always ask questions about the refund/return policy."

To check on roadway and weather conditions before getting on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, call the toll-free Turnpike Roadway Information Program (TRIP) Line at 1-866-976-8747 or go to www.paturnpike.com.

For additional information, including questions about E-Z Pass, call the customer service center toll-free at 1-800-331-3414 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. weekdays. Calls made before or after those hours are relayed to the turnpike's operations center.

And, if you have any problems en route, look for the blue call boxes at the mileposts.