Black Friday may be over, but Cyber Monday deals are here, so you can continue shopping for big discounts. And if you’ve been buying gifts to give this holiday season, you’ll want to know the big retailers’ return policies in case your recipient isn’t thrilled with what you’ve bought.
See below for the return windows and policies of Amazon, Walmart, Target, Best Buy and Macy’s. For more shopping tips, here’s how to cut shipping costs at these retailers.
Amazon returns
When you purchase items on Amazon — even Amazon Warehouse — you typically have 30 days to return them, which is not a lot of time if you’re buying gifts you intend to give during the holidays. My suggestion? Open the item to check that it has all the parts and pieces, and to make sure it’s what you had in mind. If not, box it back up and ship it back as soon as possible.
If you do keep the item that you plan to gift past 30 days and the recipient finds that it doesn’t work for them, they can still get a refund for up to 80% of the total price on an Amazon gift card. They can also choose to exchange the item for another size or color, for instance.
Note that some Amazon sellers may have different return policies.
Walmart returns
If you buy something from Walmart either online or in-store, you typically have a 90-day window to return it. However, Walmart does offer extended holiday returns for items purchased between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, giving you until Jan. 31, 2024, to make a return. That way, if you buy something as a gift during a good holiday sale, you or the person receiving it will have ample time to take it back.
