Return policies at any store are one of those services you don’t recognize the importance of until you need to use them. Any company that takes pride in customer satisfaction should have them, which is why big brands like Costco, Amazon, Target, Walmart, Apple, among others, maintain a dedicated area for this. However, offering them isn’t the only thing; the experience of requesting a return should be pleasant, and returning a product you no longer want shouldn’t become a headache. Some nail it, others miss the mark.
60% of shoppers have returned an item or received a refund for an online purchase in the last 18 months, according to a August 2021 survey of 1,500 consumers conducted by 1WordlSync, a product content platform.
“Data gathered from our site show that returns and refunds are among the most frustrating issues for customers,” stated Michael Podolsky, CEO and cofounder of PissedConsumer.com, a review platform. The complaints include unclear return policies, return shipping fees, and other hurdles.
Here are some of the stores with the best and worst ratings for their return policies.
Stores with the Best Return Policies
While some returns incur extra charges, such as shipping costs, by looking closely at a few policies you may notice there are other ways to return a product and get your money back without spending a lot, such as dropping it off at a physical store.
Costco
This popular wholesale warehouse chain claims a 100% satisfaction guarantee with no risks. According to the company, you’ll be refunded the purchase price at any time if you’re not satisfied with an item. One of its biggest advantages is that you don’t need to keep receipts. Because it is a membership-based warehouse, all purchase details can be accessed with your member card. Even if you buy something on Costco.com, returns can be made in-store or by mail.
Of course, like any company, they have their restrictions. Electronic devices must be returned within 90 days and items with a limited lifespan, such as tires or batteries, may have product-specific warranties.
Target
Target’s return policy could be one of the most generous in the United States. Most unopened items can be returned within 90 days for a refund or exchange. When it comes to returns for the company’s own brands, such as Cat & Jack and Boots & Barkley, it’s even better, since you could return these products within a year with your purchase receipt.
Mobile phones can be returned within 14 days, while Apple-branded products are within 15 days. There may be a restocking fee for mobile phones. Electronic and entertainment items have a 30-day return window.
Stores with the Worst Return Policies
If you anticipate any product you might consider returning, you’ll want to think twice before buying it at either of these two stores. Despite their size, Apple and Amazon do not offer consumer-friendly return policies, due to various obstacles that simply turn customers off.
Best Buy
Although the store offers to cover shipping costs or the option to return the product in-store, the bad news is that the standard return policy for most products is just 15 days. If you’re a My Best Buy Elite member, you get 30 days and My Best Buy Elite Plus members have 45 days to make a return. And everyone only has 14 days to return mobile phones and related devices and 15 days to return major appliances.
Apple
The company only provides 14 calendar days to return your purchase, one of the shortest windows of any company. Additionally, to return, you must repackage nearly exactly as it was delivered, with cables, adapters, and documentation. As for downloaded software, gift cards, and printed materials, these are items not eligible for a refund.
The return policy applies only to items purchased directly from Apple, so if you buy from another retailer you are bound by their policies and procedures. It could even offer a shorter window for their products or mirror the company’s 14-day standard.
Amazon
In theory, starting a return process on Amazon is easy, but in practice it can end up being a nightmare with little success. According to the PissedConsumer.com portal, the company is one of the top complaint sites, recording about 1,400 complaints about the return process, with only a small fraction able to resolve their issues.
Items purchased on the retailer’s online portal can be returned within 30 days of purchase, but there is a long list of exceptions and many product categories have their own rules. Not to mention there are a huge number of third-party sellers on the platform, and each one handles its own return policy, which increases not only confusion but the frustration of not even achieving a satisfactory resolution.
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