Returning your purchases doesn’t have to be a headache. Some stores have amazing return policies make it easy and breezy, so you can shop risk-free.
Did you know you can return Cat & Jack leggings to Target for up to 365 days, even if your kids have worn holes in the knees? Or that you can return Costco items whenever you want, even if it’s years later? This is not a drill — both of these return facts are totally true. Some store return policies are definitely better than others, but you may not know exactly how good they really are.
We rounded up 15 of the best store return policies you have to see to believe. From returning dead plants and rotten veggies to worn clothing and used cosmetics, these are the stores with Krazy return policies that get a 10/10 in our book.
Before we get started, be sure to download The Krazy Coupon Lady app for updates on all the best deals and savings tips at these stores.
1. Costco literally gives you forever to make returns.
Don’t like something you bought at Costco? You can return it for a full refund. Even if it’s a bag of half-eaten food. Even if you don’t have a receipt.
Costco is definitely one of the stores with the best return policies. There’s no time limit on the Costco return policy, and their “Risk-Free, 100% Satisfaction Guarantee” covers almost everything at Costco. You can even return gift cards and prescriptions (unlike at Sam’s Club). The exception? Electronics. You have 90 days to return electronics to Costco (think TVs, computers, tablets, cameras, and major appliances). Otherwise, take all the time you need.
Other stores that don’t have a limit on the return window include:
Related: A full list of stores with ridiculously long return windows
2. You can return Target brands for up to a year — even used.
It’s totally true. Whether it’s some Cat & Jack leggings that have holes in the knees or a Kona Sol swimsuit that’s gone out of season, the Target return policy gives you a year to return Target-brand items. Even if you’ve worn, washed, and used them.
Some other popular Target brands include:
- A New Day
- Made by Design
- Up & Up
- Market Pantry
- Boots & Barkley
- Embark
- Threshold
Target also is making it extremely easy to do returns from the free Target Circle App, when they rolled out “Drive Up Returns” to certain locations. That means in the app, you can hit “do a return,” follow the prompts in the app once you park in the designated parking spot, and complete your return from your car when an associate meets you outside. Yes, that means you can do a Target return without ever actually getting out of your car. Read more about it here!
PS. Target unveiled another feature recently: You can add a Starbucks order to your PickUp order, if your location has a Starbucks Cafe.
3. Get Kohl’s Cash or coupons when you return Amazon purchases to Kohl’s.
Did you know you can return Amazon purchases to Kohl’s for free? Even better, making Amazon returns to Kohl’s is one of the easiest ways to earn Kohl’s Cash (aka store dollars you can use on future Kohl’s purchases).
Kohl’s has been known to reward Amazon returns with either $5 in Kohl’s Cash or a 25% off Kohl’s coupon. You can start your return on Amazon, then just bring your item to Kohl’s and show your Amazon QR code on your phone (you don’t even need to repackage your item).
4. Amazon’s holiday return policy gives you more than three months to return items.
Amazon has one of the best extended holiday return policies we’ve seen. The normal Amazon return policy gives you 30 days to return items. But you get A LOT more time during the holiday season. In 2022 you could return purchases made on or after Oct. 11 any time before Jan. 31, 2023.
I did a last-minute Amazon return in January that got me $70 back under their extended policy. I returned a swimsuit I ordered in October that ended up being too big. Then there were various Christmas gifts that, as it turns out, no one wanted or ended up using. It essentially helped me get 10% of my Christmas spend back in my pocket!
5. Return dead plants to Home Depot for up to a year after you bought them.
Most of us have felt the guilt of killing a plant because life got too darn busy. Luckily, the Home Depot return policy gives you a whopping 365 days to return your dead plant for a full refund. Because let’s face it — not everyone was meant to have a green thumb.
This policy applies to literally all plants at Home Depot. All you have to do is keep your original receipt in a safe place (you’ll need it to return your plant, even if it’s a whole year later).
Related: Little-known store return policies that will save you money
6. Sephora will accept your makeup return even if you opened or used it.
Sephora’s return policy gives you 30 days to make returns and get a full refund, and that includes both new and gently used products.
Now, what makes a product “gently used” varies from store to store and is ultimately up to the store manager to decide. Sometimes I’ve had success returning half-used products. Other times I’ve had my return denied.
It’s safe to say that if you tried the Sephora product and didn’t love it, you can return it. But if you used half or more than the product and try to return it, you may be pushing your luck.
7. Macy’s will accept returns on gently used fragrances.
Macy’s return policy lets you return gently used beauty products within 90 days, and now, that policy includes fragrances.
So if that super fancy designer scent you bought turned out to be a bit too heavy, Macy’s will let you return it for a full refund, as long as it meets the store manager’s definition of “gently used.”
8. Lowe’s credit card holders get a full 365 days to make returns.
However, the same exceptions that apply under the normal Lowe’s return policy also apply to Lowe’s credit card holders (think appliances, paint, and outdoor tools, which get only 30 days for returns).
9. If you return a purchase made with a gift card, Dick’s Sporting Goods will send your refund back to a credit card instead.
This trick isn’t a part of the official Dick’s Sporting Goods return policy, but it’s one I’ve used successfully a couple of times now, so it’s worth trying it out.
Let’s say you bought something using a Dick’s gift card. Then you need to return it. Usually, they’ll ask you how you’d like to receive your refund (which payment method). If they don’t ask, you can specify.
Even if I used a gift card for the original purchase, I’ve been able to get a refund back to my credit card, turning that gift card into real cash.
We don’t recommend churning gift cards this way on a regular basis. But if you need to return something you bought with a gift card, it never hurts to try.
10. Return used items to REI for up to a year.
REI is super invested in making sure you’re happy with your purchase. But with camping gear and hiking apparel, you won’t know if you’re satisfied until you actually try it out.
So if you’ve got a pair of hiking boots that gave you awful blisters or bought a tent that started leaking on the first trip, don’t hesitate to take it back to the store within one year of your purchase. The REI return policy allows for it.
The biggest stipulation is that you have to clean the product before returning it. Just because it’s already been on a camping trip doesn’t mean it should be covered in mud when you bring it back.
11. Return icky vegetables to Walmart with nothing but a receipt.
Walmart has a Fresh Guarantee on their perishable items, which protects you against things like rotten veggies before their “best by” date. If this does happen, you can cash in on the guarantee by making a return for a full refund.
The Walmart return policy allows you to do this as long as you have your receipt. You don’t have to bring soggy lettuce to the store to return it. Just be sure to initiate the return on the Walmart website or via the app.
Walmart’s policy doesn’t just apply to vegetables, either. If products from any of these categories go bad before the “best by” date, they’re eligible under the same guarantee:
- Produce
- Fresh flowers
- Meat
- Bakery
- Deli
- Dairy
- Frozen
12. Return intimate wear (bras, panties, lingerie) to Victoria’s Secret, sometimes even without tags.
Most stores don’t allow you to return lingerie, swimwear, or underwear for obvious hygienic reasons.
But at Victoria’s Secret, that’s most of the store’s inventory. If they didn’t allow returns on these items, it would be hard to have any type of return policy at all. Not only does Victoria’s Secret return policy allow you to return these items within 30 days, but you may not even need the original tags attached. However, your items must be unworn, unwashed, and otherwise in their original condition to make the return.
TIP: Be sure to check the tag before you clip it off. Some tags will be labeled “Required for Return.” You should not clip those tags off if you think you might want to return the item.
13. Apple’s return policy doesn’t give you much time but lets you return open-box items.
Apple’s return policy gives you a short window of time: only 14 days. It’s not uncommon to see shorter return windows for electronics at other stores. So for a company that only sells electronics, the short return window isn’t all that surprising.
There is a sunny side to Apple’s return policy, though: you can even return open-box items as long as it’s within that 14-day window. I’d say 90% of stores don’t accept open-box returns, so this is a big perk for Apple.
14. Petco will give you a full refund for fish that don’t make it past seven days.
Normally, Petco’s return policy doesn’t allow returns on live fish. Like, you can’t just return a fish because you realized what a pain in the butt it is to clean the aquarium.
But Petco does want to assure customers that the fish they sell are healthy. So if your fish doesn’t live past the first seven days in your home, you can get a refund for your purchase.
You don’t have to get super morbid and bring your expired fish into the store for your return. But they are going to make you take a picture of it to qualify for a full refund.
15. Return used Lululemon items through their trade-in program.
Lululemon’s return policy is pretty cool in that if your item gets worn out before the “reasonable lifetime” of the product is expired, you’ll get your money back. This is super subjective, so your mileage may vary depending on the judgment of your store manager.
But if they deem your return is outside that reasonable lifetime, you’re not SOL. You have the option to trade the worn-out product in through Lululemon’s trade-in program, which gives you a different amount of store credit depending on product:
- $5 – Tanks, Tees, Short-Sleeve Shirts, Long-Sleeve Shirts, Shorts & Skirts
- $10 – Hoodies, Sweatshirts, Sweaters, Pants, Crops, Leggings & Dresses
- $10 – Bags
- $25 – Coats & Jackets
16. Uber will actually return your package with their new service.
While not a store, this Uber return hack deserves a place here. Why? Well, in October, Uber unveiled their “Return a Package” service across the U.S., where the car service company will return your package to UPS, FedEx or USPS. Customers can send up to five packages with one driver for a fee of $5, but if you’re an Uber One member ($9.99 per month or $99.99 per year), you’ll pay $3. The only catch? All packages must be less than 30 pounds and they cannot be worth more than $100.
To get Uber to do your returns for you, download the free Uber app, select “Package” and an Uber driver will meet you to get your package and deliver it. You can track the driver the whole time in the Uber app to ensure your package is getting to the right place.
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