It’s amazing how many Amazon users I talk to who are unaware that you can share your Amazon Prime account with people that live in your household. This includes teens, family, friends, and roommates. If they live in your house and get stuff mailed to it, they’re in like Flynn. Here are all the details you need to know to start sharing your Prime membership today.

The 7 Steps to Share Amazon Prime…

1. Visit Amazon.com and log into your account if you’re not already.

2. Hover over the “Account & Lists” drop-down menu in upper right-hand corner.

3. Click on “Your Prime Membership”. (See image below)

4. At the bottom of the “Your Prime Membership” page you’ll see “Share your Prime benefits”. Click on it!

5. Then under “Amazon Household” click on “Manage my household”.

6. This will take you to a separate page where you’ll verify the second adult’s Amazon account.

7. Once this has been verified by Amazon, the 2nd person will be good to go.

Let me know if you have any trouble with the above steps and I’ll help you out personally.

See Also: Amazon Split Payment: The Easy Steps to Make it Happen

What Prime Benefit Can’t Be Shared?

When you add someone to your account they’ll get instant access to all Prime benefits EXCEPT these:

– Prime Music.

– Prime Reading.

– Kindle First.

– Exclusive Discounts on Video Games.

– Video Subscriptions.

Here’s a thorough list of all of the Amazon Prime benefits that come with your membership.

Who Can’t Share Their Prime Membership?

The following Prime users cannot share their membership with anyone.

– Prime Student Members: Sorry, you’re already getting a screaming deal on Prime. (My “Prime Student” Review)

– Those Who Already Get Shipping Benefits From Another Member: In other words, if someone is already sharing their Prime account with you, you can’t share Prime with someone else.

– Those Who Already Get Prime Discounts: This includes those who get the Prime discount via their EBT card.

I’ll add new info to the above list if I discover any.

What About Sharing Prime with Teenagers?

Amazon recently introduced a program called Prime Teen that allows parents to share their Prime membership with their teenagers. Here are the benefits:

– Know Exactly What They Buy. As the parent, you’ll get instant notifications with order details along with the ability to approve the order with a quick text reply.

– Maintain your Privacy. You’ll be able to keep gifts a surprise and your purchases completely private.

– Grow their Independence. They’ll get some independence but you’ll still choose what credit card they can use and where they can ship orders to.

Ask the Reader: Do you share your Amazon Prime account with anyone?

By Kyle James

The DSW return policy is turning lots of heads these days and NOT in a good way. Their return policy use to be AWESOME and compare very favorably to Zappos policy. But those days are long gone, especially in terms of online returns as they now charge you $8.50 unless you’re a VIP member and buy from them frequently throughout the year. Here’s everything you need to know including stuff you won’t find posted anywhere else.

How Many Return Days Does DSW Allow?

90 days…NO questions asked.

Just bring your “unworn” shoes (more on this below) back to a DSW location with your receipt and original box and they’ll take care of you.

They’ll either give you an exchange, or refund your money back to your original form of payment (including PayPal).

What Happens After 90 Days?

Not a problem, usually.

Bring your shoes back in and they’ll give you store credit that can be used online or in-store.

The same goes for online purchases. Just mail back your order with the return shipping label (included in your package) and they’ll give you merchandise credit but you’ll have to pay a $8.50 return shipping fee (more on this later).

See Also: 17 Stores That Let You Return Used Items for a Full Refund

PRO TIP: DSW EXCHANGES ARE KINDA DIFFERENT

When making an exchange after 60 days, any price difference (in your favor) will be refunded to you on a DSW gift card. Before 60 days, you’ll get the price difference refunded to you on your original form of payment. Not a huge deal, but definitely worth noting.

Also, when making an exchange, the item needs to be exactly the same except for the size or color. Otherwise you’ll need to return the item then rebuy a different item.

What If I Lost My DSW Receipt?

Fortunately, you still have an option.

You can bring your item into the store and get a merchandise credit to be used on your next purchase.

Be aware that since DSW does NOT have evidence of the amount you paid, so you’ll have to settle for the current price of the shoes, boots, or sandals.

They track your returns via a valid I.D. which includes your driver’s license, passport, military ID, or state issued photo ID card.

As is the case with most retailers these days, DSW tracks your returns in order to prevent fraud and reserves the right to say, “No return for you” if you make too many receipt-less returns.

What About Returning or Exchanging Shoes I Bought on DSW.com?

This is where the DSW policy has gotten much WORSE in recent years.

DSW use to let shoppers return or exchange everything for FREE. Those days are long gone.

Nowadays, if you’re not a DSW VIP Gold or Elite member you’re gonna have to pay $8.50 to ship back items.

To qualify for these membership levels, you need to spend $200 and $500 respectively.

The good news is the $8.50 only needs to be paid once and you can ship back multiple items in the same box if needed.

PRO TIP: RETURNS WHEN DSW REWARD POINTS WERE USED

When returning an item that was bought using DSW Reward points, you WILL get those reward points back to your account which is nice.

But if you used a coupon on the purchase, you WON’T be able to reuse it on your next purchase. Also, DSW will only refund you on the amount you actually paid, regardless of whether a coupon was used.

See Also: Nike Return Policy: We Answer Questions Even Phil Knight Can’t

Can I Wear the Shoes Before Returning Them?

I also asked the DSW employee this question and was surprised by the answer as their policy states that shoes must be “unworn”.

The employee told me the following, “We will take them back if you have worn them lightly (as far as testing them out.) We just won’t accept a worn pair if that makes sense. As far as a defective pair, we would certainly make that right for you!”

So I read that to mean that you can wear the shoes in your home all day long to test them out, and still return them for free.

Wear them outside for an extended period of time and scuff the soles and they might not take them back.

PRO TIP: DID YOU PAY WITH PAYPAL?

If you paid with PayPal and need to make an exchange, ALWAYS opt to make the exchange in-store. DSW told me that they can’t do an online exchange when PayPal was used, you’d have to return and rebuy a different item which is a hassle.

Also, if you paid with a gift card and PayPal, and need to make a return, your money will get refunded to you in the form of a DSW gift card.

What If I’m Returning a Gift?

When returning a gift, be aware that you’ll have to settle for merchandise credit to be used toward a future purchase.

Also, when returning something bought with a DSW Rewards certificate you’ll be refunded only the final purchase price.

If you’re returning a gift via the mail (that was originally bought on DSW.com) be aware that you won’t get merchandise credit as the money will go back to the original form of payment.

See Also: Temu Return Policy: They Let You Keep Some Stuff Which is Crazy

What About Canadian Orders?

You cannot return orders made at a DSW Canada store or website to a U.S. store or website.

You must visit www.dswcanada.ca or contact a DSW Canada store to make an exchange or return happen.

Ask the Reader: What’s been your experience with the DSW return policy?

By Kyle James

Photo by Mike Mozart.

The TJ Maxx return policy is both loved and hated at the same time. It’s loved because they’ll take back most items even after the return window has closed. It’s hated because they can be a bit stingy on taking back items that have been washed, even when there is nothing malicious going on. Let’s break down their return policy fully, along with some hacks to make it really work for you in the future.

How Many Return Days Does TJ Maxx Give Me?

30 days.

You have 30 days from the date of purchase to bring back any items to a TJ Maxx location for a return or exchange.

After 30 days, returns with a receipt (and often without a receipt too) will be given store credit for the item’s current price.

PRO TIP: MANY MANAGERS TAKE BACK EVERYTHING

While it might not be a sustainable approach, many TJ Maxx managers will take back everything. So if you’re on the fence about returning those shoes you bought 6 months ago and have worn several times, you should do it because 9 times of 10 the manager is going to okay it. The key for success is to have at least your receipt or the original price tag and be okay with store credit. But according to this Reddit thread, that might not even be necessary.

Receipt Not Required for a Return

The TJ Maxx official line is this, “To make your returns quicker and easier please keep your receipt.”

But having a receipt in hand is NOT a requirement for a return.

In most cases, they’ll happily give you store credit when you don’t have your receipt.

To make a return happen without a receipt you’ll need to provide a government issued photo I.D., name, signature, and address.

They collect this information to track your returns and make sure you don’t abuse their return policy.

While they don’t have an official policy on how many “no-receipt returns” you can make, it’s safe to assume that several a month will get their attention and they could ban you from returning items for a specific amount of time.

See Also: 9 Killer Ways to Shop Smart and Save Money at TJ Maxx

PRO TIP: TJ MAXX IS ON TO YOU

I have a good friend who worked at TJ Maxx for several years and she told me that people would buy stuff from the dollar store, put a TJ Maxx price sticker on it, then try to return it without a receipt. She told me experienced cashiers get very good at detecting merchandise that was not originally sold at TJ Maxx. She also said they would try to swipe and record people’s IDs if they could and put them in their system as “fraudulent returners” getting them banned from future returns.

Do NOT Make Too Many Returns Without a Receipt

If the TJ Maxx return “system” thinks you’re making too many returns without a receipt, you’ll be given a printout which essentially is a “warning” about making too many of these types of returns.

The printout will also state that your next receipt-less return might not be accepted and you could be banned from making returns without a receipt in the future.

It’s my understanding that the “return ban” could be permanent, although some shoppers seem to think it only lasts a year. (Let me know in the comments if you know)

TIP: The best way to avoid this is to ALWAYS select “Email and Print Receipt” when checking out. That way you’ll have the receipt in your inbox in case you ever need to retrieve it.

Your Options After the 30-Day Return Window

If you bought an item over 30 days ago, you can STILL return it for store credit as long as the tags are attached.

You’ll get whatever the current selling price is.

PRO TIP: “LOSE” YOUR RECEIPT AFTER 6 MONTHS

If you find something in your closet two years after you bought it from TJ Maxx, you can return it but DON’T bring your receipt as you don’t want them to know how long ago you bought it. Also, from commenter Nicole, “DO NOT MENTION that it has been years.”

Returning Something That’s Been Washed

This one gets a bit tricky.

Their official policy is NOT to accept returns on items that have been worn or washed.

But if you plead your case, the manager will often agree to the return.

This is especially true for items that shrunk badly in the wash or lost most of their color.

You might need to be the squeaky wheel to make this happen.

A word of warning: Know exactly what you’re buying and wash it in accordance to the label instructions so you don’t have to deal with this issue.

How To Return an Online Order

You have 2 options. You can either return items in-store or via UPS.

• In-Store Returns: Completely free to return online orders in-store with 40 days. Just bring items back to your local TJ Maxx with your receipt, packing slip, or shipping confirmation email.
• Return via Mail: This is gonna cost you a $11.99 shipping and handling fee. Be sure the item gets back to TJ Maxx via UPS before 40 days. Otherwise you’ll have to settle for merchandise credit. Your original package comes with a return shipping label.
• Note: An exact exchange is NOT available when returning online orders via the mail. This is due to an ever-changing online inventory.

If you have a TJ Maxx in your area, you’re obviously much better off returning items in-store to avoid the return shipping fee.

The only way they’ll waive the $11.99 fee is if the item is defective.

PRO TIP: PAYPAL WARNING

When using PayPal for an online order, you’ll be refunded via PayPal on a return, but you’ll have to pay $10 to mail the package back. For an in-store return, you’ll be forced to accept merchandise credit. If you want to get the money refunded to your PayPal account, you’ll have to pay $10 to mail the package back to them. Thanks to commenter Bee for this great tip.

Some Items Are Ineligible for a Return

They include the following four things.

• Gift Cards: You can’t return them for cash, nice try though.
• In-Store Purchases Can’t be Returned Online: Only online purchases can be returned via the mail.
• Items over $1,000 Can’t Be Returned In-Store
• Handbags priced over $499.99 Can’t Be Returned In-Store

I’ll add new items that are non-returnable as I discover them.

Returning Items with a Gift Receipt

When returning items with a gift receipt, be aware that you’ll only get store credit or an exact exchange.

You won’t be given cash.

Do this after 30 days of purchase and you’ll be stuck with the current price of the item. Hopefully it won’t be on clearance as you’ll be stuck with the clearance price.

TJ Maxx’s Holiday Return Policy

TJ Maxx has a very helpful holiday season extended return policy.

All purchases made between October 8th – December 24th can be returned through January 25th.

Their normal return policy applies to all purchases made on or after 12/26.

See Also: 37 Popular Stores That Also Offer Extended Holiday Returns

Can I Get a Cash Refund If I Used a Debit Card?

If you still have the receipt and you’re still within the return window, YES you can get cash back.

Returns Bought with a TJX Credit Card

Many shoppers are curious about this.

So I pulled out my magnifying glass and found the boiler plate on the TJX site and discovered that “Points will be deducted for any returns or credits made on your account.”

In short, they will take back the points you earned when you make a return.

See Also: Temu Return Policy: Way Cheaper Clothes Than TJ Maxx

Can’t Return Opened Food Items

You’re stuck with food items once you open them.

The only caveat to this is if the food is unsafe to eat through no fault of your own, in which case you have a good chance for a refund.

Can You Return TJ Maxx Items to Marshalls?

No.

Even though both are owned by the same company, you can’t mix returns between the two.

TJ Maxx Return Policy Hacks:

1. Keep Tags on Items

Don’t take the tag off the item until you’re absolutely sure you want to keep it.

This is because many stores will give you the price on the tag when making a return, no matter how long ago you made the purchase.

2. Swimwear & Lingerie Returns

The price tag must be “properly attached” to all swimwear and lingerie if you want to return it.

Not exactly sure what “properly attached” means. In any case, this is a health issue and this policy attempts to keep worn items off the rack.

3. Jewelry Returns

You’ll need to return jewelry items directly to the TJ Maxx jewelry counter. Because of this, you must return jewelry ONLY to a location that actually carries jewelry.

4. Purchases Made with a Gift Card

When returning these purchases you’ll have to settle for store credit which can be used for both online and in-store purchases.

See Also: HomeGoods Returns: Can You Return TJ Maxx Stuff to Home Goods?

Ask the Reader: What’s been your experience with the TJ Maxx return policy? Good, bad, or ugly, let me know in the comments.

By Kyle James