Home Depot Return Policy: The In’s & Out’s To Make It Work For You
Due to nature of DIY projects, the Home Depot return policy is one of the most used return policies in existence. Because of that, it’s nice to know exactly how it works, what the exclusions are, how receipt-less returns work, and even some insider tips for success. Here’s everything you need to know to make returning stuff to the Home Depot a breeze.
Their “Official” Return Policy is 90 Days
You have a generous 90 days to return an item to the Home Depot if you’re not satisfied for any reason.
Some Exceptions to the 90 Days
These items all have a different time window for returns.
- Furniture – 30 days.
- Mattresses – 30 days.
- Area Rugs – 30 days.
- Generators – 30 days.
- Paint Sprayers – 30 days.
- Gas Powered Stuff & Tractors – 30 days.
- Consumer Electronics – 30 days.
- Purchases made with a Home Depot Credit Card – 365 days (more on this below)
I wasn’t aware that The Home Depot sold consumer electronics but I’m guessing they mean speakers, drones, WiFi extenders, and HDMI cables, many of which they sell online.
PRO TIP: RETURN A DAMAGED ITEM WITHOUT A RECEIPT
Even if you don’t have a receipt, Home Depot will often still issue store credit for damaged or defective items.
Ensure the damage is evident (e.g., broken part, malfunction, or defect). Clean the item if it’s dusty or dirty to make it more presentable.
Even if you don’t have the receipt, bringing in the original box, user manual, or tags (if applicable) helps establish that the item was purchased at Home Depot.
Visit the returns desk and politely explain that the item is damaged or defective and that you don’t have the receipt.
For example, say: “I purchased this item recently, but I don’t have the receipt anymore. Unfortunately, it’s defective. Is there any way I can receive store credit?” If you paid with a card, offer the last four digits or suggest that they check your account if you’re a Home Depot Pro Xtra member.
If the associate at the returns desk is hesitant, ask (politely) to speak with a manager. Store managers have the authority to approve returns or issue store credit even if the system flags it as non-returnable.
Don’t be afraid to emphasize your loyalty as a customer by saying: “I shop here regularly and really appreciate how Home Depot supports customers. I’d be grateful if there’s anything you can do to help me resolve this.”
See Also: 7 Highly Clever Ways to Save Money at The Home Depot
Return Policy on Major Appliances is Only 48 Hours
Always carefully inspect the appliance upon delivery to your home and “refuse delivery” if the item is damaged or defective.
If you don’t inspect the appliance carefully, then later notice an issue, call Home Depot at (800) 455-3869 within 48 hours of delivery or pickup time and they’ll help you with a return.
This policy applies to refrigerators, dishwashers, ranges, washers, dryers, and some microwaves.
Lowe’s has a similar policy in place on major appliances, and based on the comments, it’s not very popular with shoppers.
Can Items Be Opened or Used?
Officially, “No”. Unofficially, “Yes”.
If you still have the original packaging, receipt, and still within 90 days, you can return most opened or used items.
With used items, it often comes down to the amount of “wear & tear” the product shows and is typically handled on a case-by-case basis.
For example, if you bought a Wooster paintbrush and use it heavily for an entire weekend then decide to return it, you’re probably out of luck.
But if you only used the paintbrush for a couple minutes, weren’t happy with, and cleaned it thoroughly, you stand a really good chance of them taking it back.
This is especially true if you’re okay with store credit or an exchange.
PRO TIP: EXCHANGE PAINT FOR FREE
Having personally worked in the paint department, I know that if a can of paint isn’t mixed quite right (even custom-tinted paint), employees are trained to offer to remix it or provide a new can for free as a goodwill gesture.
Instances where this is an option for customers include when the paint doesn’t match the original sample, the formula or base paint is clearly incorrect, and if the customer is a frequent paint buyer.
This by no-means is an officially advertised policy but is a common practice at most Home Depot locations.
Options If You Lost Your Receipt
In the past, if you didn’t have your receipt the return desk would try to find your order in their system using the credit card or debit card you used to make the purchase.
But recently, in an effort to thwart shoplifters trying to turn a quick profit, the Home Depot is BUCKLING down hard on receipt-less returns.
My investigation into this started when I received a comment from a shopper who was told they could not return an item without a receipt because it was valued at over $50.
As of this writing, this is NOT stipulated anywhere on the Home Depot website but I have come to find out that the new policy is rolling out nationwide as we speak.
I spoke with a Home Depot assistant manager about this issue and he confirmed the over $50 without a receipt will typically be DENIED.
He added that they use a 3rd party system who tells the employee whether or not to accept the return and it’s now out of their hands.
He also gave the great tip of signing up for the free Pro Xtra Loyalty program as it tracks your purchases and receipts for you so this will NEVER be an issue.
365-Day Policy w/ the Home Depot Credit Card
If you make your purchase with your Home Depot or Pro Xtra credit card, you get a whopping 365 days to make your return, and your purchase history and receipts are tracked for easy retrieval.
I’ve been told that the 365 days applies to everything except the products listed directly below, as well as anything that runs on gasoline.
Beware that the card comes with a high interest rate (29.99% APR), but if you pay it off every month, the extended return policy could be worth its weight in gold.
PRO TIP: SPECIAL ALLOWANCES FOR CONTRACTORS
If you’re a contractor or frequent buyer, Home Depot often makes special allowances, such as accepting returns for slightly used tools or extended deadlines for bulk orders, especially if you’re a Pro Xtra member.
Also, if you overbuy materials like tile, wood, or hardware for a project, keep them clean and unused. Home Depot typically allows you to return these items even in partial amounts (e.g., half a box of tiles).
Some Stuff Can’t Be Returned
The following items are not returnable to the Home Depot…
– Custom Tinted Paint – For this reason, make sure you see the color of the paint before you buy it.
You also can’t return any “Oops” paint that you buy at a discount.
– Custom Blinds – The only blinds that can be returned say “Guaranteed to Fit” on them.
– Utility Trailers
– Generators
– Gift Cards/Store Credits
– Product Samples
I’ll keep this list updated in case new items become non-returnable.
Lost the Box But Have Your Receipt
In most cases, yes, the Home Depot will take stuff back without the original box or packaging.
Your mileage may vary from store to store depending on the employee you encounter, but I have personally returned stuff without the box.
Online Returns Work A Little Different
Another really cool feature at the Home Depot is their online return system.
They actually allow you to return purchases made via their website via UPS, as well as products bought in-store.
This is a handy feature if you live a LONG distance from the nearest location, or you just have trouble making it in-store for whatever reason.
To see if your item is eligible for an online return, visit this page, and click on “Return Items”. (See image above)
Be prepared to pay the return shipping costs unless the reason for the return is an error by The Home Depot.
2 Things Have Restocking Fees
The only items that might incur a restocking fee are Special Order returns and cancellations.
Be prepared to pay a 15% restocking fee on these items.
1-Year Policy on Flowers or Plants
According to Home Depot, they’ll unconditionally guarantee all tropical, house, and landscape plants (only perennials, trees, roses, and shrubs) for one year.
If your plant dies just bring whatever is left of it, the original pot it came in, and your receipt, and they’ll replace it or issue a refund.
If the plant is no longer available, a store credit will be issued.
The key here is perennials, trees, and shrubs.
They don’t offer a 1-year guarantee on annuals, but they still offer a 90 day return window.
Thanks to reader Gail who informed me that clearance plants (with yellow price sticker) are NOT returnable and are considered final sale.
Ask the Reader: Have you ever had trouble with the Home Depot return policy? How did it happen and what was the end result?
By Kyle James
I started Rather-Be-Shopping.com in 2000 and have become a consumer expert and advocate writing about out-of-the-box ways to save at stores like Amazon, Walmart, Target and Costco to name a few. I’ve been featured on FOX News, Good Morning America, and the NY Times talking about my savings tips. (Learn more)
I bought a pack of 2 batteries and a charger but only one of the batteries is faulty, will they replace only that battery instead of issuing a refund? It was a very good deal and I am afraid if they want to refund me I will have to decline as it was a very good price for even just the working battery but I was still expecting to have 2 batteries.
I’m thinking they would refund the entire pack, not just 1 battery.
I went and they replaced the faulty battery, they didn’t even ask for my reciept and it only took 10 minutes! The only thing they did was check that it wasn’t my charger that was faulty! My experience was a 10/10 And I recommend shopping at home depot.
how long does the restriction on a person getting flagged stay in place before you can try again to return without a receipt.
In general, Home Depot is unbelievably awesome with returns. However I did reach my l’imitable without a receipt and was flagged —— but this flag was for items WITH RECEIPTS AS WELL. I told the manager that this is insane, unheard of, and the only place on earth is that this was the case, and the manager simply said I have no idea why this is happening I’m so sorry I have no idea. Lmao. I don’t know if it has been resolved as that was years ago I just assumed it was on her shit list. 😛
So either it’s Sine freak mistake that they don’t know how to fix or they have a flag list avd a BLACKLIST for returnohokics like me. 🤣
I ordered a Christmas tree online and paid full price only to see within 2 days that it was 30% off as a ‘Special Deal’ item. I contacted customer service for a partial refund of the difference and was told since it is a “seasonal” item, they cannot refund the difference. I went through several different ppl and they all read the same “Home Depot policy line”. My response, (since I worked in retail for 10 yrs) “I’m not returning a Christmas tree in July!”
I immediately began my online return which.. no shocker, was accepted.
I bought a 2 stage snowblower online at home depot in october, we just got our 1st snowstorm (jan) heavy enough to use it and after doing 1/2 my single width driveway it quit. Next day in the daylight i see oil all over the engine, can i teturn it? I figure it must have been defective to not even get more than 15 mins use on it
Good luck with your snow blow I’ve been waiting to get the snow blower I purchased Fix since March 2021 it broke the first time we use it, Take it back Home Depot explain to them what happened and of course a 30 day policy was already up, being I purchase it in November 2021 likely we buy the three year warranty on it, as of to1/3/2022. Home Depot has not fixed it. i think it the place I had to pay for that snowblower they would offer to give me a new one being I’ve been waited, since March 2021 to get it fixed. And yes I called the corporate office I can’t even tell you how many phone calls we made to Home Depot to try to get this resolved.
I purchase a snowblower back in November 2021. Didn’t use the snow blowing until March because that’s when it snowed and it broke. I purchased a warranty for three years I had not Heard anything in regards to the snowblower being fixed for months, when calling have to check why we hadn’t heard anything when calling them to find out why we haven’t heard anything in regards to when the snowblower was going to be fixed.
I found out they didn’t even know where the snowblower was they had to locate it, then after Home Depot located Home Depot informed that it was gonna be sent right out for repairs.
Then we still did not get a response from Home Depot, made a phone call to Home Depot again and inquired about the repairs being done to the snowblower, I was told by Home Depot we would receive a phone call back within a week letting us know the due date to snow blow it would be repaired , so we could pick it up. Still no phone call back.
I call the corporate office, explain the situation to them they made a phone call to The Home Depot, and was told they’re waiting on parts. I said I bought the snowblower to use it during the winter, now we’ve gone through two winter without a snowblower, then Home Depot‘s excuse was excuse you know the problems they’re having with parts now from China.
I said that’s no excuse what was the excuse, when we took it in, in march they were having problems getting parts from China . I said why has an Home Depot just replace to snow blow with another one?. And of course it was the same story I have to wait until they fix the snowblower. Today’s date 1/4/2022. Home Depot prides itself on customer satisfaction. But in this case it’s a very opposite.
I am currently experiencing problems returning or getting items replaced from Home Depot. I received a Ryobi Airstrike Brad Nailer for my birthday about 3 months ago. A few hundred nails later, it stopped driving brads. I have no receipt or box. Even though the nailer is less than a few months old (which they could tell from the serial number) I had to pay $30 dollars to get them to look at it. That is refundable, if it is still under warranty, which they told me it was because the serial number shows it is less than 3 years old, but they had to charge me anyway. Instead of replacing it or letting me return it, I now have to wait 2-3 months for Ryobi/Home Depot to fix it. They have more than 50 of these things on the shelves in our area, but they say supply chain issues are the reason I have wait for this brand new nailer. So I will have half done baseboards and a pile of crown molding sitting on my kitchen island for the next 3 months.
You shoulda just bought a new one and then used the new receipt to return the faulty one, you should have no trouble returning a tool that failed within a day or two of purchase.
This works but should we need to stoop to this to get timely warranty service? It’s time for retailers to step up and stand behind their products. If they can’t legitimately do so because of ongoing quality concerns, then they need to refuse to deal with unscrupulous wholesalers until we can weed out the Samsung fridge makers of the world. Lemon laws need to be fixed by retailer (and online retailers) accountability so that innocent customers are taken to the cleaners when buying NEW products! Unreasonable!!
They should be willing to exchange it for the same exact one as Ryobi is Home Depot brand so at the store near me they would exchange it without a problem, without or with receipt.
Does anyone know the policy of returning installed carpet
Call your local Store. Depending on what’s wrong with the carpet will depend on what they’re able to do.
I bought a window for my kitchen. Now that it is installed I realized it is crap. Won’t even open properly and is very thin. Can I return it ?
If it was custom made, then no. Otherwise you should be able to.
How about a patio dining set that is basically not as good as we wanted?
When did you buy it?
My dad bought me a water pump from Home Depot and he sent it by mail. Well he never keeps the receipt on anything it really piss me off. So it was the wrong pump so I tried to return it and got denied even with my i.d and I have never returned anything to Home Depot ever
Dang not even store credit? Was the pump still in new condition?
Same with an unused faucet. No receipt, they said either item not allowed or returned too many times. I haven’t returned anything without a receipt that I remember. I think because the faucet sells for $129 was the issue.
We are considering buying furniture (a TV media cabinet) from homedepot.com online. If we get it delivered to our home and just don’t like it, what are our alternatives for returning it? Obviously, we want to minimize our costs to return the furniture. Thank you!
I purchased hardware for kitchen cabinets and dont have packaging ot receipt. I paid with credit card over 30 days ago. Once I put them on, I hate the look. They told me I can only return the item for the same item. Now why would I want to do that?
Unfortunately that’s their policy without the receipt….you can always sell them on eBay if you don’t like them.
Stupid question but can I return an item I didn’t purchase from Home Depot for store credit?
We ordered a pallet plus five cases of luxury vinyl flooring. The order was placed online and they shipped it as 2 separate orders. We had 12 cases left over after installation. Tried to return them but they would only take back five cases. They can’t take back a part of the pallet, only the full pallet. This is not disclosed on their website, quite the contrary, they say returns are easy! We have 7 cases we can’t use, almost $500 worth.
I’d point out that HD has become more strict about frequent flyers with the DL. They refused my no receipt returns today valued at $139 CAD. They claimed there is no system algorithm involved in denial, but they could not override it at the store. *Note: Customers want transparency and this new (as of Jan 1/22) system policy is targeting people using a valid return mechanism. This is not transparent and not properly communicated to customers at the store. Buyer beware! Take your business to Princess Auto instead where they honour their published return policies, instead of applying purchase rules that are neither transparent to the customer nor the retail outlet.
If you contest these injustice to the credit card they will issue the refund for you.
I just tried to return 2 cabinets back to home Depot. Where my wife paid cash for them. She misplaced the receipt or lost it.. and the employee says the cabinet cost to much for store credit..the total being $533.18.. so what I’m stuck with them now ? I made a scene in the returns line and thought about picking 1 of the cabinets up and smashing it on the floor..but did not…but considering going to another home Depot and doing it..I have never returned 1 thing to a home Depot in my life and will never shop at 1 ever again.. I did nothing wrong and got treated like shit..
We have been doing renovations for over a year. My hubby bought a Moen tap set. It’s still in the box unopened and they refused to return it.
He couldn’t remember how he paid for it. They refused it because it was valued at $139.00 ….. give me a break. Home Depot has the worst customer service. He wasn’t even looking for money back just a credit because I couldn’t find the bill.
Then he said he had to call a number to get his name taken off a list like WTF ……. This is a bullshit way to treat a customer. I told him we will no longer deal with Home Depot and save our business for a company that actually doesn’t think all customers are crooks.
I don’t get this kind of behavior I was in retail for well over twenty years and never treated a customer like that.
The denial system is 3rd party and many times completely random. Many major retailers use it now. Certain items that have been deemed high theft are flagged to be denied with no receipt. And they changed the system now there is no number to call once on the denial list it’s done nothing can be done however they give a warning return now, high theft item, high dollar amount, etc. You get a warning on the bottom of your receipt that the next no receipt and any after will be denied.
Lemon tree Plant return refused by manager Jaqui at van nuys Home Depot. May 7, 2023.
I have had couple of issues returning to HD. One they could not find my CC in the system. Why you ask? Because if you every have had your card compromise, you will need the old one with HD. Another time I had ordered online and went to the store to return it. The person said they could not help me due to it was not in the system.
I pointed out I should not have to go home to get the online order. At the end of the day, the customer service rep did not know where to look for online orders when paying with PayPal. This has happened several times and I refuse to go home anymore. Now granted I try and bring the original order in but I cannot tell you how many times I have had to tell the person where to look within their system.