As an owner of a horse, a pony, two pygmy goats, two dogs, and a tough ol’ hen named “Houdini”, I shop at Tractor Supply Company on practically a weekly basis. It wasn’t until I recently had to return something that I took notice of their return policy on my receipt. Unlike many retail stores, the receipt didn’t stipulate their return policy but rather directed me to their website. I thought this was odd and thus the idea for this article was born. Here is everything you need to know about the TSC return policy, much of which you won’t find anywhere on their website. Hope it helps.

How Many Return Days Does Tractor Supply Give Me?

30 days.

You have 30 days from date of purchase to bring items back for a full refund to your original form of payment.

Do I Need My Receipt?

If you want a full refund, YES, hold on to your receipt.

If you DON’T have your receipt, you can typically still get store credit for the current selling price of the item.

Be prepared to show a valid photo I.D. as they use the information to track your returns so you don’t abuse the policy.

If Tractor Supply suspects you of making too many “no receipt” returns they can deny all future returns.

PRO TIP: RETURNING OPENED PET FOOD TO TRACTOR SUPPLY

The last time I was in my local Tractor Supply I was buying some grain for our horse and some dog treats for our three furry friends. On a whim, I asked the cashier if opened pet food could be returned if our horse or dog turned their noses up at it? Surprisingly, she said “yep, within 30 days you can bring it back”. She added that they have to throw it away if it’s opened and she recommended donating small bags of pet food to a local animal shelter rather than bringing it back for a few bucks, just to be thrown away.

Bonus Tip: Sign-Up for the TSC Neighbor’s Club

The Tractor Supply Neighbor’s Club is a rewards program that you’ll actually use….like a lot.

It’s completely free and you can join either in-store or online.

Once you join you’ll be asked for your phone number every time you make a purchase.

The COOL thing about this is that all your purchases are then saved in their computer system so you can ALWAYS make receipt free returns within 30 days.

They’ll just ask for your phone number and they can pull up your receipt immediately…very cool.

I even recently made a return that was past 30 days and they still pulled up my receipt and gave me a FULL REFUND.

After you join, they’ll also email you money-saving coupons and let you know about a bunch of cool giveaways, even a cool birthday surprise during your birthday month.

Can Items Be in Used Condition?

Yes, items can be returned in used condition to Tractor Supply within 30 days.

But they must be returned with the original packaging, and as a general rule, in “sell-able condition”.

Can I Return a Chainsaw That I Used?

I couldn’t find an answer to this question on the TSC website so I called them directly.

After being put on hold several times, I was finally told that YES I could return the chainsaw even if I used it a couple times, as long as I was still within the 30 days.

But…they asked me if the chainsaw was still in good shape.

So I’m guessing that if you “use and abuse” a chainsaw then try to bring it back on day 29 it might not go over so well.

In the end, it will be left to the manager’s discretion on whether or not they’ll take it back.

PRO TIP: YOUR CASH REFUND MAY BE DENIED AT TSC

Due to increased theft, many Tractor Supply locations are becoming very strict about giving cash refunds. I was talking to an assistant manager at my local Tractor Supply and he said some scumbags will actually dig through their dumpster looking for thrown out receipts. When they find a receipt, they’ll come into the store and quietly add items to their shopping cart that are on the receipt and try to return them for cash. They’ll claim they don’t have the credit card anymore and need a cash refund instead. The manager I spoke with told me that because of this problem they only give cash back in the form of a TSC gift card, no more cash refunds.

Can I Return a Generator After a Storm?

This question is similar to the chainsaw example above.

If the generator has something wrong with it, they’ll take it back no questions asked within 30 days.

But if you use it for days on end during a hurricane then decide to return it, your mileage will vary from store to store on whether they’ll take it back.

Bottom-line, don’t abuse the fairly generous Tractor Supply return policy or they’ll eventually be forced to make it stricter when it comes to big-ticket used items.

Are There Any Exceptions to the 30 Days?

Yes, there are a few.

– Gift Cards: You cannot return TSC gift cards for any reason.

– Original Shipping Fees: If you return an online purchase you won’t get back the cost of shipping the item(s) to you.

– “Free Promotion” Items: If you got something for free from Tractor Supply you cannot return it for cash.

Can I Return Baby Chicks…Dead or Alive?

Returning baby chicks is at the discretion of the manager at individual stores.

As a general rule, TSC will work with you if you take home a baby chick that gets sick or dies shortly thereafter.

Meaning most managers will refund your money or do an even “chick exchange” if a chick croaks.

Call the store as soon as you notice that a chick is not healthy in case others are having a similar problem.

Also, don’t bring the sick (or dead) chick back to the store as you run the risk of infecting other birds.

PRO TIP: RETURNING ROOSTERS THAT WERE SOLD AS HENS

I found this Reddit thread really interesting about a TSC customer who took home 8 chicks that were labelled as hens, but 5 of them turned out to be roosters. They were wondering if they had any recourse as the birds were all now five months old and they’ve been feeding them and taking care of them. When they called Tractor Supply, they were told to take it up with Hoover’s Hatchery who had supplied the birds to them. But of course Hoover’s put the blame back on TSC for mislabeling them.

Bottomline: Customers have ZERO recourse with either TSC or Hoover’s and it was recommended that they process the roosters, put them in their freezer, and buy new chicks. It was also recommended that they learn how to sex the birds themselves before they leave the store.

Can I Return Worn Apparel or Boots?

This is a great question so I called TSC and asked.

I told the rep that “I bought a pair of work boots last week, wore them a couple days and they gave me blisters…can I return them?”

I got an immediate, “Yep, as long as you still have the receipt and bought them within the past 30 days”.

I then asked about clothing and hats and was told the same thing.

Keep in mind that they’re tracking your returns so I wouldn’t overuse this generous policy.

Can I Return a Gift from TSC?

If you have the gift receipt…absolutely.

If you don’t have the gift receipt, you can usually still return it and get store credit for the lowest price of the item in the past 60 days.

It’s definitely up to the manager’s discretion but worth a shot, otherwise your best bet is to sell it on eBay.

Ask the Reader: What has been your experience with the return policy at Tractor Supply? Let me know in the comments and thanks for coming by my blog.

By Kyle James

Kyle James( Owner/Founder )

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)