Return policies can be a tricky thing. They often look very unassuming from the outside, but when you dig a little deeper you often find “money sucking” traps and pitfalls that can really hurt your wallet. That certainly is the case with the 30-day return policy at Wayfair, and is the reason I wanted to set the record straight for shoppers. Let’s break it all down with many answers that Wayfair themselves won’t even answer.

Wayfair Indeed Gives You 30 Days

If you’re unsatisfied for any reason with your Wayfair purchase, you get 30 days from the date of delivery to make a return.

While 30 days is a decent amount of time, it’s not as good as some “home” stores which allow 60, 90, or even 120 return days.

This means get the item out of the box shortly after you get it and make sure it’s what you want and meets your standards in terms of quality and value.

PRO TIP: HACK TO GET ITEM SOONER

Let’s say you picked the wrong color and want to do an even exchange. By far the fastest way to get the new item is to place a new order, then initiate a return at a later date on the item you don’t want.

Otherwise you’ll have to wait a long time to get your money. Wayfair actually told me it could take up to 10 business days for them to process your return and give you your refund.

Open Stuff Up and Test It Out

Stuff bought from Wayfair can be opened when you return it, BUT items should be put back in the original packaging (as well as possible) and still be in “new” condition that can be resold.

Also make sure to include any manuals, instructions, or accessories that may have come with your purchase.

See Also: IKEA Return Policy: You’ll Never Buy Furniture the Same Way Again

PRO TIP: THEY HAVE AN EXTENDED HOLIDAY POLICY

Compared to many extended holiday return polices, Wayfair’s is fairly liberal.

Specifically, for all stuff bought between November 1 – December 31, Wayfair gives shoppers up until January 31st to make a return.

Wayfair Offers Free Returns…Sometimes

If the reason for the return is an error by Wayfair, or a damaged or defective product, then they’ll pay the return shipping charges.

Otherwise, you’ll have to pay a return shipping fee on all other orders and the rate depends “on the item and your location”.

I obviously REALLY dislike this part of their policy as the return shipping fees they charge depends on the size of the order and where you live.

This alone would make me not want to shop at Wayfair as you have NO IDEA what you might have to pay in return shipping fees before placing your order.

So…I hit up Wayfair Live Chat to try and get some answers.

I used the example of a dining room table and asked “Before ordering a table, how can I determine what I will have to pay in return shipping fees if I don’t like it?”

The response I got was, “I am sorry we do not have a calculator, I would suggest going to the FedEx website and using weight and zip code. It’s generally pretty close to that fee.”

Wow, what a terrible policy, why would you ever order something large from Wayfair? If you want to try the FedEx calculator, you can find it here.

PRO TIP: BEST WAY TO DETERMINE RETURN SHIPPING FEE

Other than trying to figure out how to use the FedEx shipping calculator, your best bet is to look in your Wayfair Account right after you place your order.

Specifically, once your order is placed, you can view your specific return shipping fee in My Account, under the order details.

If you feel the return shipping fee is outrageous, and you think there’s a decent chance you might return the item, then quickly cancel your order.

It’s crazy that Wayfair makes you do this, but it’s the only way to protect yourself from outrageous return shipping fees.

How To Get Wayfair to Pay Return Shipping

As mentioned above, Wayfair will pay the return shipping if the product is not as described or there’s something wrong with it.

If you fall into this camp, be sure to take pictures of the item so you can fully document the issue.

Also, be polite and cordial when describing the issue. I’ve actually had a Wayfair employee tell me this is the “secret sauce”.

So take pictures, and be polite, and you stand a great chance of Wayfair picking up all return shipping costs.

There Are Many Exceptions to the 30 Days

The following products have a different number of return days allowed.

– Mattresses – The Wayfair mattress return policy gives you 100 nights to test out your new mattress before deciding if it’s for you.

If you don’t like the mattress, you can arrange for a free return or exchange. BUT, you can only do this ONE TIME per order.

– Wedding Registry Gifts – You have until 90 days after the wedding to make an exchange for store credit.

To start a return you need to contact a Wayfair Registry Specialist and have your registry order number handy.

– Large Appliances – You get the same 30 days but only if the appliance has NOT been installed.

Because of this, Wayfair strongly recommends checking the box for damage, make sure the box contains the correct product, and carefully open the packaging to inspect the appliance.

If there is damage, or you got the wrong appliance, DO NOT accept the delivery.

Make the delivery person return it to Wayfair and call them ASAP at 1-(866) 263-8325 to let them know about the issue.

Bottom line: Once the appliance is installed it CANNOT be returned.

PRO TIP: TRIPLE CHECK BIG ITEMS

There are many horror stories online of people receiving large items from Wayfair that arrived damaged but they didn’t refuse the delivery. Consequently, they had to pay HUGE return shipping charges in order to send it back. Charges that darn near equaled the value of the item.

Also, be sure to document the damage and take pictures. If you don’t document the damage, and simply refuse delivery, Wayfair will calculate the return shipping charges on their own and charge you.

Moral of story: Make sure you are home to receive the delivery and thoroughly check it ALL out before you sign-off on the delivery.

See Also: 21 Highly Clever Ways to Save Money at Wayfair

Some Stuff CAN’T Be Returned

Quite a bit of stuff actually…

– Gift Cards – If you don’t want the gift card you can sell it on CashCard.com and get up to 92% of the card’s value.

– Clearance Items – For this reason, make sure you double check your measurements before making a clearance purchase.

– Personalized Items – Double check your spelling on any engraved or personalized items because you can’t return them unless Wayfair makes an error.

– Bundled Items – Things sold at a discount like “2 for $20″ or “5 for $50″ cannot be returned. The only way you can return them is if you return the ENTIRE bundle.

– Items marked “Non-Returnable” – According to Wayfair, these are found on the Sale Page and are clearly marked as non-returnable. 

– Assembled Items – Make sure that piece of furniture or bookshelf is exactly what you want before you put it together.

PRO TIP: ASSEMBLED FURNITURE

While you can’t return furniture that you already assembled, you absolutely can carefully take it a part, box it back up, and return it for a refund.

Yes, it’s a TOTAL pain in the butt, but unfortunately it’s the only way to make the return happen.

How to Initiate an Online Return…

They ask that you initiate a return via your My Orders page.

You’ll then select Return Item, then choose your return and refund method.

Then just follow the prompts and you’ll get an email conformation once completed.

Wayfair will refund to your original payment method once they receive the item(s) and do their inspection.

You Can Return Stuff To An Actual Wayfair Store

You can do this, but the only problem is Wayfair only has 1 large-format brick & mortar store in the U.S. and it’s located in Wilmette, IL.

So obviously your best bet is going to be making an online return.

See Also: Urban Outfitters Return Policy: How it Actually Works + an Insider Hack

PRO TIP: OPEN BOX SPECIALS

When shopping for Open Box Specials on the Wayfair website, be aware that they are NOT returnable.

The product pages for these items does not stipulate this, but I called and asked and was told they indeed are not returnable. Shop with caution.

Cancelling a Return After It’s Been Initiated

To cancel your return AFTER you filled out the return form, just visit your My Orders page and follow the prompts.

But keep in mind that you cannot cancel the return once you place the item in the mail.

Important Note: It should also be noted that you can only change your refund method before you have returned your stuff. You can do this on your My Orders page as well.

How to Score An Exchange Instead of a Refund

Not a problem as Wayfair makes exchanges really easy.

You can either place a new order before the return, then return the item you don’t want and get a refund to your original form of payment or opt for store credit.

Or you can place a new order after the return and use your store credit or credit card to complete the purchase.

Ask the Reader: What’s been your experience with the return policy at Wayfair? Good, bad or indifferent? Let me know in the comments.

By Kyle James

Photo credit to Wayfair.

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)