This Is How Long You Have to Make Holiday Shopping Returns

It’s a crazy time of year, and if you already have a long list of holiday “to-dos,” it’s impossible to keep track of different store return policies — especially when it comes to holiday shopping returns.

We don’t blame you. Making sure you bought all the right gifts is hard enough. The good news is many stores extend their return policies for the holidays so you can focus on celebrating instead of stressing over deadlines.

To make your life easier, we dug into the return policy details you need for easy breezy holiday shopping returns in 2022 (and into 2023).

Here’s what you need to know about holiday returns and how much time you have at top stores:

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Here’s how much time you have to return holiday purchases at top stores:

Walmart

Walmart’s return policy gives you 90 days to return purchases. But with their extended holiday return window, you have until Jan. 31, 2023, to return Walmart purchases made on or after Oct. 1, 2022.

 

Target

You normally have 90 days to make Target returns, but the extended holiday return window gives you A LOT more time. You have until Mar. 26, 2023, to return most Target purchases made Oct. 6 – Dec. 25, 2022. If you’re a Target RedCard member, you have until April 25, 2023, to return most purchases. These are the exceptions:

• Mobile Phone Purchases: Return by Jan. 8, 2023
• Apple Purchases (Excluding Phones): Return by Jan. 9, 2023
• Electronics & Entertainment Purchases: Return by Jan. 24, 2023

 

Macy’s

Macy’s return policy gives you 90 days to return most purchases. But with their extended holiday return window, you have until Jan. 31, 2023, to return purchases made Oct. 3 – Nov. 3, 2022.

 

Kohl’s

You have a whopping 180 days to make Kohl’s returns, but Kohl’s has an extended holiday return window for premium electronics purchases. You have until Jan. 31, 2023, to return electronics purchases made Nov. 1 – Dec. 25, 2022.

 

Ulta

Ulta doesn’t have an extended holiday return window, but you still have 60 days to return purchases under the normal Ulta return policy.

 

Sephora

You have 30 days to make Sephora returns, but during the holidays, you have until Jan. 31, 2023, to return purchases made Oct. 28 – Dec. 2. One thing to note: the extended holiday return window only applies to in-store returns (not returns by mail).

 

Victoria’s Secret

Victoria’s Secret return policy gives you 30 days to return purchases, but you don’t have to stress about the time crunch for the holidays. You’ll have until Jan. 23, 2023, to return Victoria’s Secret purchases made Oct. 15 – Dec. 24.

 

Bath & Body Works

The Bath & Body Works return policy is already flawless. They don’t limit how much time you have to make returns — no holiday extension necessary.

 

Other stores with extended holiday return windows include Amazon, Apple, Best Buy, Nordstrom, T.J.Maxx, and Wayfair.

Related: Check out our list of retailers that let you return used items for a full refund.

 

Return your holiday purchases in store (if you can) to avoid pesky return shipping fees.

Most retailers lose a ton of money on returns, mostly because it’s not cheap to process, ship, and restock returned items. That’s why some stores charge fees for returns. They’ll deduct the fee from your refund once you send back your online order, and you could pay anywhere from $4 – $11 just to mail a return back.

To avoid getting slammed with return shipping fees, head to the store to make your holiday shopping returns. Store returns are pretty much always free at any store that accepts them.

TIP: Some stores — like Nordstrom and Dick’s Sporting Goods — offer free curbside returns. So you don’t even have to get out of your car to return purchases for free.

 

Which stores offer free return shipping? Here’s a list:

These retailers give you prepaid (aka free) shipping labels for holiday returns by mail:

• Amazon (on eligible items)
• Apple
• Banana Republic
• Bed Bath & Beyond
• Best Buy
• Chewy
• Costco
• Home Depot
• HSN
• Lowe’s
• Macy’s
• Nordstrom
• Nordstrom Rack
• Old Navy
• Foot Locker
• Nike
• Ugg
• Patagonia
• Sephora
• Shein
• Target
• Urban Outfitters
• Walmart
• Williams Sonoma
• Zappos

 

Prepare for your refund to take longer than normal.

If you already think refunds take forever, you’re in for a rude awakening during the holiday season. As soon as the New Year hits, retailers are already dealing with ten times their normal return load. And as online shopping gets bigger, refund times get longer.

If you’re sending holiday shopping returns by mail, be sure you jot down your tracking number and keep an eye on your return’s progress.

 

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UP NEXT: Your Complete Guide to Store Return Policies

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