Untangling the Wayfair Return Policy (The Easy Way)

I’ve had to navigate the Wayfair Return Policy more than once after purchases that didn’t pan out. To my surprise, I discovered a long list of non-returnable items (that aren’t totally clear) along with many exceptions and sub-policies for certain items.

What if my Wayfair purchase came damaged or defective? Can I return Open Box Wayfair items? And which other items can’t I return under the standard policy? To help make your experience easier than mine, I broke down the Wayfair Return Policy into easy-to-understand terms, with all the most important stuff you need to know.

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1. The Wayfair return policy is strict.

The Wayfair Return Policy is not overly generous, so it’s important to really think over your purchase before you pay.

Basically, Wayfair gives you 30 days from the delivery date to return your item, as long as you hold onto your original packaging.

But it isn’t quite that simple (because what is?). Wayfair has many caveats to their return policy, and there are a lot of items you can’t return. Ever.

 

2. You can return damaged or defective furniture to Wayfair.

For the most part, once you assemble your Wayfair furniture, you can’t return it.

But if your furniture arrives damaged, you can return it within the normal 30-day window. Even if you don’t catch the damage until after you start assembling, Wayfair will give you a pass. You can also reach out to Wayfair Customer Service if you’re missing a piece of your furniture — like a table leg, drawer handle, or shelf. They’ll send you a replacement.

Just keep in mind: this only goes for items that came damaged — not for items you accidentally damaged during assembly or in the first month of use.

 

How to return damaged or defective Wayfair items:

1. Sign in to your Wayfair Account online.
2. Click “View All Orders.”
3. Find the item you want to return and click “Return Item.”
4. Click on “Damaged or Defective.”
5. Upload any photos (if customer service requests them) to Wayfair’s Incident Portal.

 

3. Wayfair rugs are only returnable in their original, like-new condition.

Rugs also fall within the 30-day return window of delivery, but you’ll need to send them back exactly how they came. That means it has to be in the same like-new condition and you have to return it in its original packaging.

So if you lay your rug out in a high-traffic room, then decide you don’t love it 29 days later, you’ll probably have a hard time returning it. Especially if you wear shoes inside the house.

However, if you take your rug out of the box, give it one look, and decide it’s not what you thought, you should be able to repackage it and send it back without trouble.

 

4. Wayfair returns on mattresses are iffy, even with the 100-night guarantee.

Most Wayfair Mattresses come with a 100-night guarantee, so if you decide you don’t want it less than 100 nights later, you can return it or exchange it for free.

As nice as that seems, you can’t return the following mattresses, even with the 100-night guarantee:

• Mattress Toppers
• Crib Mattresses
• Air Mattresses
• Open Box Mattresses

 

 

5. Wayfair Open Box items are final sale, so you can’t return them.

Wayfair Open Box items are sometimes the deal of a lifetime. The downside? You can’t return them. Ever.

You also can’t return clearance or closeout purchases to Wayfair. So before you buy one of these items, make sure it’s definitely what you want.

 

6. If you personalize an item, you won’t be able to return it.

If you personalize an item (like with a monogram or custom text), you can’t return it to Wayfair after you buy it.

 

7. For bundled items at discounted rates, you have to return the entire bundle.

Bundle deals (like 5 for $25 Christmas ornaments) can be tempting! But you have to be careful before you let the excitement get the best of you.

Yes, you can return bundled items, but you can’t just return one or two items from a five-piece bundle. You’d have to return all five items to qualify for a refund.

 

8. When you order a large appliance from Wayfair, don’t accept delivery without inspecting it.

Wayfair returns include damaged appliances if you make the return in less than 30 days, but there’s a catch.

Always (I repeat, always) inspect large appliances from Wayfair — like refrigerators or washing machines — before you accept their delivery. Once you accept the delivery and plug in the appliance, you won’t be able to return it.

Learn how to save on large appliances.

 

 

9. Wayfair has a more generous return policy during the holidays.

This is one of the more positive parts of Wayfair’s return policy. If you order an item between Nov. 1 and Dec. 31, you can return it through Jan. 31. Of course, the item has to qualify for a return under their normal policy, but if it does you have a lot more time to send it back.

Check out other retailers’ holiday shopping return policies.

 

10. You used to have 90 days for Wayfair returns on wedding registry items — but they ended the registry program.

In the past, Wayfair had a whole separate return policy for items you received as gifts from a wedding registry (or any other registry). You got a full 90 days to make your returns, as long as the items weren’t clearance or Open Box. But as of Dec. 31, 2022, the Wayfair Wedding Registry program is no more.

 

11. Are Wayfair returns free?

Wayfair makes you pay for return shipping, which depends on the size and weight of your item. You’ll pay the shipping fee regardless of whether or not you got free shipping when you placed your order. (Unless your item arrived damaged — see Tip #12.)

Unfortunately, there’s no easy way to guesstimate the return shipping fee, as it varies depending on the weight and size of your item, as well as how far it has to travel to get back to the supplier. Wayfair deducts the shipping costs from your total refund.

To get an idea of the numbers, I chatted with a Customer Service rep on Wayfair’s Facebook page and found out that this small 12-inch Lamppost Figurine (on sale for $33.99) had a return shipping fee of $9.20 — that was 27% of the total cost!

You can imagine how quickly this can add up if you’re returning furniture. Reddit is full of horror stories from folks who have been told to pay hundreds simply to ship their return. One user said it would’ve cost more than the purchase price to return a set of barstools.

 

12. However, you don’t have to pay for return shipping if your item is damaged.

What a relief, right? If your item came damaged or defective, Wayfair won’t make you pay for shipping when you return it.

My best advice is to take a picture of the box and the product as soon as it arrives. The quicker you document the damage the better since there’s less of a chance you had anything to do with the damage.

After you start your return and upload photos, Wayfair asks you to hold onto the item (in its original packaging) for two weeks while they arrange a pickup.

 

13. You can get store credit for your refund or have it sent back to the card you paid with.

You’ll choose a refund method during the online return process. After Wayfair confirms you dropped off your return, you can expect your refund in 2 – 3 business days.

 

14. How to do Wayfair customer service returns

If all else fails, call Wayfair Customer Service and put your best manners on.

In my experience, you can expect the most return leniency for smaller items you can easily return in good condition. Wayfair will give you less flexibility on large, complicated items such as bed frames, couches, or even barstools.

 

Have you had any nightmare experiences with Wayfair returns? Tell me all about what happened in the comments below!