LOWE’S and Home Depot shoppers may need to rethink their purchases as the two home improvement giants roll out strict 48-hour policies.
With customers allotted just hours to make returns on certain items, the retailers are leaving Amazon to steal business as shoppers complain and even threaten lawsuits.
Lowe’s and Home Depot are implementing strict 48-hour policies[/caption]
As Home Depot and Lowe’s allow shoppers just hours to return certain products, customers may turn to rival Amazon[/caption]
Return policies play a major role in the shopping experience, with 76% of consumers taking into account whether or not a store offers free returns when deciding where to shop, per a report by the National Retail Federation.
Most retailers are aware of shoppers’ wants and have lax return policies.
Lowe’s and Home Depot generally have lenient return policies, for example, allowing customers to return some items up to 365 days after purchase.
For most new, unused items, Lowe’s and Home Depot offer a 90-day return window.
However, the home improvement store rivals have also implemented strict rules on certain products, only allowing a 48-hour return window.
This means customers have only two days from the time of delivery or pickup to report any damage or defects to be eligible for a return or exchange.
LOWE’S
Most shoppers assume that when they purchase a big-ticket item such as a refrigerator, dryer, or another major appliance, they will have a reasonable period of time to test it out at home and return it if needed.
That’s not the case at Lowe’s, however.
Lowe’s first switched up its return policy in early 2022, reducing the return period for major appliances from 30 days to 48 hours.
More recently, Lowe’s shoppers have reported that the retailer expanded its 48-hour policy in late 2024 to include other items beyond major appliances, such as generators and chainsaws.
According to the company’s website, shoppers have just 48 hours to return the following items:
- Major appliances
- Air conditioners and evaporative coolers
- Paint sprayers
- Portable generators, pressure washers, chainsaws, and pole saws
- Utility vehicles, golf carts, go-karts, and motorized bikes
HOME DEPOT
Home Depot, the world’s largest home improvement retailer, also allows shoppers just 48 hours to return major appliances, according to its website.
The return policy statement encourages customers to call the Customer Solutions team at 1-800-455-3869 within 48 hours, excluding weekends, regarding damages or defects on major appliances.
Return Policies: Lowe’s and Home Depot
Lowe’s:
“You can return these items within 48 hours of purchase:
- Major appliances
- Air conditioners and evaporative coolers
- Paint sprayers
- Portable generators, pressure washers, chainsaws and pole saws
- Utility vehicles, golf carts, go-karts and motorized bike”
Home Depot:
“Please call the Customer Solutions team at 1-800-455-3869 within 48 hours (excluding weekends) for any damages and defects on Major Appliances (Refrigeration Appliances, Washers, Dryers, Ranges, Dishwashers and some Microwaves).”
The site lists examples of products with the limited return window, including:
- Refrigeration appliances
- Washers
- Dryers
- Ranges
- Dishwashers
- Some microwaves
One Home Depot shopper was shocked to find out about the chain’s restrictive return policy, airing their grievances in a Facebook post.
“If you are considering buying a smoker from Home Depot, it appears they have a new return policy that if you order something online and have it delivered to your house, you only have 48 hours to return it,” wrote the customer.
“I just did battle with them and came out on top, but it took hours on the phone and a threatened lawsuit to get the return done.”
The U.S. Sun reached out to Home Depot and Lowe’s for comment on their return policies.
RETAIL RUFFLE
Shoppers have speculated that the retailers implement such restrictive return policies to increase their margins or prevent appliances from being used as rentals and returned weeks later.
The 48-hour return policy may also serve the home improvement chains by helping them sell more extended warranties.
It’s less beneficial to shoppers, as they are now forced to deal with frustrating service technicians sent by appliance manufacturers rather than simply returning the product to the retailer who sold it.
The 48-hour rule could lead customers to turn to other appliance retailers with more lenient return policies, such as Amazon or Best Buy.
Amazon, for example, does not have a specific return policy for appliances, allowing at least 30 days to return an item as long as it is unused and in its original condition.
In some cases, Amazon will issue refunds without requiring the product to be sent back.
Best Buy shoppers, on the other hand, can return nearly all items after 14 or 15 days, while My Best Buy Plus and My Best Buy Total members have 60 days to return any item that does not require an activation.
As Home Depot and Lowe’s implement their strict 48-hour return policies, Target is ending a beloved policy – but six retailers still offer the program.
However, Best Buy is taking an aim at Target as it keeps its decades-old policy.
