Best Buy Holiday Return Policy (All You Need to Know)

The holidays are a time for giving and receiving, although we don’t always get the gifts we particularly want. If you get a gift from Best Buy you’re not crazy about, can you return it?

Best Buy has a special holiday return policy that allows purchases made from mid-October to the beginning of January to be returned by mid-January with the accompaniment of a gift receipt.

In this article, we will review Best Buy’s holiday return policy timeframe, how to return items, what gifts can’t be returned, returns without a gift receipt, and more.

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Table of Contents

Do I Have Extra Time to Return Items to Best Buy During the Holiday Season?

Typically, Best Buy’s return policy is very strict about the fifteen day return window and if you miss it, too bad.

However, Best Buy also realizes when it comes to shopping for holiday gifts, some people like to purchase their presents sometimes months in advance.

If the normal return policy held true for holiday gift purchases, the gift giver would need to buy the gift less than two weeks before the holiday or risk the chance that the recipient would not want to return it. Luckily, you don’t have to worry about either.

Best Buy has an extended time period for holiday gift returns. If you purchase something from Best Buy between October 17, 2022 and January 2, 2023, you have until January 16, 2023 to return it.

This allows gift givers to purchase presents as early as October and gift recipients a full three weeks to return unwanted Christmas gifts.

How Do I Return a Product to Best Buy That I Received as a Holiday Gift?

Best Buy products that are received as gifts can be returned to any physical Best Buy location or shipped back to Best Buy’s returns department.

If you choose to return the gift in person, bring the product in like new condition plus any accessories or necessary packaging to your local Best Buy store.

You will need to present the gift receipt as well. This way the Best Buy associate is able to determine how much the gift giver paid for the product and Best Buy will reimburse you with a gift card for the same amount.

Alternatively, you could mail your unwanted Best Buy gift by sending it via UPS with the enclosed gift receipt.

If you choose to return by mail, however, you may want to coordinate with the gift giver since they will be the ones receiving the reimbursement, not you.

Can I Return Holiday Products to Best Buy?

In addition to selling any gift imaginable to give your loved ones for the holidays, Best Buy also carried holiday products such as trees, garlands, decorations, lights, inflatables, and wreaths.

However, unlike gift products that, if purchased between mid-October and the start of January, have an extended return period, holiday products adhere to the regular return policy.

In fact, the return policy is even more stringent on its return timeframe than normal. You only have fourteen days from the date of purchase to return holiday items and this includes Best Buy Totaltech members.

Normally, Totaltech members are granted a sixty day return window for products, but this is not the case for holiday products.

Despite the strict timeframe, you can return holiday items just let any other product. Make sure that the product is in like new condition, and you have proof of purchase.

Receipts and shipping orders are vital to a return because they not only prove that you bought the item but also provide evidence of when you bought it. That way they know if you are still within the two week window.

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Are There Any Gifts I Can’t Return to Best Buy?

Although most products from Best Buy that you would receive as a holiday gift can be returned, there are some products that cannot be returned due to the nature of the product itself.

Any product that was purchased as a final sale or clearance item cannot be returned.

Personalized and custom orders are also non-returnable since these products cannot be resold if returned.

Some gifted items cannot be returned because of health and safety violations such as bidets and other plumbing items, any product that would come into contact with bodily functions once opened, and sexual wellness products.

Other products that are considered consumables cannot be returned if they have been opened. These include batteries, oils, filters, health supplements, ink, health test kits, 3D printer filament, cleaners, fuels, and cleaning agents.

The following products are also considered non-returnable by Best Buy: non-subscription digital content, replacement key fobs for vehicles, trading cards, memberships, prepaid cards, SIM card kits, and standby generators for the home.

Can I Return a Holiday Gift to Best Buy Without a Receipt?

It is possible to return a holiday gift to Best Buy without a receipt, but there is a higher likelihood that your return will be rejected.

Best Buy will require you to provide a picture ID as well as an email address when making the return. This way they can keep track of returns you make to avoid any fraudulent activity.

If for any reason the Best Buy associate suspects anything fishy, they can deny the return. The best thing you can do is hang on to that gift receipt just in case you need to return the gift.

If you are a gift giver, don’t forget to give your gift recipient a gift receipt to avoid the occasion of a denied return in the event that they don’t like the gift you bought them from Best Buy.

Will I Be Charged a Restocking Fee for Returning a Holiday Gift to Best Buy?

Most items purchased from Best Buy can be returned for free. However, there are certain products that require a restocking fee which will be deducted from your return’s reimbursement.

Even if the product was received as a gift, if it falls within the category of items that require a restocking fee, you will have to pay it.

Any activatable device except for prepaid phones has a restocking fee of $45. Additionally, Best Buy charges a 15% restocking fee for returned drones, mirrorless, and DSLR cameras and their lenses, electric mopeds and bikes, body and leg recovery systems, projectors and their screens, premium camcorders, and special-order items.

There may be a way to avoid the restocking fee, however. If you do not open any of these products, you shouldn’t be charged a restocking fee.

Also, if the gift giver is a Best Buy Totaltech member or the gift was purchased and returned in the state of Alabama, Hawaii, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Ohio, South Carolina, Iowa, or Colorado, you will not have to pay the restocking fee.

Can I Return a Holiday Gift to Best Buy If It Is Damaged or Missing Pieces?

Best Buy’s return policy is very strict about the condition in which you can return products. Any returns made with items that are damaged or missing pieces, including those given as gifts, will be rejected.

Damages to products can include but are not limited to dents, scratches, clearly used or worn, or missing vital content.

However, if you receive a gift that the gift giver has ordered online and sent directly to the address that you discover is damaged or defective after you open it, call the Best Buy customer service phone number.

They will be able to send you a replacement of the item once you send in the defective or damaged one.

Likewise, if you receive a damaged gift from Best Buy that was not damaged by either the gift giver or yourself due to a lack of proper handling or transport, you can ask for a replacement from Best Buy.

Best Buy will not offer gift card reimbursement for damaged and defective gifts, only replacements.

Best Buy Holiday Return Policy FAQs

Can I Return Products to Best Buy After 30 Days?

Best Buy has a strict two week return policy on all items with few exceptions.

If you attempt to return most items after those two weeks, let alone after thirty days, Best Buy will reject the return even if everything is in pristine condition and you have the receipt.

There are three exceptions to the fourteen day return window that will allow you to potentially return items after thirty days to Best Buy.

Any items bought under a wedding registry can be returned up to sixty days after purchase. Likewise, all Best Buy Totaltech members have an automatic sixty day return window for any product except activatable devices and holiday products.

The last exception to the normal return timeframe is items bought between mid-October and early January in the holiday gift giving season.

You have until mid-January to return items purchased during this window which could allow for up to three months time for returns.

Can I Return Opened Items to Best Buy?

Most opened items can be returned to Best Buy as long as they are in like new condition and have not been used or worn.

Best Buy understands that sometimes you may not realize you don’t want a product until it is out of the packaging, which is why they will allow open returns.

However, there are some items that Best Buy does not allow you to return after it has been opened. Consumables such as cleaning agents, cleaners, batteries, filters, fuels, oils, 3D printer filament, ink, health test kits, and health supplements cannot be returned once opened.

For health reasons, products that require interaction with bodily fluids will not be accepted for returns to Best Buy.

Most entertainment products including computer software, music, books, sheet music, video games and guides, and movies cannot be returned once opened.

However, they can be replaced if the item is found damaged or defective upon opening.

Will Best Buy Give Me a Refund in Cash?

Best Buy grants refunds in the same form of tender with which you originally paid. As long as you have your original receipt that states you paid in cash, Best Buy will reimburse your purchase in cash.

The only exception to cash refunds for cash purchases is if the total of the purchase is more than $800.

In the event that you require a cash reimbursement of this amount or greater, Best Buy’s corporate office will send you a check in the mail within ten days of the return.

If you paid in cash but do not have your receipt when you make your return to Best Buy, you will not be refunded in cash. If Best Buy accepts the return, they will grant you a store credit.

Can Best Buy Look Up My Receipt for a Return?

If you purchased your item on Best Buy’s website, you can easily access your order information by logging into your account even if you no longer have the packing slip or confirmation email.

If you purchased an item at a physical Best Buy location and no longer have the receipt, Best Buy may be able to look it up for you.

If you are a Best Buy Totaltech member, Best Buy should be able to search by your member ID and find the proof of purchase needed for a return.

Alternatively, they may also be able to search by your credit or debit card number to find a receipt. If you paid with cash, you’re out of luck.

Conclusion

Best Buy has a stringent return policy; however, the return window is relaxed during the holiday season.

For any purchase made from mid-October through early January, Best Buy customers have the flexibility to return unwanted items until mid-January.

The holiday season only affects the return policy timeframe, which means all other terms and conditions of the regular return policy still apply.

Additionally, the holiday return policy does not apply to holiday products like trees, wreaths, inflatables, lights, and decorations so plan and shop accordingly.

References

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/help-topics/best-buy-holiday-faqs/