Home Depot Return Policy for Air Conditioner (Complete Guide)

Buying a new air conditioner can be pretty costly, so you want to know that you’re covered if you need to make a change. You might be wondering, then, what is the Home Depot return policy for air conditioners?

According to Home Depot’s return policy, you have 90 days to return most new and unopened merchandise, including some air conditioners. Exceptions include consumer electronics and major appliances. Despite the wording of the policy, many customers report that you can usually return opened or used items.

Read this article to unpack the small print on the Home Depot returns policy!

Table of Contents

What Is The Home Depot?

Before we get into the details of the returns policy that you can get in their stores, let’s take a look at The Home Depot as a company, and find out what they’re all about.

The Home Depot is the largest home improvement retailer in the United States, operating over 2,300 stores across the US, Canada, and Mexico, and employing more than 490,000 people. The company was started in 1978 when the 5 founding members decided to open a large-scale network of home improvement superstores.

If you’re thinking of starting a DIY project or purchasing something for your home, then The Home Depot is probably one of the first places that come to mind. They sell everything from furniture to bedding and from flooring to electrical wiring.

Home Depot reportedly saw revenue of over $150 billion in 2021. With money like that, you’d think they would have a pretty generous return policy.

Read also >> Home Depot Return Policy (Full Guide)

What Is the Home Depot Standard Return Policy?

With almost all products at Home Depot, you are covered by their standard return policy – although there are some exceptions. This states that new, unopened items can be returned for a refund or an exchange within 90 days of purchase. When you compare this to a lot of other big-box stores, it’s not exactly lenient.

The specific wording of this policy is actually pretty limiting. It’s hard to imagine many situations where you would realize that there was something wrong with your product, or change your mind about your purchase, without even getting it out of the box.

The 90-day time limit is relatively standard for the industry, although there is a way to get a lot more time to make a return at Home Depot.

If you made your purchase with one of the following, you get a full 365 days to send it back:

The Home Depot Consumer Credit Card
The Home Depot Commercial Revolving Charge
The Home Depot Commercial Account

It’s certainly a more generous policy than what you get as a standard customer, but it’s hard to say that it would be worth signing up for this reason alone.

What Is the Home Depot Return Policy for Air Conditioners?

Now, when we’re looking at air conditioners and their related products, it does get a little more complicated. There are exceptions to the standard Home Depot return policy that may well be relevant when you’re talking about items that cool down your home.

Although air conditioners are not explicitly referred to in the exceptions to their basic return policy, some products may fall into some of the categories that ARE mentioned.

If the air conditioning product you are buying is considered “consumer electronics”, then you only have 30 days to make a return. Although this term generally refers to things like televisions and computers, it may also apply to portable air conditioners that you plug into the wall.

Additionally, major appliances are not covered by the standard return policy. According to the policy exceptions on the Home Depot website, they consider major appliances to be:

Refrigeration appliances
Washers
Dryers
Ranges
Dishwashers
Some Microwaves

Although they don’t explicitly include air conditioning units on their list of “major appliances”, that doesn’t mean they aren’t technically classified as such.

Is The Home Depot Return Policy as Strict as It Seems?

So, looking at the fine print, the Home Depot return policy does seem pretty strict. You get 90 days to bring your item back, but you are technically only covered for a refund or an exchange if it is new and unopened.

Is that really how it works, though?

Interestingly, the vast majority of actual customers (and Home Depot employees) report that you are highly likely to be allowed to make a return, even if your product is open or used. You may even be lucky enough to be able to make a return outside of the official returns window.

The wording on their official policy is designed to cover the company so that they are not liable for returns on damaged or used products, but that doesn’t mean customer services won’t help you in most reasonable circumstances.

It’s certainly worth taking your item in and talking to somebody, even if you aren’t sure that you are technically eligible for a return.

How Do You Return Air Conditioner to Home Depot?

The process of returning air conditioner to Home Depot is relatively straightforward. You essentially have two options: either take your items back to the store or contact customer support to make a return via UPS.

Return to Store: You should have a valid picture ID if you don’t have a receipt, and you will need to be approved by their third-party refund verification system.
Return Online: You can just get in touch with their customer support team via 1-800-455-3869 to schedule a pickup time with UPS.

If you want to have the best chance that your return will be fulfilled, you should probably try to talk to somebody in-store. You are much more likely to be able to explain the situation clearly and get a helpful resolution face-to-face.

Home Depot Return Policy for Air Conditioner Without a Receipt

One of the biggest annoyances with returning any product is hunting down your receipt. Fortunately, you can often go through the process without one, as long as you have an alternative proof of purchase.

Even without a receipt, Home Depot will generally be able to find your purchase on their system, so that your return can be verified.

Most standard purchases are logged for 90 days, so your information should still be available for the entire return window, and purchases made with The Home Depot Consumer Credit Card, The Home Depot Commercial Revolving Charge, or The Home Depot Commercial Account can usually be found for up to 365 days.

What Is The Home Depot Return Policy for Major Appliances?

Although “major appliances” isn’t explicitly referring to air conditioners in the Home Depot policy exceptions, this area of the policy may well be relevant for some of the larger units, particularly those that you have installed in your home by Home Depot employees.

For major appliances, Home Depot states that they need to be inspected for defects or damages before leaving the store or being accepted as a delivery. Then, you only have 48 hours to report any damages or defects by calling (800) 455-3869.

This essentially means that a couple of days after you’ve had your major appliance installed, you have no way to make a return.

It’s worth checking with the store when you’re buying a larger air conditioning unit (or with whoever is installing your air conditioner for you) to see whether it is considered a “major appliance” and what return options you have.

What Should You Do If Your Air Conditioner is Damaged or Has Missing Parts?

You are much more likely to get a refund or an exchange from Home Depot if there is damage, a defect, or a missing part that they are responsible for.

If you notice an issue like this with your air conditioner, you should try to get in touch with Customer Support within 30 days to make sure you are fully covered.

It’s easy to do – simply call them on 1-800-430-3376.

What Are the Exceptions to the Home Depot Return Policy?

There are a few other items from Home Depot that you can buy that aren’t covered by the 90-day return policy. Besides major appliances let’s take a look at what else is viewed a little differently.

You only have 30 days to return:

Furniture
Area Rugs
Gas Powered Equipment and Tractors
Generators (other than Whole House and Stationary Generators)
Consumer Electronics (Televisions & Computers)

Additionally, you cannot return or get a refund for:

Gift Cards and Store Credits
Whole House and Stationary Generators
Utility Trailers
Cut Flowers and Floral Arrangements
Labor, Delivery, and/or Installation Services
Product Samples (e.g. Paint, Flooring, Fabric, and Wallpaper)
Custom Products

Summary

So, what is the Home Depot Return policy for air conditioners? Well, you are technically able to make a return within 90 days if the product is new and unopened, although you only have 30 days for consumer electronics and 48 hours to report an issue with a major appliance.

Although this may seem restrictive, most customers report that the actual experience is a lot more generous.

You are likely to get a full or partial refund, or an exchange, even if your product has been opened or used. It’s worth going into the store and asking, at least!

References

https://www.homedepot.com/c/Return_Policy

https://www.homedepot.com/b/Heating-Venting-Cooling-Air-Conditioners/