How long do you have to return something?
Almost everyone has done it: the thing does not fit, does not work, or was simply a mistake, and by the time you get around to taking it back the shop has stopped caring. Return windows are shorter than most people assume, and they almost always start counting on the day of purchase — not the day you opened the box or first tried the item.
Refunds are mostly a courtesy, not a right
This is the part that surprises people. In Canada, the US and the UK, if you buy something in a shop and simply change your mind, there is generally no legal right to a refund. The retailer's published return policy is what governs, and they set it voluntarily.
Your legal protections kick in for a different situation: goods that are faulty, not as described, or not fit for purpose. Those are covered by consumer protection law and by the manufacturer's warranty, and they are not limited to the return window. A fridge that dies in month four is a warranty matter, not a returns matter, and you do not lose that right because 30 days went by.
Online purchases are often treated more generously, because distance-selling rules in many places give you a cooling-off period to cancel an order you have not properly seen. The specifics vary by country, so check the rules where you live.
The four things that decide your deadline
- The store's standard window. Most sit somewhere between 14 and 90 days.
- The product category. Electronics, opened software, mattresses, and anything perishable frequently get a much shorter window than the store's headline number — sometimes half.
- Whether it was on sale. Clearance and final-sale items are often excluded entirely.
- Whether you have the receipt. Without proof of purchase you are usually looking at store credit at the current selling price, if anything at all.
Typical ranges to plan around
Retailers change these policies regularly, and they differ between countries and even between online and in-store purchases at the same chain. Treat the table below as a planning guide only, and check the policy on your actual receipt before you rely on it.
| Type of purchase | Commonly seen window |
|---|---|
| General merchandise, big-box retail | 30–90 days |
| Consumer electronics | 14–30 days |
| Major appliances | 14–30 days, sometimes with a restocking fee |
| Clothing and homewares | 30–90 days |
| Clearance / final sale | Often no returns at all |
| Opened software, media, video games | Frequently exchange-only |
The traps that cost people money
The window starts at purchase, not delivery
If you order an appliance in March and it arrives in May, a 30-day policy may already be most of the way through. Some retailers start the clock at delivery for exactly this reason — but many do not, and it is worth knowing which you are dealing with before the truck arrives.
Holiday purchases have their own rules
Many stores extend returns on items bought in the run-up to Christmas so gifts can go back in January. This is an exception, not the norm, and it is announced each year rather than being permanent.
"Restocking fee" is a real cost
On larger items, especially opened electronics and appliances, a restocking fee of 10–25% is common. A return inside the window is not automatically a full refund.
Original packaging matters more than people think
Plenty of policies require the item be returned "in original condition with all packaging and accessories." Flattening the box the day it arrives is a small decision that occasionally costs a lot.
A system that actually works
The reason people miss return windows is not carelessness, it is that the deadline lives nowhere. The receipt goes in a drawer, the date is not written down, and there is no reminder. By the time you think about it, you are guessing whether it has been three weeks or seven.
The fix is boring and effective: at the moment of purchase, record the date and the return window together, and set something to tell you a few days before it closes. Do it once, when the receipt is still in your hand and the policy is printed on it.
The same habit pays off later. When something breaks in month ten, the receipt you filed is the proof of purchase that makes the warranty claim go smoothly instead of turning into an argument.
Keepit remembers this so you don't have to
Set the return window once when you save the receipt, and Keepit warns you before it closes — while you can still take the thing back.
Get Keepit on the App Store →