How Bed Bath & Beyond Will Punish Customers Making Returns Without Receipts

One retailer has decided its return policy was too generous.

ByABC News
March 17, 2015, 5:02 PM
The Bed Bath and Beyond, in Mississauga, Canada on August 27, 2012. Bed Bath and Beyond to change return policy beginning April 20, 2015.
The Bed Bath and Beyond, in Mississauga, Canada on August 27, 2012. Bed Bath and Beyond to change return policy beginning April 20, 2015.
TORONTO STAR/ Getty Images

— -- Bed Bath & Beyond shoppers will soon have to bid farewell to a key part of the home retail store's extremely forgiving return policy.

Beginning April 20, all returns made without a receipt will be refunded in the form of store credit or exchange at the lowest current price, in addition to a 20 percent deduction.

Those with a receipt need not worry, all exchanges and refunds will be honored for the full amount as purchased.

Bed Bath & Beyond will deduct 20 percent of value from items returned without a receipt.

"Effective April 20, 2015, we are expanding nationwide a modification to our return policy for Bed Bath & Beyond, buybuy BABY and Harmon Face Values that will only affect customers whose purchase cannot be located to process a return, either because the receipt was not provided or because we could not identify the purchase through a query of our transaction records," a Bed Bath & Beyond spokesperson told ABC News.

"We have been providing advance notice of the upcoming change to our customers via signs and handouts in our stores, encouraging customers to hold onto their receipts to avoid being impacted by this change in any manner.

"Customers making returns with a gift receipt or returning items from their gift registry for which we have a record will not be affected by this change. At Bed Bath & Beyond, we pride ourselves on providing customers with a noticeably better shopping experience and modifications such as this will allow us to continue to deliver exceptional service in the future."

The store's former policy allowed customers to return items with or without a receipt for an exchange or full merchandise credit.

There's no word if any changes will be made to Bed Bath & Beyond's famed non-expiring coupons.

To ease the blow of Bed Bath's new method for returns, here's some incredible store policies that still exist today.

Costco

Costco customers may return purchased products to any Costco warehouse, with or without its original packaging. If you don't have a receipt, Costco will do their best to refund the item anyway. Electronic items must be returned within 90 days of purchase. This includes televisions, projectors, computers, cameras, camcorders, touchscreen tablets, MP3 players and cell phones. Items bought from Costco.com may be returned to any warehouse location.

Zappos

Zappos' 365-day policy allows customers to ship return items for free, so long as they're sent back in the original packaging.

Bloomingdale's

Bloomingdale's has a no time limit policy on returns. Unused gift cards may be returned where customers will be reimbursed for their full value. There are, however, special guidelines for items like furniture, mattresses, and area rugs. Bloomingdale's accepts returned items with or without receipts.

Kohl's

Kohl's offers a "no questions asked - hassle-free" return policy, meaning that there are no time restrictions. If customers make a purchase with a Kohl's store credit card, then no receipt is needed. Those purchases can be located up to 12 months after being bought.

Nordstrom

While they don't actually have a return policy, Nordstrom handles each situation case by case, according to their website. Depending on the method of purchase, customers are not required to show a receipt for the returned purchase.

Nordstrom Rack stores have a bit of a stricter policy. All returns are required within 90 days of purchase, must be accompanied by a receipt, and still have the original price tag.