My wife and I were at our local Bath & Body Works over the weekend, buying some Christmas gifts for our daughters, when I read the posted sign talking about their return policy. Let’s just say it REALLY got my attention. Turns out the Bath & Body Works return policy is pretty amazing and actually sounds too good to be true, so I figured I better look into it. Here’s what I discovered, I hope this information helps you with your next return.

How Many Return Days Does Bath & Body Works Give Me?

90 days.

If you want a refund back to your original form of payment you’ll need to bring the item back, with your receipt, within 90 days of purchase.

What Happens After 90 Days?

You can still return the item(s) but you’ll have to settle for store credit or an even exchange.

Don’t ask for an exception to be made because employees DO NOT have the option in the computer system to give you cash back or a refund to your credit card.

See Also: 11 Brilliant Ways to Save Money at Bath & Body Works

What If I Lost My Receipt?

Not a big deal unless you were really hoping for a refund back to your credit card.

If you lose your receipt you can still get store credit or an exchange.

Since Bath & Body Works has no idea what you originally paid, you’ll get the lowest selling price of the item when getting store credit.

The amazing part about the Bath & Body Works return policy is that there is NO timeline for making “receipt-less returns”.

You can make a return 5 years after your purchase date and they’ll STILL take the item back for store credit, even without a receipt.

But be prepared for some nasty looks if you try and return an unused candle with 2 inches of dust on it.

See Also: Ulta Return Policy: We Answer ALL the Hard Questions

What If I Used Most of the Product?

Amazingly, they will still let you return a product that has been opened and used, even if it’s almost gone.

I hit up a Bath & Body employee and asked if this was actually true and she told me it ABSOLUTELY was.

She also added that she hopes people DON’T abuse this generous policy as it will inevitably be dialed back if they do.

And then asked her if she’s ever had someone return something that was pretty much empty and she said “Yes, once or twice but not very often.”

Is There Anything That Can’t Be Returned?

Amazingly, NO.

They want you to “love it” so you can return anything, anytime, for ANY reason.

The one thing you probably can’t return is EMPTY bottles or completely used candles.

I verified this with a chat rep from Bath & Body and was told “Returns can be denied if you try to return an empty bottle or candle jar.”

See Also: Sephora Return Policy: Let’s Break It All Down For You

Are My Bath & Body Returns Being Tracked?

Probably.

While they won’t necessarily admit it, you can almost guarantee Bath & Body Works is tracking your returns.

I’m guessing if you abuse their liberal policy they can refuse your return at some point.

Can My Return Ever Be Denied?

Yes…I think so.

From talking to an employee, I was told that “return policy abuse” cases are left up to individual store managers.

Bottom-line…don’t abuse their policy as it could easily end up going away for all of us.

Can I Return Online Purchases In-Store?

Yes.

Just bring your online purchase back to ANY Bath & Body Works location and get a refund.

You can use your online invoice or confirmation email as your “proof of purchase” receipt.

See Also: Lululemon Return Policy: We Make Sense of a Confusing Policy

How About Returning In-Store Purchases Via the Mail?

No.

In-store purchases can ONLY be returned to a Bath & Body store and not via the mail.

How Long Does It Take For My Return to be Processed?

When a return is refunded back to your original form of payment it takes 3-5 business days on average.

If a gift card is issued instead, it’s essentially an instant return.

Is There Policy Too Good To Be True?

According to many of the comments….Yes.

The policy seems good on paper but doesn’t seem to always translate.

Here are some issues:

1. Problems returning gifts – Shoppers complain of having to settle for store credit (without a receipt) instead of being allowed to do a simple exchange for a different scent.

2. Strange Exchange Policy – Some employees asking customers to pay the difference between what they paid and the current selling price in order to do an exchange on the exact same item.

Let me know in the comments of any other issues that you may have had with their return policy.

Ask the Reader: What’s been your experience with the Bath & Body Works return process? Good, bad, or simply amazing?

By Kyle James