Amazon Change To Make Holidays Easier on Washington Residents

Holiday shopping can be stressful.  You're trying to buy the people on your list everything on their list with varying amount of success.  Because of how hectic life can be outside of the holiday season, many people choose to buy as much as possible online.

Being able to buy nearly everything from the comfort of your couch is great to get your Christmas shopping done, but what about those post Christmas returns?  It's not quite the same as hopping in the car with your receipt and driving to the closest store.

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Amazon To The Rescue

Amazon has tried to make it as easy as possible for it's customers to return items.  You can swing your return by Kohl's, the closest Amazon Locker Hub (not all can be used for returns), or a UPS Store (though you might have to pay to return)

Most items have the standard 30 day replacement policy for a refund or replacement, but the holidays present a separate challenge due to how busy everything gets.  The mail moves slower, deliveries may or may not get there the day you expect, and in person lines can be crazy long.

To help, Amazon has modified their return policy over the holidays so you'll have more time to send back that future "White Elephant" gift.  The company posted the update on their return policy page.

...most items purchased between November 1 and December 31, 2025 can be returned through January 31, 2026.

Items made by Apple have a slightly different last day for extended return.  They have to be sent back by January 16th if purchased in that same window.  As always, check the Amazon return policy page to make sure your gift can be returned.  Things like customized items (and a short list of other items) can't be returned.

If you're planning on doing the bulk of your shopping right now, even if you're getting yourself some well deserved gifts, remember to take advantage of the extended return window if what you bought doesn't live up to your expectations.