If a product you test is defective or damaged, start with the seller’s return policy and its deadline, then make a clear, documented request for the outcome you want. If the seller’s return window has closed or it will not resolve the problem, check the manufacturer’s warranty and follow its claim process. There is no universal U.S. store-return period or guaranteed refund: seller policies, warranty terms, and state law vary.
First, identify which route applies
A change-of-mind return and a defective-product claim are not necessarily handled the same way. A seller’s return policy sets out what it accepts and by when; a warranty is a separate promise with its own coverage, exclusions, and claims process. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) advises consumers to check the specific seller’s policy rather than assume a standard deadline. Its examples of 30- or 90-day return periods are examples, not nationwide rules. FTC guidance on returns and refunds.
If the seller’s return window is still open
- Read the policy and procedure. Check the receipt, packaging, seller website, or other policy information for the deadline and whether the seller offers a refund, exchange, repair, or store credit.
- Confirm what the seller needs. Ask whether you must return the product, include original packaging, or provide particular information, and who pays any return shipping. Before mailing a valuable or potentially unsafe item, ask the seller what to do.
- Make a direct request and keep records. Explain what is wrong and state the remedy you want. Save the receipt or order record, warranty, product model or serial number, and dated copies of messages or claim submissions.
The seller’s policy determines its ordinary return procedure; it does not by itself establish what a separate warranty covers. The FTC recommends checking the seller’s return policy and keeping relevant records.
If the deadline passed or the seller declines
Check the product’s written warranty. The warranty may cover some failures but exclude others, and it may promise a repair rather than an immediate refund. Follow the stated claim process; the FTC advises contacting the seller first and writing to the manufacturer if the seller does not resolve the defect. FTC warranty guidance.
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- Coverage: Note the warranty period, when it starts, covered parts and failures, and exclusions.
- Claim process: Find out whom to contact and whether you must contact the seller before the manufacturer.
- Costs and conditions: Check for shipping, labor, or diagnostic expenses, along with maintenance, use, or registration conditions.
- Promised remedy: Confirm whether the company offers repair, replacement, refund, or another remedy.
Keep copies of the warranty and purchase proof. An extended warranty or service contract is a separate purchase, not automatically the same as the manufacturer’s included warranty. These points also help when comparing warranties across products. The FTC’s warranty guide explains what to look for.
How to make a product warranty claim
- Gather the details: product name, model or serial number, purchase date and seller, proof of purchase, warranty, and any earlier messages.
- Describe the failure clearly: explain what happened and when, without sending originals of records you may need later.
- State the remedy you want: ask for a refund, repair, exchange, replacement, or store credit. The warranty and applicable law may affect which remedy is available.
- Follow the claim instructions: use the warranty’s listed contact and retain dated copies of what you submit and any response.
Warranty language about repairs is not automatically the last word on your rights. The FTC says a warrantor generally cannot require consumers to use specified parts or services to preserve warranty coverage unless those parts or services are provided free or the FTC has granted a waiver. Whether a particular practice violates the law depends on the facts and applicable law. In its July 2024 announcement about warning letters, FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection Director Samuel Levine said, “These warning letters put companies on notice that restricting consumers’ right to repair violates the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.” That was a statement about the warning letters, not a court ruling on every warranty dispute. FTC announcement, July 2024.
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If the company still does not resolve the problem
Send a concise written complaint to the company with the product and model or serial number, purchase date and place, what failed, steps you have already taken, and the outcome you are requesting. Attach copies of relevant records and keep the originals. If you still cannot resolve the issue, look for the consumer protection office or attorney general relevant to your state or locality. USAGov’s guide to company product and service complaints.
For an online purchase from a seller outside the United States, USAGov points consumers to econsumer.gov. The FTC also accepts consumer reports, but it does not resolve individual complaints or secure an individual refund; reporting helps the agency identify patterns and may support enforcement. USAGov’s online-purchase complaint guidance; FTC guidance on reporting a problem.
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If the product may be unsafe
Do not keep using a product that may pose a safety risk just to document the defect. Preserve the purchase and warranty records, and check the appropriate safety-reporting route. USAGov identifies the Consumer Product Safety Commission as the agency responsible for many consumer product hazards. USAGov complaint guidance.
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