Amazon is making contact-free returns easier this holiday season

It’s now easier to return those unwanted Amazon gifts.

What you need to know

• Amazon is expanding its return window for items purchased as early as October.
• Returns can be brought to Whole Foods stores and many other locations, and don’t require a label in most cases.
• Many items can be returned without a box, and customers have until January 31st to return items purchased within the specified window.

Christmas is coming and the time for gift-giving is upon us. It also means the time for gift returns is coming soon thereafter. This year due to ongoing social distancing protocols, it’s more important than ever to make sure that there are safe ways for consumers to return unwanted items. Many companies, such as Walmart with its Walmart Plus service, are trying to make it easier for customers to shop this holiday season and Amazon is now making it easier. The company has announced today that it’s not only making returns more convenient but it’s also expanding the window that customers can return their items.

Customers can return items that were purchased between October 1st and December 31st, and the window they can return these items is open until January 31st. Moreover, many of the items are available to return box-free and without a label, making it easier for customers to make returns.

Eligible return locations include Amazon retail locations such as Amazon Books, Amazon 4-star, Amazon Fresh stores, Amazon Go stores, Amazon Hub Locker+, Whole Foods Market stores, UPS Store locations, and Kohl’s. Returns to these locations are quick and easy, and in most cases, all you would need is the QR code or barcode that’s generated when creating the return.

Amazon’s director of Worldwide Returns and ReCommerce and Sustainability, Libby Johnson McKee, highlights how convenience was a big factor in giving customers a number of options for returning items:

Our hope is that by offering so many return options—from tens of thousands of drop-off locations to shipping an item back—as well as more time to think about making a return, customers can relax and shop with confidence this holiday season.

Amazon also emphasizes its focus on sustainability, finding ways to repurpose and reuse returned items and make Certified Refurbished and Used Amazon items available for sale through channels like Amazon Renewed.

For customers wanting to make a return, the process is simple and can be found in the “Returns & Orders” page on Amazon’s website, or under “Your Orders” via the Amazon app. From there, you can select the return option and find a nearby location. For those of you making in-person returns, refunds can be expected within hours of the item drop-off. Customers shipping their items can expect a refund three-to-five business days after it’s received by the Amazon warehouse. Credits or refunds will vary depending on the item and how it was returned.

And if you’re having trouble finding that perfect gift, you can’t go wrong with a tablet, and we have a list of some of the best Alexa speakers as well as the best Amazon Fire tablets, which include options for the kids.

Amazon Echo Dot (4th Gen.)

$30 at Amazon

The new Amazon Echo Dot is the best value Alexa speaker, featuring a stylish spherical design, great audio, and even includes a version with an LED display to show the time.