Last Updated on February 19, 2022 by Laura Ritterman
Grocery stores are not known for their return policies. It is strange to imagine someone coming into a store to return a food item that they bought. Many people assume Lidl to be the same as other places that focus on food sales for the same reason.
But just because it is uncommon and unlikely does not mean it is untrue. Lidl has a return policy for many reasons. Chief among them is the fact that is better to have one and not need one than need one and not have it. But how does it work? And how does one return things to Lidl?
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What is Lidl’s Return Policy?
If you have the receipt, you can return an original Lidl-branded product. Lidl guarantees a complete refund if an eligible item is returned within 90 days after purchase.
There are two things that you can return to Lidl:
- Lidl-branded item
- National brand and non-food items
This encompasses everything that you can buy from Lidl as well, except for faulty food items. You cannot return faulty food items since those just become waste anyways.
Food items can be returned within 90 days of buying them. These should be returned in the original packaging and with a receipt.
Faulty non-food items can be returned to a store so long as you have a proof of purchase. The original packaging is not required. You can get either a replacement or a full refund. This can happen any time within a year of buying the item.
You can actually return faulty non-food items more than a year after you bought them, you just have to start the process with a customer service agent over the phone rather than in a store.
Items that are neither food nor faulty can be returned within the first 90 days of buying them. In this case you will have to bring the receipt and the original packaging. The item must also be in a “new” and resaleable condition if you want to get a full refund or exchange for it.
| Return Period | 90 Days |
| Return Method | In-Store |
| Exchange Period | 90 Days |
| Exchange Method | In-Store |
| Refund Method | Method of Payment |
Can You Return an Online Purchase to a Store?
Imagine that you buy something online and want to return it. How do you go about that? Lidl is one of the few stores that does not sell anything online that you cannot get at the store itself.
That means anything that you buy online can be returned to a normal store. And not only that, but it has to be returned that way. Lidl does not have any methods for doing returns on items through the mail. So, be careful shopping online if you do not have a Lidl in your area.
Does Lidl Take Returns Without a Receipt?
No, Lidl does not take returns without a receipt. Proof of purchase does not work—you need a receipt, even if your order comes from their online store. That means printing out the receipt in order to show it to customer support if you want to return an item you got online.
Lidl Exchange Policy
Lidl’s exchange policy is similar to the exchange policy of many stores: Because they offer full refunds, exchanging items is possible in practice even if there is not language set aside for it on paper. Just return the item for the full refund, and then use the money to get something else.
Lidl Refund Policy
That way of doing returns is heavily reliant on having a clear refund policy, however. So, what can you get refunds on with Lidl? The short answer is that you can technically get refunds on anything, but it is not promised that you will get refunds on everything you return to them.
You can get refunds on food items, but it is uncommon. Remember that when you are returning food items you are basically claiming that the food did not meet your standards in some way. You cannot return mostly eaten food items and expect to get a refund for them.
You will always be able to get refunds on faulty non-food items. Be sure to have the original packaging and receipt when you return them, but because you are returning things that are faulty, customer service will generally be accommodating to the inconvenience it caused you.
You will be able to get refunds on non-faulty non-food items about half of the time. This is because these items need to be returned in a “new” condition that they can be resold in. That means if you buy a t-shirt from Lidl, you can only return it if you never wore it or washed it.
How Strict is the Lidl Return Policy?
Lidl’s return policy is strict when it comes to what you can return, but it is not very strict in just about every other way a return policy can be strict. Specifically, while the manner in which you return a non-faulty, non-food item might be strict, you have 90 days to do it.
With faulty items you have a whole year, and customer service will still work with you even if you return the item more than a year later. The real obstacle that you will face when trying to return things is not the time you have to do it, but the availability of it since you cannot return by mail.
Conclusion
Lidl allows you to return anything you buy from them, but it will only accept certain things if they are in the right condition. Whether or not they accept food items or non-faulty, non-food items are the most uncertain, as the standards for the conditions they need to be in are subjective.
Still, you have plenty of time to return either of them, and anything you return will get you a full refund. Just be sure to have your receipt with you, even if you bought something online.
Also remember that you will only be able to return something to an in-person store. Even items that you buy online can only be returned to an in-person store, though you can talk to a customer service agent about the return process on the phone beforehand to speed it up.
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