Do you know what American Eagle’s return policy is? Well, you are at the perfect place to find the answer to such a question.
American Eagle offers clothing for everyone, but sometimes, that outfit just doesn’t look as great at home as it did in the changing room.
In that situation, it’s always a good idea to understand the refund policy so that you know your options.
Here are 3 reasons why American Eagle’s return policy is great, and 3 reasons it needs improvement.
Pros:
- American Eagle lets you exchange or get store credit for your returns
- You can return your item to an American Eagle, Aerie, or Tailgate store in the U.S. for easy returns
- The refund period is indefinite
Cons:
- You can’t make exchanges by mail
- You need a receipt, invoice, order confirmation, order details, or order emails to get a refund
- You can’t return items with the hygienic seal removed
Of course, a lot of these cons are completely understandable—no one wants to buy swimwear that’s been worn by someone else, but the fact that these rules could cost you your refund can suck at times.
The rest of this article will cover the 3 pros and cons of the American Eagle refund policy and answer some frequently asked questions about getting your refunds.
3 Reasons Why American Eagle Return Policy Sucks
Every refund policy has its drawbacks, and American Eagle is no exception. While we can completely understand why these cons exist, it’s still good to be aware of them so you don’t get caught unawares.
Some of these refund policy cons are meant to protect AE from fraud or unhygienic practices and understanding why these drawbacks of the AE refund policy exist is important to know what you can and can’t return.
1. You Can’t Make Exchanges by Mail
It’s so much more convenient to visit a store and exchange something there, but if you’re an online shopper who’s loyal to American Eagle, then being unable to make those quick exchanges and having to wait for your money to be returned to make another purchase can be a real downer.
Honestly, it’s an understandable practice, since the process can be seriously lengthy. If they did offer exchanges by mail, you’d have to wait for your return to reach AE in the first place, which is entirely dependent on the mail carrier.
Then AE would have to verify that the item is in good condition. Lastly, your item would be shipped again.
Remember, you don’t get your shipping money back on refunds, so you’d be losing out twice by ordering two different products online.
As such, if you got the wrong size on something by ordering online or want a different style, it might be best to visit a store to simplify the exchange process and save a little bit on shipping.
2. You Can’t Get a Refund without Proof of Purchase
Let’s be honest: with electronic paperwork becoming the norm these days, it can be a real pain to keep track of a physical piece of paper.
Even order confirmation emails can be difficult to track down if you have a lot of traffic in your inbox.
Without some proof of purchase—i.e. receipt, invoice, order confirmation, order details, or order emails—you won’t be getting a refund. Thankfully, as long as you have the item and it’s in good condition, you can still exchange it for something else in the store.
That doesn’t exactly ease the frustration if all you wanted was your money back, though.
In light of this, it’s always a good practice to store your receipts somewhere practical so that you can easily access them.
Similarly, whenever you make an online purchase (especially if you’re a loyal AE customer), put those order confirmation emails in a separate folder and just label the folder “American Eagle.” That way, you’ll have a much easier time finding them in the future.
As a little bonus pro tip, if you can’t find your order confirmation email by digging through your inbox, consider using the search feature at the top of the page and typing in “American Eagle” or “Order Confirmation.”
3. You Can’t Return Items with the Hygienic Seal Removed
Another downside of the American Eagle refund policy that immediately makes sense is that you can’t return items that have the hygiene seal removed.
While this is a ‘duh’ moment in retrospect, it’s all too easy to forget and remove the seal on a pair of earrings to try them on properly. Unfortunately, once you’ve done that, you won’t be able to make a return or get an exchange for this item.
It’s also not worth trying to bypass the system and return the product online. AE will check for the hygiene seal, and if it’s not there or has been visibly tampered with, they will not issue a refund.
You’ll also have to handle the shipping costs, and if they suspect fraud, you might not even get the item you returned shipped back to you.
If your items have been damaged or visibly altered, AE will not issue a refund either. Of course, if your items arrived damaged, then it’s a good ideal to get in touch with customer support to let them know.
Obviously, waiting a month and then calling to report a damaged item is pretty suspicious behavior, and you might have a harder time getting your refund in this event.
What is excellent about the AE policy—and pretty unique, for that matter—is that AE will still accept and process your refund even if you’ve removed the tags and washed the item.
All things considered, you’ve got a pretty lenient window of time to decide you don’t want the item and return it.
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3 Reasons Why American Eagle Return Policy Is Great
It’s always appreciated when a big company recognizes that you might pick up an item or two that you just don’t like anymore when you get home.
It happens, and as long as you’re able to meet some requirements, American Eagle’s refund policy lets you return and refund your items for free, both in person and online.
1. American Eagle Exchanges
One of the best parts about the American Eagle refund policy is that it allows you to make exchanges. That means you don’t have to go through the hassle of buying something, waiting for your money to come back, and then using that money to make a purchase.
This applies even if you don’t have proof of purchase. That’s right—you can get store credit or an exchanged item even if you forgot your receipt.
If you’re an avid AE shopper, then this kind of a great deal is probably right up your alley, and it’s definitely one of the best features of the American Eagle refund policy since it gives you the freedom to keep shopping and takes the stress out of tracking your return, waiting for your money back, and making sure you get the right amount.
To make an exchange, simply visit your local American Eagle store and head to the Returns department.
Let the associate know you want to make an exchange, and they will help walk you through the process so that you can get store credit.
If you have a specific item in mind to exchange, you can do that as well. Just be aware that if you ordered your item online, American Eagle won’t be able to do an exchange by mail, so you’ll have to head over to your nearest AE to get that done.
2. Returning Your Item Anywhere
Another great upside of the American Eagle refund policy is that you can make your return anywhere, anytime.
As long as the item hasn’t been used—no tags or hygiene seals removed—then you can bring it to any American Eagle, Aerie, or Tailgate store in the U.S. to get a full refund.
With hundreds, if not thousands, of stores all across the U.S., there’s always a convenient dropoff location for you to get a full refund of your item.
3. Indefinite Refund Period
Saving the best for last, AE’s refund policy is spectacular in that it allows you to return items whenever, as long as you haven’t worn them.
So, if you bought a new pair of jeans a few months ago and just found them sitting in the closet—still brand new—then you can still return them.
This commitment to providing long-term refunds is probably the best feature of this refund policy since most policies would expire after 28-30 days, such that if you forgot about an item you bought and discovered it later, then it’s just too bad.
You can return your items to American Eagle in one of several ways. First, you have the option to return it to any American Eagle, Aerie, or Tailgate store in the U.S. to get a full refund (or an exchange if you bring the item without proof of purchase).
Second, you can return your items online through the American Eagle Live app in their online portal.
All you need to do is indicate which items on your order you want to return, print the shipping label, and send the item back, preferably in its original packaging.
If you qualify for free returns, you can use a label provided by AE to have your item returned and refunded at no additional cost.
If your order doesn’t qualify for free returns, you can still mail your items back, but a $5 fee will be deducted from the refund to cover any shipping costs.
Keep in mind as well that AE does not refund your initial shipping costs, just the dollar amount of the item itself.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Buy Something Online and Return It to a Store?
American Eagle has a great return policy that allows you to buy something online and still be able to return it to a store.
You can even do this with online only items as well, which demonstrates AE’s remarkable commitment to customer service.
Can I Return Clearance or Sale Items?
If an item is on clearance or on sale, then you will still be refunded the price of the item minus the discount.
This part of AE’s policy is remarkable since it’s department store custom to mark clearance items as final sales, which essentially means that they cannot be returned under any circumstances.
Can I Return Aerie or Tailgate Items to AE?
If you bought your item at any one of these three stores, then you can feel free to return it to any one of the stores you choose.
You don’t have to take the item back to the same place you bought it, and any store associate at Aerie, Tailgate, or American Eagle will be happy to help you when processing your refund.
When Will I Get My Refund?
If you take it in store, you can get a refund immediately. If you choose to ship it back to AE online via the American Eagle Live app, then you’ll need to allow 2-4 weeks for the item to reach AE in the first place.
Once American Eagle has your item, you’ll get an email letting you know that the refund is being processed. After this email, you should get your money back within 5-7 business days.
Is There a Time Limit on Returns?
There is absolutely no time limit on returns to get a full refund. Just make sure the items is in good condition and that none of the seals are broken.
Can I Return an Order Purchased with Afterpay?
If you bought an AE item with Afterpay, the return amount will reflect the amount you have already paid.
In other words, if you’ve only made the first installment of $25, then the rest of your payments will be canceled, and you’ll get a refund for that $25.
Final Thoughts
Refund policies can be complex, but thankfully, AE shows a great commitment to their customers and loyal fans by making theirs straightforward to understand and extremely lenient to complete.