Backcountry Return Policy: 90 Days for Unused Gear — but Used Gear Gets 30 Days and Store Credit Only
Backcountry’s current return policy, published on backcountry.com, is really two policies wearing one coat. Unused gear can be returned within 90 days of delivery, with proof of purchase, for a full refund to your original method of payment — and Summit Club+ members get 365 days on unused gear. Used gear lives under a stricter rule: it must come back within 30 days of delivery, undamaged, and it is refunded as store credit only.
The mail-in route runs on an RMA number and an offered flat rate FedEx label for $8.99, which is deducted from your refund — unless you choose store credit, in which case the fee is waived. Store-bought products must go back to a store, final sale and made-to-order items cannot be returned at all, and one clause catches people out every season: the policy that applies to your return is the one in effect at the time of the return, not the one in effect when you bought the gear.
RETURN PERIOD – 90 days from delivery for unused gear — 365 days for Summit Club+ members; 30 days from delivery for used gear
CONDITION – Unused gear in the condition received, original box/packaging and manufacturer tags; used gear undamaged — dirty or damaged products are not accepted
PROOF OF PURCHASE – Required — paper receipt, electronic receipt or order number; mail returns validated by RMA number
REFUNDS – Full refund to the original payment method for unused gear; store credit only for used gear, and store credit if the original payment method is unavailable
Return Windows at a Glance
| Category | Return window | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Unused gear | 90 days from delivery | Full refund to the original payment method, with proof of purchase |
| Unused gear — Summit Club+ members | 365 days from delivery | Membership required; mail terms and conditions apply |
| Used, undamaged gear | 30 days from delivery | Store credit only — never a cash refund |
| Dirty or damaged products | No window | Not accepted — wear and tear, improper use and accident damage are all excluded |
| Final sale, as is, services, made-to-order | No window | Marked as ineligible on the product page and through checkout |
| Store credits from a return | Expire 1 year from issuance | Other credits (Gearhead, promotional) expire in 90 days |
| Flat rate FedEx return label | $8.99, deducted from the refund | Waived if you take store credit; $25.00 for oversized items |
How to Return an Item to Backcountry
- Check which clock you are on. Unused gear: 90 days from delivery (365 for Summit Club+ members). Used gear: 30 days from delivery, store credit only. Proof of purchase is required either way.
- Start the return. You will need the order number from your confirmation email and the email address you used to place the order — or log in and start from the order in your Order History. Prefer a human? A Gearhead can set it up on 801-204-4655 or by chat. Mail returns are validated with an RMA number.
- Pack it properly. Put the item and the return packing slip in a sturdy box — the one it came in is ideal — cover any old addresses and barcodes, and tape it securely with the label clearly visible. This step is not decorative: if an item is damaged in shipping because of improper packaging, the repair costs are yours, charged to your card on file.
- Choose your shipping. Take Backcountry’s flat rate FedEx label for $8.99 (contiguous US, non-freight items) and drop the package at any FedEx location — the $8.99 is deducted from your refund, and waived entirely if you take store credit; oversized items such as bikes carry a $25.00 label fee. Or use a carrier of your choice and ship to the address in your Return Confirmation email.
- Or take it to a store instead. Eligible products bought online, in store or by phone can be returned to any Backcountry retail store with proof of purchase and the original packaging and tags — it does not have to be the store you bought from. Note the reverse does not work: store purchases cannot be returned by mail.
- Receive the refund in the right form. Unused gear refunds go to the original payment method; if that method is unavailable, and for all used gear, the refund arrives as store credit — which, for return-issued credit, lasts one year from issuance.
How Long Do You Have to Return Items to Backcountry?
For unused gear, 90 days from delivery — a window that runs from when the gear reached you, not when you ordered it. Two extensions and limits frame it. Summit Club+ members can return unused gear within 365 days of delivery, which quietly turns the membership into a year-long trial period on anything you never take outside. And used gear is on the short clock: 30 days from delivery, full stop. One legal line on the policy page deserves more attention than it gets: Backcountry states that the return policy applicable to any given return is the policy in effect at the time of the return, not the policy in effect at the time of purchase. Older shoppers may remember a far more open-ended Backcountry policy; whatever was true when an item was bought, the 90/30-day rules above are the ones that govern a return made today.
Can You Return Used Gear to Backcountry?
Yes — narrowly. Used, undamaged gear can be returned within 30 days of delivery, with proof of purchase, and the refund comes only as store credit. The word “undamaged” carries the whole rule. Backcountry states it will not accept products that are dirty or damaged due to ordinary wear and tear, improper use, or accidents. So the used-gear window is for gear you tried and didn’t get on with — a boot that rubbed on one hike, a jacket whose fit failed on the first outing — not for gear that has had a season, a fall or a fight with a rock. If there is any doubt about which side of the line an item falls on, that is precisely what the Gearheads are for: chat and phone run Monday–Friday 8am–8pm MST and weekends 8am–6pm MST on 1-801-204-4655.
Can You Return to Backcountry Without a Receipt?
Proof of purchase is a stated requirement of the policy, in all three of its published forms: a paper receipt, an electronic receipt, or an order number. In practice that is a softer rule than it looks for online shoppers — your order number is in your confirmation email and your account’s Order History, and for mail returns Backcountry validates proof of purchase using the RMA number created when you start the return. The policy publishes no no-receipt fallback: no “store credit at the current selling price” promise of the kind some clothing retailers make. If you genuinely have none of the three forms, a Gearhead may ask for customer information to process a return at a store — the policy says the team may request certain customer information — but that is a courtesy route, not a published entitlement, and it is worth finding the order number before you start.
What Can’t Be Returned to Backcountry?
- Items marked “final sale,” “as is,” “services,” or “made-to-order” — ineligible items are flagged on the Product Purchase Page and at every relevant step of checkout
- Services of any kind — repair, customization and installation services cannot be returned, refunded or exchanged
- Dirty or damaged products — ordinary wear and tear, improper use and accident damage are all excluded, from both the refund and the used-gear routes
- Store purchases sent by mail — products bought at a store must be returned to a store; the mail-in process cannot accept them
- Certain hazardous-material products by mail — some powered coolers and portable generators cannot be mailed back; return them to a retail store instead
- Freight items on the flat rate label — kayaks, surfboards, SUP boards, cargo boxes, car racks and indoor bikes need a Gearhead-arranged return; using the $8.99 label anyway means your card is charged the difference in shipping cost
- Anything outside its window — unused gear after 90 days (365 for Summit Club+), used gear after 30 days
One more consequence is published plainly: if Backcountry receives an item that is not eligible for a refund or exchange, it reserves the right not to ship the item back to you, depending on the item’s size and condition. Check eligibility before the box is sealed, not after.
How Are Refunds Issued and How Long Do They Take?
Unused gear is refunded in full to your original method of payment — and if that method is unavailable (a closed card, an expired account), the refund is issued as store credit instead. Used gear is store credit only, always. The $8.99 flat rate label fee is deducted from whichever form the refund takes, unless you chose store credit, in which case the fee is waived — a small but real nudge in the credit’s favour. Two store-purchase quirks are published: cash purchases of $500 or more are refunded by store credit or by check, and store credits carry expiry dates — one year from issuance for credits created by a return, and just 90 days for other credits, including promotional and Gearhead-issued ones. Backcountry’s policy page does not publish a refund processing-time figure, so plan on the carrier transit plus processing rather than a promised number of days; what the page does promise is the form of the money, and on that it is exact.
How Do Backcountry Exchanges Work?
Backcountry publishes the honest version of exchanges: the fastest way to exchange a product is to return the original purchase and place a new order. Ordering immediately means the replacement size or colour cannot sell out while your return is in transit; your refund then follows the normal rules above — original payment method for unused gear inside 90 days, the label fee deducted unless you take store credit. If you would rather not run two transactions, call or chat with a Gearhead, who can set up an exchange without a new order. Either way, an exchange inherits the return rules: the same windows, the same condition and proof-of-purchase requirements, and the same exclusions for final sale and made-to-order items.
Backcountry Contact Options
| Option | Details |
|---|---|
| Gearheads by phone | 1-801-204-4655 — chat and phone Monday–Friday 8am–8pm MST, Saturday and Sunday 8am–6pm MST |
| Gearheads by chat | Live chat on backcountry.com (Help Center) |
| Start a return | From your account’s Order History, or with your order number and order email on the returns page |
| Warranty claims — general | warranty@backcountry.com — include order number, purchase date, brand, a description of the issue and photos of the defect |
| Warranty claims — bikes | warrantybike@backcountry.com for bikes, bike frames and bike accessories |
| Returns by your own carrier | Backcountry.com Returns Department, 2607 South 3200 West, Suite A, West Valley City, UT 84119, or 295 Technology Drive, Christiansburg, VA 24073-7383 — use the address in your Return Confirmation email |
| Full policy | The return policy is published at backcountry.com/info/return-policy |
A warranty note that saves a wasted email: a defect found within 30 days of purchase goes to a Gearhead for store credit or a product exchange, and a long list of brands — Patagonia, The North Face, Arc’teryx, Marmot, Osprey and others named on the policy page — prefer to handle warranty issues directly, so check the brand before writing to Backcountry.
Backcountry on Social Media
Backcountry’s official profiles include:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/backcountry
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Backcountry
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/backcountry
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@backcountrycom
Backcountry does not process returns through social media — use your account, a store, or a Gearhead on 1-801-204-4655.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Guides
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- Nike Return Policy
- Apple Return Policy
Backcountry’s policy rewards the decisive and the tidy. Unused gear gets a comfortable 90 days — a full year if you are a Summit Club+ member — and a full refund to the card you paid with; used gear gets a short, honest 30 days and store credit; dirty or damaged gear gets nothing, and the policy says so without blushing. The economics of the mail-in route are equally plain: $8.99 for the label, waived if you take credit, and your own packaging mistakes billed back to you. Keep the box, keep the tags, keep the order number, and decide within the window — the Gearheads on 1-801-204-4655 handle everything the fine print doesn’t.
Disclaimer: Policy Return is an independent guide and is not affiliated with Backcountry. Return policies can change at any time; always confirm the current policy on Backcountry’s official website before making a return.
Checked against Backcountry’s published policy on 1 November 2026. Policies change; the retailer’s official page is the final word.
