Eddie Bauer Return Policy: 30 Days From Delivery, Free Exchanges and a $3.50 or $10 Choice
Eddie Bauer’s return policy gives you 30 days from the original delivery date to return items ordered by phone or online. The catch is the fee, and you choose it at checkout: pay a $3.50 prepaid return fee when you order, and the return costs you nothing more, or decline it and a $10 restocking fee is deducted from your refund if you send the item back. Exchanges are free, but only for a different size of the same style and color.
The holiday extension is already published. Orders placed between November 18 and December 25 get an extended 45-day return period for items ordered through the online store. This guide covers the fee choice, the exchange rules, and what happens when you have no proof of purchase.
Return Period
30 days from delivery
Holiday Returns
45 days for online orders placed 18 Nov–25 Dec
Return Fee
$3.50 prepaid at checkout, or a $10 restocking fee if declined
No Receipt
Merchandise credit at the item’s current selling price on the date of return
Return Windows at a Glance
| Category | Return window | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Phone and online orders | 30 days from the original delivery date | Items must be unused, unworn, unwashed, with all tags attached and in original packaging |
| Holiday orders (online store) | 45 days for orders placed 18 November–25 December | Extended return period for items ordered through the online store |
| Exchanges | Within the applicable return period | Free, for an alternative size of the same style and color; one exchange per item per transaction |
| Short shipments (missing items) | Report within 15 days | Notify Eddie Bauer as soon as reasonably possible and no later than 15 days |
| Final Sale items | No return or exchange | Exclusions are clearly identified at checkout |
How to Return an Item to Eddie Bauer
- Start your return online. Eddie Bauer’s Refund Policy page links to its returns portal at eddiebauer.loopreturns.com. Open the portal and follow the prompts to initiate the return.
- Check your window and your fee choice. The return time frame starts from the original delivery date, not the order date. If you paid the $3.50 prepaid return fee at checkout, your return is covered. If you declined it, a $10 restocking fee will be deducted from your refund.
- Pack the item as it arrived. Items must be in their original condition and original packaging, unused, unworn, unwashed, and with all tags still attached. Include your proof of purchase with the return.
- Ship it back. Use the return method the portal gives you. Free exchanges and prepaid return labels are offered only to United States customers, so international returns need a different route.
- Wait for your refund or exchange. The refund goes back to your original payment method, minus any restocking fee that applies. If you chose an exchange, it is free for a different size of the same style and color, subject to availability.
How Long Do You Have to Return Items to Eddie Bauer?
The standard window is 30 days, and the clock starts from the original delivery date. That is an important detail: the days you wait for shipping do not count against you, but the days after the package lands do. The policy applies to all items ordered via phone or the online store, and it covers customers in the United States and Canada.
The condition rules are strict. For a change-of-mind return, the item must be in its original condition and original packaging, unused, unworn, unwashed, and with all tags still attached. You must include proof of purchase. Original shipping charges are non-refundable, except where required by applicable law.
One more deadline sits outside the return window. If an item is missing from your shipment, inspect the package carefully against the packing slip and notify Eddie Bauer as soon as reasonably possible — and no later than 15 days where permitted by law — so the company can investigate and resolve the issue.
Is the $3.50 Prepaid Return Fee Worth It?
For most shoppers, yes. US customers choose one of two return options at the time of purchase. Pay a $3.50 prepaid return fee at checkout, and that covers the cost of a return made in accordance with the policy. Decline the prepaid return option, and a $10 restocking fee will be deducted from any refund if the item is returned.
The maths is simple: if there is any real chance you will send the item back, $3.50 at checkout is cheaper than $10 off your refund. The $3.50 only helps if you actually return the item, so on an order you are certain to keep, declining it saves you $3.50. But sizing is uncertain on outdoor clothing, and Eddie Bauer’s own exchange rules show the company expects size swaps — so the prepaid fee is the safer default on anything you have not tried on before.
Canadian customers do not get the choice. The prepaid return option is not available in Canada, and a $20 restocking fee is deducted from the refund for returns made in accordance with the policy, subject to applicable law.
Are Exchanges Really Free?
Yes, with limits. Free exchanges are offered for an alternative size of the same style and color, subject to availability. Each item is eligible for one exchange per transaction, so you get one shot at the right size.
That is narrower than a full exchange policy. You cannot swap a jacket for a different color, a different style, or a different product for free — the free exchange is a size change only. If you want a different color or style, that is a return and a new purchase, and the return fee rules apply. Free exchanges and prepaid return labels are also offered only to United States customers, so Canadian and international customers should check the terms before ordering.
Can You Return to Eddie Bauer Without a Receipt?
You can, but the refund changes. Returns made without proof of purchase may be credited at the item’s current selling price on the date of return, in the form of a merchandise credit. That is a real cost if the item has gone on sale since you bought it: the credit is based on today’s price, not the price you paid.
With proof of purchase, the refund follows the normal route back to your original payment method, minus any restocking fee that applies. So the receipt matters twice at Eddie Bauer — once to prove the purchase, and once to protect the price you paid. Keep the packing slip or the order confirmation email, and include proof of purchase with the return as the policy requires.
What Can’t Be Returned to Eddie Bauer?
Eddie Bauer’s published exclusions are short:
- Final Sale items — not eligible for return or exchange. Any exclusions are clearly identified at checkout, so check the product page before you buy.
- Items outside the return period — the 30-day window, or the 45-day holiday window, is the limit for change-of-mind returns.
- Items that fail the condition rules — used, worn, washed, or missing tags or original packaging do not meet the requirements for a return or refund.
Eddie Bauer does not publish a longer list of category exclusions on its Refund Policy page. The condition rules do most of the work: keep the item unworn, unwashed, tagged and boxed, and inside the window, and the return is covered.
Does Eddie Bauer Charge a Restocking Fee?
Yes — unless you paid for the prepaid option. The fee structure is the heart of this policy:
| Situation | What you pay |
|---|---|
| US customer who paid the $3.50 prepaid return fee at checkout | Nothing more — the prepaid fee covers the return |
| US customer who declined the prepaid option | A $10 restocking fee deducted from the refund |
| Canadian customer | A $20 restocking fee deducted from the refund; the prepaid option is not available |
| Exchange for a different size, same style and color | Free, subject to availability; one exchange per item per transaction |
Original shipping charges are non-refundable in all cases, except where required by applicable law. All return options, fees and conditions are subject to applicable federal, provincial and state laws and regulations.
How Are Refunds Issued and How Long Do They Take?
Eddie Bauer’s published Refund Policy does not state a specific refund processing time. What it does state is the form of the refund: with proof of purchase, the refund goes back to your original payment method, minus any restocking fee that applies. Without proof of purchase, the refund becomes a merchandise credit at the item’s current selling price on the date of return.
Because no processing timeline is published, do not assume a fast turnaround. Start the return through the Loop Returns portal, keep the tracking for your return shipment, and contact Customer Service at customerservice@eddiebauer.com or 888-680-5612 if the refund has not appeared after a reasonable wait. Your bank’s own posting time also applies on top of Eddie Bauer’s processing.
Does Eddie Bauer Extend Returns for the Holidays?
Yes. Orders placed between Monday, November 18 and December 25 are eligible for an extended 45-day return period for items ordered through the online store. That is 15 days more than the standard 30 days, and it covers the whole gift-giving stretch.
Two details matter. First, the extension is for items ordered through the online store — the policy page ties it to online orders, so phone orders are not named in the extension. Second, the extension runs from the delivery date like the standard window, since the return time frame starts from the original delivery date. A gift ordered on December 25 and delivered on December 30 has until mid-February, which comfortably covers the post-Christmas decision.
Is Returning Different for Store and Online Purchases?
Eddie Bauer’s published Refund Policy is written for phone and online orders, and it does not set out a separate in-store return process. The return period, the fee choice and the exchange rules all describe items ordered via phone or the online store, and returns are initiated through the online Loop Returns portal.
Free exchanges and prepaid return labels are offered only to United States customers. Orders shipped from Canada, certain US territories and international destinations are excluded from those offers. For returns outside the United States, Eddie Bauer directs customers to contact customerservice@eddiebauer.com. If you bought in a store, contact Customer Service before assuming the online process applies to your purchase.
Eddie Bauer Contact Options
| Option | Details |
|---|---|
| Start a return online | eddiebauer.loopreturns.com — linked from the Refund Policy page |
| Customer Service email | customerservice@eddiebauer.com |
| Customer Service phone | 888-680-5612 |
| Returns outside the United States | Contact customerservice@eddiebauer.com |
| Mailing address | Eddie Bauer, 31 W 34th St., 4th FL, New York, NY 10001 |
Frequently Asked Questions
You have 30 days from the original delivery date to return phone and online orders, with the item unused, unworn, unwashed, tagged and in its original packaging. Pay $3.50 at checkout for a prepaid return, or a $10 restocking fee is deducted from your refund. Exchanges for a different size of the same style and color are free.
Start the return through the Loop Returns portal at eddiebauer.loopreturns.com, linked from the Refund Policy page. Pack the item in its original packaging with the tags attached and include your proof of purchase. If you paid the $3.50 prepaid fee, the return is covered; if not, a $10 restocking fee comes off your refund.
Usually yes. It costs $3.50 at checkout and covers the return in full. Declining it means a $10 restocking fee is deducted from your refund if you return the item. The prepaid fee only pays off if you actually return something, so skip it only on an item you are certain to keep.
Yes, and it is free. Exchanges are offered for an alternative size of the same style and color, subject to availability, and each item is eligible for one exchange per transaction. A different color or style is a return and a new purchase, not a free exchange.
Yes, but the refund changes. Without proof of purchase, the return may be credited at the item’s current selling price on the date of return, in the form of a merchandise credit. If the item has gone on sale, that credit may be less than you paid, so keep your proof of purchase.
Orders placed between Monday, November 18 and December 25 are eligible for an extended 45-day return period for items ordered through the online store. The window still starts from the original delivery date, so a late-December delivery gives you until mid-February.
Final Sale items are not eligible for return or exchange, and any exclusions are clearly identified at checkout. Items that are used, worn, washed, or missing tags or original packaging also fail the condition requirements for a return.
The prepaid return option is not available in Canada. For returns made in accordance with the policy, a $20 restocking fee is deducted from the refund, subject to applicable law. Free exchanges and prepaid return labels are offered only to United States customers.
Related Guides
- Columbia Sportswear Return Policy
- Carhartt Return Policy
- Backcountry Return Policy
- Converse Return Policy
- Nike Return Policy
- DSW Return Policy
- Clarks Return Policy
- Coach Return Policy
- Bass Pro Shops Return Policy
- Cabela’s Return Policy
Conclusion
Eddie Bauer’s return policy is fair, but it asks you to make a decision at checkout: $3.50 now, or $10 later. The 30-day window from delivery is standard, the 45-day holiday extension is useful, and free size exchanges are genuinely helpful for outdoor clothing. The trap is the no-receipt rule — without proof of purchase, your refund becomes a merchandise credit at today’s price. Pay the $3.50, keep your receipt, and try things on before the tags come off.
Disclaimer: Policy Return is an independent guide and is not affiliated with Eddie Bauer. Return policies can change at any time; always confirm the current policy on Eddie Bauer’s official website before making a return.
Checked against Eddie Bauer’s published policy on 5 November 2026. Policies change; the retailer’s official page is the final word.
