Using Credit Card Return Protection

It’s no secret that I love credit cards, and not just for miles and points. Credit cards often provide a variety of other benefits and consumer protections that make me prefer to use a credit card over any other form of payment, like trip delay insurance or return protection.

I usually don’t have occasion to take advantage of benefits like return protection or purchase protection because I just don’t buy that many non-consumable goods, but I recently decided to order some clothing online. Buying clothes online is always challenging because you often don’t know how they fit, and one of the items I wanted was final sale, so the store wasn’t willing to accept a return. But I figured that I’d use my Amex SPG for the purchase, which I know offers return protection. Return protection essentially says that your credit card company will cover you if the store doesn’t accept the return, provided that you call within 90 days of the purchase date and limited to $300 per item and up to $1000 total per year (see full benefits details)

Turns out that the final sale item wasn’t a great fit, and when I tried talking to the store’s customer service line, they said that they wouldn’t accept the return because it was final sale (and outside of the store’s 30-day return window). So I called 1-800-297-8019, which is the Amex Return Protection number, and asked to file a return protection claim. I reached a helpful phone agent who asked for basic information like the date of purchase, the items purchased, the total amount charged to the card, etc. And the next morning, I received an email saying that my return protection claim had been closed, and I saw a credit on my statement for the full value of the item I wanted to return. I didn’t even need to send the item to Amex. Pretty awesome, right?

Return protection is one of many reasons why I love credit cards. Obviously, don’t abuse protections like this, but it makes it easier to shop (especially online), when you know that your credit card company has you covered.