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Dell Return Policy, Explained

Dell gives most US buyers 30 days from the invoice date to start a return, with free labels and no restocking fee for personal-use purchases.

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Card reading Dell return policy, with an icon of a box and a return arrow.
Illustration by Wiki Shopping.

Store policies change. This is a summary in our own words of the Returns page and Return Policy FAQ on Dell.com for the United States, read on October 27, 2026. The official page is the one that applies; check it before you send anything back.

How long you have

Dell gives you 30 days from the invoice date to start a return, unless you have a separate agreement with Dell. The clock starts on the invoice date, not the delivery day.

Starting the return inside the 30 days is only half of it. Once Dell approves the return and gives you a credit return authorization (CRA) number, the item has to reach Dell within 30 days of that authorization. Dell says a return without a CRA number counts as unauthorized and gets no refund or credit.

Some promotions set a longer return period with their own terms.

Restocking fees and return shipping

SituationRestocking feeReturn label
Consumer buying for personal useNoneFree from Dell
Defective productNoneFree from Dell
Dell made an errorNoneFree from Dell
Other permitted returnsUp to 15% of the price paidNot stated

The 15% is figured on the price you actually paid, without shipping, handling or sales tax. Commercial buyers who paid by purchase order or on payment terms cannot return at all under this policy.

What Dell does not take back

  • APEX products
  • Enterprise products, Dell or not: servers, storage, data protection, converged and hyperconverged systems, networking
  • Dell Wyse and Wyse-branded products
  • Non-Dell software and volume licenses
  • Gift cards, except where the law requires otherwise
  • Customized products
  • Anything marked non-returnable when you bought it

Software in general is not returnable, with narrow exceptions: an operating system or app Dell installed on a returnable product, physical media still sealed, or downloaded software whose license you never accepted. Dell may also refuse returns from customers with a pattern of repeated returns.

Condition and your data

The product has to come back as new, in its original packaging, with all media, papers and included parts. Back up your files, then delete your data and personal information, and pull out any drives, media or cables that did not come with the product. Dell says it is not responsible for data left on a returned device. Returns must happen in the country of purchase.

How to start a return

  1. For a technical problem, go to Dell support and enter the service tag. For any other reason, go to Dell's order status page and enter your order number.
  2. Choose Return/Replace Items and verify your identity.
  3. Print the return label, pack the item in its original box, and schedule a pickup or take it to a drop-off location.
  4. Track the return on the order page under View Details.

Refunds and Dell Rewards

Dell refunds the price you paid, less any shipping and handling, restocking fee, or the value of free items that came with a bundle or promotion. The money goes back to your original payment method, and Dell says that can take 10 to 15 business days after it receives the return. Dell Rewards you earned on the purchase are taken back, and rewards you spent on it are returned to your account, which can leave a negative balance.

Source

Returns and Return Policy FAQ, Dell. Policy checked October 27, 2026.

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