So you finally got that dream electronic equipment at a bang-for-buck price from Micro Center. You try to set it up but for some reason, it just doesn’t seem to work. Or, maybe it does but it turns out it’s more trouble than your money’s worth. So you ask yourself, “can I simply return it?” Well, we did some snooping around and have some good news. Also, see How to Return Purchases to Micro Center?
Yes, you definitely can! Micro Center offers returns and refunds on almost all purchases. However, the process of completing a successful return or getting a refund is dependent on some factors. Namely;
- the type of product in question,
- the varying return/exchange time-frames, and;
- channel of purchase — online order or in-store purchase.
Knowing where your particular refund or return situation falls amidst these factors would inform you on how to go about the process. We’d share more of our findings to clarify this now.
Does your purchase fall under Micro Center’s return policy?
As a general rule, all Micro Center merchandise to be returned must meet the following conditions.
- Must be without customer-induced damage, and;
- Must include product manuals, packaging, accessories and the Universal Product Code.
That being said, a majority of purchases at Micro Center can be returned or exchanged, especially hardware. So instead of listing out those, here’s a complete list of purchases that cannot be returned;
- Opened software (includes activated software)
- Electronic software downloads
- Point of Sale Activation Cards that have a dollar value
- Micro Center Gift Cards (except as required by law
However, with COVID-19 safety measures in place, Micro Center has also included some hardware to their ‘no returns or refunds’ list;
- VR Headsets, Headphones, including AirPods, Earbuds and Over-the-Ear Products
- Microphones
- All Phones
- Face masks and disposable gloves
- Smart Watches, Fitness Trackers, and Accessories.
Microsoft also recently imposed a 15-day return limit on all unopened Surface laptops and tablets, and this also applies at Micro Center. Apart from the above-mentioned merchandise, all other Micro Center’s purchases are qualified for refunds or returns as long as they meet the other qualifications I’d now list.
How soon must you return merchandise?
Micro Center return policies have three general return/exchange time frames. I’d now list them and the purchases they cover.
15 calendar days
- Desktop / Notebook computers
- Motherboards
- Camcorders and projectors
- Digital cameras
- 3D printers, 3D scanners, and CD/DVD duplicators
- Processors
- Tablets
- Microsoft Surface Tablets and Laptops (due to Microsoft’s recent mandate)
30 calendar days
All other products
- Holiday return period extensions: Micro Center usually allow for return date extensions for certain holiday periods especially from Thanksgiving till Christmas (mid-November till late December). These vary per holiday season but can easily be looked upon by their regularly updated return policy guide.
If still in doubt about your particular item’s return time frame, you can simply locate it on Micro Center’s website and find it stated there. This brings us to another factor to be considered when attempting to get a refund/return.
What about returns for online purchases?
All the above-mentioned terms of Micro Center’s return policy also hold with online purchases. Any online purchase can be simply returned at any one of Micro Center’s 25 in-store locations around the US. However, exchanges can only be made with the merchandise available in stock at the location of return.
If shipping is needed to return the product, it can be arranged for by contacting Micro Center via their live chat. Micro Center would then set up a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) allowing you to ship the product back for a refund. Once opened, you will get a follow-up email including the RMA number, shipping instructions and the location for shipping. RMAs at Micro Center generally take about 2 weeks to process so a little bit of patience might serve you here.
Asides from these here are some things to keep in mind when attempting to return online purchased products to Micro Center;
- Once again, merchandise must be undamaged and must include all carton packaging, accessories and materials.
- For cases of damage incurred during shipping, Micro Center ships using FedEx. Therefore, a claim would be set up to pick up the item.
- All refunds would be credited back via the original channels of payment; Visa, Mastercard, Gift or Virtual cards.
- Opened or activated software cannot be returned
- All digital downloads cannot be returned whether activated or not, apart from ESET antivirus renewals.
What about refunds?
As earlier mentioned, all refunds would be made using the original channels of payment. Here a few other things to consider when it comes to refunds:
- If a debit card was used, it must be presented at the time of return.
- If a credit card was used, it must be presented at the time of return. Credit card refunds typically take up to 5 business days.
- When returning gifts received during purchases, you would receive the refund value via Micro Center cards.
- Cheque refunds may take up to 2 business weeks.
Conclusion
To wrap it all up, here’s a step-by-step process of the Micro Center refund/return process
- First, confirm you want to return the item. Ensure it is undamaged and that the packaging, materials, manuals, etc., are still intact. Also, confirm you are still within the item’s return time frame.
- i. Next, if it was an in-store purchase, go to any Micro Center location near you with your receipt of purchase, and the means of initial payment, i.e. debit card, credit card or gift card.
ii. If it was an online purchase go to the nearest Micro Center location with the initial means of payment. A receipt would not be necessary here because you already have a Micro Center Insider Account. However, if you are too far from any store, simply contact Micro Center via their live chat, to get an RMA set up to authorize shipping to the nearest location.
- For repairs, returns or exchanges, your returned merchandise would be inspected to ensure it meets the terms of Micro Center’s return policy. Exchanges can only be made with stock available at the location of return. For shipped online purchases, after inspection, the exchanged or replaced merchandise would be shipped back to you.
- Finally, refunds would be made via channels of original payment.
Following these four steps, you can be sure to have a smooth purchasing experience with no worries in the event that bang purchase isn’t worth the buck.
