E-reader brands such as the Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble Nook, and Rakuten Kobo don’t have much return policy. Usually, you have less than 30 days from the date it was purchased to send it back or return it to the retail store from which it was purchased. This makes it very hard to try before the return window has elapsed. Good luck even contacting the company to facilitate a return if you order an item from China.
Kindle e-readers can be returned within 30 days of receipt of shipment as long as they are in new condition; they can be opened, just not damaged. Users will receive a 100% refund once the item has been sent back. Past the return window, but within 60 days from receipt of shipment, users will receive 80% of the Kindle value.
Barnes and Noble only has a 14-day return policy, it is easiest to buy it from the retail store since all you need is the receipt. If the Nook was purchased from the website, users must call a 1-800 number and get an RMA; failure to do that will result in no refund.
Rakuten Kobo has a 45-day return policy from the date that the device is purchased, but does not take into account the transit time it takes to reach a user. To return an item bought from the Kobo website, you must talk to a Kobo agent to initiate the return. You are responsible for any delivery fees charged to you for returning the e-reader to us. Upon receipt of the returned device, Kobo will refund the cost of the e-reader to the credit card charged at the time of purchase, less any initial delivery charges. If you bought your e-reader from another retailer, please contact the store where you purchased it and ask about their return process.
Likely, the best company with the most liberal return policy is Remarkable. Their massive 100-day return window starts when your device is delivered to your door. It takes over three months to get to know your paper tablet and decide if it fits you and your workflow. If, for any reason, you’re not satisfied, returning it is as painless as it gets. If you decide to return your paper tablet, the company will arrange for a prepaid DHL courier to pick it up from your location of choice. No trips to the post office, no shipping costs — just a smooth, stress-free return. The way it should be.
The most draconian company with an abysmal return policy is ordering an Onyx Boox item directly from their web store. If you return the item to the sender as if you no longer want it, no refund will be given. Users have a 30-day return policy, but Onyx will not provide a return label; it is up to the customer to provide it; if the sender does not pay for fast shipping and it takes longer than 30 days to reach Onyx, no refund will be given. They also have a blanket $20 fee for processing a return and a restocking fee of 15% of the item’s value. Ordering it from Amazon for a more straightforward return system would likely make more sense.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
