Walmart Baby Formula Return Policy
Can I Make A Return At Walmart Without A Receipt?
Walmart does allow customers to make a return even if they are no longer in possession of the original receipt. The rules for returning items are slightly different. Without a receipt, customers must:
- Provide a valid, government-issued ID
- Send the item verification
- Exchange the item(s)
- Accept a cash refund on items up to or less than $10
- For items worth more than $10, you can accept a gift certificate
If you do not have a receipt the store may also be able to look up your order using the credit/debit card used when making the purchase in store. For online orders the store may be able to look up the order by the email or phone number used to place the order.
Cracking Down On Illegal Sellers For Unfair Market Practices & Price Gouging
Some unscrupulous sellers or individuals purchased dozens of formulas legitimately from suppliers, but then marked them up several times to sell online to desperate parents. (17)
You can find formulas for up to $800 on eBay or other sites. (18)
Target, Walmart and CVS have imposed a limit on how many products consumers can purchase to prevent hoarding. They are still short of baby formulas, despite all these restrictions. (18)
President Biden asked the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) to crack down on these illegal sellers and use all its available tools for identifying, investigating, and monitoring these people for predatory conduct, unfair market practices, and price gouging. (17)
Can You Return Baby Formula To Walmart Without A Receipt
Walmart accepts returns of baby formula without original receipt if you return it within the required timeframe.
To meet this requirement as part of this criteria, you’ll be required to show an official photo ID issued by the government (i.e., driver’s license, driver’s license passport, state ID, passport), which Walmart uses to monitor your return activities.
In addition, baby formulas valued lesser than $225 will be reimbursed in cash, whereas Walmart gift cards or shopping vouchers are issued to products valued at $25 or more.
Important to remember that returns not returned may be denied or granted store credit, regardless of whether the sale price is higher than what you paid.
Fda was told by Whistleblower about Abbott’s Safety Lapses months before recall, but it was apparently ignored
Amid the investigation regarding the FDA’s possible judgment error in not issuing a recall immediately, House Appropriations Committee Chair Rep. Rosa DeLauro found a whistleblower who used to work at the Abbott facility. (13)(14)
The former employer wrote 34 pages detailing safety violations at the facility. The former employer claimed that company had falsified time codes and altered records in products that were made with those that test positive for micros. (14)
Some managers allegedly “sanitized” certain records to pass the FDA test. The FDA received these accusations along with many more in October 2021, but they were apparently ignored (14) (15).
Who pays the return shipping charges?
Surprisingly (in an awesome way), Walmart will pick up the shipping charges as long as the item is eligible for a return.
It is a good idea if the item arrives damaged or in error.
They’ll even pay the shipping costs if you simply decide you don’t like the item.
To verify the information, I started a conversation with Walmart. Their website doesn’t make it clear.
As the chat operator mentioned, it must be purchased directly from Walmart, not through a Marketplace seller.
See Also: Costco Return Policy: Is It As Good As It Sounds?
You Can’T Return Gift Cards To Walmart At All
Unless it’s mandated by your state, most stores don’t take gift cards back and offer a refund.
You can’t change your mind about buying gift cards at Walmart.
I definitely recommend just using the gift card or reselling it on Gift Card Granny.
Some states are beginning to mandate retailers allow gift card returns. These states allow gift cards to be returned:
- California: Cards with a balance less than $10 with an original balance greater than $10
- Colorado: for cards with balance of $5 or less.
- Massachusetts: Cards with a balance less than $5
- Maine: for cards with balance of $5 or less.
- Montana: for cards with balance of $5 or less.
- New Jersey: for cards with balance of $5 or less.
- Oregon: for cards with balance of $5 or less.
- Washington: for cards with balance of $5 or less.
- Puerto Rico: Cards with a balance less than $5
- Texas: for cards with balance of $2.50 or less with original balance above $5.
- Rhode Island: Cards with a balance less than $5
- Vermont: for cards with balance of $5 or less.
The Disruption Has ‘Hit All Consumers’ Of Formula
The shortage can be attributed to a couple factors, says Scott Grawe, chair of the department of supply chain management at Iowa State University. For one, “the supply chains that come together to make baby formula available at the retail level were affected by the same issues that affected many other products during the pandemic,” he says.
Major baby formula supplier Abbott Nutrition shut down one of its plants due to contaminated formula that was linked to the deaths of at least two infants. This only exacerbated the situation.
“Abbott Nutrition created a significant disruption that has hit all consumers of formula,” Grawe says. They produce more than 40% of formulas on the market so the immediate impact was significant.
Reasons For The Shortage
There isn’t any recent recall of Parent’s Choice baby formula products, but why is there a shortage of this item and other baby formulas?
Ben Reich, Datasembly chief executive officer said that the crisis reached alarming proportions because of the ongoing Similac recall in Feb 2022. (6)
Even back in 2021, brands have already struggled to meet the increasing demands.
Datasembly’s market research showed that the out-of-stock rates went from 2-8% during the first seven months to double digits for the rest of 2021. (6)
The out-of-stock rate peaked in January 2022 at 23%. (6)
It is therefore not surprising that March saw a shortage of Similac PM 60/40, Alimentum and Elecare.
Parent’S Choice Advantage Infant Formula Milk (Powder With Iron) Recall 2019
- Date Recalled: June 21, 2019
- Company Name: Perrigo Company plc (produces milk for Walmart)
- Reasons for Recall: This batch of products was sold exclusively in Walmart and could have metal foreign matter. (25)
- After receiving complaints from customers about metals found in their milk, Walmart recalls the formula. (25)
- Affected Products: Lot code C26EVFV, with “use by” date code of “26FEB2021” (February 26, 2021), found at the bottom of the package. (25)
- Return or Refund Processing: Customers with any concerns should contact Perrigo Consumer Affairs at 866-629-6181 or [email protected]
- Walmart stores can be used to process refunds.
According to the recall advisory, the lot was recalled “out of an abundance of caution,” stemming from the consumer reports. But no adverse incidents have been reported. (25)
This recall did not affect any other products or lot numbers. (25)
In 2019, HBBF (Healthy Babies Bright Futures) commissioned comprehensive tests on baby food and formula to check for heavy metals and other toxic chemical contents. (3)
The FDA’s limit is 100 ppb (parts per billion) of inorganic arsenic for infant rice cereals. (4)
These maximum water consumption limits were also established by the FDA (may be applicable to food):
- Inorganic arsenic 10 ppb
- 5 ppb cadmium
- Lead 5 ppb
After receiving the following results, the HBBF was alarmed: (3)
- Lead: 94% of baby foods
- Cadmium: 75% of baby foods
- Baby foods containing arsenic comprise 73%
- Baby foods 32% Mercury
The formulas that they tried also gave them the following results: (3)
- Lead: 100% of baby formulas
- Cadmium is 62% in baby formulas
- Arsenic: 62% of baby formulas
- Mercury: 7.7% of baby formulas
These are the results for Parent’s Choice Organic Infant With Iron Milk-Based Powder (Stage 1 through 12 months) from HBBF’s tests: (3)
- Arsenic: 3.2ppb
- Inorganic Arsenic: (not measurable)
- Lead: 3.9ppb
- Cadmium: 0.7 ppb
- Mercury: <0.134 ppb
Despite these being within acceptable limits, the HBBF still has not cleared the company from toxic metals. This is because infant formula contains measurable levels of heavy metals.
Are Baby Formulas More Expensive?
Datasembly discovered that formula prices have held steady in spite of growing supply. The average price of all baby formula products it tracks in January was $24.37, and at that time, just 3.3% of products were out of stock. In March, when the frequency of out-of-stock issues jumped up to nearly 30%, the average price inched up just slightly to $26.21.
That’s not to say that rising prices aren’t impacting parents and caregivers. The record-breaking rate of inflation, recently estimated at 8.5% annually, means money doesn’t go as far this year as it did last. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, baby food prices rose nearly 11% in the period March 2021-2022.
Baby formula is an essential product for millions of families. According to CDC data, just 25.6% of babies born in 2017 in the U.S. were exclusively breastfed through six months of age.
Shopping at Stores
Walgreens Drugstore chain and CVS Health department store Target set limits for how many baby formula products customers can buy at once in April.
Walgreens spokesperson told CBS MoneyWatch that it limits customers to only three toddler and infant formula products per transaction due to “increased need and other supplier issues.”
Sixteen states in the United States had more than half of their formula out of stock by April end. Parents in Iowa, South Dakota, and North Dakota are grappling with severe shortages of 50%-51%, according to Datasembly. Out-of-stock levels are even higher in Missouri (52%), Texas (53%), and Tennessee (54%). At the same time, between 40%-50% of baby formula products were out of stock in 26 states.
Consumer Reports Food Safety Test: (Parent’S choice)
Parent’s Choice didn’t just figure in the Congressional reports. Consumer Reports (2018) also called it out for questionable content.
Consumer Reports tested 50 baby food products for heavy metals. The results were alarming: (27)
- Nearly 68% of baby food products from popular and niche brands may have high levels of at least one toxic metal.
- There are 15 baby foods that may have higher health risks if eaten daily
- Products that have rice or sweet potatoes may contain higher toxic metal levels
- Despite being more costly, organic foods can have the same amount of heavy metals like those found in regular baby foods
Consumer Reports has determined that this product is “more concerning” because of its high levels toxic metal content. It is recommended to consume a maximum daily limit (27)
Parent’s Choice (Walmart)
- Little Puffs Cereal Snack, Strawberry Apple (less than 1.5 servings)
Here are some things to avoid
If you can’t find your baby’s usual formula, don’t make your own. Milbrandt points out that homemade formula is often nutritionally inadequate and can become contaminated during preparation with the type of bacteria that federal regulations try to protect against.
Don’t add water to a formula that is running out. Don’t try to “stretch” your formula by adding extra water. Milbrandt says that electrolyte imbalances can lead to electrolyte problems in your baby. A diluted formula may not be nutritionally sufficient for them.
If you can’t find formula in local stores or from trusted online retailers, don’t buy it from an online marketplace like Facebook or Craigslist. Young cautions that you can’t be certain the formula you purchase is exactly what it says. Some parents have reported being scammed or subjected to price gouging. It’s best to purchase from a trusted store or pharmacy, or directly from the manufacturer.
For a baby less than 1 year old, don’t use toddler formula. The FDA does not regulate toddler formula. It is only recommended for infants over one year of age. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics says that if you have no other choice, you can feed toddler formula to a baby over 6 months old for a few days.
Finally, be aware that buying imported European formula, which aren’t FDA-approved, can carry a number of potential risks. Young states, “Everybody has heard of the FDA recall very quickly, but it doesn’t necessarily occur in the US if a recall is issued for European formula.” Young also points out that the labeling requirements are different between the US and European formulas. In the US, a hypoallergenic formula must only contain fully-broken milk proteins. A hypoallergenic formula like HiPP-HA in Europe may have both intact and reduced proteins. For a baby with a milk-protein allergy, the intact proteins in a formula like HiPP-HA may cause a reaction and shouldn’t be used as a substitute for a hypoallergenic US formula like Alimentum.
This article was edited by Courtney Schley and Tracy Vence.
Community Resources
- United Way’s 2-1-1: dial 2-1-1 to be connected to a community resource specialist affiliated with United Way who may be able to help you identify food pantries and other charitable sources of local infant formula and baby food.
- Feeding America: Call your local food bank and ask if they stock infant formula or other supplies.
- Human Milk Banking Association of North America: Some HMBANA-accredited dairy banks distribute breast milk free of charge to women in need. Please note, some milk banks may require a doctor’s prescription. Locate an HMBANA-accredited dairy bank.
Parent’S Choice Rice Baby Cereal Recall
- Date Recalled: October 8, 2021
- Reasons For Recall: Routine sampling by the FDA shows that three lots of Walmart’s rice baby cereals contain higher levels of naturally occurring inorganic arsenic than the government standard. (26)
- No other lots or products were recalled.
- Maple Island Inc. is a company that produces baby foods for Walmart.
Affected products are the following containers of Parent’s Choice Rice Baby Cereal (8-oz. packages), all with UPC number 00681131082907 from these lot numbers: (26)
- Lot 21083 with a “best if used by date” code of JUN 24 2022
- Lot 21084 with a best if used by date code of JUN 25 2022
- Lot 21242 with a best if used by date code of NOV 30 2022
No adverse reactions or illnesses have been reported in this recall. (26)
There have not been any other Parent’s Choice products (Walmart), or lot, affected. (26)
Customers affected were advised by Walmart to either discard the recall products or to return them to Walmart for a complete refund. (26)
Maple Island Inc. performed tests on the finished Parent’s Choice Rice Baby Cereal products and the raw materials, according to the recall notice. These test results complied with the FDA’s guidelines, but the company decided to issue the nationwide recall out of an abundance of caution. (26)
The company explained that trace elements are widely present in the environment, whether in soil, water, or food; the FDA has recognized this. The government agency recommends reducing exposure to these toxic elements to minimize the potential long-term negative effects on infants and children’s developing brains. (26)
How Will I Be Refunded For My Return?
Returns are always processed in the original manner of payment–except in the case where that is not possible. Credit refunds, for example, are not available for returns without receipts.
Meat
According to their fresh food guarantee, customers who buy deli meats or other pre-packaged meats and any non-prepared meat from the supermarket’s meat section can return their purchase if it happens to be off-color, spoiled, or smells not so pleasant.
For a store credit or replacement, you should immediately contact the company. You usually cannot get a refund for perishable products like meats, as we’ve mentioned before.
Walmart online returns policy allows you to return items in store with an email confirmation
If you want to return something in store, pull up the 13-digit order number from your email and show it to the service desk.
No need to even pull out your wallet — they’ll immediately refund it to whatever card you used to make your purchase. The same applies if you’ve purchased your items with other payment methods like PayPal and Affirm.
What Is Walmart’S Return Policy For Clothes, Swimwear, And Shoes?
Walmart has always had a standard return policy that applies to clothing, shoes, and swimwear. However, right now, as part of the company’s pandemic response, they are not processing returns on apparel.
Walmart to Retake Baby Formula
You can make a return at Walmart if you keep the receipt.
Stores that do not have a high problem with theft or individuals attempting to return formula they got on WIC may still give you store credit for formula if you do not have the receipt.
You Can Return Non-Perishable Food Within 90 Days, But Only With A Receipt
Like with most items with the Walmart return policy, you can return non-perishable foods within 90 days as long as you have the receipt, no exceptions.
I ordered some Heinz ketchup from Walmart.com, only to find out I accidentally ordered jalapeno flavored. (Gross.) I brought it to the store and flashed my receipt for an instant refund.
I could have also processed my refund online, and for perishable items, I wouldn’t have even had to send the item back to get my refund. If you abuse this policy, your account may be banned.
Can Cosmetics Be Returned To Walmart?
Cosmetics can be returned to Walmart, assuming the product is unopened and in its original packaging.
What if I want to return items by mail?
Walmart allows you to return online purchases by post. For more information on their return policy, click here.
Donotpay allows you to go through the return process without hassle
Companies tend to make the return possesses so complex that customers avoid returning faulty products altogether. DoNotPay can stop this!
These steps are all you need:
- Sign up for DoNotPay via any browser
- Navigate to Return My Purchase
- If necessary, answer a few questions and send us photos.
- Send the Return Request
The company must respond by the deadline set in our app. We will even include a return shipping label free of charge!
You don’t need it
My second child refused formula so I bought some. It’s crucial for families on a tight budget to have the ability to return their investment. Formula is so costly.
Walmart Baby Formula Return Policy In 2022 (Full Guide)
Walmart regularly sells essential products for babies like diapers, baby formula, and clothes to thousands of parents.
Walmart accepts unopened infant formula returns within 90-days of delivery. Original receipt required. Return the product in-store using Mobile Express Returns. If you lose the receipt, bring a photo identification issued by your government.
Can You Legally Return Baby Formula To Walmart?
Legally, you can return baby formula to Walmart. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has designated baby formula as food and not set any return rules.
Independent retailers can enforce their own returns policies for baby formula.
Walmart has categorised these products as food that is not perishable, and thus allows them to be returned. The receipt will inform you if the manufacturer has altered or changed its return policies.
What is the best time to return baby formula to Walmart
Baby formulas (including those from brands such Similac/Enfamil/Parent’s Choice/Gerber Baby, Earth’s Best/Happy Baby), can be exchanged for a refund. Walmart will accept a receipt, online invoice or proof of purchase within 90 days.
Walmart Supercenters & Neighborhood Markets usually open between 8 and 9 AM and close around 10-11 PM.
Baby formula cannot be returned after the 90-day period. However, store managers may allow you to make a return after the 90-day deadline if the receipt is still valid.
Is it possible to send baby formula back in-store at Walmart?
If you are looking to return baby formula quickly to Walmart, simply go to your nearest Walmart and visit the customer service desk.
To verify your purchase you will need the receipt, online invoice or receipt.
Refunds of cash or exchanges will be sent immediately. However, refunds issued to credit cards and debit cards could take up 10 days.
Alternately you could use the Mobile Express lanes in order to return baby products purchased online or at Walmart.com. Access the Walmart app on your smartphone in order to process the return.
Is it possible to return baby formula to Walmart without a receipt?
Walmart will replace baby formula with the original receipt provided you meet all the criteria.
This criteria requires you to provide a valid photo ID from the government, such as a driver’s license or passport. Walmart will then use this ID to trace your return activity.
If the refund process verifies your return, you may exchange the baby formula for another item, paying the difference if the new product is worth more.
Also, any baby formula less than $25 in value will be refunded in cash. Walmart gift and shopping vouchers will only be available for products over $25.
You may have to return the item in question unverified. However, store credit will be offered at the price it is currently selling for.
What is the best way to return baby formula to Walmart by mail?
These steps will make it easy for customers who travel to return their baby formula via the mail.
Refunds and replacements will be processed once the baby formula reaches Walmart. Due to this, you should allow up to 10 days for refunds to arrive in your mode of payment.
What if you want to return an opened bottle of formula?
A majority of stores do not accept returns for opened formulas within 90 day unless it is beyond expiration, damaged or misbranded.
In addition, damaged baby formula will be returned or replaced.
Each store has its own policies so you will need to call ahead to confirm that the baby formula items are accepted back.
Walmart’s WIC Baby Formula Return Policy:
WIC baby formula is eligible for a cash or store credit refund if the customer can show a receipt dated within 90 days of purchase.
WIC Products that have been expired or are defective can’t be exchanged.
A WIC nutritionist will provide an official Instant Formula Exchange document. An exchange can then be made according to these instructions.
You can read our posts on Walmart’s returns policy and Walmart breastfeeding policy to learn more.
Walmart can accept baby formula back within 90 day of its delivery. For a complete refund or exchange, you can return the product in-store or via Mobile Express. WIC customers are eligible to receive an exchange or store credit. Walmart allows you to return baby formula with no receipt if you provide a valid identification document.
What if you don’t have a receipt to send your baby formula back to Walmart?
Walmart will exchange baby formula for a refund if the return is approved by the refund check within the specified time and if the customer is in good health. You can get a full refund for baby formula if you are approved by the refund department.
Is it possible to return baby formula?
You can exchange baby formula. 3 days ago
Walmart 2021: Which items can’t be returned to you?
Walmart does not accept returns on gift cards, cell phone cards, medications, ammunition, firearms, pepper spray, opened DVDs/CDs/video games, tobacco, alcohol, perishable items, sanitary products, and gas-powered items like go-karts and dirt bikes.
.Walmart Baby Formula Return Policy In 2022 (Full Guide)
