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Home Depot shopper reveals the store's secret return policy on plants that surprised him

The TikTok creator was shocked to find out how generous Home Depot is.
PUBLISHED OCT 31, 2025
Screenshots from the creator's video and a representative image of plants in a flower shop (Image souce: TikTok/@notnoahosbrne | Gett Images/Stock photo by LordHenriVoton)
Screenshots from the creator's video and a representative image of plants in a flower shop (Image souce: TikTok/@notnoahosbrne | Gett Images/Stock photo by LordHenriVoton)

One of the most popular features for any top retail chain is the return policy, and a few, such as Costco, stand out for it. But a Home Depot shopper was shocked to find out about a secret return policy on the plants sold by the popular retailer. TikTok creator, Noah Osborne (@notnoahosbrne) shared that he recently went to the home improvement store to return a few items when he learned that it allows customers to return 'dead plants' within a year of purchase. Baffled by the information, Osborne made a note for his viewers to save the receipt, and he even came up with a clever idea. 

Representative image of the nursery department storefront at a Home Depot (Image source: Getty Images/Stock photo by hapabapa)
Representative image of the nursery department storefront at a Home Depot (Image source: Getty Images/Stock photo by hapabapa)

In his video with over 280,000 views and nearly a thousand comments, Osborne is seen walking out of a Home Depot Store. He told his viewers that he was at the store to return some light bulbs that weren't working anymore, when a worker told him something shocking. "The lady asked me if I wanted to keep my receipt as there were a few more items that I may need to return in the future," he recounted. “I said, ‘I’m actually okay, because it’s a plant, and I am not gonna return that', and she goes like, 'oh, you can actually return plants'," the creator shared.

Screenshots showing the creator at the store (Image source: TikTok/@notnoahosbrne)
Screenshots showing the creator at the store (Image source: TikTok/@notnoahosbrne)

Shocked to hear the information, Osborne said he double checked with the worker on whether he could return plants. He shared that the work confirmed customers could return dead plants if they had the receipt within a year of purchase for full reimbursement. Furthermore, if the customer fails to present the receipt, they can still return the plant within three months and get store credit. No original tags or pots are required, he added.

Turns out, this is true, as Home Depot's official website states that most plants can be returned within 90 days of purchase, while "perennials, trees, roses, and shrubs" come with a 1-year guarantee and can be returned for store credit. Osborne was quite shocked to learnt this new information, and he started coming up with ideas to propagate free plants. “How is that possible? Because what if I buy a plant and then take some leaves and propagate it myself and then return the plant?” he said in his video in the end.


@notnoahosbrne This is the wildest news I’ve heard this week 😧 🪴 #homedepot #plants @The Home Depot ♬ original sound - notnoahosbrne

While the information was new to the creator, viewers shared that it was known to them for years. "Used to work there at the customer service desk. People would bring in roots and a clump of dirt in a plastic bag, and we had to return them. 😩" wrote @bri.coded. 

Screenshot of a comment (Image source: TikTok/@larissabell0)
Screenshot of a comment (Image source: TikTok/@larissabell0)

Meanwhile, others shared that there were some weird conditions for making a return. "When my mom tried, they told her it wasn’t dead enough. They told her to make sure it dies and then come back. She was like I’m not doing that and managed to revive the plant out of spite 😂" shared @simarjotkaur337. Others claimed customers can even return dead Christmas trees, too. "Wait till you tell him about the Christmas trees!😜" wrote @seergio_g.

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