Can I return my walk-in tub? The 30-day return policy explained

Yes, Ella's Bubbles has a 30-day return policy for walk-in tubs, unless otherwise stipulated in your invoice, for brand new, uninstalled products in their original packaging. The published policy at ellasbubbles.com/shipping/ states: "The restocking fee is 25% of the original order amount, less taxes and shipping costs." The customer is responsible for all associated costs of shipping the return, and Ella's Bubbles does not offer returns or exchanges on installed products, so if you have any doubts about your purchase, please reach out before installation begins. If you purchased through a dealer or retailer, that seller's return policy applies to your order.

Return Eligibility at a Glance

Because your invoice can stipulate different terms, please have your invoice handy when you contact the team, and they will confirm the exact window that applies to your order. For example, invoices for microbubble units note that those sales are final, and clearance and warehouse units are sold as described on their listing; see clearance and warehouse tubs.

How to Start a Return

1. Request authorization first. Open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850 with your order number and the reason for the return. Please wait for authorization before shipping anything back.
2. Ship to the returns warehouse. Authorized returns go to Ella's Bubbles, 2700 W Roosevelt, Chicago, IL 60608. Please note this is the returns warehouse, not the corporate mailing address, so use this address exactly as authorized.
3. Warehouse inspection. The warehouse inspects the returned product within 24 to 48 hours of arrival. If any items are missing or damaged, the refund amount will be reduced by the cost of replacing or repairing the damaged or missing parts.
4. Processing. The office processes the refund within 24 to 48 hours of receiving the warehouse report.
5. Refund posted. The refund amount will be reflected on your account within 5 to 7 business days.

How Your Refund Is Calculated

The only fee statement is the published one: "The restocking fee is 25% of the original order amount, less taxes and shipping costs." The office computes and confirms the exact refund amount for your order case by case, with deductions possible for damaged or missing parts found during inspection, and the refund posts within 5 to 7 business days after processing. Because taxes and original shipping charges are treated according to the specifics of your order, this article does not print a worked example; the office will tell you the precise figure when your return is authorized, before your product ships back.

Tips That Protect Your Refund

• Keep the crate and every piece of packaging from delivery day. Original packaging is required, and it is also the safest way for the tub to travel back. The article on preparing for delivery day explains how the tub is packed.
• Include all small parts boxes, drains, handles, hoses and hardware. Missing items reduce the refund by their replacement cost.
• Photograph the tub and the packed crate before it leaves your home, so its condition at pickup is documented.
• Choose a freight carrier that provides a bill of lading and tracking, and insure the shipment if your carrier offers it, since the product is in your care until it reaches the warehouse.

Received a Damaged Order? That Is a Claim, Not a Return

If your order arrived damaged, you do not need to use the return process and its restocking fee. Instead, report it within 48 hours of receipt, keep all packaging, and see the freight damage claim article for the full steps. In most cases the damaged part is replaced and your order stays on track.

Shipping and Returns, on Video

Watch: Fast, Safe Shipping & Hassle-Free Returns | Ellau2019s Bubbles Walk-In Tubs with chapters and a full transcript.

The video follows a tub from purchase through assembly, testing, wrapping and crating, then shows what to do on receipt: inspect the crate, photograph and note any marks on the delivery document, reject a severely damaged crate and call (800) 480-6850 right away, and keep the packaging. It also shows that small damaged pieces can be replaced without returning the tub, which is why most delivery problems never become a return at all. Please note that the published 48-hour window for reporting damage is the one that applies.

Thinking About Canceling Before Your Order Ships?

Cancellation terms are handled order by order, so please open a ticket or call (800) 480-6850 with your order number and the team will review the options for your specific situation. The article on proposals and order confirmations explains when changes are easiest.

Heated Seat, Microbubble and Other Factory-Installed Options

Adding a factory-installed option such as the heated seat and backrest or the microbubble system turns your tub into a custom order, and your invoice will note that the tub becomes non-refundable. The heated seat is a heating pad built into the tub beneath the seat and back at the factory. It is not a cushion that sits inside the tub, there is nothing to plug in on delivery day, and it cannot be removed once the tub is built. The same is true of the microbubble system, so the standard 30-day return policy does not apply once the option is installed.

That note only rules out a change-of-mind return. Once a custom-option tub ships, it cannot be returned because you changed your mind, chose a different model, or discovered that your building or association will not permit the installation. A request that falls outside the published policy can be submitted in writing through ellasbubbles.com/support for review, but the policy is applied strictly, and nothing should ever be shipped back without written authorization.

The note has no bearing on freight damage or a factory defect. A tub that arrives damaged is still replaced through a freight claim, provided you inspect it on delivery day, keep all packaging, and report the damage within 48 hours of receipt with photos of the damage and the packaging. Do not move the tub into a garage and wait until installation to report it, because a late report cannot be filed as a freight claim. See the first 48 hours after a damaged delivery and how to file a freight damage claim for the full steps. A tub that arrives in good condition but has a factory defect is covered by the limited warranty regardless of any options on the order, with replacement parts shipped after verification and the labor performed by a local licensed plumber or electrician.

Because the tub is built to the invoice, read every line before you reply with your approval. Confirm the model and size, door side, drain side, faucet, any installed options and the ship-to address, and ask about anything you do not understand.

Refund Not Showing yet, or Charged Twice for a Parts Order?

Delivery to the returns warehouse and inspection are separate steps. The refund is processed after the inspection notes are in, not on the day the package arrives, and the warehouse is a separate facility from the office that handles your ticket. Keep your carrier proof of delivery, because it lets the team confirm the return reached the warehouse while they wait on the inspection report. An unopened shower screen or accessory in its original packaging still goes through this inspection before the credit is issued.

The credit goes back to the payment method used on the order, and your card issuer controls the exact day it appears on your statement. You receive confirmation once the refund has been issued. If your order was placed through a dealer, the dealer issues your refund, and the team confirms receipt of the returned item with the dealer. A shipment refused at delivery because of damage goes back to the returns facility the same way, and its refund is processed once the return is confirmed.

A duplicate charge is handled differently. Occasionally a parts or accessory order is submitted twice, usually when the first attempt appeared not to go through and a second was placed. When the team sees two identical orders, they call or email to confirm you only wanted one, then cancel the duplicate and refund it with no inspection step. It still takes time for the credit to show on your card statement. If you notice two charges before the team reaches you, open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support with both order confirmations. Ordering a replacement part by order form or phone explains how parts orders are placed and confirmed.

What If the Tub Is No Longer in Its Original Packaging?

Items that are no longer in their original packaging cannot be accepted for return. Returned products are inspected and, when they pass, resold as new, and a tub that comes back without its pallet, crate or wrapping cannot be protected in transit or verified as undamaged. Keep every piece of packaging until you are certain the product is staying.

To be accepted, the product must be in pristine condition so it can be resold as a new unit, repacked in the original packaging with all original parts included. For a tub, that means setting it back on the pallet and fastening and wrapping it the same way it was originally shipped. Photograph the packed item from several angles before it leaves your home, and consider insuring the shipment, because missing or damaged parts reduce the refund.

If you have already discarded the packaging, tell the team before doing anything else. The options in selling an uninstalled walk-in tub yourself may be the practical path. Tubs built with custom options such as the MicroBubble system, a heated seat and back, or aromatherapy cannot be returned at all, so ask before ordering whether the options you want make the tub a custom unit.

Related Guides

• Four-Fold Glass Shower Screen: Damaged Hardware, the Return Window and Why Panels Cannot Be Added
• Is There a Deadline to Install My Walk-In Tub After Delivery?
• The Tub That Arrived Is a Different Model or Is Missing an Option I Ordered
• Will Ella Sell, Appraise or Help Me Resell a Used or Uninstalled Walk-In Tub?
• Dealer Payment Terms and Accepted Payment Methods for Walk-In Tub Orders
• Preparing a Returned Walk-In Tub for Carrier Pickup: Packing, the Return Bill of Lading and Why a Driver May Refuse It

If you want to stop an order that has not been delivered yet, including one that is already on a truck, see canceling a walk-in tub order before or after it ships.

Common Questions

Still need help? Open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850 and the team will be glad to assist.