Wayfair customer service: the phone number, what happens when you call, and what returning a sofa costs

The transcript follows the edited recording. "Caller" is the call4me agent. Agent names are not published.

0:06 Virtual assistant: Thanks for calling Wayfair. I'm a virtual assistant and will get you to the right place. This call may be recorded for training purposes. O si prefiere, podemos continuar en español. Can you tell me why you're calling today?

0:20 Caller: Hi. Hello. Yeah, I'm Sarah, [name removed]'s assistant. I'm calling because we're trying to understand the return process for a large item like a sofa, before we order it.

0:36 Virtual assistant: Give me just a second.

0:38 Virtual assistant: Are you calling about a home improvement or renovation project, or is your question about something else, like the return process for a large item?

0:47 Caller: Yeah, the return process for a large item.

0:52 Virtual assistant: One moment, please. Thanks for sharing that. Let me connect you with a live agent who can help you with your question. A member of our team will be with you shortly.

1:12 Agent: This is your sales agent, [name removed]. How can I help you with your purchase?

1:17 Caller: Hi, [name removed]. This is Sarah, [name removed]'s assistant. We're wondering how returns work for something big, like a sofa, before we place an order.

1:26 Agent: Oh, sure. Do you have the SKU number for the item?

1:32 Caller: We don't have a specific item yet. We're just trying to understand the window, and how big item returns generally work.

1:48 Agent: In regards to a couch, normally you would have to have the contents that it came in. That's for sure. You always have to have the content that it comes in. Also, not all the items are eligible for a return. Most items are eligible for a return within 30 days of the delivery date for a refund or a store credit. But the return policy is on our website. Have you been on the website to see the policy itself? It has more details in regards to small and large parcels.

2:23 Caller: Yeah, we've seen it. But just to confirm, if you return something big, is there a return shipping cost? Or do you arrange pickup for an oversized item?

2:33 Agent: So, you would have to contact us, which is our customer service team, for a return. Once that is processed, you will receive a return label. Two options, or possibly three, will be provided to you. A store return, if a store is close by to the location. Or it may be FedEx return. Or a pickup, which is going to be FedEx as well, for the pickup to return the item. So, it may be one of three options that you can choose from. Sometimes it's just two. You can either drop it off at FedEx or have it picked up by FedEx.

3:19 Caller: Got it. And for the refund, is that issued back to the original payment method? And how long does that usually take?

3:27 Agent: Two options, store credit or original method of payment. So, you have a choice.

3:34 Caller: Okay, nice. And how long, roughly, does it take to show up once it's processed?

3:42 Agent: For the store credit, 24 to 48 hours, well, dependent. It may just arrive in a few hours or less. So, it all depends, but that's the time frame. For the payment method, it all depends, but normally it will take three to five business days.

4:00 Caller: That's really helpful. Thanks so much.

4:05 Agent: You're welcome. Is there anything else you wanted me to help you with?

4:08 Caller: No, that's all.

4:09 Agent: Thanks for shopping on Wayfair. Take care and goodbye.

0:03 Virtual assistant: Thanks for calling Wayfair. I'm a virtual assistant and will get you to the right place. This call may be recorded for training purposes. O si prefiere, podemos continuar en español. How can I help today?

0:17 Caller: Hey, yeah, I just had a quick question about return shipping costs for a large item before I order. Like, if we bought a sofa and needed to return it, who covers that shipping cost, and how much is it?

0:32 Virtual assistant: Just a moment. Thanks for your question. Let me connect you with a live agent who can help with that. A member of our team will be with you shortly.

0:56 Agent: Hello. Thank you for calling Wayfair Sales. You're speaking with [name removed]. How may I assist you with placing an order?

1:03 Caller: Hey, [name removed]. I just had a question about return shipping before we order. We're looking at a sofa, and if it needed to come back, who pays that shipping, and how much would it be?

1:13 Agent: It depends on the price of the sofa, and it depends on the situation. If you just want to return it back, there will be a small deduction deducted from your refund, depending on the price of the item. If the item is about $300, there will be a shipping fee of about $30 to $45 to ship it back to us, for example. But if you're having any issues with the item, there won't be a cost. But for both situations, you'd have to reach out to us so we can assist you in returning the item to us. So we will send FedEx for it, or one of our other trucking companies for the item.

1:56 Caller: Gotcha. And is there any sort of typical fee for a sofa?

2:05 Agent: It depends on the price. So I gave you an example, if the price is about $300 or less. So it depends on the price. If the item is about $180, the shipping fee would be about $20 to [unclear: we heard "fifteen" or "fifty"] to ship it back. So it depends on the price for the item.

2:25 Caller: That makes sense. And is that deducted from the refund, or is that charged separately?

2:34 Agent: Sure, it's deducted from your refund. So we will send you an invoice for the shipping fee to ship it back, and you're going to have your refund within three to five business days in your account.

2:47 Caller: That's very clear. Thanks. That helps us just kind of gauge things.

2:52 Agent: All right, then. Is there anything else I could assist you with?

2:56 Caller: No, that's it. Thank you so much.

3:00 Agent: You're welcome. Thank you for calling Wayfair Sales. Have a wonderful evening.