Lowes Color Match Guarantee: Things You Need to Know!

Lowe’s specializes in many types of home improvement products, with paint being one of them.

The store offers several types of paint for both interior and exterior use which comes in many different colors and shades. But what happens when you purchase the paint and are not satisfied? Can you return the paint to Lowe’s?

If you have Lowe’s Paint Color Guarantee, then you can return most types of paint within the specified time limit. But what’s their guarantee all about and what are the things you need to remember when buying the paints at Lowe’s?

Let’s cover all of these in the post below…

What is the Paint Guarantee from Lowe’s?

Put simply, this allows you to return most types of paint purchased from Lowe’s within 30 days. This means you must have a valid receipt as proof of purchase which is no more than 30 days from when you wanted the refund.

The Lowe’s paint guarantee covers most interior and exterior paints, including resurfacing paint and stains.

If the paint you originally purchased was not the right color match for your needs, you could exchange it for one that is more compatible or get a complete refund.

Exceptions

If there are errors in the application or the surface is not properly prepared, the paint guarantee from Lowe’s will most likely not apply.

Also, the guarantee does not cover items – not in stock, tinted paints, old paints, paint swatches, or paint color samples.

And Lowe’s reserves the right to refuse any paint return if it suspects that fraud was involved in terms of obtaining the paint in the first place.

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Can Lowe’s Match a Paint Color – How Accurate It Is?

Yes, Lowe’s services are pretty good – regarding accurately matching the paints. 

They can do it more precisely (up to 90% accuracy) with the help of a spectrophotometer in each paint department to ensure that the colors match perfectly to your liking.

This machine measures the amount of light reflected off a painted surface and breaks that data down into a set of numbers corresponding to a particular color.

The data from the spectrophotometer is then compared to a database of known colors, and the closest match is determined.

Once the machine has found the closest match, the paint department employees can mix a small amount of paint to test out if the customer wants to see how it looks before committing to an entire purchase.

Lowe’s also has their paint color chart and a color-matching app, which allows you to find out what paint colors can go together in case you’re struggling with that decision.

How Can You Return Paint to Lowe’s Store – The Right Way

In case you aren’t satisfied with the paint color you can either return the paint in person to the Lowe’s store from which it was purchased or by mail (if you purchased it online).

If you want to return the paint in person at Lowe’s customer service desk, you will need the paint and the receipt. You will also need proper identification like a photo ID, especially if you purchased the paint with a debit or credit card.

Once your ID and proof of purchase have been demonstrated, you can have the paint exchanged or refunded.

To return an online paint purchase, log into your Lowe’s account or use the online returns link on their website. Then print two return labels, one for inside the package and one for the outside.

The Lowe’s return website will help you find a local carrier who can return the paint. If you ordered the paint online, it might be possible to have it returned via the same carrier.

When returning, make sure you use the original container with all the paint you want to be returned inside.

Will Lowe’s take my old paint for recycling?

Keep in mind that, unlike many other stores, Lowe’s does not accept any old paint for recycling or disposal because these products are classified as hazardous (flammable, corrosive, toxic, or otherwise dangerous to people or the environment).

Since Lowe’s does not run a paint recycling program – the best thing you can do is to check with your local government or waste management company to see if they have any recommendations for paint can disposal in your area.

In some cases, you may be able to take old paint to a local hazardous waste facility for proper disposal, and in other cases, you may donate them to centers or individuals who need them.

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What Brands Of Paints & Samples Does Lowe’s Sell in Their Store?

Lowe’s currently sells wall paints, stains, and furniture finishes from popular brands such as Valspar, KILZ, Rust-Oleum, and HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams.

They also offer a variety of colors for interior and exterior painting along with various paint accessories from brands such as Purdy.

Paints from brands such as Benjamin Moore, Glidden, Behr, and others are not sold by Lowe’s due to a variety of reasons which might include:

• They do not have a retail distribution deal in place with some brands
• The price point not being attractive to their existing customers
• The paint brand not being as widely known or the quality not being up to par
• The brand already has its in-house brand available with other stores across the US, and they do not want to saturate the market.

While Lowe’s does not sell some of the paints from the abovementioned brands, they can always match and mix any color you need from a picture or a chip sample.

What paint samples does Lowe’s offer?

Lowe’s usually provides free paint chips (on tiny cards) that customers may take home from their shop. These are usually the ‘peel and stick’ samples that can be pasted onto your wall instead of applying the paint with a paintbrush.

If you need to get the paint chips in larger quantities or want to purchase their 8-ounce sample paints, you will have to pay a small fee at Lowe’s. The good thing is these sample-sized paints can be bought at Lowe’s at a very low cost between $3.5 to $5.5 depending on the brand.

Can I Get a Rebate On Paints at Lowe’s – How and What’s the Process? 

Yes, if you are a regular customer at Lowe’s, you are in luck because you can avail of a paint rebate in the form of a money-back or gift card. 

That said, not all products are eligible for a rebate. To check if the paint products you bought from participating Lowe’s stores are qualified for a rebate or not, you can check the offer number that might be printed on your receipt.

If you have purchased the eligible product online, a link will be provided at your email address for the offer.

Alternatively, you can look for paint supplies through the Lowe’s Rebate Center to see whether any of them are eligible for a discount.

The process is quite simple as all you need to do is purchase the paint and other painting supplies at any Lowe’s store. Then go to Lowe’s website online and fill out the online rebate form.

You will generally need to submit the original receipt of your order, but if it’s misplaced, you can check your “MyLowes” account to get the order history which might work as proof of purchase.

Once the form is submitted online, you can expect to get your rebates within six to eight weeks. In the meantime, you can track the status of your rebate online. If after eight weeks you have not received the rebate (which is rare), get in touch with Lowe’s Customer Care Team, and they will help you out.

Related FAQs

Can Lowe’s shake or lighten mixed paint?

Lowe’s can always shake the paint that has been purchased from their stores without any extra cost. They are also able to lighten and darken mixed paints within their stores if you have a color in mind but not the exact shade.

To have your paint mixed or tinted, simply bring a sample of the desired color to any Lowe’s paint counter, and an associate will take care of the rest.

But the thing to remember is that Lowe’s does offer a free paint mixing service at most store locations for paints that have been purchased or ordered from Lowe’s.

Lowe’s may apparently be able to mix other sorts of paint (or brands), according to some online purchasers. It is up to the discretion of the staff at Lowe.

Can you rent paint sprayers from Lowe’s?

Lowe’s allows you to rent paint sprayers from their store for an entire day or for 4 hours. The prices may vary depending on the paint sprayer you choose to rent.

To know more about the prices and availability you can visit Lowe’s website or call their customer service number where they will be able to tell if they have a specific sprayer model available for rent at their nearby store or not.

In my opinion, renting an airless sprayer is practical only when you require a high-end, sophisticated machine for a short duration to finish a small project. However, for larger projects, renting one for a week or a month would be more expensive and not worthwhile. Instead, it may be more cost-effective to purchase a sprayer for the same price as a rental.

Is Lowe or Home Depot cheaper for paint purchases?

In my opinion, shopping at Lowe’s vs. Home Depot for paint is essentially the same. There are very few instances where one of these big box stores will have a significantly better deal than the other.

An article on thespruce I found also states that both the stores are engaged in competitive pricing strategies and that usually, the prices for all paint varieties are common with each other (or with a minimal price difference that can be ignored). 

The main difference I see is that Home Depot might have a little more variety when it comes to painting brands (like Valspar, Behr, etc.), while Lowe’s might have a wider selection of colors.

The bottom line

Lowe’s offers a variety of paint brands and colors to choose from as well as free paint chips as small samples that you can take home. You can also buy 8-ounce sample paints at a very low cost that can help match the paint to any room.

But before you buy, make sure to check their color match guarantee and return policies. Have all your questions answered in advance so that there are no surprises when you take home the paint!

And if you’re unsatisfied with the purchase – either get a refund or exchange it for something more suitable within 30 days.