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. The paint 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 is the Guarantee all about when it comes to matching paint, and what are the things you need to remember?

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 that you must have a valid receipt as proof of purchase.

Plus, the purchase of the paint was no more than 30 days from when you wanted the refund.

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

In addition to getting a refund, you may also obtain a paint exchange.

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

Exceptions

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

The guarantee does not cover items not in stock, tinted items, 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 paint. 

They can do it more precisely (up to 90% accurate) 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 to Return Paint to Lowe’s – The Right Way

You can either return the paint in person to the Lowe’s store from which it was purchased.

Or you could return the paint by mail if you purchased it online.

To return the paint, you will need the receipt, the original method of payment, and a photo ID.

Put all the information in a letter which you can mail to Lowe’s with the paint.

If you want to return the paint in person, then you will need the paint and the receipt.

Just take it all to the customer service desk at Lowe’s, from which you purchased the paint.

You would need some form of proper identification, especially if you purchased the paint with a debit or credit card.

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

To return an online paint purchase, you will need to log into Lowe’s account or use the online returns link on their website.

Make sure you use the original container with all the paint you want to be returned inside.

You’ll want to 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.  

Why Doesn’t Lowe’s Take Old Paint – What Can You Do Instead?

Lowe’s does not accept any old paint for recycling or disposal because it is classified as a hazardous material (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 Popular Brands Of Paints & Samples Does Lowe’s Sell in Their Store?

Lowe’s currently sells Valspar, KILZ, Rust-Oleum, and HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams.

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

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

Some of these reasons might include:

• Lowe does not have a retail distribution deal in place
• The price point not being attractive to Lowe’s customers
• The 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, including exclusive paints such as Home Depot’s Behr Marquee.

Or, if you want to go with the brands they do not sell, you will have to purchase them from the respective paint stores.

The good news is that most of these brands are also available online and can be shipped directly to your home. So, if you’re set on a specific brand, you can still get it even if Lowe’s doesn’t sell it.

What paint samples Does Lowe’s offer?

Lowe’s usually provides free paint chips (on tiny cards) as small paint samples that customers may take home from any Lowe’s shop.

These are the ‘peel and stick’ paint samples that can be pasted onto your wall instead of applying the paint with a paintbrush.

Lowe’s paint samples are beneficial because they can be matched with other colors in your room to see how they would look once the paint is applied. 

This way, you can get an idea of what the color would look like in your home before you commit to painting the entire room.

It also allows you to change your mind about a certain color without wasting a lot of paint or time.

All that said, if you need to get the paint chips in larger quantities, you will have to pay a fee at Lowe’s. You may also have to pay a small fee if you want to purchase 8-ounce sample paints.

The good thing is these sample-sized paints can be bought at Lowe’s at a meager cost, between $3.5 to $5.5. Although the costs differ depending on the brand, most samples cost less than $5.

Can I Get a Paint Rebate at Lowe’s – What’s the Process and How Does it Work? 

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. 

With that said, not all products are eligible for a rebate, and you can only the eligible products purchased from participating Lowe’s stores can get the rebate. 

To check if the paint products you bought from lowe’s 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.

Getting the rebate is quite simple and easy at Lowe’s Rebate Center. All you need to do is purchase the paint and other painting supplies at any Lowe’s store.

After that, you can 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 MyLowe’s 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 o 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?

Yes, Lowe’s allows you to rent paint sprayers from their store. You can either rent it for a day or 4 hours. The prices may vary depending on the paint sprayer you choose to rent.

I think renting an airless sprayer makes sense only if you need an expensive, more advanced machine for a few hours or a day to complete a small project.

For bigger projects, you can even rent them for a week or a month, but that would cost more and is not worth it. You can instead consider buying one at what you pay for the rental.

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

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 paint brands (like Valspar, Behr, etc.), while Lowe’s might have a wider selection of colors.

The bottom line

Lowe’s offers a great color match guarantee and a free replacement if you are unhappy with the color you chose.

They also offer 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.

So, if you’re looking to get your painting project done on a budget, Lowe’s is a great option.