Good Housekeeping maintains good taste and exercises strict editorial judgment as to products that are eligible for Good Housekeeping's limited warranty to consumers. Good Housekeeping bestows its limited warranty Seal on those products that have been evaluated by the Good Housekeeping Institute and been assessed to perform as intended. These judgments are the basis of the Good Housekeeping Consumers' Refund Policy.

Our promise to readers

This is Good Housekeeping's limited warranty:

If any product that bears our limited warranty Seal proves to be defective within two years from the date it was first sold to a consumer by an authorized retailer, we, Good Housekeeping, will refund the purchase price or $2,000, whichever is less or, at Good Housekeeping's sole discretion, repair or replace the product. This policy covers you, the consumer, whether you bought the product or it was given to you (by the buyer). Products that bear the Green Good Housekeeping Seal have been assessed by Good Housekeeping in accordance with Good Housekeeping's environmental criteria and are also subject to the limited warranty if proven to be defective.

What to do if you have a defective product

If you believe such a defect exists, write by mail or e-mail to:

Please inform us of any defect as soon as possible. We will send you a complaint form to return. The form asks you to describe the product and tell where and when it was bought, the price paid, and the problem you had. You will be required to provide a receipt. You may be asked to ship the product to us at our expense. If that is not possible because of size or installation, our representative may call on you and inspect the product. If the product is defective, we will refund the lesser of the purchase price or $2,000 or, at our sole discretion, repair or replace the product. This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may have other rights, which vary from state to state.

Exclusions to the limited warranty

If the manufacturer or retailer of the product has already reimbursed you for the purchase price, replaced or repaired the product, or issued a product recall, we will consider the matter resolved and the warranty will not apply. The warranty also will not apply if you have taken any action that would preclude us from inspecting any product that has been installed on your premises. Some products must be installed, assembled, used and serviced as the manufacturer directs to give proper performance. We are not responsible and the limited warranty does not apply when a defect arises from improper installation, assembly, use or service, or if the product is abused.

This limited warranty also does not apply to floor models or "demos" or to products sold by unauthorized resellers, including without limitation, unauthorized resellers on third party websites, such as Craigslist and eBay.

This policy covers the functionality of products that purport to offer savings in energy, mileage or other measures of efficiency; however, due to many variables that may affect product usage by a consumer, this warranty does not extend to claims regarding the specific amount of efficiencies that may result from use of a product.

This policy covers the functionality of educational and instructional products, i.e., operability of a DVD, book or other media, but does not extend to warrant the educational effectiveness to be achieved from use of the products. Due to the nature of the internet, no software product can completely protect against exposure to offensive content. Exposure to any such content shall not be deemed a defect under the terms of this policy.

For products sold on a subscription basis, the limited warranty will extend to cover reimbursement for one installment of the subscription, and not the entirety of the subscription term.

If a product has been damaged as a result of negligence or misuse by the user, the limited warranty will not apply.

In the case of digital apps or internet services, including internet-connected products and devices, the limited warranty represents Good Housekeeping's commitment to assist with customer service in the event the app or service fails to function as represented (i.e., that the app or service will not render or be accessible to use), but does not extend to cover goods and products that may be available via use of or purchases from the app or service, and also does not extend to cover outcomes that may be expected from usage of the app. The limited warranty Seal also does not extend to cover issues relating to data security and user privacy.

Products that bear the Good Housekeeping limited warranty Seal, are not manufactured, sold or serviced by Good Housekeeping, unless otherwise expressly indicated. Good Housekeeping makes no express warranty for state law and provides no guarantee or remedy other than as described here.

See a list of all the products that currently hold the GH Seal.