Return & Refund Policy

Return & Refund Policy

Last updated: July 20, 2026

We want you to be happy with what you bought. If something isn't right, here's exactly how we handle it.

Quick summary

First: some problems aren't returns

If your order arrived damaged, has a defect, is missing parts, or isn't what you ordered, don't start a return. These are almost always faster and cheaper to fix in place, and you won't pay anything.

Email [support@bigsmileplayground.com] with your order number and photos, and we'll ship replacement parts or arrange a correction at no cost to you.

One critical exception — freight damage. Playground equipment ships by freight, and freight carriers are only liable for damage that's documented at the moment of delivery. Before you sign the delivery receipt, inspect every carton and count the pieces. If anything is crushed, torn, punctured, water-stained, or missing, write it on the delivery receipt before signing, take photos, and email us within [48 hours].

If you sign a clean receipt and report damage later, the carrier will typically deny the claim, and what we can do for you becomes very limited.

Cancelling before your order ships

If your order hasn't been released to the manufacturer yet, we'll cancel it and refund you in full. No fees.

Once production has started or the order has shipped, cancellation is treated as a return under the terms below. Custom-configured and made-to-order equipment generally can't be cancelled once production begins.

Cancel fast and cancel free — contact us as soon as you know.

Standard returns

If you simply changed your mind, here are the terms.

1. Contact us within 15 days of delivery. Email [support@bigsmileplayground.com] or use our contact form. We can't accept returns requested after 15 days.

Please note this window is shorter than you may expect. It starts the day your order is delivered, not the day you open the boxes or start assembly. If you have any doubt about whether a set is right for your space, unpack and check it early rather than leaving the pallet in the garage for a weekend or two. Once 15 days pass, we're no longer able to accept a return — that deadline comes from our manufacturers and we can't extend it.

2. Get a return authorization first. We'll issue you a Return Authorization (RA) number and tell you which facility to ship to. Don't send anything back without one. Our equipment ships from manufacturer warehouses around the country, and an unauthorized return that arrives at the wrong facility with no paperwork often can't be identified or credited.

3. You pay return shipping. Return freight on large equipment is expensive — often [$300–800]. You can arrange it yourself, or we can arrange it and deduct the cost from your refund. We'll quote you either way before you commit, so you can decide whether returning still makes sense.

4. You ship to the facility we designate. This may not be the address your order shipped from. We'll give you the exact destination with your RA number.

5. Everything must come back in like-new condition, in the original packaging. If you partially or fully assembled a playset, it must be completely disassembled and repacked securely in its original boxes, with all hardware included.

This is the requirement people most often underestimate. Playground components are heavy, awkward, and easy to scuff. If equipment arrives back damaged because it was inadequately packed or wasn't fully broken down, we may — at our discretion — reduce your refund by the cost of the parts we have to replace to return the set to sellable condition, in addition to the restocking fee.

6. A 15% restocking fee applies to all returns. This covers the cost of receiving, inspecting, repackaging, and restocking equipment that has already left the warehouse.

7. Refunds go back to your original payment method. We can't refund to a different card, send a check, or issue store credit instead unless you ask and we agree in writing.

8. Your refund is issued after we receive and inspect the return. Not when you ship it — when it arrives and passes inspection. Inspection usually takes [3–5] business days after delivery to the facility.

What we can't take back

• Custom or made-to-order equipment — built to your configuration, can't be resold
• Assembled or installed equipment that can't be fully disassembled and repacked
• Equipment that has been anchored, cemented, or permanently installed
• Opened bulk safety surfacing — rubber mulch, engineered wood fiber, and similar loose-fill products
• Clearance and final-sale items, where marked
• Anything without original packaging
• Anything returned without a Return Authorization number

How your refund is calculated

If you cancel before shipment, you get a full refund with nothing deducted.

For everything else, your refund is:

Price of the products − 15% restocking fee − return shipping cost (if we arranged it on your behalf) − cost of replacing any parts damaged in return transit = your refund

Original shipping charges are not refunded. The freight you paid at checkout covered a truck that already drove to your address. That cost is gone once delivery happens, so it can't come back on a return.

The 15% restocking fee is calculated on the price of the products only, not on shipping.

A worked example

We're showing you this math up front because returning a freight-shipped item is genuinely expensive, and you deserve to know that before you buy rather than after. If you're not sure a set is right for your space, ask us first. Send your measurements and the ages of your kids. Free advice beats a $1,400 lesson.

If the problem is our fault, none of this applies. Wrong item shipped, defective product, our error — we cover it completely, including shipping both ways. You won't pay a restocking fee and you won't lose your original freight charge.

Refused or undeliverable deliveries

If you refuse delivery without a Return Authorization, or a shipment can't be delivered because no one was available at the scheduled appointment, the access wasn't adequate, or the address was wrong, the order is treated as a standard return. Round-trip freight and the restocking fee will be deducted from your refund.

If the shipment is genuinely damaged on arrival, refuse it, note the damage on the delivery receipt, and call us right away — that's not a return and you won't be charged.

Warranty claims are different

If equipment fails after installation due to a manufacturing defect, that's a warranty matter, not a return. Warranty coverage and length vary by manufacturer and by component, and the terms are listed on each product page.

Contact us with your order number and photos, and we'll handle the manufacturer on your behalf. Warranties generally don't cover normal wear, weathering or fading, improper assembly, vandalism, commercial use of residential equipment, or damage from storms and other acts of nature.

Bought our products somewhere else?

This policy applies only to orders placed directly through [bigsmileplayground.com]. The manufacturers we carry also sell through other retailers and dealers. If you bought elsewhere — even the identical product — you'll need to work with that retailer under their policy. We can't process returns or refunds for purchases we didn't make.

Commercial and institutional orders

Returns on commercial playground structures, custom configurations, and bulk orders are handled case by case, and restocking fees may be higher than 15% depending on the manufacturer. Terms are confirmed in writing on your quote before you order. If you're a school, park district, church, or HOA and need to understand your options before committing, ask us and we'll put it in writing.

Start a return or ask a question

Email: [support@bigsmileplayground.com] Phone: (510)898-8032 Hours: [Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Pacific] Form: Contact us

We answer every message, usually within one business day.