MTG returns at PokeCards Online run on one rule: sealed, unopened product can be returned within 48 hours of purchase. That is the whole policy in one sentence, and the rest of this page is the detail: what counts as sealed, what is excluded and why, how a return is started, and what happens to the money once a box is back with us.
The short window is not an accident. Sealed Magic loses its resale value the moment the factory wrap is broken, and a return policy that ignores that would mean reselling opened boxes to the next customer. The rule protects the person who buys after you.
| Window | 48 hours from purchase |
|---|---|
| Condition | Sealed and unopened |
| Opened product | Not returnable |
| Damaged on arrival | Photograph and contact within 48 hours |
| Wrong item | Replaced or refunded |
| Return postage | Agreed case by case in writing |
| Start a return | Message us before sending |
| Refund route | Original payment method |
On this page
The 48 hour returns window, precisely
The window is 48 hours from purchase, not from delivery. That is a deliberate choice: it measures the period in which a sealed box is still in the condition it was sold, rather than the period in which a carrier happened to be moving it.
In practice, check the seal as soon as the parcel arrives. Photograph the box before you open the outer carton if the packaging looks damaged, and open the carton in a way that lets you repack it if you need to. A box that has been cut out of a carton is harder to return safely than one that was lifted out.
If something is wrong and the 48 hours are running out, message us before the window closes. A message inside the window is a return in progress, even if the parcel takes a few more days to reach us.
If returns policy is unclear after reading this page, ask before you open anything, because the answer changes after the wrap comes off.
The 48 hour returns process is short: message us, get confirmation, pack it as it arrived.
What counts as sealed under this returns policy
Sealed means the factory shrink wrap is intact, unbroken and not re-shrunk. A booster box, a bundle, a commander deck, a draft night box and a Secret Lair envelope all have a factory seal, and that seal is the test.
A rewrap is not sealed. If a box has been opened and re-wrapped, the wrap looks different: it is looser, the seam is in the wrong place, and the plastic is usually thicker and glossier. That is also the main counterfeit risk in this market, which is why the same check that qualifies a return also catches a fake.
A cracked or torn wrap that arrived that way is a damage case rather than a condition case. Send a photograph and we treat it as our problem, not as a return you have to justify.
If refund policy is unclear after reading this page, ask before you open anything, because the answer changes after the wrap comes off.
The mtg returns process is short: message us, get confirmation, pack it as it arrived.
What is excluded, and why
Opened product is excluded. Once the wrap is off, the box cannot be sold as sealed and its value changes immediately. That applies whether the box was opened to check the contents, to look at the packs, or to draft with friends.
Products bought as part of a mixed order can still be returned individually, provided each returned unit is sealed. Breaking a case to return one box inside it turns a sealed case into loose boxes, so a case is returned as a case.
Anything damaged after delivery is outside the policy, but it is worth asking anyway. A box crushed by a shelf or water-damaged in a garage is not a return, and pretending otherwise wastes everyone’s time. The honest answer is that we will look at a photograph and tell you what we can do.
If 48 hour returns is unclear after reading this page, ask before you open anything, because the answer changes after the wrap comes off.
The magic card returns process is short: message us, get confirmation, pack it as it arrived.
How to start a return in four steps
First, message us with the order number and a photograph of the seal. Use the contact form or reply to the order confirmation. Do not send anything back before you have a reply, because an unannounced parcel has no order attached to it and can sit unclaimed.
Second, we confirm whether the item qualifies and tell you how to pack it. That reply is the authorisation, and it takes the guesswork out of the process for both sides.
Third, pack it the way it arrived: the product in its carton, with void fill, and the packing slip inside. Fourth, send it with a tracked service and keep the receipt. An untracked return is a parcel nobody can prove arrived.
If mtg returns is unclear after reading this page, ask before you open anything, because the answer changes after the wrap comes off.
Nothing about returns policy is hidden in a footer, which is why the window and the exclusions are on this page in full.
The refund policy once a return arrives
When a return reaches us it is inspected against the photographs we were sent, then the refund is raised to the original payment method. Card refunds are issued by the payment provider, so the money appears on your statement on the provider’s timeline rather than ours.
If a replacement is what you want instead, say so in the first message. A replacement is usually faster than a refund and a return, particularly for a product that is still in stock, because the replacement can be reserved while the return is in transit.
Return postage is agreed case by case and confirmed in writing before you send anything. Where the fault is ours, a damaged box or the wrong item, we cover it. Where the return is a change of mind on sealed product inside the window, the postage is the customer’s.
If magic card returns is unclear after reading this page, ask before you open anything, because the answer changes after the wrap comes off.
Nothing about refund policy is hidden in a footer, which is why the window and the exclusions are on this page in full.
Damaged or wrong items: the faster route
A damaged box and a change of mind are different problems, and they are handled differently. Damage is a fault, so it is replaced or refunded without a restocking argument and without you paying postage to send it back.
What we need is evidence: a photograph of the outer carton before it was opened, a photograph of the damage on the product, and the order number. That is enough for us to raise it with the carrier, which is where the cost ultimately lands.
A wrong item is the same process with a simpler cause. Send the order number and a photograph of what arrived, and we will ship the correct item and tell you what to do with the other one rather than asking you to guess.
Our returns policy rule exists to protect the next customer rather than to catch you out.
Nothing about 48 hour returns is hidden in a footer, which is why the window and the exclusions are on this page in full.
Magic card returns: why card shops are strict
Magic card returns are stricter than most retail because the product is indistinguishable once opened. A shirt can be tried on and returned. A booster box cannot: the moment the wrap is broken, the packs inside could be anything, and no shop can verify what came out of a box after the fact.
That is not an accusation aimed at any customer. It is an economic fact: a shop that accepted opened returns would be buying a lottery ticket on every parcel, and the cost of that lottery would end up in every price on the site.
The upside is that the same strictness protects you. Because opened boxes cannot come back, the box you receive is genuinely factory sealed, and the seal is the guarantee rather than the shop’s word.
Our refund policy rule exists to protect the next customer rather than to catch you out.
Nothing about mtg returns is hidden in a footer, which is why the window and the exclusions are on this page in full.
Preorders, cancellations and the return window
A pre-order can be cancelled before it dispatches, because nothing has left the building and no product has changed hands. Message us before the release date and we will cancel it and release the reservation.
Once a pre-order has shipped it becomes an ordinary order, which means the 48-hour window applies in the same way: sealed and unopened, counted from purchase.
If a publisher delays a release, the listing date changes and the reservation holds. You are not obliged to wait for a delayed product; ask us and we will cancel it rather than keep your money against a date nobody controls.
Our 48 hour returns rule exists to protect the next customer rather than to catch you out.
Nothing about magic card returns is hidden in a footer, which is why the window and the exclusions are on this page in full.
Packing a return so it survives the trip
Pack a return the way the original parcel was packed, because it survived one journey and can survive another. The product goes inside its carton, the carton goes inside a shipping box, and void fill stops it moving.
Do not send a booster box in a bag. Do not tape the product itself. Do not write on the product packaging, and do not remove the shrink wrap to fit it in a smaller box, because that converts a returnable item into a non-returnable one.
Put the packing slip in the box and keep the tracking receipt. A return that arrives safely and can be matched to an order is processed in a day; one that arrives crushed and unidentified takes a week and a conversation.
Our mtg returns rule exists to protect the next customer rather than to catch you out.
Every returns policy decision is made on the condition of the factory seal, not on how long the box sat on a shelf.
Returns when the order was a gift
A gift is returned by the person who bought it, not by the person who received it, because the order, the payment and the 48-hour clock all belong to the buyer. That is a limitation of how orders work rather than a rule we invented.
What the recipient can do is check the seal and tell the buyer immediately if something is wrong. A damaged box discovered after the window has closed is much harder to resolve, and the difference between a replacement and an argument is usually a photograph taken on the day the parcel arrived.
If the gift was sent directly to the recipient with a gift note, the packing slip inside carries no prices, so the recipient will not know what the order cost. The buyer still receives the order confirmation and the tracking, which is where the order number for any return lives.
Our magic card returns rule exists to protect the next customer rather than to catch you out.
Every refund policy decision is made on the condition of the factory seal, not on how long the box sat on a shelf.
MTG returns, your legal rights and this policy
This policy sits alongside your legal rights rather than replacing them. Where the law in your jurisdiction gives you a stronger right than the 48-hour window, that right applies, and asking for it is not an argument.
What this policy does is set out the terms we offer on top of the law: a clear window, a clear condition test and a clear process. Clarity is the point. A returns page that hides behind legal language helps nobody, and a shop that argues about a damaged box loses more than the box.
If you think a return has been handled badly, say so in the same thread. Escalating is cheaper than a dispute for both of us, and the person reading the thread is the person who can fix it.
The returns policy process is short: message us, get confirmation, pack it as it arrived.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I have to return an order?
48 hours from purchase. The window covers sealed, unopened product.
Can I return an opened booster box?
No. Once the factory wrap is broken the box cannot be resold as sealed, so opened product is not returnable.
Can I return a single pack?
Yes, if the pack is still sealed in its factory wrapper and the return is inside the 48-hour window.
What if my box arrived damaged?
Photograph the outer carton and the product, then contact us within 48 hours. Damage is replaced or refunded and we cover the return postage.
Do I pay return postage?
It depends on the reason. Faulty or wrong items are on us; a change of mind on sealed product is the customer’s. It is confirmed in writing before you send anything.
How long does a refund take?
The refund is raised when the return is inspected. The money then appears on your statement on your payment provider’s timeline.
Can I cancel a preorder?
Yes, before it dispatches. Message us before the release date and the reservation is released.
Can I exchange instead of refunding?
Yes. Say so in your first message and we will reserve a replacement while the return is in transit.
The refund policy process is short: message us, get confirmation, pack it as it arrived.
Sources and further reading
Where a fact on this page comes from somewhere else, this is the source.
- USPS returns and claims – how to send a tracked return through the postal network.
- FedEx claims – the damage claim route a carrier expects to see.
- Scryfall – verify a card’s identity if you suspect a rewrap or a fake.
The rest of the post-purchase picture
Delivery, contact and the questions that come up most.