Big Lots is a discount retail chain offering furniture, home decor, food, and seasonal goods across hundreds of US stores and online at biglots.com. If you've been following the wave of retail closures making headlines in early 2026, Big Lots has been part of that conversation, which has left a lot of shoppers scrambling with questions about orders, refunds, and store credit. The most common complaints, backed by over 900 BBB filings in the last three years and a 1.4-star Trustpilot rating from roughly 500 reviews, involve delayed or missing orders and billing disputes. You can reach Big Lots by phone, live chat, email, social media, or through their online Help Center.
Here is a quick-reference table of every confirmed contact channel Big Lots offers. Use this to pick the right method before you spend time waiting in the wrong queue.
| Contact Method |
Details & Availability |
Best For |
| Phone |
1-866-244-5687, Mon–Sat 8am–10pm ET, Sun 9am–8pm ET |
Urgent issues, billing disputes, order escalations |
| Live Chat |
Available at biglots.com/help, hours vary |
Quick questions, order status, general support |
| Email |
Via contact form at biglots.com/help |
Non-urgent issues, formal written complaints |
| Social Media |
@BigLots on Facebook and X (Twitter) |
Public complaints, quick acknowledgment |
| Help Center |
biglots.com/help |
Self-service, FAQs, order tracking, returns |
All channels above have been verified against Big Lots's official site. Big Lots does not publish a dedicated billing-only phone line separately from their main support number.
Each channel below is broken out with step-by-step guidance so you know exactly what to do before you start.
Estimated Response Times from Big Lots
| Contact Method |
Expected Wait Time |
| Phone |
15–30 minutes on hold during peak hours; under 10 minutes mid-morning on weekdays |
| Email / Contact Form |
3–7 business days |
| Live Chat |
5–15 minutes to reach a live agent during staffed hours |
| In-App Support |
Similar to live chat; 5–20 minutes depending on time of day |
The busiest times to avoid are weekday evenings (after 5pm ET) and all day Saturday. Sunday mornings before noon ET tend to have shorter hold times based on user-reported patterns on Trustpilot and PissedConsumer. One recurring complaint worth knowing: the live chat bot has a habit of offering FAQ links instead of escalating, which can add 5–10 minutes to your wait if you do not explicitly ask for a human agent.
Before You Call: What to Have Ready
Do yourself a favor and pull this stuff together before you dial or open a chat. Nothing is worse than sitting on hold for 20 minutes and then fumbling around for your order number.
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Your order number. This is the single most important thing. Find it in your confirmation email or under "My Orders" in your account. Without it, the agent cannot pull up your purchase and you will be starting from scratch.
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The email address on your Big Lots account. They will verify your identity with this. If you checked out as a guest, use the email you entered at checkout.
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Your most recent transaction date and the dollar amount. If you are disputing a charge, know the exact date it hit and what it was for. Agents move faster when you can say "$47.83 on March 12" instead of "sometime last month."
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A screenshot or photo of the problem. If your item arrived damaged or you got an error message, have a photo ready. For chat, you can sometimes attach images directly. For phone, describe it clearly.
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Your Big Lots Rewards number (if applicable). If your complaint involves reward points or a Rewards-linked purchase, have that number handy. It is in the app or on your Rewards card.
Tips to Reach Big Lots Support Faster
These are based on real patterns pulled from Trustpilot reviews, PissedConsumer reports, and Reddit threads about Big Lots customer service.
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Call Tuesday or Wednesday between 9am and 11am ET. This is consistently the lowest-traffic window. Avoid Friday afternoons and all of Saturday.
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Say "representative" immediately when the phone system picks up. Do not wait for the full menu. Saying it early, or pressing 0 twice, often shortcuts the automated tree.
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Use live chat for order status and returns. It is faster than phone for anything that does not involve a billing dispute. You can also copy and paste your order number directly into the chat window, which cuts down on back-and-forth.
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For billing issues, go straight to phone. Chat agents have limited authority to issue refunds or credits. Phone agents, especially supervisors, can act on billing disputes in real time.
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Ask for a supervisor early if you have already contacted Big Lots once about the same issue. If this is a repeat contact, say so upfront: "I contacted you on [date] about this and it was not resolved." That framing tends to move things along faster than starting from scratch.
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Try the Help Center self-service tools first for password resets and return labels. The automated tools at biglots.com/help handle these without any wait time, and they work reliably for straightforward cases.
Where to Quickly Solve Common Big Lots Problems
Every issue below has been verified as a real complaint pattern from BBB filings, Trustpilot reviews, or PissedConsumer reports.
| If Your Problem Is... |
The Best Contact Method Is... |
Pro Tip |
| A billing error or unexpected charge |
Phone support |
Have the charge date and dollar amount ready. Phone agents have the most authority to issue credits or reversals. |
| A missing or delayed order |
Live chat or phone |
Start with live chat for a quick status check. If the item is confirmed lost, escalate to phone for a replacement or refund. |
| A damaged item received |
Phone or email (with photos) |
Email the contact form with photos attached for a paper trail. Phone speeds up the resolution if you need a replacement fast. |
| Technical glitch or error message on the site |
Live chat |
Faster than phone. You can paste error codes or describe the exact page where it broke. |
| Can't log in or need a password reset |
Help Center (self-service) |
Try biglots.com/help first. The automated reset tool works for most accounts. Only call if it fails twice. |
| Filing a formal complaint |
Phone (ask for a supervisor) |
A phone call with a supervisor creates a clearer escalation record than a chat transcript. |
| Reward points missing or not applied |
Phone or in-app |
Check the app first under your Rewards history. If points are missing after 48 hours, call with your transaction date and store receipt. |
Additional Helpful Links for Big Lots
All links below have been verified as live and accurate as of the publication date.
- Help Center: https://www.biglots.com/help
- Start Live Chat: https://www.biglots.com/help (chat icon in lower-right corner)
- Order Tracking / Account Portal: https://www.biglots.com/account
- Big Lots Rewards Program: https://www.biglots.com/rewards
- Report Fraud or Phishing: Contact Big Lots directly at 1-866-244-5687 and ask for the fraud team, or report phishing emails to their support form at biglots.com/help
- Download the App (iOS): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/big-lots/id1041956812
- Download the App (Android): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.biglots.consumer
- How to cancel Big Lots: How to cancel Big Lots
