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.
Best Ways to Contact Big Lots
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 |
| 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.
Contact Channels in Detail
Each channel below is broken out with step-by-step guidance so you know exactly what to do before you start.
1 📞 Big Lots Phone Support
| Department | Phone Number | Hours (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Main Customer Support | 1-866-244-5687 | Mon–Sat 8am–10pm, Sun 9am–8pm |
| Billing / Order Issues | 1-866-244-5687 (same line, select billing prompt) | Same as above |
Call flow tips:
- When the automated system answers, say "representative" or press 0 to try to skip the menu tree.
- Have your order number ready before the system asks. It will ask.
- User reports on PissedConsumer note that hold times tend to run 15–30 minutes during evenings and weekends. Mid-morning on Tuesday or Wednesday is reportedly the sweet spot.
- If you are calling about a billing charge, say "billing dispute" clearly when prompted. This routes you to agents with more authority to issue credits.
2 📧 Big Lots Email Support
Big Lots does not publish a direct customer-facing email address. All written contact goes through the contact form on their Help Center.
| Purpose | Where to Submit | Average Response Time |
|---|---|---|
| General Inquiries | biglots.com/help (contact form) | 3–5 business days |
| Billing or Order Disputes | biglots.com/help (contact form, select billing) | 3–7 business days |
Tips for your submission:
- Subject line: Be specific. Write something like "Order #[number] Not Received – Refund Request" rather than "Problem with my order."
- In the body: Include your full name, the email on your account, your order number, the date of purchase, and a one-paragraph description of the issue.
- Known delay: Response times have stretched beyond 7 business days during high-volume periods, particularly around major sales events. If you need a faster resolution, phone or chat will serve you better.
3 💬 Big Lots Live Chat
Where to access: biglots.com/help
Steps to start a chat:
- Go to biglots.com/help.
- Scroll to the bottom of the page or look for a chat icon in the lower-right corner.
- Click the chat icon to open the chat window.
- Enter your name and the topic of your issue when prompted.
- You will first interact with an automated bot. Type "agent" or "representative" if you want to escalate to a live person.
What it handles: Order status, return questions, general product inquiries, and basic account help.
Escalation: The bot does escalate to a live agent during staffed hours, but users have reported the bot can loop on certain topics (especially password resets) before connecting you. If it loops more than twice, type "live agent" directly.
4 📱 Big Lots In-App Support
The Big Lots app is available on both iOS (App Store) and Android (Google Play).
Steps to access support through the app:
- Open the Big Lots app and log into your account.
- Tap the menu icon (three lines) in the upper-left corner.
- Scroll down and tap "Help" or "Customer Service."
- Select your issue type from the menu.
- Choose to chat, view FAQs, or request a callback if available.
What can be resolved in-app: Order tracking, return initiation, basic account questions, and reward point inquiries.
What requires a phone call: Billing disputes involving charges, escalated complaints, and issues tied to in-store purchases that were not linked to your account digitally.
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
How Pine AI Can Help You Contact Big Lots
Big Lots customer service complaints have spiked noticeably in early 2026, with shoppers reporting longer hold times and unresolved refund requests tied to the company's ongoing restructuring. If you have been sitting on hold or waiting days for a reply, you are not alone.
Pine AI handles the whole thing for you.
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If contacting Big Lots has felt like a part-time job lately, let Pine take the shift.
Frequently Asked Questions about Big Lots
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