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Costco’s Incredible Return Policy
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I know a lot of folks love Costco, I’m one of them. Did you know that their return policy permits you to return ANYTHING (except computers) with or without the receipt whenever you want as long as you still have the same membership. If you bought a pair of pants, as I did, and found that you didn’t really like them but tossed the receipt already… no fear, just go back and they have it all on record. Yes, I bought these pants two months ago and had been meaning to return them for two months. You can also use this as a (semi-free) extended warranty – buy a TV or DVD player and if/when it stops working after four or five years, just return it! The only exception to this rule is a computer purchase and that return period expires after six months.
Update: Costco recently amended their return policy. Televisions, projectors, computers, cameras, camcorders, iPOD / MP3 players and cellular phones can only be returned within 90 days of purchase.
Don’t believe me? My friend David bought a mattress from Costco and emailed them to find out their return policy on mattresses. In short, he could return at any time, at no cost, to a store or arrange with customer service for pickup if you can’t get it to the store because of size and weight. Pretty sweet.
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I don’t see how returning a TV after 5 years if it breaks on its own is misusing the return policy. As a collector of vintage electronics, I am appauled by the lack of quality in newer electronics products. My parents went through 4 VCRs in 10 years, while my own RCA Selectavision is from 1979 and it still works like new. I feel that manufacturers should build better products (like they used to) and they wouldn’t have to face the situation of people returning them years later.
Eric,
Purchasing something and using it without the intent of keeping it is HIGHLY unethical, and would be a case of abusing Costco’s return policy. So, to answer your question, yes, it would benefit you. BUT, it would be at the expense of Costco, Costco’s shareholders, and, since the “cost of doing business” increases each time someone does this, these costs would ultimately be passed on to Costco’s customers.
Okay, I have one for you all. My mom bought a lawn mower on May 12, 2004. I use this mower. I maintain the mower. I was mowing my lawn with it last week – May 13, 2006. It stopped midway through my front yard. It is one day out of warranty. I believe that my mom should be able to return this item for at least a partial refund as it should have had a lifespan of more than 2 years. Good grief, I live in MI. Lawn mowing season is only about 6 months out of a year. Yes, Stabil was put in the gas tank. I maintain it, like I said. Checked everything that I know to check – spark plug was good, oil changed, air filter fine. So should my mom take it back to get a refund?
Esther, absolutely take it back, and exchange it for a new one. Costco will accept it back without issue (so long as you have remained a member the whole time), and you can get a new one to replace the one that broke. Perfect example of how Costco really is the best place to buy almost anything.
It is amazing how we can be so impressed by Costco and their open policy with regard to returns without really knowing how it is that they are able to offer such a customer focused policy. Well, I will tell you. It is not Costco at all that really bears the burden of all the returns that they take back, it is the Costco suppliers. In order to supply to this “big box” outlet, suppliers must bear the burden of Costco’s returns, even if it bankrupts them. That is the price a supplier must take on to open themselves to their retail outlet. If you ask me it is the big box pressures that are truely driving/tricking the US economy. They push the suppliers to either bankruptcy or to other countries to manufacture. Sure this is suppose to protect the US consumers, with less expensive goods. Is that what we get, or is it “cheaper goods” with fewer jobs that we get at the expense of US manufacturing companies. So do not praise Costco, praise the suppliers that put up with their crap!!
I spoke with Costco employees, wanting to buy a display 42″ plasma that was the last model for a discount ($100 would have been fine for me, it was selling for $1500). They explicitly told me they’d rather return it to the vendor and get a full refund and so they wouldnt sell it for more than a $50 discount. I’d have to agree, if they dont offer an extended warranty, they SHOULD and DO take things back. Talking to some of their employees, however, they said that it is up to a manager’s discretion.
for example, the life span of a plasma TV is around 5 years, after which picture quality is not as good even if it still works fine, they may not accept the return. I think its kind of messed up to return an xbox from 5 years ago if it works fine just because you want a new one. We end up paying for it anyways. My girlfriend’s mini ipod i bought in august 2005 i returned last week and got her the nano (she claimed the screen didnt work but i didnt see a problem).
Bottom line, some people will always take advantage, but i spend so much money there that i think if i bought a $2000 plus TV and it broke down after 1-2 years and had no option of extended warranties and they refused my return, I’d go elsewhere and they’d lose ALOT of business (i have a business account and buy everything for my business from them)
By the way, other stores return things after long amounts of time too..It just depends on the manager’s mood that day.
Folks are sure counting on Costco accepting everything back. Try this on for size. We bought a 50 inch plasma there. Cost about 4600. After 14 months it started to smoke and burn. Response from Costco. “We dont want to eat the $4600. Here is a 1-800 number and no we dont have any warranty ‘ No warranty papers ever provided, no local support for repairs , no assistance at all. As one writer said, the policy is selective and is totally at their discretion. Buyer Beware!!!!!
I purchase all my big $ items from Costco (even if they are slightly more money than other places) because of the liberal return policy operating as a de facto extended warranty. BUT I truly hope never to have to use it.
So, here’s my dilemma and how should I AND Costco handle it? I bought a Philips LCD TV at Costco 89 days ago. Last night, it died. Philips will repair under warranty — BUT estimated service time is 6 weeks. Obviously, that is totally unacceptable. I was hoping to return it to Costco and buy a new one (same model – I’ll give it another try) but the price is now $300 MORE than what I paid in March.
Do I have to eat the price difference to get a quick fix? (Quick, although, packing up the old TV, borrowing a car from a friend that can actually fit the screen and redoing the entire set-up is pretty unappealing! BUT I NEED my World Cup and Baseball in HD!)
Also, what happens if it the product is no longer in stock by the weekend or already gone and there is no price comparable substitute. In this case an exchange policy would be nice, right?
Actually, my question above about price difference is pretty stupid. I guess if they have the same model, I just return the broken TV using the more expensive receipt. Case Closed?
As far as substitution – assuming that Costco no longer has my model in-stock – I just found out that if I wait a few days – I can return the broken 37-inch TV (or any temporary replacement) for a 42-inch version for the same price. Which sounds like a close-class of the abuse people are referring to. But I just may do it.
I think the 42″ TV is Plasma and 37″ inch is LCD. I have seen some pretty poor reviews. I had the same problem with the 42″ in 2 weeks and then bought the 37″ inch LCD, which is still working. And yes, Philips’ support is pathetic.
Gerry, your response that they refuse to take it back worries me. 14 months is not long for such a high-priced item and they do not even offer extended warranty.
Hi all,
I just wanted to share my experience last weekend making two big returns at Costco. One item was a DVD/VHS player that I had bought in 2003, and the DVD tray recently stopped opening. At the same time, I also returned a TV that I had purchased for about $300 in 2002. There was a big orange spot in the top corner of the screen that started geting larger and larger.
The woman at the return desk were not particularly friendly. She asked what was wrong with the items and I told her, and she gave me a sceptical look and said that since the items were a few years old, she would have to get her manager to approve the returns. But this turned out to be just a formality, and the manager came over, glanced at the items, and said, “no problem, issue the refund.” I did have receipts with me, and even though you can return without them, it is much quicker if you have them (so they don’t have to search for the product numbers, as the guy in front of me in line returning a mattress found out). I had purchased the TV on my debit card, so they gave me cash back for it. Since I bought the DVD player on my AmEx card, they could only give me a refund back to my AmEx account.
So refund in hand, I went back to the shelves and purchased a new TV and DVD/VCR. Anyhow, despite the minor attitude from the woman at the return counter (and I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt since it was the end of the day) this experience just makes me even more likely to buy all of my big-ticket purchases from Costco in the future. Kudos to Costco for being one of the few companies out there that truly stands behind what they sell!
Dave
Not to belittle anyone but for those of you who have had repeated posts- how do you have so much time on your hands?
A year and 1/2 ago I bought a 42″ plasma. Very nice… or so I thought. I tried to hook up my xbox 360 to it and noticed that anytime I used either the component connections or the HDMI I lost the ability to control the brightness – I found this out because the screen in the games were EXTREMELY dark, darker than on other TV’s. I went back and took a look at some movies I have – yep, same thing between devices. Shitty brightness on my Plasma and no brightness control, but fine on my friends plasma & no problem adjusting.
I mentioned this to a Customer Service employee at the return counter in Costco. The guy said, “Bring it on in!” Wow. That easy. Just as I had suspected. The next week I took it in and returned it. In place of it I bought a newer 50″ model they had AND got $500+ refunded to my credit card! So – I went up 8″ and got money back for super-sizing.
I love Costco. I buy EVERYTHING there, for my household AND the real estate company I work for on the side of my normal day job.
Well, with the price of TV’s they should work a lot longer than 6 months. But yes there is nothing in writting about this life time warrenty. My LCD warrenty says I have to send it back for repairs and eat all shipping costs! And if it is damaged oh well I get to eat that also. That is why I went to Costco as I have a better chance than anywhere else. The salesman told me that someone brought a TV back after 10 years that was not even on the computer anymore and they refunded him the whole amount. If they gave me a problem I would be less than subserviant. I even wrote down the exact words of the salesman the day I got it.
My power supply is acting up its turning off every so often 2 or 3 times in a row. So we shall see what happens. The manufacture says it can replace parts with rebuilt parts that sucks. So I am not even going through them.
Good forum BTW
Hi, so Costco accepts takes back pretty much anything besides perishable foods and computers after six months. Does anyone know about this situation. A friend gave me a Minolta camera as a gift for Christmas in Dec of 2004. I don’t use it that often but now the flash is acting up. Can I return this camera even though I didn’t buy it? I am a member.
Thank you for any help.
I think the policy that the manufacturer’s must ultimately accept the return as the price of using COSTCO as an outlet for their goods is key. There have been concerns raised about the overall effect Superstores have on employees and small business in North America. The effect of COSTCO members who maximize every advantage afforded to them via the returns options may have a somewhat equalizing effect on the overall power of COSTCO to monopolize.
It would be interesting to see some clairification on what precisely does ultimately happen to all those returned goods. (In our own case we supply a large and influential retail chain with a lotion product. They make us give them a credit for every bottle that is returned, which is about 2%. A typical scenario is, someone will return a bottle that is 90% depeleted and complain they decided they did not like it because it smells like a cheap perfume. This in spite of the fact that every store has sampler bottles to test, etc. As they have so much power to create a sales velocity for this product the returns are a very small price to pay for being able to sell through their outlets. I suspect most manufacturers view COSTCO in the same manner).
hey rick, your lower than dirt. congratulations, people tell me about people like you that return a snicker’s bar half eaten. your a good story to laugh at and make fun of. hope you enjoy life, you can tell your grandkids (if you ever have any) how you finally were able to afford your house, not by working a real job (wtf real estate? gg), but by returning everything u own over and over and over. haha
Costco doesnt take a hit on any items, like rick said (though I might not agree with his return policy intentions). Costco returns everything to the manufacturer.
However, even though the gamut of electronic good manufacturers make a sizeable amount of money across the globe, the North American market (Canada included) is the highest gross consumption markets for such items – and Costco is one of the highest volume buyers. If everyone in this country read this blog and decided to return a specific item (not because of defect, but rather because of convenience), then you can bet that the manufacturer will take a hit, profits suffer, R&D will get budget cuts, people get laid off, and the very nifty PSP, Plasma, Ipod, etc, you bought now has to be significantly higher in price, the company will not innovate or bring a better version of the product to market, or worse, might not be available at all because you will eventually drive the company out of business.
And come on, we enjoy these products (if any) to enhance our lives (or to escape from our lives). We owe it to the hard working manufacturers, the foresight and teamwork of employed people to bring us the products we crave. And if you feel manufacturers still make too much money – next time, try to make everything you buy at the marketplace – AT HOME. See if you can create lightbulbs out of scratch, detergent to wash your clothes, and the clothes themseleves. Try to assemble that Plasma TV by yourself, and goodluck sourcing those components. We might as well reduce ourselves to living back in the caveman era.
As for the liberal return policy, most people (thankfully) that buy big ticket items from Costco, dont return them. Costco wants us to have peace of mind when buying a product, with the hopes that we will like it, be satisfied, and keep it. And most of the time the latter prevails. Most people (I think) find it inconvenient to return a big ticket item for leisure, (unless something was geniunely wrong with it) especially on a 42″ plasma that has been mounted to specific brackets on the wall, and dimensionally & proportionally spaced to fit your interior. -Vik
Funny how this blog went from I don’t like the pants after I got to know them, to should you or not return a Tv (or other major purchase) after an extended use period.
Someone called it grifting which is the same as conning, scamming or to rip-off making the person a conman (person). This is illegal and immoral and unethical anyway you want to look at it.
The pants either were decided undesirable or didn’t fit (the poster wrote both in different posts) either way it seems like it should be reasonable to do that. That is the policy and it is honest.
The returning of a Tv after 4 years? Well depends on the reason. To upgrade? Because it broke? Because you want to buy a car for your son/daughter and need the $4k?
In my opinion you are all over spending if you are going into a retail electronics dealer and buying a Tv for $4k when you can get the same Tv from someone slightly used for $2500 online.
I personally have a newer jvc big screen 50″ and 4 newer 35″ TVs (Panasonic(s), Sony, ProScan) and 3 smaller TVs 2 with integrated video players and haven’t spend $1000 total on all of them combined. They look great and give us plenty of viewing pleasure. Can’t understand the reason to waste $4k on a plasma Tv unless there are business reasons. And even then I can’t think of any reasons when you come down to it.
I have all those TVs because I bought a large house for my retirement fund and converted it into a pensione (may or may not be spelled correctly).
Anyway my opinion is if you use it pay for it. But if you have a reasonable reason and the policy allows it, take advantage of it.
Individually we all know if we would want someone to treat us the way we are treating them, or not!
I wasn’t sure it was a lifetime return policy on everything else besides computers. My dad owns an electronics company and sells products to Costco. He says the way Costco has such a return policy on its products is because they send the bill to the vendor. Meaning, if someone decided to take back their television 10 years later, Costco would give a refund that the VENDOR (the television company) would ultimately pay for; it’s in their contract when they sell through Costco.
As far as I know I don’t think Costco pricematches and often overcharges for their electronics. I think companies that sell with them ultimately profit more than they lose even with the whacky return policy. Their selection of computers is total crap. As a college student, I’ve known people who abuse even the 6 month turnaround period. I think the reason the vendors they have work with them is because if anything, it’s the price for advertising. People might return their computers but they’re still buying those specific computers.
Anyway, I’m kinda in agreement with those posted above. If it’s their policy, I’m going to use it. And really, think about why the computer policy is 6 months. Is it really because computers are upgraded so quickly that people would give theirs back for a new one? Or is it because computers can die much faster than any other hardware or device and if it were any longer than 6 months, anyone would return them? I’m for the latter.
Well, I’ve read this thread with interest and have a couple of thoughts (not new ones, but I thought I might throw my two cents in).
I’m 40 years old and have gone through a few TVs in my day and let me tell you if I pay >$1000 CAD for that thing it better last more than 5 years. I agree with others who’ve said that people who have ‘moral issues’ returning a DEFECTIVE (ie not working) TV after 4-5 years have more money than brains. What the hell people? I spent the first 20 years of my life watching the same 20inch GE tv with no issues……why should I not expect the same from consumer products in this day and age? Too much to ask??
I again agree that returning a product because 5 years later because of some non-reliability issue is/would be, in general, abuse. I do not agree that I’ve gotten my money’s worth from a TV (especially) that cost me upwards of 2-3K after 5 years…that’s just nuts!
Manufacturers generally quote lifetime’s of 60-70000 hours on LCD sets….that’s 7.5years ALWAYS ON people, 24hrs a day.
well i just returned my gps system that i had buaght at costco a couple of months ago and its simply amazing it simply stopped working, i never buy so i can return it.. and here’s why costco is so smart i read once that all of the returns they have boils down to maybe less than 1 percent! of all purchases but people like to be comfortable buying knowing that just in case they can return it the bottom line is for the most part people are good and they’re not out abuse the system i think otherwise they wouldent really be able to stay in business and i will allways patronize costco they’re simply the best!
i wand to return my notebook computer bue they refused me because i have return computer 4 times. costco policy never say that….i think it is depond on manager who work in costco. anyone know about that???? how can i return it//…??
We returned a 50″ monster TV to COSTCO. Its HD tuner failed after 2 years.
When I bought it the deal was bring it back if it breaks. Period. So that’s what I did.
If they will allow me to bring it back anytime- 2 years or 10- why shouldn’t I do that?
That’s the deal. That’s WHY we bought it there in the first place!
We took the refund, walked to the other side of the store, picked out another TV, threw in another $150.00 and went home with a gem. If something goes wrong with it it goes back! Sweet.
I shop there a lot along with millions of other people. Do I feel guilty about their policy – no way. Of all the TVs they sell there can’t be but a fraction that are returned. The deals they make with suppliers must have a return arrangement none of them would ever quibble about because COSTCO is selling scumptyeight zillion of their products.
In lieu of an extended warranty, the return policy works just fine. It’s much cleaner for them to just declare the item dead and move on. Repairs, tracking, billing and all the other stuff that goes with repairs are a nightmare compared to the simple “if it breaks return it” policy. It’s brilliant.
i bought an xbox 360 five months ago, can i still return it? it broke and i dont wana pay microsofts repair fee.
the ethics debate has me laughing pretty good right now…
If you buy an expensive TV, Xbox etc. etc. and through no fault of your own, it FAILS within a reasonable amount of time and you purchased the item through a company willing and able to accept the return for your furture business, WHAT ON EARTH IS THE PROBLEM HERE?
OF COURSE there are people who will take advantage of it, but if its within reason and I feel a few years with a TV IS, than why do others feel the need to make personal jugement calls on someone who did NOT get their moneys worth?
I have purchase a set of dishes 4 years ago, but never used them. Still in the box. Can I returned them? Also, I purchased an external dvd writer last year but only used it once. Didn’t really work.. so I was going to return it but couldn’t find my receipt and kept putting it off. Can I still return that and what do I say the reason for returning is?
Those who think they know how Costco receives credit from manufacturers need to read the post above from a manager. I am a supervisor, and I see many legitimate returns. There are, however, some people that the employees know by name that have “comments” on their membership longer than this web page, due to their high volume of returns. In its last newsletter, Costco noted that returns were eating into profits. I have never seen this before in a newsletter. As someone stated above TEHRE IS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE LUNCH. Costco receives credit on about two thirds of new items, but after several months (the time some have mentioned as “abusive” Costco receives no credit and must salvage things. As more people “take advantage” of this, it is likely that the policy will change, and you’ll be able to thank all of those above who say they’ll return anything no matter what.
Managers have, by the way, refused returns for items that have been physically damaged. Typically, members get away with a few bogus returns, but comments go onto their account. After that, it becomes harder and herder to return things. Some people argue that the policy says Costco has a 100% satisfaction guarantee. This is true, but after a while, managers will tell the member that its obvious that nothing the member buys has satisfied them, so they are advised not to purchase items that they feel they’d need to return. After this a note it put onto the membership, and returns are unlikely to be approved in the future.
Bottom line is, Costco cannot eat the cost of returning everything, and neither can manufacturers. Costco can eat the cost from legitimate problems due to defective and malfunctioning merchandise. When returning ask yourself: “would I allow this to be returned if I manufactured this product?” If you can honestly answer yes, then by all means return it, and you won’t face any problems.
So is it possible to return a $700 dollar GPS System every year? And then buy a new one back? but also in between buying other products like groceries and food which would raise points on the membership card.. so would the membership card still last or would it be cancelled?
I was wondering, if you have to make a return on an item 2+ yrs old, is it better to bring the receipt (to show the price paid) or better to leave it at home (so they don’t know how old it is)? I don’t know if they have detailed records for every purchase for every member. That seems unlikely to me.
Confused – Yes, you can return it every year but you’d be abusing the system.
Mike – Bring the receipt that way they know how much you paid for it, it doesn’t matter if it’s 2 years old unless it’s a computer (6 month limit). Plus, they do keep records. WalMart keeps records of every single transaction… so it’s not unbelievable that Costco wouldn’t do the same.
my card got on hold from costco for returing $11000.00 of stuff. here is the problem. i buy someting online most of the time, and then a 2 weeks later i check back online for the same item, and the damn thing is on sell like 200 or 300 dollars, or theres a rebate. no you tell me, what the fuck would you do if you know you can make 300 bucks buy returning and buying it again. i even called the headquarters and asked them to give me the difference and they said no you have to return and and buy it again. helloooo, thats what they said, not me. thank you.
I have been looking to get a new Digital SLR camera for some time but have not been able to decide on the exact camera in the store, way to hard to get the feeling for a 1500-2500 dollar camera inside a shop without really being able to use it. Would it be unethical to buy the camera from Costco, and use it for a month’s time, if I know there is a high percentage chance I will end up not wanting that exact model. I do plan to buy a camera so if I end up returning two or three models in a month’s time but finally end up with one is this taking advantage of the policy.
WOW… Everybody siding with Costco on this one… Don’t you know that Costco doesn’t eat the cost of a returned item – they pass it onto the manufacturer for credit. It’s a numbers game, similar to insurance:
With a super-lenient return policy, Costco sells more TV’s – a LOT MORE. Just think of the buzz it’s created on this post, and then multiply that by 1000 or 10,000 times. And if it gets to be a problem (which it probably won’t), they can and will rescind the policy.
Corporations are in business to make money and they’re not stupid.
What strikes me as pathetic is the “poor lil’ ol Costco ” rhetoric I’m seeing on this post. Unbelievable! If there’s a problem with the TV, Costco has a lot more pull with Sony than you or I do… So why not utilize that which has been freely and intelligently offered by a mega-corporation. It’s called buying leverage, and it’s one of the things that makes Costco a smart choice.
Would you do away with that?
And why are you beating up on Jim?
Kill your television!
Walter Parham
http://www.iBuySailboats.com
“Don’t you know that Costco doesn’t eat the cost of a returned item – they pass it onto the manufacturer for credit. It’s a numbers game, similar to insurance”
Hey guys – this thread is getting massive!
I work for Costco, stocker for majors(Electronics), and RTV (ReturnToVendor) clerk.
At present, the only return limitation is for our desk, and laptop computers, (6 months, then Manufacturers waranty takes over, 1-2 years.) Everything else is fair game, even food. Don’t ask. o-O;;
Yes, I’ve seen people return first gen HD tv sets after the lamps burn out on them, old CRTs, frozen bread that was several (!!!) years old…
My point is, we DO eat the cost on most of it. We freight most of the large returns back to our regional distribution centers, then back to the manufacturers. Our credit rate, depending on status with the manufacturer, and if we’re stocking it, is anywhere from 30-65%.
Many times, we just D&D (Damaged-Destroyed) tag it, and huck it into the trash, and get no credit on that.
Oh, and no, if you work there, and try to “Salvage” anything from the trash, there’s an instant way to get fired.
Our business depends on YOU, the consumer, being happy with your merchandise, our associates, and “Old School” Customer service. Okay, so we eat a few million in damaged product. Guess that just pisses off Wall St, and throws off local sales metrics.
Oh, and there’s no word on changing our policy on returns, locally or globally.
Go Drift!
EC!
As i am reading these posts…does anyone know if a LCD monitor also have the lifetime warranty policy?
everything but computers and cigarrets have a lifetime, (if you want to call it that) warranty. then only thing is they keep track of what you return. as i said, i can not order from costco.com anymore because i have to many returns. the reason for my returns are i buy someting and it drops the price like 200-$300. what would you do? even an employe told me buy a tv, and then bring it back in 5 years. this is from an employee. but i guess we should not abuse it. like i did.
I am planning to purchase an LCD TV and have spent several days researching and debating on what I should get and where.
So I settled on a set at Best Buy. As I was driving there my wife asked (told or even better, forced) me to go to Costco to see what they have.
They did not have any 1080i TV’s on display and I was about to walk out when Costco’s sales rep asked if I had any questions. So I thought what the hell, I’ll ask him all the good questions. When I got to the warranty question they said that the warranty is 1 year in home. When I asked if there was any type of extended warranty they said, no but there is a lifetime return policy!
I was floored! They offer a lifetime return???? Although they could not produce this return policy in writing all of the employees said it was true and said that it is posted on the wall by the membership desk. OK I don’t think I need to go over the policy so I will get to my point.
I did not go to best buy to purchase my TV today. I am sleeping on the decision whether to take the lower resolution TV from Costco with the better return policy, or do I eat the return policy and pick up what I want at Best Buy. MY POINT, Costco MAY get my purchase solely due to their return policy. I don’t have plans to return the TV just because, however that is what is being sold. If the manufacturer states the LCD lamps will last for the 30 years and I choose to by my TV from Costco because they SAY they will take returns for any reason and that is why I buy it there, shouldn’t I be able to return it in 5 of even 15 years if and when the TV dies? After all that IS why I am buying my TV there. So basically, if Costco wants to get there market share by promising liberal returns is it a problem for consumers to take them up on it?
I struggle with people who abuse the return policy. You know the type that uses a xbox for 90 days until it gets old then returns it just because they can; they should be flagged and put under a more restrictive return policy. Maybe give them a Costco black membership as opposed to gold. I think this is a different topic, possibly related to ‘rental’ or ‘people who will eventually mess it up for all’.
let me know what you think.
First of all, FUCK BEST BUY. the worst fucken electronic store outhere. you buy something and you dont even open it, they charge you restocking fee. the worst fucken service ever. FUCK THEM AND THERE SHAREHOLDERS. then, for this fucker to say that people who abuse the policy, whay dont you read what i wrote you moron. hey, if you can do it then fuck it do it, let them stop me, dont be a fucken teachers pet and say that costco shold give them a black card, why dont you stick that black card up your fucken tight ass and go shop at BEST BUY (again FUCK BEST BUY)
Dear lulu
I don’t think I addressed your paragraph. Read the whole post to figure out what I was addressing. When you’re done reading the whole post you can post an apology to me.
Just a thought!
Of course if the shoe fits, wear it!
To “Just A Thought” – Costco has a 2-fold return policy, “If for ANY reason you are dissatisfied with our products, you can return them for a full refund” And: “If for ANY reason, you are dissatisfied with your MEMBERSHIP, even up to the 364th day, we will refund your membership fee.” Jim Sinegal
Limitations on computers, (6 mo), then manufacturer’s take over (Min 1, max 3,) you usually can get an extended service plan from the manufacturer.
This is from our vision statement, in our employee handbook.
Oh, and on HD sets, I know our warehouse stocks quite a few 1080P sets, you could try costco.com, or ask any of the sales clerks if they will be getting a depo of new(er) HD sets.
All it takes is a few people asking for em – otherwise all you’ll see is a bunch of Viso 32′s…
It is the holiday season, and black friday is less than a month away, so ALL of our warehouses are going to be busy with new merch.
To Buffy: Nope, happens quite a lot. If you don’t like it, take it back! Even better, go in to the membership desk, and ask for help unloading it, they can be quite heavy -__-.
I’ll be checking this every few weeks, so keep any question comming
Go Drift!
EC.
ok, i will not be apologizing to anyone. ED CRAB since you work at costco, if you have alot of returns, will the suddenly say we are not going to except a return from you any more? or they have to take it back. thank you in advance.
@EdCrab – I have a 42″ Vizio 42HDe I bought 2 yrs ago at Costco. I t has been working fine until I threw out the box about a month ago. Now one of the component inputs shows double images and a blue ghosting on the screen when powered off. Since I don’t have the box, but I do have the receipt, is it still possible to return it? Membership is in good standing.
COREY you sure can return it, just have all the original cables and papers when you baught it, no box is necessary.
LuLu – We’re required to take back All merchandise, except computers, and laptops, which fall under the 6 month waranty.
Also, since it’s in our operating principles – I doubt that the policy will change any time soon.
Obviously, I don’t think it would be wise to take a bag of used Toilet paper back – and ask for a refund – but I’ve heard stranger things happen. (Please don’t
)
Corey – Yeah, take it back! The second gen Vizo’s are very, very nice.
http://www.denguru.com/2006/11/28/the_vizio_p50hdtv/
Once again, though, you might want to ask for help unloading it – if it works, even a little bit, we’ll send it back to the manufacturer for a larger credit that we’d get if we just trashed it. Cmon, It’s winter, and I need a new car, so I gotta keep my job
Too Easy to Drift In A (Old) BMW On ICE,
EC
Costco purchases:
Unfortunately most Americans don’t or will not take the time to do some research about items (particularly large dollar items ). This thread is good because it poses some good questions and really brings to light both company and consumer points. Some of the posts brings out some really distorted, sleazy attitudes.
Let’s take for instance a LCD sony plasma HD flatscreen TV. Looking at exactly the same model at Costco and Sam’s is right at $3100 dollars. Sam’s offers a no cost extended warranty for 5 full years if you upgrade to their PLUS membership ($60.00 please). Actually reasonable for 4 more years. Costco has their customer satisfaction statement – which is apparently interpreted on a per manager/store basis and isn’t really legally binding. It would cost more to litigate if they changed their policy than to take the loss. I suppose either of these merchants have to consider how an abrupt change in these policies would effect their customer base and that might just depend on how these policies are affecting their bottom line. Don’t be fooled – abuse of returns does come into play, which does affect all of us.
If you were to purchase the TV mentioned at any retail store, ie Sears, Circuit City etc. you would could purchase a 3, 4 or 5 year warranty. The inital price of the TV might be somewhat less, but watch out for what the warranty as it will cost you (usually based on the value of the item) and for this TV about $700 dollars for the 5 year warranty. OUCH
My point is – a 5 year warranty can be purchased – isn’t that what we should expect of Costco ? I don’t know of any retailer that offers a 10 or 15 year warranty.
Costco has a problem here in letting their associates relate to the public that the warranty has no time limit. If that is really what they want to relate to their customers than they should expect to see what some of the postings elude to. It appears to be a “maybe warranty” which is really grey and as I stated would cost more to litigate that to take the loss. For a purchase of 4-500 dollars, it would be worth taking the chance but for more than that it is really grey and to me would be a considerable risk unless specifically stated as a warranty policy.
The only reason Costco and Sams Club (Same Policy) get 90% + of my business is THIS POLICY… Guess what? I have never had to use it.
I think they make a lot more money from people like me than they lose from people returning old TV’s
Not to mention, they have the BEST prices around.
“You can also use this as a (semi-free) extended warranty – buy a TV or DVD player and if/when it stops working after four or five years, just return it! “
I like your website for the various useful stuff you link to and write about.
But the above statement is an irresponsible one.
havent you got your money’s worth if you use a product for 4-5 years ?
A DVD player costs 100 bucks , if it fails 2-3 years after the warranty , the customer has to bear the loss.
A TV may cost a bit more , but the same argument holds .
If people dont take responsibility for their decisions , its unfair of them to expect costco to eat the loss?
The very reason that they have a return policy doesnt mean that we should misuse it.
I consider returning a TV after 5 years as a misuse of the policy.
I know of people who write in forums about how they returned stuff that failed after 5 years.
CHEAP !! thats one word that comes to my mind.
There are lot of honest and ethical ways to achieve “Financial security and independence”. THIS IS NOT ONE OF THEM.
If you’re willing to buy a $5,000 TV and have it crap out after a few years and not do anything about it then I think you’re a sucker.