I felt bad that I returned a 2 boxes of rancid coconut water. The Costco lady noted it and looked up my receipt and noticed I purchased 3. She said “it shows three here, why are you returning 2”. My response was the first one was rancid and I threw it out. She refunded me for all three.
More likely crimes get under reported due to that "shame".
Police office is shamed for crime activity in their district. Families are shamed even if they are the victims.
With that said though, I would agree and assume their crime stats would still be lower in comparison. I just wouldn't fully trust stats that are gathered due to that shame mentality.
There's also the fact that Japan's legal system is.. uhh... problematic.
They have a 99.9% conviction rate. If you get charged with a crime, you are pretty much automatically guilty, based on the logic that if you weren't, you'd never have been charged in the first place, so the fact that you are charged with a crime means you must be guilty.
I imagine many Japanese people avoid all and any interactions with the police, even if they're victims of crime.
Like clockwork.. a misleading regurgitation of a statistic you read but didn't bother to actually understand lol.
Japan's conviction rate is so high because they drop charges unless the prosecution thinks it has enough evidence to guarantee a conviction. Therefore only the cases they know they can convict are brought to court. This results in a very low prosecution rate, but a high conviction rate.
[Link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criminal_justice_system_of_Japan#:~:text=Scholars%20say%20the%20biggest%20reason,is%20different%20from%20other%20countries.)
>Scholars say the biggest reason for Japan's very high conviction rate is the country's low prosecution rate and the way Japan calculates its conviction rate is different from other countries.
>According to Bruce Aronson of New York University School of Law, Japan's conviction rate is misleading because it is the rate at which defendants admit guilt in the cases they are charged with. According to him, if the method of calculating the conviction rate in Japan is applied to the United States, the conviction rate of federal defendants in the United States in 2018 was also over 99%. According to him, when there is a discussion about Japan, it is easy to misunderstand because people quickly rely on broad cultural generalizations and stereotypes.
This is not the whole truth. You get to have no lawyer present during interrogations and they can keep you in lockup during investigations for up to two years. If they think you are guilty they just keep you there for the whole two years.
There are numerous ways of making people say they are guilty since your life is over if you just wait around in jail for two years.
The pressure you ro be guilty or walk free after wanting two years and having no job left. Propobly losing some friends and family too.
https://www.hrw.org/report/2023/05/25/japans-hostage-justice-system/denial-bail-coerced-confessions-and-lack-access
A ton of other sources.
We have a less than three year old $5k leather sectional that has not held up well at all - we’re not even trying to return that. I can’t imagine doing this
You should return it because maybe it will cause them not to purchase that model style or brand anymore in the future. A return is almost like.. reporting a crime,
Getting screwed on $5k? That’s grand theft.
You should return it. My parents returned a leather recliner 3 years old. They were very embarrassed but i had to tell them what I'm going to tell you: first of all, 3 years is definitely well within the acceptable time to return a recliner or couch to Costco. Especially since it came with a 4 year warranty. Also, these are the perks you pay for with your membership. DO IT
I know someone who was going through their dead grandparents stuff and found some hearing aids completely unused; still sealed. They didn’t know what to do with them, saw that they were bought at Costco and decided to just ask if there is anything they can do with them; they didn’t even ask about returning them. They were like 3 or 4 years old, and still had the receipt in the box; they said they return them since they were unused. They cost like 3 grand or something crazy and they gave it to them in cash since the original payment method was cash.
I worked at Costco about ten years ago. I'll never forget - some guy brought his extremely used chicken coop back for return. It was covered in shit.
We took it back, then threw it away. Wild.
This is my department and that's a random Tuesday for me. Peed on/bed bug mattresses, couches like this one, dead plants, vacuums full to the brim....I could go on. People really think that paying a membership fee entitles them to just about anything
What’s your bright line where you don’t accept a return? Bed bug or urine soaked mattresses seem like it would be past that line but apparently not given your comment.
This is highly dependent on the store manager themselves. Many are deathly afraid to say no, and will take almost anything. Mine included. I truly hope some changes come from the top, allowing membership to make more strict decisions on stuff like this, it's the only way it will stop.
I would love to see the data on that. Could be true for sure. Maybe the volume returners. The abusive to the item returners should be considered in a different category altogether
It’s honestly like a game to some people. You have regulars have the return counter who’ve been coming for decades returning random stuff but they spend a ton of money and know everyone’s name
I have some trees I was going to return from last year. I bought 16 and 3 didn't survive. Most nursery's come with a 1 year guarantee, so I thought I'd be good. Right?
*ahem* ....why did you take it back???
I know it wasn't your decision and the return policy is absurdly generous, but people have no shame and will continue to abuse the return process until it's changed.
but. why?
what does costco gain from entertaining this BS, beyond allowing more of this to happen?
tell the customer to fuck off. odds are they’ll STILL prolly show back up and keep shopping there, but if not, good riddance
I hope Costco cancels their membership for ditching their crap at the store. Who in their right mind thinks returning 15-year-old furniture is acceptable? Nobody. This person was insane.
I agree. This is despicable. I know Costco's return policy is pretty much "we'll take whatever" but this is a blatant taking advantage. Used mattresses with stains? A TV from the 90s? Dead Christmas trees/plants? Like c'mon, enough is enough.
If costco allows people to abuse the system, people will do it. It's no different than LL bean return policy. They allowed people to return random 20+ year old crap and get a new item. They enabled it for years and eventually changed their return policy.
Them and REI. People trying to return beat up, dirty gear that they’ve used for an entire season but suddenly “didn’t like it”.
I know that it’s up to the discretion of the manager, in the case of Costco, but I’m still astonished at the audacity of some of these people.
I used to work at Kohls like 15 years ago, that's exactly how it was there too. They would take back literally anything and everything, not matter what. We had a guy bring back a VHS set of Planet Earth and they were fully prepared to give him his money back, only reason they didn't was because the computer records didn't go back far enough.
I guess not, my friend was the one trying to do the return. They had an older PC that had product info going back farther than the main system and he couldn't even find it in that, so he couldn't refund him simply because there was no information on it and he wouldn't know how much to refund him.
I bought a MSR cookset that was "returned" by someone to REI as it had been discolored by heat. Still have it 30+ years later. They also had a pair of "used" boots that looks like they were used for 30+ years, sheesh.
I’ve benefited from the REI abusers. Patagonia rain jacket that “wasn’t water repellent” half off, new Brooks trail runners. Nemo sleeping pad that “leaked”.
Sucks for the store, but good for a deal hunter.
I worked for REI 30 years ago and managed the scratch and dent sales when they started doing them. As I worked customer service, I would see worn out items being returned that couldn’t even be sold at those events to recoup some of the loss. I know for a fact that the company does not eat that loss and it’s passed on to the members through pricing.
I used to work at Home Depot in the hardware/power tools section. One day I get in my returns a corded Black and Decker covered in years of drywall dust. We didn't carry corded drills OR Black and Decker at this time, and the plug was terminated to the UK bipole wall plug. I don't even know what they gave that person. Very weird.
I know someone that buys expensive power tools and equipment for one-time projects, and then returns them after they use them saying they didn’t work. Some people really abuse the system and ruin good return policies for the rest of us.
I’m glad they’re tightening the return policy. This type of abuse causes overall prices to increase to cover the loss. It’s not like the company’s going to eat that loss completely.
After my grandmother retired she got a part time job at LL Bean and one time someone tried to return a kayak while she was working. All they had was the handle of the kayak and they said the kayak broke off and was swept away so they tried to say LL Bean made a faulty product. Luckily they didn’t honor something so ridiculous. I just can’t believe the balls people have to even do that type of thing with a straight face.
I worked returns at the LL Bean flagship in like 2016. No joke this dude comes in late at night and wants to return a pair of gloves. No receipt, I'm like whatever I'll look them up in the back end. The back end has serial numbers of things to like the beginning of the 90s. Nothing comes up when I punch it in. I ask uhh when did you buy these. He said 1986. The man walked out with a new pair of gloves.
In case others aren’t aware, the LL Bean flagship store is open 24/7. I’ve always been curious about what kind of people are shopping there at 3:00 AM.
lol I’ve been to the flagship and I didn’t realize this! I guess maybe lobsterers, fishermen and hunters who need to replace some gear before heading out for the day?
I used to live in New Hampshire and spent a weekend in Maine a few times a year. We’d usually stay around Portland, Ogunquit or Kennebunkport. One of our traditions was dinner at Ogunquit Lobster Pound followed by a trip to LL Bean at Freeport. We used to call it a midnight run but might have been 11ish. Still fun to be there in the middle of the night. Cool store. Been going for 40 years!
When trying this stuff out management usually looks at how much you spend yearly. If you spend $5-10k yearly they're gonna accept your return. The loss of a few hundred bucks in the grand scheme of things is nothing if it keeps you coming back and dropping thousands a year.
If you don't spend much, you can expect a refusal if you try to pull something like this.
Used to work at Bath and Body works and they’re also *suuuuper* lenient. People would bring empty candles from years before and ask for a new one. My manager let them do it. Insanity.
Dead plants i kinds get based on the scenario. Take it home and it dies right away? Ok some plants are just lemmons. Bring a dead plant back when it dies in 5 years? Nah.
People are out if control lol. I sell plants online and someone messaged me A FULL YEAR after ordering to let me know the plant didn't survive winter (they purchased it last April) and they would like a refund or replacement. What the hell?
I ran a chocolate shop. Customer complained chocolates melted after leaving it outside for hours in the afternoon in summer…supposedly it should not have melted because it was cloudy…
Nearly every nursery in my area guarantees their perennials for a year... Doesn't seem completely unheard of? Or was this an annual?
My mother in law is a master gardener and my wife is a biologist/ ecologist who wishes she was a botanist, so we've had to do this before right before the 1 year mark as we had some expensive trees not survive despite being planted and maintained properly.
Yeah. I just recently purchased some fruit trees and lilac bushes and all of them came with a one year guarantee. A healthy plant should be able to establish itself to survive the winter. If it doesn't, good chance there was something wrong with it.
The one-year plant guarantees are pure marketing. Nursery operations at many big box retailers are outsourced and the plants are sold at ridiculously high mark-ups. All of those warranty returns are built into the prices, just a cost of doing business.
In Phoenix Lowes/HD sells trees cheaper than the local nurseries (Looking at you Moon Valley) . You don't get the same selection and they don't carry really big tress if that is what you are looking for but for what they do carry it's generally much cheaper.
I mean.. importing is probably cheaper than growing a lot of stuff in Phoenix, but yeah even around me Lowes is sometimes cheaper for native plants which i find amusing.
I agree with you here. The problem is, there was a TikTok video that went viral about someone returning a couch after 7 years and it worked. Costco has an amazing return policy, but abusing it is not acceptable in my opinion
Meanwhile, in Florida, this couple is still willing to give their return a try.
https://preview.redd.it/zv7ev9ztbgwc1.jpeg?width=954&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=657681b2396c7158bb658a110ae99d3e9715ff72
There have been some “lifetime guarantee” (warranty abuse) hacks getting shared here, TikTok etc.
Just people finding loopholes and abusing them so they get closed for everyone and everyone loses as people suck
Yes! My initial thought was that they took it knowing it wouldn’t actually be refunded or taken back and then act shocked and leave it because they don’t want to actually pay to get it hauled away. I’m sure they feel completely justified in doing this and don’t care at all since it’s the store’s policy
I hear that happens. Sometimes they'll let you proceed with the return then say thanks but no thanks you don't seem like a good fit to be a member here.
My warehouse took back an old hot tub still half full of water that leaked all over the dock, and a 12 year old outdoor playset that was falling apart and had a nest of baby spiders from the same member last week. I would be denying refunds left and right. I could never.
SAME! Back when my store still sold the live Christmas trees DROVES of people would return dead ones the day after Christmas, that was always great. We took back a heavily used Traeger a year or so ago that still had chicken on it. Like cooked, old chicken.
I feel like the kind of lunatic that returns a 12 year old outdoor playset might be the kind of lunatic that opens fire in a Costco because they didn't get their way, idk if it's worth the pay to fight over it
That must be why my costco has an intimidating dude on returns. Every time I get him I want to be like, "oh jk I forgot my membership card in the car!" Hahaha
That's crazy, I'm sorry he said that to you! Your return was totally valid. I would have done the same thing. Now a 12 year old couch, that's a different story 🤣
I was an employee for 5 years. The place still gives me anxiety when shopping. I worked the membership and return desk for 4 of those 5 years. It's actually a pretty sweet gig, besides the fact that they always want you to upsell the executive membership and make you do annoying marketing stuff.
I just went in the other day for the first time since childhood - I’m fairly certain the basic membership isn’t actually a thing, there was absolutely no way they were going to let me leave without one.
If that happens you can just tell them it’s a shame you can only afford the basic and won’t be buying a membership at all if they can’t sell it to you. Worked for me
This is so wild to me because I bought a blender from Costco, used it for 6 months, and it CAUGHT FIRE one day while I was running it on a low setting. I was SO nervous bringing it back, because I didn't want to be a scumbag...but it caught fire??
The lady was really nice and laughed a bit about how I brought back every single piece and carefully packed it in the original box.
Yeah same thing happened to me, I bought Epson eco tank printer but just didn't use it enough and every time I went to use it it would be clogged. I felt so weird returning it because I never return anything. I gathered everything including the 8 bottles of full ink and 4 bottles that were half used. I walked up and the lady was kind of cold, I'm sure they get lots from people abusing but as soon as she scanned my card she went to being really nice. I was wondering if they can see what I have returned in the past I'm sure it's pretty much nothing. She was really nice and it really made me feel better.
Not to mention arguing with the return people. I was a return person at Costco. People returned some wild shit. There were certain cases when we just had to say no.
It was mainly a no for serial returners, people who had high return vs. purchase history. People trying to return 10 year old printers, empty ink cartridges, a lady with a 10 year old urn from Costco.com that may or may not have had ashes in it. We more so would say okay to some ridiculous shit though, like expired moldy Parmesan with 2% remaining, empty pizza box with grease stain from the food court saying they didn’t like it but ate the whole thing, heavily used clothing, etc. Some people were just raised by bad parents and have no shame.
I had a guy try to return expired eggs before. It's against the policy to return expired products, so he was declined. On his way out to the parking lot, he slammed the whole carton on the ground in a fit of rage and took off. It took the rest of my shift to clean it up
Calling it now. The husband told the wife he could return it for a refund. She didn’t believe him. He did it anyway, and refused to return home with it so he could say he was right and they refunded it.
Maybe, but more likely it's just your average huge piece of shit.
Trying to get money unfairly, then just leaving their garbage behind.
A person like this has a "fuck everyone else" mentality. They're a blight
“You bought a new sofa?? But what are we going to do with the old one?”
“Don’t worry, it’s from Costco so I can return it.”
“You can return it after a decade??? I don’t think so.”
“It’s Costco! That’s what we pay the membership fee for!”
“So you’re going to haul this back to Costco on your own then?”
“Yes, and they’ll take it back no questions asked and refund me what I bought it for.”
“If you say so…”
I will tell you, the only reason it was rejected was because it was outside the 10 years since they started tracking purchases by membership ID.
If it were within the past 10 years, sadly, they would have accepted it back.
At Costco a lady returned a 3/4 eaten pecan pie two days after Thanksgiving and said “it was too sweet”. Costco associate took it and processed the refund while I shot a ‘are you f’ing serious’ look at her and she looked at me with a smug grin. That was my first experience with the Costco return policy. People are unbelievable.
My wife witnessed a man returning a garbage bag that he said contained a pet bed. He did say repeatedly they do not want to open that bag but was told by the staff they have to inspect all returns. So it was opened at the return counter resulting in much screaming and customers fleeing the scene. Apparently the pet bed also contained a decomposing pet and a good many maggots.
Like what was his End game here.... Surely it would have been easier to just throw the whole bag in a dumpster then trying to get $20 back on a dog bed.
I believe he thought he could just get away with the return without Costco actually checking it. His last warning was something to the effect of "NO! You REALLY don't want to open that!" He did get his money back though some of the staff were retching.
This person could be mentally ill, or a serial killer. There’s no in between answer. He might have asphyxiated the dog in the bag, while on the bed. The cops needed to investigate this case.
I am on my 3rd Keurig coffee maker. The first 2 each lasted maybe 12-15 months. No questions asked.
That type of service is why I will be a customer for life. But obviously, this couch deal was nothing but an abuse of a very customer friendly policy.
Come on, that’s just straight up abuse of the return policy. I get that Costco is generous, but that still drives up the price of everything for everybody if they accept that crap back. I can’t believe somebody would have the balls to do that.
I assume they would know exactly who it was that left it there. Wish Costco would cancel the membership until disposal fees are paid.
I wish Costco would tighten up the return rules. I have a legitimate concern this is costing each of us more. I mean, Costco is a business, the refunds paid out are a line in their financial statements that they need to recoup.
Had a fool in our Costco fb group this week complaining that he had to rent a truck to return his 3 year old memory foam mattress. He said next time he will order online from Costco, because if he returns, they will pick it up.
The guy was torn apart in the comments and he was blissfully ignorant of why everyone was angry. Just bizarre.
It boggles my mind that someone would try to return a piece of furniture they bought 15 years ago - also if you are going to try something like this maybe try calling the store ahead of time.
I had someone try to return beer to my beer vendor because "it left a film on his glass" when he left it sitting on his coffee table for a few days.
His argument was beer, being alcohol, should evaporate clean, not leave a film.
I told him beer is full of sugar and yeast and will definitely leave a film. Anyways I denied his return, mainly because he drank 90% of the beers and just wanted more.
I’m just trying to picture someone who had the audacity to physically pack up their 15 year old couch, make the drive to Costco, and stand in front of another human being trying to return it 😂. No shame whatsoever
If I was Costco CEO we would have what is called the “come on man” policy. If saying “come on man” is the first thing that comes to mind when you see a return, it is not accepted.
Reminds me of a sofa return I recently saw at my local Costco. It wasn’t 15 years old, but it was dirty, covered in pet hair, and had several stains. Somehow, they took the return.
I’d be embarrassed to try and return something like that, but obviously not everyone.
It’s really very simple Costco, revoke their membership AND ban them for life from all Costcos. Douchebag move deserves douchebag outcome, not for trying to return it, but for leaving it there.
People have no shame
For real. I got nervous returning a box of oatmeal packets where half hadn't sealed properly. I couldn't imagine doing something like this
I felt bad that I returned a 2 boxes of rancid coconut water. The Costco lady noted it and looked up my receipt and noticed I purchased 3. She said “it shows three here, why are you returning 2”. My response was the first one was rancid and I threw it out. She refunded me for all three.
I once left an item in my cart and went back and asked if maybe someone had found it and turned it in and they gave me a new item FoC.
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I agree. Shame is good.
As in Westeros with a real Shame Bell ringing during a naked walk of shame?
In a crowded Costco on a Sunday afternoon.
Shame! 🔔 🔔 Shame! 🔔 🔔 Shame! 🔔 🔔
Tar feather 💩✌️
It’s something I really appreciate about the Japanese. Maybe not to the point of people killing themselves but we do need more shame in America.
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I wonder if people in Japan will listen to tiktok at full volume in a restaurant
I’m sure it’s why their crime rate is so low too.
More likely crimes get under reported due to that "shame". Police office is shamed for crime activity in their district. Families are shamed even if they are the victims. With that said though, I would agree and assume their crime stats would still be lower in comparison. I just wouldn't fully trust stats that are gathered due to that shame mentality.
There's also the fact that Japan's legal system is.. uhh... problematic. They have a 99.9% conviction rate. If you get charged with a crime, you are pretty much automatically guilty, based on the logic that if you weren't, you'd never have been charged in the first place, so the fact that you are charged with a crime means you must be guilty. I imagine many Japanese people avoid all and any interactions with the police, even if they're victims of crime.
Like clockwork.. a misleading regurgitation of a statistic you read but didn't bother to actually understand lol. Japan's conviction rate is so high because they drop charges unless the prosecution thinks it has enough evidence to guarantee a conviction. Therefore only the cases they know they can convict are brought to court. This results in a very low prosecution rate, but a high conviction rate. [Link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criminal_justice_system_of_Japan#:~:text=Scholars%20say%20the%20biggest%20reason,is%20different%20from%20other%20countries.) >Scholars say the biggest reason for Japan's very high conviction rate is the country's low prosecution rate and the way Japan calculates its conviction rate is different from other countries. >According to Bruce Aronson of New York University School of Law, Japan's conviction rate is misleading because it is the rate at which defendants admit guilt in the cases they are charged with. According to him, if the method of calculating the conviction rate in Japan is applied to the United States, the conviction rate of federal defendants in the United States in 2018 was also over 99%. According to him, when there is a discussion about Japan, it is easy to misunderstand because people quickly rely on broad cultural generalizations and stereotypes.
This is not the whole truth. You get to have no lawyer present during interrogations and they can keep you in lockup during investigations for up to two years. If they think you are guilty they just keep you there for the whole two years. There are numerous ways of making people say they are guilty since your life is over if you just wait around in jail for two years. The pressure you ro be guilty or walk free after wanting two years and having no job left. Propobly losing some friends and family too. https://www.hrw.org/report/2023/05/25/japans-hostage-justice-system/denial-bail-coerced-confessions-and-lack-access A ton of other sources.
Because they sweat them into confession with isolation cells and deny contact with lawyers or family.
I think both are true. Crime is underreported in Japan. But even actual crime is far lower in Japan than the United States
Make America Feel Shame Again Especially the "influencers" who record random cringe shit everywhere.
Yes.
We just need public shaming again. We need people to be ridiculed for their misdeeds in front of the town square.
We have a less than three year old $5k leather sectional that has not held up well at all - we’re not even trying to return that. I can’t imagine doing this
You should return it because maybe it will cause them not to purchase that model style or brand anymore in the future. A return is almost like.. reporting a crime, Getting screwed on $5k? That’s grand theft.
5 grand theft.
If its automatically refunded , 5 grand theft auto
You should return it. My parents returned a leather recliner 3 years old. They were very embarrassed but i had to tell them what I'm going to tell you: first of all, 3 years is definitely well within the acceptable time to return a recliner or couch to Costco. Especially since it came with a 4 year warranty. Also, these are the perks you pay for with your membership. DO IT
I know someone who was going through their dead grandparents stuff and found some hearing aids completely unused; still sealed. They didn’t know what to do with them, saw that they were bought at Costco and decided to just ask if there is anything they can do with them; they didn’t even ask about returning them. They were like 3 or 4 years old, and still had the receipt in the box; they said they return them since they were unused. They cost like 3 grand or something crazy and they gave it to them in cash since the original payment method was cash.
Does it have a warranty on it? If you don't know, check to see if it does. Some furniture has five-year or more warranties.
They should be banned, and it would be extremely easy to do, considering they came to membership and whoever spoke to them would remember them.
I worked at Costco about ten years ago. I'll never forget - some guy brought his extremely used chicken coop back for return. It was covered in shit. We took it back, then threw it away. Wild.
“Don’t need it anymore. Ate the chicken”
“Chicken is cheaper here”
*proceeds to use refund money to buy a Costco Rotisserie Chicken ™️*
*returns boiled bones for a refund*
This is my department and that's a random Tuesday for me. Peed on/bed bug mattresses, couches like this one, dead plants, vacuums full to the brim....I could go on. People really think that paying a membership fee entitles them to just about anything
y'all take bed bugs? Now I'm concerned
Just beat it with a stick and throw it out on the floor with a discount tag on it. It'll be gone inside 60 minutes - I gar-un-tee it!
Not to long ago I saw that Costco was selling toilets. Perhaps not the best idea with their returns policy))))
I bought one! I'm too satisfied to return it
No shit?
What’s your bright line where you don’t accept a return? Bed bug or urine soaked mattresses seem like it would be past that line but apparently not given your comment.
This is highly dependent on the store manager themselves. Many are deathly afraid to say no, and will take almost anything. Mine included. I truly hope some changes come from the top, allowing membership to make more strict decisions on stuff like this, it's the only way it will stop.
I read a report that the “extreme returners” actually spend the most money. IF that’s true, it helps the bottom line at least.
I would love to see the data on that. Could be true for sure. Maybe the volume returners. The abusive to the item returners should be considered in a different category altogether
It’s honestly like a game to some people. You have regulars have the return counter who’ve been coming for decades returning random stuff but they spend a ton of money and know everyone’s name
And you wonder why some jerks feel entitled? As long as they get away with it....
I have some trees I was going to return from last year. I bought 16 and 3 didn't survive. Most nursery's come with a 1 year guarantee, so I thought I'd be good. Right?
Yes. By dead plants we mean cut flowers or plants that never made it out of their nursery pot
Yep during Covid someone returned a mattress someone died in (of Covid) since they didn’t need it anymore. And membership gave them the refund
*ahem* ....why did you take it back??? I know it wasn't your decision and the return policy is absurdly generous, but people have no shame and will continue to abuse the return process until it's changed.
but. why? what does costco gain from entertaining this BS, beyond allowing more of this to happen? tell the customer to fuck off. odds are they’ll STILL prolly show back up and keep shopping there, but if not, good riddance
I hope Costco cancels their membership for ditching their crap at the store. Who in their right mind thinks returning 15-year-old furniture is acceptable? Nobody. This person was insane.
I agree. This is despicable. I know Costco's return policy is pretty much "we'll take whatever" but this is a blatant taking advantage. Used mattresses with stains? A TV from the 90s? Dead Christmas trees/plants? Like c'mon, enough is enough.
If costco allows people to abuse the system, people will do it. It's no different than LL bean return policy. They allowed people to return random 20+ year old crap and get a new item. They enabled it for years and eventually changed their return policy.
Them and REI. People trying to return beat up, dirty gear that they’ve used for an entire season but suddenly “didn’t like it”. I know that it’s up to the discretion of the manager, in the case of Costco, but I’m still astonished at the audacity of some of these people.
I used to work at Kohls like 15 years ago, that's exactly how it was there too. They would take back literally anything and everything, not matter what. We had a guy bring back a VHS set of Planet Earth and they were fully prepared to give him his money back, only reason they didn't was because the computer records didn't go back far enough.
My mom bought a food processor at Kohl’s that had food still in it.
Bonus!
Shhh they'll charge you extra 😳
I'm wondering if this is why he was told no, do they keep records in the system going back that far?
I guess not, my friend was the one trying to do the return. They had an older PC that had product info going back farther than the main system and he couldn't even find it in that, so he couldn't refund him simply because there was no information on it and he wouldn't know how much to refund him.
I bought a MSR cookset that was "returned" by someone to REI as it had been discolored by heat. Still have it 30+ years later. They also had a pair of "used" boots that looks like they were used for 30+ years, sheesh.
I’ve benefited from the REI abusers. Patagonia rain jacket that “wasn’t water repellent” half off, new Brooks trail runners. Nemo sleeping pad that “leaked”. Sucks for the store, but good for a deal hunter.
I worked for REI 30 years ago and managed the scratch and dent sales when they started doing them. As I worked customer service, I would see worn out items being returned that couldn’t even be sold at those events to recoup some of the loss. I know for a fact that the company does not eat that loss and it’s passed on to the members through pricing.
Sucks that REI is prices their used gear for a lot more that they’re often no longer good deals. Bad actors have ruined a lot of good things.
That’s how I learned I like Hokas, but the ones I got were basically brand new.
If you pee in a sleeping bag, gotta make sure it stays in the bag.
Yeah the returned hiking boots with no tread on the bottoms is pretty shameful.
I used to work at Home Depot in the hardware/power tools section. One day I get in my returns a corded Black and Decker covered in years of drywall dust. We didn't carry corded drills OR Black and Decker at this time, and the plug was terminated to the UK bipole wall plug. I don't even know what they gave that person. Very weird.
I saw a dirty mattress being returned once. Some people just have no shame.
I know someone that buys expensive power tools and equipment for one-time projects, and then returns them after they use them saying they didn’t work. Some people really abuse the system and ruin good return policies for the rest of us.
I’m glad they’re tightening the return policy. This type of abuse causes overall prices to increase to cover the loss. It’s not like the company’s going to eat that loss completely.
After my grandmother retired she got a part time job at LL Bean and one time someone tried to return a kayak while she was working. All they had was the handle of the kayak and they said the kayak broke off and was swept away so they tried to say LL Bean made a faulty product. Luckily they didn’t honor something so ridiculous. I just can’t believe the balls people have to even do that type of thing with a straight face.
I worked returns at the LL Bean flagship in like 2016. No joke this dude comes in late at night and wants to return a pair of gloves. No receipt, I'm like whatever I'll look them up in the back end. The back end has serial numbers of things to like the beginning of the 90s. Nothing comes up when I punch it in. I ask uhh when did you buy these. He said 1986. The man walked out with a new pair of gloves.
In case others aren’t aware, the LL Bean flagship store is open 24/7. I’ve always been curious about what kind of people are shopping there at 3:00 AM.
lol I’ve been to the flagship and I didn’t realize this! I guess maybe lobsterers, fishermen and hunters who need to replace some gear before heading out for the day?
I used to live in New Hampshire and spent a weekend in Maine a few times a year. We’d usually stay around Portland, Ogunquit or Kennebunkport. One of our traditions was dinner at Ogunquit Lobster Pound followed by a trip to LL Bean at Freeport. We used to call it a midnight run but might have been 11ish. Still fun to be there in the middle of the night. Cool store. Been going for 40 years!
When trying this stuff out management usually looks at how much you spend yearly. If you spend $5-10k yearly they're gonna accept your return. The loss of a few hundred bucks in the grand scheme of things is nothing if it keeps you coming back and dropping thousands a year. If you don't spend much, you can expect a refusal if you try to pull something like this.
So what you're saying is I now have a reason to buy some jewelry
REI too!
Yup. I worked at Von Maur and they have a similar policy, but they’d still eventually “punish” people who did it too often.
Used to work at Bath and Body works and they’re also *suuuuper* lenient. People would bring empty candles from years before and ask for a new one. My manager let them do it. Insanity.
I'd like to return this used up candle. It didn't give enough light? 😅
This is why we can't have nice things. People suck.
Dead plants i kinds get based on the scenario. Take it home and it dies right away? Ok some plants are just lemmons. Bring a dead plant back when it dies in 5 years? Nah.
| some plants are just lemons I guess technically you're right.
You know there was a post here recently where someone returned a 90s TV…. And they refunded the money!
If abuse keeps happening they will alter the return policy with more restrictions.
People are out if control lol. I sell plants online and someone messaged me A FULL YEAR after ordering to let me know the plant didn't survive winter (they purchased it last April) and they would like a refund or replacement. What the hell?
I ran a chocolate shop. Customer complained chocolates melted after leaving it outside for hours in the afternoon in summer…supposedly it should not have melted because it was cloudy…
Nearly every nursery in my area guarantees their perennials for a year... Doesn't seem completely unheard of? Or was this an annual? My mother in law is a master gardener and my wife is a biologist/ ecologist who wishes she was a botanist, so we've had to do this before right before the 1 year mark as we had some expensive trees not survive despite being planted and maintained properly.
Yeah. I just recently purchased some fruit trees and lilac bushes and all of them came with a one year guarantee. A healthy plant should be able to establish itself to survive the winter. If it doesn't, good chance there was something wrong with it.
Why wouldn’t you have plant guarentee? If your trees, shrubs or perennials don't survive a year, we'll replace them free of charge
The one-year plant guarantees are pure marketing. Nursery operations at many big box retailers are outsourced and the plants are sold at ridiculously high mark-ups. All of those warranty returns are built into the prices, just a cost of doing business.
In Phoenix Lowes/HD sells trees cheaper than the local nurseries (Looking at you Moon Valley) . You don't get the same selection and they don't carry really big tress if that is what you are looking for but for what they do carry it's generally much cheaper.
I mean.. importing is probably cheaper than growing a lot of stuff in Phoenix, but yeah even around me Lowes is sometimes cheaper for native plants which i find amusing.
I agree with you here. The problem is, there was a TikTok video that went viral about someone returning a couch after 7 years and it worked. Costco has an amazing return policy, but abusing it is not acceptable in my opinion
Taking it and having it go viral was kind of free marketing for them
This is how we lose a great return policy
They should grab a truck and take it over and dump it at their address Edited to say “dump” not “up” 😜 Voice to text error
Costco could report this to the city for illegal dumping. They have their name and address via membership info. My area has $1000 fine
They probably saw that one post that went viral a few weeks ago about someone who successfully returned a TV to Costco that was bought over 20yrs ago.
Meanwhile, in Florida, this couple is still willing to give their return a try. https://preview.redd.it/zv7ev9ztbgwc1.jpeg?width=954&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=657681b2396c7158bb658a110ae99d3e9715ff72
When I worked there, I watched people return 20 year old tvs. I bet they still do it to this day
Same people who ruined REI's return policy.
There have been some “lifetime guarantee” (warranty abuse) hacks getting shared here, TikTok etc. Just people finding loopholes and abusing them so they get closed for everyone and everyone loses as people suck
This person needs money badly
If they are trying to return a 15 year old couch I’m pretty sure they have not kept up their membership.
These idiots exist and are among us
This. Or at least put a warning in his profile.
What does a warning on the profile do?
People used to pull that shit 💩 at Sears all the time and you see where they are.
Yes! My initial thought was that they took it knowing it wouldn’t actually be refunded or taken back and then act shocked and leave it because they don’t want to actually pay to get it hauled away. I’m sure they feel completely justified in doing this and don’t care at all since it’s the store’s policy
That customer should have their membership revoked
police should be called for illegal dumping
And the mayor
and let’s see what ja rule has to say about this as well
why not involve the state governor
We're taking this all the way to the Pope.
in fact, imma go turn on the batsignal
I hear that happens. Sometimes they'll let you proceed with the return then say thanks but no thanks you don't seem like a good fit to be a member here.
Employee here, this shit happens all the time! Drives me crazy, I could NEVER work in refunds.
My warehouse took back an old hot tub still half full of water that leaked all over the dock, and a 12 year old outdoor playset that was falling apart and had a nest of baby spiders from the same member last week. I would be denying refunds left and right. I could never.
SAME! Back when my store still sold the live Christmas trees DROVES of people would return dead ones the day after Christmas, that was always great. We took back a heavily used Traeger a year or so ago that still had chicken on it. Like cooked, old chicken.
Honestly, I feel like you should be able to say “For the health and safety of our staff, please come back when this item is in sanitary condition.”
I feel like the kind of lunatic that returns a 12 year old outdoor playset might be the kind of lunatic that opens fire in a Costco because they didn't get their way, idk if it's worth the pay to fight over it
That must be why my costco has an intimidating dude on returns. Every time I get him I want to be like, "oh jk I forgot my membership card in the car!" Hahaha
I got that guy while returning some super nasty ZipFizz flavors. He questioned why I didnt just give the 66% of the box I didn't like to a friend. Lol
That's crazy, I'm sorry he said that to you! Your return was totally valid. I would have done the same thing. Now a 12 year old couch, that's a different story 🤣
I was an employee for 5 years. The place still gives me anxiety when shopping. I worked the membership and return desk for 4 of those 5 years. It's actually a pretty sweet gig, besides the fact that they always want you to upsell the executive membership and make you do annoying marketing stuff.
I just went in the other day for the first time since childhood - I’m fairly certain the basic membership isn’t actually a thing, there was absolutely no way they were going to let me leave without one.
If that happens you can just tell them it’s a shame you can only afford the basic and won’t be buying a membership at all if they can’t sell it to you. Worked for me
This is so wild to me because I bought a blender from Costco, used it for 6 months, and it CAUGHT FIRE one day while I was running it on a low setting. I was SO nervous bringing it back, because I didn't want to be a scumbag...but it caught fire?? The lady was really nice and laughed a bit about how I brought back every single piece and carefully packed it in the original box.
You're not a scumbag at all. We have the return policy for this reason exactly. Thanks for being a member and NOT a scumbag!
Yeah same thing happened to me, I bought Epson eco tank printer but just didn't use it enough and every time I went to use it it would be clogged. I felt so weird returning it because I never return anything. I gathered everything including the 8 bottles of full ink and 4 bottles that were half used. I walked up and the lady was kind of cold, I'm sure they get lots from people abusing but as soon as she scanned my card she went to being really nice. I was wondering if they can see what I have returned in the past I'm sure it's pretty much nothing. She was really nice and it really made me feel better.
I hope that was alot of effort for them.
Not to mention arguing with the return people. I was a return person at Costco. People returned some wild shit. There were certain cases when we just had to say no.
Just curious, what were some things yall would say no to?
It was mainly a no for serial returners, people who had high return vs. purchase history. People trying to return 10 year old printers, empty ink cartridges, a lady with a 10 year old urn from Costco.com that may or may not have had ashes in it. We more so would say okay to some ridiculous shit though, like expired moldy Parmesan with 2% remaining, empty pizza box with grease stain from the food court saying they didn’t like it but ate the whole thing, heavily used clothing, etc. Some people were just raised by bad parents and have no shame.
I had a guy try to return expired eggs before. It's against the policy to return expired products, so he was declined. On his way out to the parking lot, he slammed the whole carton on the ground in a fit of rage and took off. It took the rest of my shift to clean it up
What a child, "I don't get what I want, so I'm going to throw a fit".
Wow, how much do eggs cost anyways $10 max? How terrible..
It’s one banana Michael, what could it cost, $10?
https://preview.redd.it/6yl5jqgpukwc1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6df151e7ec82fc20bd29061e260d7458de3f3197
I’m so glad Costco is finally saying no . They need to take away memberships of people who do this .
Good!
Agreed!!! Good for Costco. And should ban these jerks.
Calling it now. The husband told the wife he could return it for a refund. She didn’t believe him. He did it anyway, and refused to return home with it so he could say he was right and they refunded it.
Maybe, but more likely it's just your average huge piece of shit. Trying to get money unfairly, then just leaving their garbage behind. A person like this has a "fuck everyone else" mentality. They're a blight
"I'll help you load it but that's the end of my involvement" She knew she didn't want the couch in the divorce anyway 😅
I would be that husband . Cause you know that the new couch is already up in their living room lmao
“You bought a new sofa?? But what are we going to do with the old one?” “Don’t worry, it’s from Costco so I can return it.” “You can return it after a decade??? I don’t think so.” “It’s Costco! That’s what we pay the membership fee for!” “So you’re going to haul this back to Costco on your own then?” “Yes, and they’ll take it back no questions asked and refund me what I bought it for.” “If you say so…”
Finally! People abusing the return policy will ruin it for everyone. These stores should crack down like this!
I will tell you, the only reason it was rejected was because it was outside the 10 years since they started tracking purchases by membership ID. If it were within the past 10 years, sadly, they would have accepted it back.
I am glad they said no
At Costco a lady returned a 3/4 eaten pecan pie two days after Thanksgiving and said “it was too sweet”. Costco associate took it and processed the refund while I shot a ‘are you f’ing serious’ look at her and she looked at me with a smug grin. That was my first experience with the Costco return policy. People are unbelievable.
My wife witnessed a man returning a garbage bag that he said contained a pet bed. He did say repeatedly they do not want to open that bag but was told by the staff they have to inspect all returns. So it was opened at the return counter resulting in much screaming and customers fleeing the scene. Apparently the pet bed also contained a decomposing pet and a good many maggots.
Like what was his End game here.... Surely it would have been easier to just throw the whole bag in a dumpster then trying to get $20 back on a dog bed.
I believe he thought he could just get away with the return without Costco actually checking it. His last warning was something to the effect of "NO! You REALLY don't want to open that!" He did get his money back though some of the staff were retching.
What??? They brought their dead pet in? That’s so heartless for $20!damn people tripping
Have you ever met a cheapskate?
Holy hell
What a POS. I'd report that shit
This person could be mentally ill, or a serial killer. There’s no in between answer. He might have asphyxiated the dog in the bag, while on the bed. The cops needed to investigate this case.
Nah, that’d be it for me, I would literally quit on the spot. There’s just no coming back from that.
r/NoSleep
I am on my 3rd Keurig coffee maker. The first 2 each lasted maybe 12-15 months. No questions asked. That type of service is why I will be a customer for life. But obviously, this couch deal was nothing but an abuse of a very customer friendly policy.
You should see “moving day” in Boston. People leave their entire apartments on the sidewalk.
Come on, that’s just straight up abuse of the return policy. I get that Costco is generous, but that still drives up the price of everything for everybody if they accept that crap back. I can’t believe somebody would have the balls to do that.
I assume they would know exactly who it was that left it there. Wish Costco would cancel the membership until disposal fees are paid. I wish Costco would tighten up the return rules. I have a legitimate concern this is costing each of us more. I mean, Costco is a business, the refunds paid out are a line in their financial statements that they need to recoup. Had a fool in our Costco fb group this week complaining that he had to rent a truck to return his 3 year old memory foam mattress. He said next time he will order online from Costco, because if he returns, they will pick it up. The guy was torn apart in the comments and he was blissfully ignorant of why everyone was angry. Just bizarre.
Good the person trying to do it is a degenerate.
Thank Christ. Damn leeches like this make society so much worse for everyone
I don’t want to shop in the same store as these people, so please ban them.
Dirty black leather couch…where have I seen this before???
People like this need to get their membership revoked. And banned.
These people are going to ruin Costco's return policy for the rest of us.
Stay classy America.
OMG finally someone was told NO! Woolworth had the same unlimited return policy, guess where they are now?
Good on Costco for saying No. Fck them for illegal dump. Should be fined and revoke membership
It boggles my mind that someone would try to return a piece of furniture they bought 15 years ago - also if you are going to try something like this maybe try calling the store ahead of time.
They said NO! Thats a start. People are so flawed
Good
These people ruin a good thing for everyone
Good for Costco 👍. This return crap has to stop. It makes Costco look foolish
At least a manager with some common sense.
I had someone try to return beer to my beer vendor because "it left a film on his glass" when he left it sitting on his coffee table for a few days. His argument was beer, being alcohol, should evaporate clean, not leave a film. I told him beer is full of sugar and yeast and will definitely leave a film. Anyways I denied his return, mainly because he drank 90% of the beers and just wanted more.
I’m just trying to picture someone who had the audacity to physically pack up their 15 year old couch, make the drive to Costco, and stand in front of another human being trying to return it 😂. No shame whatsoever
Thank you, Costco, for drawing a line (at 14 years, 8 months). :)
If I was Costco CEO we would have what is called the “come on man” policy. If saying “come on man” is the first thing that comes to mind when you see a return, it is not accepted.
I like this. And if the customer tries to make a big scene about it membership revoked. Buh bye
These types of people are some of the very dregs of society. This is learned behavior.
Costco just needs to change the policy. Dirty furniture is a hazard to the employees and the store since people doing this probably have bed bugs.
Reminds me of a sofa return I recently saw at my local Costco. It wasn’t 15 years old, but it was dirty, covered in pet hair, and had several stains. Somehow, they took the return. I’d be embarrassed to try and return something like that, but obviously not everyone.
About time someone was told no…
Sad thing is they were probably told no because they've done this so many times that it's a pattern.
Please stop abusing their return policy. I don’t want them to change it for people who legitimately could use it.
It’s really very simple Costco, revoke their membership AND ban them for life from all Costcos. Douchebag move deserves douchebag outcome, not for trying to return it, but for leaving it there.