"The fine line between frugal and inappropriate"

[Ronnieboy]

I'm not sure that you can return something purchased at Costco after 1 year, let alone 10. They are very reasonable on returns - best policy in town - but I don't think it goes that far. We bought a Keurig coffee maker and it croaked after a month - luckily we still had the box and brought it back for a full refund - they said they were getting a lot of them back. After a certain amount of time though (not sure what it is), they probably refer you to use the manufacturer's warranty. And what about after that expires? I can't believe they would take back an analog TV you bought in 2000 just because it's obsolete. Anyone try that??

Yes, they will pretty much take everything back when ever. With the exception of the new electronics rule (I think it is 90 days).
Costco anticipates that a certain % of people will abuse the policy but for the most part, it keeps the members coming back for more. If a person returns the product, they usually go back out in the warehouse and purchases the replacement and picks up another $200 in product while they are there.

Some [-]unethical[/-] questionable returns:

Returning a 7 year old fridge because they were updating their kitchen and wanted a newer model.

Returning the blow up slip n slide water toy because summer was over and they don't need it till next summer.

Returning the 10 year old 'invisible' fence b/c the dog died.

The t.v. returns happened all the time. Get a newer model for less that the previous one. (Return the t.v., get a new one and get cash back).

Return the last 10% of the edible product b/c you 'didn't like it'. (I wasn't sure until I ate 90% of it)

Returning the mower at the end of the mowing season.

Returning the tennis shoes after 2 years b/c they should have lasted longer. (My kids grow out of them faster than that)

To name a few.

To be honest, I would be embarrassed to return any of the above and some of it would be too much work (moving out the fridge, removing the invisible fence, and unhooking the working t.v. to get a new one??)

 

[free4now]

Costco is definitely one of the most "ethical" corporations out there, and that is a good reason not to take advantage of them.

But whenever they send me my dividend check, it's always on the back page of my bill, hoping I won't notice it and will discard it. I recently had a string of bad experiences at their tire center where they gave me runaround about honoring the tire warranty. They as a corporation are trying to nickel and dime me in ways that are not ethical.

If they were a human being, I'd probably forgive them and say lets make up and be friends. But they aren't; a corporation has no guilt, and doesn't get offended at slights. It usually has a shorter lifetime than a human so less need to build reputation. Any debts that it incurs are on paper only; there's no people to hold accountable when the company folds. Most of what makes human beings honorable is wanting to feel good about ourselves and our acts, but corporations don't have that motivation; public corporations are legally structured in such a way that it's considered malfeasance to prioritize public good over shareholder returns..

The reality is that the marketplace is already a zero sum game; any time that I save a buck that's a buck that isn't going to someone else. While it may be true that the more I return the more prices will go up for others, how is that any worse than say failing to pay state tax by purchasing on amazon.

I'd be curious to hear from someone who believes it's okay to cheat the state out of their taxes by not reporting out of state purchases (like most of us), but doesn't believe that it's okay to return an item to a retailer that happily accepts the return. The former is actually a crime, while the latter is totally by the books and completely aboveboard. Try and explain your reasoning on why you would rob the schools that need your tax dollars to pay Costco corporation shareholder bonuses

But there is no getting around that it does feel cheesy to return things that aren't defective. It's also not something that I would talk about in polite society, and that's yet another reason not to do it.

 

[Westernskies]

Well, something to think about during the "free" bus ride, I guess.

 

[brewer12345]

Frugal: re-using ziploc bags

Cheap: re-using condoms

 

[FUEGO]

From costco's website:

"We guarantee your satisfaction on every product we sell with a full refund."

So it seems as if you are entitled to a full refund if you are not satisfied with a product. Ethically I would say there is an implied reasonableness requirement. Ie - you eat 20% of something and realize it is nasty, spoiled, stale, etc then you can return it. 90% eaten, no dice. You use a refrigerator for a month or a few months and it is somehow deficient, you return it. You don't like stainless steel finishes in 10 years, you don't return it. Maybe if the thing is a piece of crap and falling apart after 10 years, you return it and tell them you expected more out of an expensive product like that.

But I wouldn't feel too bad about Costco getting ripped off. They could have a better defined and more limited return policy if they wanted to, or refuse to accept obviously ridiculous return requests on a case by case basis.

 

[FUEGO]

Cheap: re-using condoms

Hey, for some socioeconomic levels this could be an excellent wealth building strategy. Refundable child tax credits, section 8 vouchers, food stamps, WIC, TANF, etc.

 

[CuppaJoe]

Well, something to think about during the "free" bus ride, I guess.

More likely to think about while waiting for that bus. It's rather muddled in a city where the mayor has said that transit should be free and where state cuts and other economic forces have raised fares, reduced frequency of buses, and shortened the length of routes. It is no longer a "transit-first" city.

 

[free4now]

Another way to look at it is that your $50/yr Costco membership fee is partially prepaid buyers-remorse insurance. It is in fact a payment that you make for the privilege of continuing to be able to return items. The membership scheme helps them keep their fraudulent and unreasonable returns down by giving them the power to discover when people are abusing and cut them off. They have the power.

 

[haha]

Another way to look at it is that your $50/yr Costco membership fee is partially prepaid buyers-remorse insurance. It is in fact a payment that you make for the privilege of continuing to be able to return items. The membership scheme helps them keep their fraudulent and unreasonable returns down by giving them the power to discover when people are abusing and cut them off. They have the power.

Do they use it?

I would hope that they do, as Costco has so many consumer friendly practices that I would hate for them to have to change these things due to abuse by free-riders.

Of course if that happened, I would likely make even fewer consumer durable purchses than I already do.

Ha

 

[Westernskies]

Frugal: re-using ziploc bags

Cheap: re-using condoms

Gross: Washing the condoms with the zip-loc bags...

Besides, the proper way to recycle a condom is to turn it inside out and shake the #### out of it...