Strange return experience at Costco

[Ready]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Letj OMG. That’s the craziness those type of return policies invite. And who pays for all of that?

I'm not sure anyone does. You could argue that a store with a generous return policy has to make up for it with higher prices, but Costco seems to defy that logic by having both the most generous return policy of any store I shop at, and the lowest prices on virtually everything I buy there.

And, they are a profitable business known for providing decent pay and benefits and being a good place to work. So with all of the craziness around the returns, it all just seems to work out best for everyone.

Perhaps the vendors ultimately take the hit since they have to credit the returns back to Costco, but vendors will do anything to get Costco to carry their products because the volume is so high that even with the generous returns their business skyrockets once Costco begins selling their products.

[harley]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Letj You can also drop your glasses, step on them, sit on them. If there’s an obvious defect in workmanship, that’s very different from normal wear and tear and damages not related to normal use.

I don't think anybody would consider stepping or sitting on your glasses normal use. I believe the OP implied what most would consider defects. Peeling rubber and cracking, assuming there wasn't a lot of abuse, would be considered defective by me. I'm not sure I would return them after 12-18 months, but I'd certainly not buy that brand again. And maybe I would return them, especially if I was going to Costco anyway.

I know a lot of people abuse return policies, but I still think the clerk was out of line in the OP. Now, that cooked steak return might rightfully draw some comments, but the sunglasses should have just been taken back.

[tb001]

To the question of who pays, part of the reason I shop at Costco is because of their generous return policy. For every moron returning a cooked steak, there are probably several people buying random products they might not if they couldn’t return.

[CoolRich59]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ready When I was in line to return the sunglasses, there were two people in front of me. The first one was returning a half eaten box of Cheerios. The second one returned a fully cooked piece of steak that he thought had too much fat in it. Of course they took both items back without issue. I would have felt really foolish returning either of those items.

I can easily believe this. When I was in high school I worked in a grocery store and got to see these kind of people every day. In fact, it convinced me way back then that whatever career I chose, it would be one where I did not have to deal with the general public.

[travelover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tb001 To the question of who pays, part of the reason I shop at Costco is because of their generous return policy. For every moron returning a cooked steak, there are probably several people buying random products they might not if they couldn’t return.

Me. too. Given a choice at the same price, I always buy at Costco. It is no risk for me, then. If it doesn't work out I can return it, which I almost never do.

[Amethyst]

Me, I would have been so fed up, standing in line listening to such babble. Preserve me from ever getting to be like that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ready He went on and on telling the cashier how he had four different people try the steak and they all agreed it wasn't good...he continued talking about what a good cook he was and if the steak came out this bad it had to be because it was bad meat.

[Amethyst]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKKJV0Aiiv0

Quote:

Originally Posted by Midpack +2. $60 is more than cheapo drugstore sunglasses, but it’s also far from the cost of good sunglasses - closer to $150-250 IME. You probably got your money’s worth, and there’s no way the store can know how they were cared for, e.g. the frame didn’t just spontaneously crack.

[Sue J]

Not Costco and not sunglasses.

We bought a toilet from Home Depot. We used it for 8 months and the flush always seemed weak. DH adjusted everything in the back that he thought would help. Finally I took a mirror and looked under the rim, where the water is supposed to flow from the tank to the bowl. What I found was that around half of the holes were not open, they were formed incorrectly. No wonder the flush was so weak!

I didn’t have the receipt but I did have a credit card statement. I took the USED TOILET back to Home Depot and explained. I was very surprised that they gave me a full credit card refund!

I left there and went to Lowe’s and got a different toilet. We still have that one.

[aja8888]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sue J Not Costco and not sunglasses. We bought a toilet from Home Depot. We used it for 8 months and the flush always seemed weak. DH adjusted everything in the back that he thought would help. Finally I took a mirror and looked under the rim, where the water is supposed to flow from the tank to the bowl. What I found was that around half of the holes were not open, they were formed incorrectly. No wonder the flush was so weak! I didn’t have the receipt but I did have a credit card statement. I took the USED TOILET back to Home Depot and explained. I was very surprised that they gave me a full credit card refund! I left there and went to Lowe’s and got a different toilet. We still have that one.

That must have been the new "low flow" design for water saving!

[Walt34]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Music Lover Glasses sit on your head and receive virtually NO wear. They should last at least a decade or more without wearing out.

How about four decades? I paid $50 for a nice pair of sunglasses in 1978 and still have them, they work fine. They have a lifetime guarantee but I have no idea if that store is still there, probably not.

I have to admit that I think I've gotten my nickel's worth from them.

[Ronnieboy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ready It was pretty funny to watch actually. The guy returning the steak had to be in his late 70s or early 80s. He brought the steak back in a garbage bag and took it out onto the counter where it dripped all over the place. He then went on and on telling the cashier how he had four different people try the steak and they all agreed it wasn't good. I could tell the cashier was ready to just give him the credit and move on but she didn't want to interrupt him, so he continued talking about what a good cook he was and if the steak came out this bad it had to be because it was bad meat. It was pretty entertaining.

Having worked at a Costco I can tell you that is just the tip of the iceberg. People definitely take advantage of the return policy. Buy a live xmas tree before the holiday, return dead xmas tree after the holiday because it died.

Had someone return their yellow pee (and other) stained mattress b/c it didn't last xx years. Someone returned one of those 'bury under the ground' electronic dog fences for their yard, years later because their dog died.
Cakes, party platters, rolls, get returned because they over bought for their party/wedding/bar mitzvah. They obviously can't be resold and will have to be scrapped.

The electronic policy was changed because as described in an earlier post people would return years old electronics and by a better newer one for cheaper. Apple products (ipads, laptops) would get returned when the newer version came out.

I think over time the employees take it personally when people abuse the program so that is why you get some reluctance and dirty looks. Trust me that if there is a regular abuser then Costco has no problem returning their membership monies and asking the person not to shop there anymore.

Yes, everyone ends up paying for for returns, whether it be the manufacturer who has to raise prices due to accepting the returns from Costco or Costco having to raise prices to cover the cost of the returns (they are in business to make money).

Personally I rarely return anything and if I do it is something that either didn't fit clothes-wise or something that broke in the first few tries of using it and is an obvious manufacturing defect. If two or three of the nectarines/apples go bad before the case is eaten, it gets thrown away. When my florescent bulbs didn't last the 15,000 hours they said they would I got rid of them instead of trying to return them.

Maybe that's why I am not retired yet

[FUEGO]

Screw costco and their $60 sunglasses!

I accidentally stole a few pairs of Elvex Avion safety glasses from work when they fired me (well, they were in my trunk since they were safety gear required on the job site and no way I'm driving back downtown to hand them over!). Oops.

6-7 years later and the one pair I wear all the time is still almost brand new. UV protection and ballistic impact protection. Not the prettiest but it's very functional and covers a wide angle so it's nice and dark. I've taken them all over the world several times without incident.

Best thing is, I googled the glasses and they appear to be $4 online. They've lasted a lot longer than the $10-15 pairs I usually get from Walmart.

[rick55]

My former brother in law returned a sofa and loveseat after 2 YEARS because he wasnt thrilled with it, and they took it back.

I do believe the pharmacy and optical depts are not part of costco, thats why non members can buy items from them.

[debbie95054]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ready I buy a lot of stuff from Costco, and I rarely return things even if they are defective or unsatisfactory. It's just not worth the time and hassle to me. I see a lot of people abusing the policy and I don't want to be like that. But this week I had two pairs of sunglasses break on me, both purchased from Costco. In one case the frame cracked, and the other case the rubber coating on both stems just peeled off. The pairs were 12 and 18 months old. I still have sunglasses that I bought 20 years ago that are perfectly usable, so it seemed very odd to me that these would fail so soon. So I brought them back to the Costco. I stood in the returns line only to find out that sunglasses have to be returned to the optical department. So then I brought them over to optical and asked to return them. The woman looked at the first pair and said to me that I could easily glue these back together and they will be fine. So I asked her "do sunglasses have a different return policy than other Costco items"? She gave me a bit of a dirty look and told me that I should only expect to get 12-18 months of use out of sunglasses. One of the pairs was almost $60, and I told her that I thought for $60 they really should last longer. She gave me another look and told me that $60 is nothing for sunglasses. I was really beginning to feel like I was being put in my place for a) paying so little for the sunglasses, and b) expecting them to last more than 12-18 months. I stood firm and she eventually told me she would make a "one time" exception and took them back. But I left the store feeling really weird about Costco. I went to the Big 5 Sporting Goods store where I've bought sunglasses for the past 30 years and bought two nice pairs of Serengetti's there. I guess I won't be buying sunglasses at Costco any more. Has anyone else had a weird experience trying to return an item to Costco lately?

I would be embarrassed to return anything that old regardless. Retail has a hard-enough time staying afloat because people shop for sport and return all the time expecting the retailer to give them something new. I don’t return very often because I read the warranty and return information on the packaging and the store. BUYER BEWARE!!! And Oh, by way! KEEP YOUR RECEIPTS FOR WARRANTY!

[Toddtheformeraccountant]

+1 let’s return underwear with skid marks [emoji4]

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FUEGO Screw costco and their $60 sunglasses!

But... but.... OK, I confess. I love my polarized Ray-Bans. Never had any expensive sunglasses before in my whole life, but decided to go for it after my 2015 cataract surgery. They cost me $93 on Amazon, although I think they are $140+ now. I wear them almost every day when driving. They fit so well, are very comfortable, and I can see amazingly well when using them.

That said, I would NEVER return them!! Once I thought I had lost them, and I was ready to order the same sunglasses for the higher price. Luckily I found them on the floor of my Venza where they had fallen. They are just like new 33 months after I bought them. So I'd say, screw Costco but do not screw expensive sunglasses from Amazon.

[Luvdogs]

I think that the optical and similar departments (hearing aid,etc) are independent (to an extent) of Costco, etc so they have some flexibility in what they want to do.

A couple of years ago I went into Sam's optical for an eye exam. Told them I would get an eye exam and buy a pair of glasses there if they would tell me my PD (pupillary distance). He said no. I said so you will give up selling me a pair of glasses because you won't tell me my PD (so I could buy future ones at Zenni, etc)? He confirmed again, no.

Went to Target, asked the same thing, they said sure. So I got an eye exam and bought a pair of glasses there.

Now I have my PD.

Did the guy at Sam's really think that "no one" would give me my PD? Plus they can be measured ourselves.

Maybe if I had stomped my feet, etc, Sam's would have made the optical dept tell me my PD.

[COcheesehead]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luvdogs I think that the optical and similar departments (hearing aid,etc) are independent (to an extent) of Costco, etc so they have some flexibility in what they want to do. A couple of years ago I went into Sam's optical for an eye exam. Told them I would get an eye exam and buy a pair of glasses there if they would tell me my PD (pupillary distance). He said no. I said so you will give up selling me a pair of glasses because you won't tell me my PD (so I could buy future ones at Zenni, etc)? He confirmed again, no. Went to Target, asked the same thing, they said sure. So I got an eye exam and bought a pair of glasses there. Now I have my PD. Did the guy at Sam's really think that "no one" would give me my PD? Plus they can be measured ourselves. Maybe if I had stomped my feet, etc, Sam's would have made the optical dept tell me my PD.

It may be different depending on the doctor, but my PD is written on my prescription.

[travelover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by COcheesehead It may be different depending on the doctor, but my PD is written on my prescription.

I asked the optometrist at Costco for my PD and he said " the girls that fit the glasses will measure that".

[Scrapr]

Quote:

Originally Posted by travelover I asked the optometrist at Costco for my PD and he said " the girls that fit the glasses will measure that".

that's exactly what I did. Walked over to the glasses desk, they put a scope on my face and tadaaa. PD received. And off i go. No muss no fuss