Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
A few weeks back I noticed a hole in a T-shirt purchased at the Maui Costco. It was where the collar met the shoulder. Upon closer inspection, I could see that the stitching did not extend to the collar. It was a sewing flaw in the $9.99 shirt. (The shirt was bright red and not faded.)
When I visited the store, I took the shirt to the return counter. The clerk looked it up and stated that I had purchased it a year earlier and that she would have to get a manager's approval. (OK.)
The manager glanced at it and was rude and hostile. He disputed my statement that it was flawed and implied that I was trying to scam them.
It pissed me off and I told him twice to give me the shirt back (it belonged to me!) and I would throw it away instead. He refused twice saying "no", he was going to refund my money instead.
I waited angrily while he put the credit back on my card. He then stated, very smugly, that I would never again be allowed to return anything to Costco.
BTW: This year I received more than $500 in cash-back between the Costco Check and my Costco Visa card which I only use for Costco purchases. Last year I booked two cruises through them and this year purchased my home using their home loan program. I am a long-time Costco fan but would cancel my membership over this if there was another Club store on Maui.
Is this a new Costco policy???
I don't think that is true. I don't think the company would allow them to refuse returns in the future for one $10 item.
Last edited by nancy thereader; 05-06-2018 at 02:03 PM..
I was with you until you’ve mentioned the shirt was bought a year ago. C’mon now. It’s $10 and you’ve worn it for a year. Personally, I wouldn’t even bother. Still, this does not justify rudeness by the manager though.
IMHO Costco just needs to revise their return policy and make it reasonable for everyone. Otherwise when they have “if you are not happy...” on the wall but then there are unknown rules an bylaws it’s just bad communication. E.g. our first trip to Costco we bought some Belgian waffles. Ate some but didn’t like them. I took them back and was told the package has to be half full (it was a smallish package, I think 3 out of 8 left, I tried them twice, thought maybe different heating methods would make a difference, really wanted to like them). If it’s the rule then why isn’t it posted? This is just frustrating and makes you feel like a criminal. Also now I’m hesitant to buy any new items, which doesn’t sound like a win to me.
I do agree with what you are saying that they should post any additional rules but you did eat most of them. If they accept mostly eaten packages many would abuse the policy and just constantly return food with just a couple peices left.
No, it's not "new" but a policy that has been stepped up since the last holiday shoplifting season. The news ran a segment here in AZ about all the major stores return policies changing to fight ripoffs and scammers.
I've seen people return things they've had/used for years for a full refund. Costco has had to take it because that's been their policy and now they're starting to really fight back.
C'mon, there's NO store that'd take a shirt that's been (ostensibly) worn for A YEAR or more, is there?
Wouldn't it make sense for them simply to change their policy rather than "fight back" by being rude or driving away customers?
I only returned this shirt because it was SO OBVIOUSLY defective.
When I buy an item of clothing at Costco, I often buy it in two sizes since I have had a number of experiences where an item didn't fit and when I returned it, the other size was sold out. Dressing rooms would solve that issue but they choose not to have them. Typically I return unwanted items within a week even though the store is an hour away from my home.
This guy would NOT let me have the shirt back. He held it, standing away from the counter. I wanted to show him the obvious flaw which he did not want to see. After that I chose to keep it since it was only 10 dollars. He WOULD NOT give it back to me even though I was the owner of the shirt.
Considering the amount I spend at Costco/Costco.com/Costco Travel each year, I return very little and don't recall ever returning a defective clothing item. I have been a member for decades, and also belonged to Price Club and Sam's.
I'm still a Costco fan, just unhappy with this experience. If you think I was wrong, so be it (and so what).
Location: The Circle City. Sometimes NE of Bagdad.
24,482 posts, read 26,021,800 times
Reputation: 59863
Quote:
Originally Posted by jelenap
Thanks for the replies, everyone! It does look like some management issues in our local store. I’ll bring this up to the manager.
I’m usually not easily irritated by solicitations (at least no to the extent of ranting on CD about it ) but this time it’s been super annoying for too long. The person is hanging out right next to the entrance. People just walk in, look at the specials that are always placed there and this person yells across the aisle “can I talk to you for a second?”. I’m not looking at them and am clearly not interested. And this “can I talk” trick is what any predatory salesmen use. I was hoping they’d just stop but this has been 3 weeks already of the same routine.
There are sometimes vendor displays but they don’t try to grab your attention. If anyone stops by to look they just go like “hi folks, today we are showing...” which is perfectly fine.
I understand that nothing will change if no one says anything but just wanted to check if it’s a regular Costco experience or a local initiative. Thanks again!
Wow just Wow, All the Costcos we patronize forbid all and I mean all soliciting, Boy and Girl Scout. No if and and buts
Ours is capitalizing on the non profit orgs setting up stands. DONATE BLOOD! BUY SCOUT COOKIES! STOP DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
Doesn't really set the stage to want to buy anything....instead I say...only one person can bleed me dry and right now it's the innudated 'orgs' trying to fill that
Role. And not succeeding.
Maybe they can have a special entry door for us quiet shoppers..
Costco gives me an anxiety attack But since I don't want to get divorced, I have to go there with my wife on occasion. We have a compromise: she only makes me go on weekdays when the crowds are down. I hate everything about it: impossible to find parking, ginormous carts that block the aisles combined with rude unmoving shoppers glued to their cell phones, difficulty finding items since none of the aisles are labeled (who finds things numerically?,) piles of ugly clothes as tall as my head, etc. . . And the germaphobe and me gets grossed out by those samples. And why the desperation to shop like it's the coming of the apocalypse anyway? Costco has some good deals, but a lot of their prices aren't that great, and you have to pay for a membership, which leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
I agree with these (and yes, agree with the apocalypse statement and wonder if these people have some huge walk in coolers in their homes). I'll add a few:
-The line once you leave to show your receipt that the employees have to mark, but don't even look at anyway.
-There is only one restroom in such a huge store. On top of that there is a maze to get to it as Costco tends to block the unmanned aisles with shopping carts and those twisty ropes, so you can't easily walk from the store without following several long pathways.
-No self checkout option
There are a few items that Costco has that other stores don't have anywhere close to Costco's price point that keep me a member. And the plus side is that the associates are generally professional. I've encountered a few sub par ones, but for the most part they are reasonably good for a big box store and the stressful job they have to do, just being in that environment all day.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rugrats2001
Most commonly set up with irritating carnival barkers at my local Costco:
Verizon
Satellite TV
Vitamix blenders
Cutco knives (blech!)
Some other food processor
Some carpet cleaning machine
Other crap like mattress covers, "my pillow", and other home goods appear seasonally.
Personally, if they start talking to you and you raise your hand to stop they should just stop. Anything else is high pressure.
I walk past them with a polite but firmly cold "Than you, but I'm not Interested!", if they try to bark and that seems to do the trick. If they are that persistent, though, you could also pretend that you think they're a store employee and ask them where something obscure in the store is (that you may actually be trying to find), and if they change the subject to what they're trying to sell, change it back by saying "I'm not interested in discussing that. I want to know where ____ is."
Quote:
Originally Posted by crone
I get annoyed at the people blocking the aisle to get samples, but my Costco stock keeps going up. DH decided to sell some and our broker said absolutely do not sell Costco.
Those blocking the aisle getting samples are providing me with income. Its win win.
You could "accidentally" bump into the carts of people who are blocking the aisles.
I don't think that is true. I don't think the company would allow them to refuse returns in the future for one $10 item.
I agree. Every dealing I have had with Costco for years has been first rate. A few months ago, I bought some of the same stuffed salmon that we have been buying for a long time. It is always one of our favorites, but this one smelled bad when we took it out of the oven and when it was put in front of us to eat. We wrapped it back up and put it in the fridge so we could call them the next day.
When I called them, they apologized and said to toss it and come in for a refund. I had lost the receipt in the meantime, and they said they would look it up on my account when I went in. I did, and they graciously handed me a refund. I told them my main concern was that they look at all the salmon in their stock, so someone else wouldn't get sick.
Aside from that, I can never remember a single issue with anything I have gotten there.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
) 
) and I would throw it away instead. He refused twice saying "no", he was going to refund my money instead.
But since I don't want to get divorced, I have to go there with my wife on occasion. We have a compromise: she only makes me go on weekdays when the crowds are down. I hate everything about it: impossible to find parking, ginormous carts that block the aisles combined with rude unmoving shoppers glued to their cell phones, difficulty finding items since none of the aisles are labeled (who finds things numerically?,) piles of ugly clothes as tall as my head, etc. . . And the germaphobe and me gets grossed out by those samples. And why the desperation to shop like it's the coming of the apocalypse anyway? Costco has some good deals, but a lot of their prices aren't that great, and you have to pay for a membership, which leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
