# Woman returns "dead" Christmas tree to Costco on Jan 4.  Gets her money back



## T_R_Oglodyte (Jan 17, 2018)

This is from the"Stuff You Can't Make Up" department.

*Man irate after Costco lets woman return dead Christmas tree in January*



> While many of us were trying to figure out where to discard our Christmas trees, one woman decided to return hers.
> 
> On Jan 4., the woman reportedly took her tree to a Santa Clarita Costco asking for a refund because her tree died.
> 
> ...


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## Passepartout (Jan 17, 2018)

I'm assuming this was a potted, 'live' tree? I don't think Costco sells cut trees- at least where we live. Still kind of a cheeky move. The guy doesn't say if she got the refund.


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## VacationForever (Jan 17, 2018)

If this is not a live tree and presumably has built-in lights, and if the lights died, she could return the tree.  I suspect it was a live tree.

The picture is of a live tree.


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## Luanne (Jan 17, 2018)

Passepartout said:


> I'm assuming this was a potted, 'live' tree? I don't think Costco sells cut trees- at least where we live. Still kind of a cheeky move. The guy doesn't say if she got the refund.


From the picture it does not look like a potted tree.  And yes, she did get the refund.  It's further down in the article.


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## SandyPGravel (Jan 17, 2018)

That woman gives human beings a bad name.  Can only imagine what else she has returned to Costco.  I've had Costco employees tell me to return a food item if I end up not liking it.  I can't bring myself to do that.  It's one thing if the bag of oranges is rotting in the middle when you open it(had this happen), but returning a 1/2 eaten bag of chips because "Eh, didn't really like them" is just wrong. IMNSHO


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## am1 (Jan 17, 2018)

I would be mad if I was behind her line waiting for the refund to be processed.  Anyone that needs the money that bad (if that was the case) should not be buying a real Christmas tree.


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## klpca (Jan 17, 2018)

I saw this on Facebook and it looked like a regular cut tree. I wish that I had thought to do this a few years ago. At Costco, you have to buy your tree already bagged up, so you get what you get. Most of the time it is fine. Three years ago we took one home and opened it up to find a tree already shedding needles, and to top it off, it was a flat top. No pointy end. But there was no way that my husband was going to haul that thing back to Costco, so we made the best of it and held our breath until Dec 26th, praying that it wouldn't catch on fire. We took that thing down first thing on Dec 26th. And then I bought a used pre-lit artificial tree from my buy/sell group on Facebook. I haven't looked back since.


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## x3 skier (Jan 17, 2018)

YHGTBSM. 

Cheers


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## VacationForever (Jan 17, 2018)

x3 skier said:


> YHGTBSM.
> 
> Cheers


I had to look it up. LOL


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## SandyPGravel (Jan 17, 2018)

x3 skier said:


> YHGTBSM.
> 
> Cheers


Had to google this one.  Gonna remember to use it


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## moonstone (Jan 17, 2018)

I don't think that's any worse than people who buy clothes or shoes to wear to a special event then return them afterwards. Years ago my Sister-in-law worked at Sears she saw it often, especially near Christmas or during the summer for weddings. Clothes would come back with perspiration and other stains and in one case, the hem turned up! The new way of placing tags in a conspicuous spot seems to have slowed down or stopped that happening. We had former neighbours order a living room full of furniture for a large family gathering at their new home and then return it all after they left.  Geesh!


~Diane


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## CalGalTraveler (Jan 17, 2018)

I have nothing against being frugal, however this unethical action ruins returns for the rest of us who might need it for a legitimate purpose.


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## pedro47 (Jan 17, 2018)

I have personally witnessed a couple returned  a set of mattresses to Costco with their Costco receipt. The mattresses  were used, dirty, stained and over ten (10) years old.
Costco gave that couple a full refund. I was surprised.


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## rapmarks (Jan 17, 2018)

I had to do a return toncostco on Monday.  I bought a chicken and two loaves of bread.
When we cut into the chicken, it was bloody, and maroon colored.  I was going to let that go. But when we opened the bread it was stale. They were closed by now.   I called next morning and they said I had to bring the chicken in, so I dug it out of the garbage and got a refund for both. I had to get some bread anyway, or I wouldn't have made the trip.


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## presley (Jan 17, 2018)

People certainly return stuff a lot more than I do/would. I was behind a woman at Costco who asked if the watermelon she was buying wasn't any good, how should she go about getting a refund. I would have never thought about that. When I cut a watermelon and it's bad, I toss it. I couldn't imagine going out of my way to get my money back. Everyone's different and has a different amount of spare time, I guess.

My daughter worked at Sprouts for years and said people return crazy stuff all the time. Empty cracker boxes, "I didn't like them." It's hard not to ask why they ate the entire box if they didn't like it. Black, watery fresh vegetables, "these are bad." I'd be saying, "and so are you." I guess if people have a spare hour every day for returning stuff, it's probably more of a hobby than anything else.


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## VacationForever (Jan 17, 2018)

My memory of buying fresh packaged chicken from Costco was a horrible one.  The chicken breasts were individually wrapped.  The same evening when I bought it I opened and the stench from the chicken that had gone bad were so strong that we dumped the whole thing, tripple bagged with garbage bags and threw the entire batch into the trash can.  We did not want to even bother to ask about refund as we were just not going to drag the most foul smelling chicken back to the store.  We gathered that someone did not want the chicken and it was left somewhere on the counter or wherever before they were placed back into the open refrigerator.

Another time we bought chicken wings from Whole Foods and we failed to notice until we opened up the packet (those were not pre-packaged ones), most of the wings were blue and black.  It was as though someone threw the chickens across the room to kill them.  That time we did take back to Whole Foods and explained what we saw.  The customer services person just asked us to toss it into their trash, without opening up the package and issued a refund.


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## pedro47 (Jan 17, 2018)

Now do you understand why Costco have now change their return policy on televisions and computers . Please do not do this. I have a very close friend who is a store manager with Costco. He stated before Costco started their new return policy on televisions and computers. Some Costco customers would purchase a new wide screen television for the NFL Super Bowl Game and then return it after the Super Bowl game. This practice went on for years; until someone in the state of Washington became aware of this situation.


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## VacationForever (Jan 17, 2018)

pedro47 said:


> Now do you understand why Costco have now change their return policy on televisions and computers . Please do not do this. I have a very close friend who is a store manager with Costco. He stated before Costco started their new return policy on televisions and computers. Some Costco customers would purchase a new wide screen television for the NFL Super Bowl Game and then return it after the Super Bowl game. This practice went on for years; until someone in the state of Washington became aware of this situation.


What is the new return policy?  I don't know what was the old one either...


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## pedro47 (Jan 18, 2018)

Costco new electronics policy started some years ago. You now have ninety (90) days to return your electronics items liked televisions and computer sales. You can go on line and read Costco electronics return policy for yourself.
The Costco manager that told me this worked in a Costco store in the state of Washington.


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## loosefeet (Jan 18, 2018)

I was in line to return something at CostCo (yes, love their return policy), and saw a nicely dressed man try to return an open tray of sandwich wraps--he told the clerk that they didn't need all of them!  When she resisted, he insisted, saying their return policy was to take everything back...  I almost gave him 3 bucks to get him out of there.  Embarrassing!


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## vacationhopeful (Jan 18, 2018)

Some people have NO SHAME! 

But it does make me wonder IF I really want to shop at Costco ... where it might be more "flea market/use goods" than new from the manufacturer.


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## Eric B (Jan 18, 2018)

presley said:


> People certainly return stuff a lot more than I do/would. I was behind a woman at Costco who asked if the watermelon she was buying wasn't any good, how should she go about getting a refund. I would have never thought about that. When I cut a watermelon and it's bad, I toss it. I couldn't imagine going out of my way to get my money back. Everyone's different and has a different amount of spare time, I guess.
> 
> My daughter worked at Sprouts for years and said people return crazy stuff all the time. Empty cracker boxes, "I didn't like them." It's hard not to ask why they ate the entire box if they didn't like it. Black, watery fresh vegetables, "these are bad." I'd be saying, "and so are you." I guess if people have a spare hour every day for returning stuff, it's probably more of a hobby than anything else.



I do agree that some of the returns are going a bit overboard, but there is a chance that the empty box wasn’t all that off.  I’ve returned an empty dog food bag after I dumped the contents when it was recalled; no reason to lug the contents around to return when they’re just going to toss them anyway.  Same thing may have happened with the crackers, but who knows.

As far as dead Christmas trees goes, I just feed them to my goats.  They just finished eating the needles off this year’s; I wonder if Costco will give me my money back....  it is both dead and I can tell them the goats didn’t like it; took them a couple of weeks to eat it.


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## SmithOp (Jan 18, 2018)

I saw a guy taking back a swimming pool at the end of summer, it was obvious from the condition he had used it the whole summer.  Maybe he didnt have a place to store it over the winter. 

This thread it like the web site with the only at Walmart pictures, can’t stop looking, like a train wreck.  I always check out the people with returns at Costco.

I’ve never done a return, only once got a credit when the item I purchased dropped in price the week after I got it.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro


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## Elan (Jan 18, 2018)

Since I don't know the full story, could it not be possible that this was sold as a live tree and she returned just the tree, sans pot and soil?  I mean, it's gonna be a lot easier to transport without 30lbs of dirt and pot.  Again, just a possibility.  

  BTW, that's one ugly tree.  I can't even tell which end is the top from the photo.


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## Eric B (Jan 18, 2018)

Looks a bit big for that, but she might have bought it 5 years ago....


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## CO skier (Jan 18, 2018)

I had one of those "stuck in the car until the story ends" moments a few years ago while listening to this report:

https://www.npr.org/sections/money/...tore-lets-customers-return-whatever-they-want

What the article does not mention, but the radio report did, it that there is high staff turnover in the returns department, because employees become so frustrated seeing how customers abuse the policy.


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## rickandcindy23 (Jan 18, 2018)

I remember the days when Costco gave your money back for computers, even old computers.  We were with our friends about 20 years ago, and they took a computer back to Costco and got 100% of their money back.  The computer was used and abused by their teenagers. 

I would never take back a computer and expect a full refund after two years because it had a problem.  They got a new computer and then took it back two years later.  It was a very liberal policy that hurt members who didn't do that.  Those people are rich, so no excuse for them getting free computers every two years.


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## VacationForever (Jan 18, 2018)

pedro47 said:


> Costco new electronics policy started some years ago. You now have ninety (90) days to return your electronics items liked televisions and computer sales. You can go on line and read Costco electronics return policy for yourself.
> The Costco manager that told me this worked in a Costco store in the state of Washington.


What I meant is then what is the old policy, since you mentioned a new policy?  I am aware of the 90 days to return.


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## klpca (Jan 18, 2018)

FYI, very close friend is a Costco store manager. They definitely have a naughty list and if you abuse the return policy, there is a limit to their generosity. 

I return clothes that don't fit (there are no dressing rooms), food that is spoiled (how else would they know that their suppliers are giving them bad food?), and items that are of poor quality. But I probably return things 5 or 6 times a year.


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## clifffaith (Jan 18, 2018)

presley said:


> People certainly return stuff a lot more than I do/would. I was behind a woman at Costco who asked if the watermelon she was buying wasn't any good, how should she go about getting a refund. I would have never thought about that. When I cut a watermelon and it's bad, I toss it. I couldn't imagine going out of my way to get my money back. Everyone's different and has a different amount of spare time, I guess.
> 
> My daughter worked at Sprouts for years and said people return crazy stuff all the time. Empty cracker boxes, "I didn't like them." It's hard not to ask why they ate the entire box if they didn't like it. Black, watery fresh vegetables, "these are bad." I'd be saying, "and so are you." I guess if people have a spare hour every day for returning stuff, it's probably more of a hobby than anything else.



We took fruit back after Christmas. The grapes I bought for the cheese and cracker platter were so tart I couldn't choke them down myself let alone serve them to company. I spend hundreds of dollars every month at Vons, so didn't feel the least bit guilty. Generally we'd just toss sub par fruit, but the boxed grapes irritated me no end.  Of course store manager knows Cliff by name because I have to send him back several times a year to make an exchange when he comes home with diet cranberry juice instead of regular or creme soda instead of root beer.


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## Jan M. (Jan 18, 2018)

Not too long ago my husband bought some kind of truffle flavored potato chips from Aldi's because we were getting company. They have new/special items periodically and my husband thought they looked interesting. We enjoy trying new foods and there aren't many things we don't like. We each tried two or three chips and declared them awful. We briefly considered offering them to our friends but decided we like our friends too much to do that to them! We threw the bag of chips out as it wasn't worth the time and effort to return them. We've never taken a food item back because we didn't like it but these could have been the exception.


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## DaveNV (Jan 18, 2018)

Welcome to the nightmare at our house.  I hear these kind of horror stories every day.  My spouse is the head Refund Cashier at our Costco. All day, every day, hands out money to the membership masses.  You'd think it would be the best job in the warehouse - giving away money all day, but it's a thankless grind that is exhausting.  The worst time is the weeks leading up to the Christmas holidays, where people return anything and everything, including what they received for Christmas last year (or five years ago) to get money so they can shop for Christmas presents all over again.  It's crazy.

People return all sorts of stuff, including cut Christmas trees.  Or at least, they try to.  Abuse of the system is constant, and it's a struggle to balance the "You deserve a refund because you're a good member and we know you'll spend the money here on something else" with the "Sorry, you won't be getting a refund today for these reasons..."

Some of the things I've heard of:

-- The woman who tore up her kitchen floor, and returned it in a heap, with cut boards and painted edges and nails still sticking out of it, because she wanted to buy something else.  She'd had the flooring in her house for years.

-- The guy who brought in the rusted out generator he'd purchased NINE YEARS BEFORE, because it quit working.

-- The woman who returned her computer because "It doesn't sound right." The computer was COATED with heavy cigarette smoke tar - the case was yellowed and brown, stinking of smoke.  She said she wasn't a smoker.  (An obvious lie - she reeked.)  When they opened the case the interior was equally coated, and the fan was sticky with cigarette tar.  Disgusted everyone in the vicinity.  She'd owned the computer about five years.  This was the kind of thing that forced Costco to start their 90-day return on electronics - still the most generous return policy in the industry.

-- The people who buy a huge TV the week before the Super Bowl, and return it the week after.  This happens every year.

-- The people who complain the pizza they bought "didn't taste right."  They want a refund.  No, they don't have the pizza box, or the remaining pizza.  "We threw it away."  They get the refund, and immediately go stand in line to buy ANOTHER pizza - and then a few days later come back and want another refund, for the same reason - and then they buy another pizza.  It's an ongoing cycle, and these people are recognized as regulars who do this a lot.  It happens a lot.

It takes a special person to deal with the crazies at Costco, and an even crazier person to deal with giving away money to them all day.  Don't tell my spouse that. 

Dave


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## DaveNV (Jan 18, 2018)

Also, if you ever buy anything at Costco and legitimately don't like it, or it tastes bad, or it doesn't work like you expect, please don't hesitate to return it.  A portion of the purchased item pricing of everything Costco sells is factored in as a refund.  It's something like five or ten percent.  So if they bought 1000 or something from the vendor, they expect they may get as many as 100 returned, which they in turn send back to the vendor for a credit.  Generous returns are a member benefit.  Your membership money goes to support that sort of thing.  Legit returns are expected.  It's the abusers who give the experience a bad name.

Dave


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## VacationForever (Jan 19, 2018)

DaveNW said:


> Also, if you ever buy anything at Costco and legitimately don't like it, or it tastes bad, or it doesn't work like you expect, please don't hesitate to return it.  A portion of the purchased item pricing of everything Costco sells is factored in as a refund.  It's something like five or ten percent.  So if they bought 1000 or something from the vendor, they expect they may get as many as 100 returned, which they in turn send back to the vendor for a credit.  Generous returns are a member benefit.  Your membership money goes to support that sort of thing.  Legit returns are expected.  It's the abusers who give the experience a bad name.
> 
> Dave


...so you think I should have gone back to Costco to tell them about the bad reeking chicken which we threw into the garbage bin?  Seriously.  It was a hassle plus we thought Costco might want the chicken as proof... ewwww... makes me sick just thinking about the smell.


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## r1lee (Jan 19, 2018)

That’s nothing, I’ve seen worse first hand.

Some dude in front of me returned his 3 pack of bread, with only 2 slices left over which had mold. He had the guts to turn around to me and another patron and say, I don’t know how many I ate that had mold on it.  Value $6.


Another one, was when I was walking through the store and saw some of the workers carrying the playground set through (~$1500) The wood was rotting and you can tell by the colour that it was a super old set. I asked the guys and they said it was about 15+yrs old.  I have the same set and at 10yrs now there’s no rotting at all.

I’ve returned food before and I don’t feel guilty about it. When I buy seedless grapes and there’s tons of seeds, I will return it.  But of course, only eating a couple to make sure it wasn’t an anomaly.


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## Sugarcubesea (Jan 19, 2018)

Passepartout said:


> I'm assuming this was a potted, 'live' tree? I don't think Costco sells cut trees- at least where we live. Still kind of a cheeky move. The guy doesn't say if she got the refund.


The Costco’s buy us sell live trees each year.


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## SandyPGravel (Jan 19, 2018)

DaveNW said:


> Welcome to the nightmare at our house.  I hear these kind of horror stories every day.  My spouse is the head Refund Cashier at our Costco. All day, every day, hands out money to the membership masses.  You'd think it would be the best job in the warehouse - giving away money all day, but it's a thankless grind that is exhausting.  The worst time is the weeks leading up to the Christmas holidays, where people return anything and everything, including what they received for Christmas last year (or five years ago) to get money so they can shop for Christmas presents all over again.  It's crazy.
> 
> People return all sorts of stuff, including cut Christmas trees.  Or at least, they try to.  Abuse of the system is constant, and it's a struggle to balance the "You deserve a refund because you're a good member and we know you'll spend the money here on something else" with the "Sorry, you won't be getting a refund today for these reasons..."
> 
> ...



You have my sympathies.  I have seen customers try to return things to a number of different retailers and the audacity of some people.    Costco has the best return policy, but if these kind of situations continue to happen, I wonder when the policy will change.


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## DaveNV (Jan 19, 2018)

VacationForever said:


> ...so you think I should have gone back to Costco to tell them about the bad reeking chicken which we threw into the garbage bin?  Seriously.  It was a hassle plus we thought Costco might want the chicken as proof... ewwww... makes me sick just thinking about the smell.



Any food item would just go into the garbage when you return it anyway, even if it's unopened.  So yes, you should ask for a refund. (I'm surprised it would be bad, if freshly purchased and such, but you bet your boots I'd take it back.  And they won't give you grief about it.  Your satisfaction is the bottom line.)  But once again - yes - anything you buy that isn't right, take it back.  If it's a gross item like this chicken, just tell them about it. Or if you have the packaging, bring that.  They don't care about the contents.  

Dave


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## DaveNV (Jan 19, 2018)

SandyPGravel said:


> You have my sympathies.  I have seen customers try to return things to a number of different retailers and the audacity of some people.    Costco has the best return policy, but if these kind of situations continue to happen, I wonder when the policy will change.



One of the new features available to Refund Cashiers at Costco is they can check your shopping history, and print you a new receipt, if needed.  You only need to have the right membership card.  Where things get a bit troublesome is when people were shopping with a friend and it ended up on someone else's membership card.  The history goes on the account of the card swiped at the checkout registers.  One advantage of that system is they can tell when you bought something.  If you say "A few weeks ago" and it was last Winter, they may ask for a bit more information.

What's worse is when someone tries to return merchandise they got at Goodwill or a garage sale.  If it's not on your shopping history, it likely won't result in a refund.  But if you're a mega shopper, they may give you the refund anyway, depending on the item, because it's good business to keep members satisfied.

A month or so ago I heard about someone trying to return clothing they'd bought on Amazon, but that had been drop-shipped from Costco, because the Amazon vendor was reselling Costco merchandise that way.  The guy was pretty upset to learn he'd paid nearly double what Costco charged for the items (I think it was two pairs of pants), and that he'd have to return them to the seller - Costco couldn't give him a refund on something he didn't buy there.  I had no idea people could drop ship stuff through an Amazon account from another seller.  (Retirement business idea for me?  )

Dave


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## DaveNV (Jan 19, 2018)

Sugarcubesea said:


> The Costco’s buy us sell live trees each year.



I think it depends on where you live.  My local Costco used to sell cut trees, but they don't anymore.  There wasn't enough money in it for the hassle.

Dave


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## Luanne (Jan 19, 2018)

We have returned food to Costco, when we lived within 10 minutes of one.  The only times I actually recall returning food though was when there was a recall.  Now that we live an hour away from the closest Costco we don't return any food items.  But I can't think of any instances where we've needed to.


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## DaveNV (Jan 19, 2018)

SandyPGravel said:


> You have my sympathies.  I have seen customers try to return things to a number of different retailers and the audacity of some people.    Costco has the best return policy, but if these kind of situations continue to happen, I wonder when the policy will change.



The refund cashiers have a certain amount of leeway in deciding whether to give a refund to people.  Mostly, they will, out of fairness.  If the person is abusive, or is trying to rip them off, it usually doesn't happen.  They won't hesitate to call a Manager to deal with unruly people.

A couple of years ago a guy tried to return a $10000 diamond ring he said his wife hated, and everything looked legit, except the stone seemed "off."  They used a jeweler's loop thing to check the serial number on the stone (yes, they have teensy tiny lasered serial numbers on them) and found it wasn't the same stone.  Oopsie.  Can you say "Felony fraud?"  Not sure how that one played out, but my spouse got a major "Well done" kudos letter from Costco Corporate over that one.

The stories go on and on:  The guy who tried to return the Rolex watch, until it was shown the watch in the box wasn't the watch he had purchased.  it was a nice watch, but the serial numbers didn't line up.  They track that sort of thing, for that very reason.

Dave


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## DaveNV (Jan 19, 2018)

Luanne said:


> We have returned food to Costco, when we lived within 10 minutes of one.  The only times I actually recall returning food though was when there was a recall.  Now that we live an hour away from the closest Costco we don't return any food items.  But I can't think of any instances where we've needed to.



Food for thought (ahem, pun intended...  )  Just save the packaging, and dump the contents.  Then the next time you're in the warehouse, get the refund.  You don't need to haul around the old food itself. Costco won't care, and they'll toss it in the trash anyway.

I've seen people return unopened expensive hams and $$$ cuts of meat after the holidays, because they don't use it, or whatever.  They are always shocked when the Refunder turns around and drops it in the garbage.  "Why are you doing that? If I'd known you were going to just throw it away, I'd have kept it!"

"Well, sir, tell me this;  Would YOU want to eat something that had been sold before, traveled in a car whatever distance, handled in whichever way, stored in whatever which way, then carried back in a car whatever distance, then hauled back to return it to Costco, all without guarantee of refrigeration or sanitary handling?  No?  Me neither."

It's a safety thing, but most people don't think that far down the road.  If it's a canned item, that's one thing, but any fresh food just can't go back on the shelves.  Eewww!

Dave


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## VacationForever (Jan 19, 2018)

@DaveNW, we buy a ton of stuff from Costco, especially when we still had our business as we bought computers, monitors, paper, printer ink, Kuerig (bought 5 as as each broke after a year or so), etc...  We have never returned anything to the store.  Guess we should have gone to returns and tell them about the chicken...  we will keep that in mind for the future.


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## DaveNV (Jan 19, 2018)

VacationForever said:


> @DaveNW, we buy a ton of stuff from Costco, especially when we still had our business as we bought computers, monitors, paper, printer ink, Kuerig (bought 5 as as each broke after a year or so), etc...  We have never return anything to the store.  Guess we should have gone to returns and tell them about the chicken...  we will keep that in mind for the future.



You really should.  If it was a fresh chicken that arrived at your house bad, they'd want to know about it.  Factory recalls and such.  As I say, even if you don't have the item itself, just the label or package is enough for them to track down the details.  It isn't so much about the purchase of it, (they can check for that), it's about which vendor sold it to Costco, lot numbers, shipping dates, and such.  Chances are, if they got a bad batch of something, you're not the only one who returned the item.  It's not about the money, it's about your safety.

As to other things, wear and tear happens.  But there is an expected life for any product.  If you wore out your Keurigs by using them a lot, that's one thing.  But if they failed after minimal use, definitely say something.  And don't buy the same one again.  (There was a guy here who ran a restaurant, and he was using household-quality deep fryers in his business.  As they failed, he'd bring them back, then buy another.  After the third or fourth one coming back, they pointed out his purchase and refund history with that item, and told him he needed to get a commercial fryer, or he wouldn't receive any more refunds when the next one broke. They flagged his account to that effect, so he wouldn't be allowed to return the same item again.  He wised up, and bought a commercial fryer instead.)

As for anything else you buy at Costco, fair is fair.  If you think the item should have worked better, or lasted longer, or it's the wrong color, or it's too big, or whatever - take it back. If you buy something and use the heck out of it, and it breaks, well, that's a decision you'll have to make.  Did it break because it was faulty, or because it was your fault?

As I said above, they factor in a percentage of returns on every item they sell, and chances are good you're not the only one to bring that item back.  That's a big part of the Costco management decision about whether to keep selling something.  If they get excessive returns on it, chances are good it won't be sold anymore.  That's one reason things come and go so fast.  It's a tight market and competition for shelf space is fierce.  If you see the same item on the shelves there a lot, chances are good it's a reliable product that people like.  If it's a piece of junk, it won't be around long.

Dave


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Jan 19, 2018)

DaveNW said:


> That's one reason things come and go so fast.  It's a tight market and competition for shelf space is fierce.  If you see the same item on the shelves there a lot, chances are good it's a reliable product that people like.  If it's a piece of junk, it won't be around long.



Generally true, but occasional exceptions.  When we're on Kauai we usually stop by Auntie Lillikoi's shop on Waimea.  One time "Auntie Lillikoi" herself was minding the store, and we chatted a bit about the business end of things.  I've seen her products in grocery stores on the island, but never in Costco.  So I asked about it. 

She had did a deal with Costco one time.  But selling to Costco meant delivering product in pallet-side loads, with about ten pallets minimum. Her shop can produce cases without much difficulty, but for her size of operation pallet-size loads was a nightmare. They had to dedicate enormous amounts of production time to filling the order, which stressed her supply chain and cut into her ability to service other accounts.  And without a packaging line set up to create pallet loads, she underestimated the amount of work involved to get the cases palletized and loaded.   

So she filled that one order. And even though the product was well-received and Costco wanted more, she felt she had to say "No".  So on island you can find Auntie Lillikoi in Safeway, Long's, Big Save, Hilo Hattie's, and many other locations. But not at Costco.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Jan 19, 2018)

In other threads, there have been discussions about the strategy of heading to Costco when arriving on island and buying various beach gear items for use during the week. Then, on your last, going to the beach and hawking that gear for whatever you can get for it.  In the end, you come out money ahead as compared with renting the gear from an outfit such as Snorkel Bob or Boss Frong. 

But based on the information in this thread, for those who might be sufficiently mercenary (and that qualifier excludes me), there's a better strategy.  When you arrive on island, go to Costco and get the beach gear you want. Then return all the stuff on your last day before you head to the airport.


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## VacationForever (Jan 19, 2018)

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> In other threads, there have been discussions about the strategy of heading to Costco when arriving on island and buying various beach gear items for use during the week. Then, on your last, going to the beach and hawking that gear for whatever you can get for it.  In the end, you come out money ahead as compared with renting the gear from an outfit such as Snorkel Bob or Boss Frong.
> 
> But based on the information in this thread, for those who might be sufficiently mercenary (and that qualifier excludes me), there's a better strategy.  When you arrive on island, go to Costco and get the beach gear you want. Then return all the stuff on your last day before you head to the airport.


Don't give anyone that idea!


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## artringwald (Jan 19, 2018)

SandyPGravel said:


> That woman gives human beings a bad name.  Can only imagine what else she has returned to Costco.  I've had Costco employees tell me to return a food item if I end up not liking it.  I can't bring myself to do that.  It's one thing if the bag of oranges is rotting in the middle when you open it(had this happen), but returning a 1/2 eaten bag of chips because "Eh, didn't really like them" is just wrong. IMNSHO


The woman ahead of us at the Costco service desk returned a 2'x3' sheet cake that had been more than 1/2 eaten. She said it was too dry and got a full refund. I was thinking that it couldn't have been too bad if they ate more than 1/2 of it.


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## DaveNV (Jan 19, 2018)

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> In other threads, there have been discussions about the strategy of heading to Costco when arriving on island and buying various beach gear items for use during the week. Then, on your last, going to the beach and hawking that gear for whatever you can get for it.  In the end, you come out money ahead as compared with renting the gear from an outfit such as Snorkel Bob or Boss Frong.
> 
> But based on the information in this thread, for those who might be sufficiently mercenary (and that qualifier excludes me), there's a better strategy.  When you arrive on island, go to Costco and get the beach gear you want. Then return all the stuff on your last day before you head to the airport.



I just asked my spouse your question.  I'm told the Hawaii Costco locations pretty much won't take back beach gear for refunds, for just the reason you name.  Can you imagine the thousands of visitors each month who'd want to return things a week later?  Due to obvious abuses of the system, they are very unlikely to give a refund.  So there you go. 

Dave


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## Helios (Jan 21, 2018)

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> This is from the"Stuff You Can't Make Up" department.
> 
> *Man irate after Costco lets woman return dead Christmas tree in January*





T_R_Oglodyte said:


> This is from the"Stuff You Can't Make Up" department.
> 
> *Man irate after Costco lets woman return dead Christmas tree in January*


Some people are just unbelievable.


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## regatta333 (Jan 21, 2018)

I once saw a guy in Costco returning a few dozen folding chairs after 4th of July weekend, presumably having put them to use for
some type of 4th of July party.


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## DaveNV (Jan 21, 2018)

regatta333 said:


> I once saw a guy in Costco returning a few dozen folding chairs after 4th of July weekend, presumably having put them to use for
> some type of 4th of July party.



And no doubt he had some lame excuse like they weren't comfortable to sit on, or some such.  And chances are, Costco gave him the refund.  But note that they watch everything that is returned, and document the reason why.  Corporate Buyers receive that feedback, and factor that into whether to buy the item again.  People who abuse the refund system are quickly discovered, and their option for returning things for ridiculous reasons are documented.

The refunds people hear about on Facebook or whatever are egregious, and are fewer than people think.  Most members are honest people who don't abuse the system.  Also, Costco Refund Cashiers are highly trained people who demonstrate strong judgment on what they will or won't accept back. The people who are put into the Refunder positions are normally experienced cashiers who have worked for Costco for a number of years.  And trust me - they are not afraid to say No to those who deserve it. 

Dave


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## AnnaS (Jan 22, 2018)

Just because you can, does not mean you should.  So many people ruin good things for everyone else.  All aspects of life.  One here and there might not seem like much but add them up all together........

I am glad Costco keeps track as they should

I have seen customers return cooked meat and after they ate half of it, said they did not like it for one reason or another.  At the time, meat and seafood was double your money back.  Not sure if this policy still exists today!!


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## DaveNV (Jan 22, 2018)

AnnaS said:


> I have seen customers return cooked meat and after they ate half of it, said they did not like it for one reason or another.  At the time, meat and seafood was double your money back.  Not sure if this policy still exists today!!



I think it’s a one-for-one refund policy now. Never heard of a two-for-one return policy at Costco.

Dave


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## Elan (Jan 22, 2018)

Speaking of Costco and returns:  I once purchased a plasma TV from Costco.  About a week later, the same TV went on sale for ~$50 less.  Knowing that I could return and re-buy, I took my receipt in to ask for a simple refund, figuring it would be way easier for all involved.  Costco did not want to refund the $50.  I pointed out to them that they could either make me go home, disconnect everything, bring the TV back to them as a return, leaving them with a used TV to deal with or they could simply refund the $50.  Common sense finally came into play and they gave me the $50 difference in cash.


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## AnnaS (Jan 22, 2018)

I should have been more clear Dave. The double your money back was at local supermarkets.


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## geoand (Jan 25, 2018)

I return food all the time.  If the quality of the product is not to my liking, I will return it.  Most of my grocery shopping is at Costco.  Have not had a problem with returns.   I have returned, the bottles of nuts because when I got home, the seal was either not there or had been opened.  I now unscrew the lid and check before I buy.  I have returned vegetables either because of insects or the vegetable was overripe.I have returned apples the same day that I purchase them.  I will open the pkg after purchase and before exit.  If the apple is mushy, I return them before I leave.  I have purchased pineapples quite often.  However, the source has changed.  I purchased one from new source and it was terribly sour.  I did not return that.  Just won't buy them if the source is the came.  I have purchased 3 automatic espresso machines in the past 15 years.  Purchase price was well over $500 and I returned the first two because they quit operating within a year of purchase.  Went elsewhere to buy another and that lasted me for about 7 years.  My last purchase of machine was about 6 years ago from Costco and it was a different make from the first 2 purchases.  It is still growing strong.


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## x3 skier (Jan 25, 2018)

Can I return a girl friend I met at Costco?

Cheers


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## Passepartout (Jan 25, 2018)

I've returned a few clothing items that just didn't fit. I'm always a little leery when I see an unfamiliar brand. I may just buy one package, take it home to try, and if it works out, hustle back for more, or rarely, return it. We don't buy a lot of fresh food at Costco because of the package sizes. Two people have a hard time drinking 2 gallons of milk before it goes stale, or 6 heads of romaine lettuce, or 50 lbs of potatoes. We DO find that the frozen foods are a good value and are a regular staple.

But not Christmas trees.


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## DaveNV (Jan 25, 2018)

Elan said:


> Speaking of Costco and returns:  I once purchased a plasma TV from Costco.  About a week later, the same TV went on sale for ~$50 less.  Knowing that I could return and re-buy, I took my receipt in to ask for a simple refund, figuring it would be way easier for all involved.  Costco did not want to refund the $50.  I pointed out to them that they could either make me go home, disconnect everything, bring the TV back to them as a return, leaving them with a used TV to deal with or they could simply refund the $50.  Common sense finally came into play and they gave me the $50 difference in cash.



Not sure how long ago that was, but the current policy is this:  If a normally-stocked item sells at one price, and it goes on sale within 30 days at a lower price, AND if the item is still in stock in the warehouse, they will do a Price Adjustment for the difference.  Once the item sells out, they won't do the price adjustment. So you need to act fast. You only need to go to the Refund desk and ask for a Price Adjustment. (Depending on the warehouse, they may refer you to the Front End Supervisor's desk by the checkout, to do the adjustment.)

If you find the item has sold for less within 30 days after you bought it, AND it is out of stock (so the Price Adjustment is no longer available), your only option is to return the item for a refund (within 90 days, if it's electronics.) The down side to that is you can't just buy another of the same item, because it's out of stock.  So that isn't helping you much, except to refund your money if you felt you should have been able to buy something for less than you spent.

As in all things, the policy is subject to change at any time.  Next time you're in the warehouse, stop and ask them what the current policy is, if you think you may want to take advantage of it.  

Dave


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## DaveNV (Jan 25, 2018)

x3 skier said:


> Can I return a girl friend I met at Costco?
> 
> Cheers



Why, yes.  Yes, you can. Unfortunately, unless she has a barcode that scans into their system, you likely won't get a refund on what you spent. So the return probably ends at the warehouse door. 

Dave


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## x3 skier (Jan 25, 2018)

DaveNW said:


> Why, yes.  Yes, you can. Unfortunately, unless she has a barcode than scans into their system, you likely won't get a refund on what you spent. So the return probably ends at the warehouse door.
> 
> Dave



Bummer

Cheers


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## DaveNV (Jan 25, 2018)

Passepartout said:


> I've returned a few clothing items that just didn't fit. I'm always a little leery when I see an unfamiliar brand. I may just buy one package, take it home to try, and if it works out, hustle back for more, or rarely, return it. We don't buy a lot of fresh food at Costco because of the package sizes. Two people have a hard time drinking 2 gallons of milk before it goes stale, or 6 heads of romaine lettuce, or 50 lbs of potatoes. We DO find that the frozen foods are a good value and are a regular staple.
> 
> But not Christmas trees.



It's hard for two people to use a lot of the fresh food, due to sheer volume.  You definitely need to plan ahead.  I have a Seal-a-Meal thing, and split larger packages of freezable stuff into smaller amounts.  I separate them into two-per-package sizes, and freeze them. That works especially well when things like the pork chops or steaks go on sale. With the steaks, I can also add marinade fixins to the package, and when they are later thawed for use, the marinade is well-saturated into the meat. 

One of my best purchases ever was a smaller chest freezer when we moved into this house fourteen years ago.  I knew the freezer in the kitchen was just too small for Costco-sized packages, and the 15cf (I think it was) chest freezer I put in the garage was a lifesaver.  It's still going strong. Definitely got my money's worth on that one.

Dave


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## VacationForever (Jan 25, 2018)

DaveNW said:


> It's hard for two people to use a lot of the fresh food, due to sheer volume.  You definitely need to plan ahead.  I have a Seal-a-Meal thing, and split larger packages of freezable stuff into smaller amounts.  I separate them into two-per-package sizes, and freeze them. That works especially well when things like the pork chops or steaks go on sale. With the steaks, I can also add marinade fixins to the package, and when they are later thawed for use, the marinade is well-saturated into the meat.
> 
> One of my best purchases ever was a smaller chest freezer when we moved into this house fourteen years ago.  I knew the freezer in the kitchen was just too small for Costco-sized packages, and the 15cf (I think it was) chest freezer I put in the garage was a lifesaver.  It's still going strong. Definitely got my money's worth on that one.
> 
> Dave



We rarely shop at Costco anymore because the parking situation is crazy at the store near to us.  But when we do, we shop EVERYTHING including fresh food even though it is just the 2 of us because we have a good fridge and we also find ways to freeze or consume them by inviting neighbors over.  As an example, just yesterday we went to Costco because we were running low on Ziploc bags.  Besides Ziploc bags, trash bags etc, we bought USDA Prime grade ribeye and pork belly for meats.   Last evening when a group of us from our condo went out for dinner, we invited a couple (our good friends) over for dinner tomorrow, telling them that they will have to help us eat the ribeye.  We also repackaged the pork belly into 3 packets and they went into the freezer.  We have bought 5 pounds of the little pototoes and believe it or not, we ate the whole thing over a period of a month or so.  We have the best fridge that we have ever bought (it is a GE Cafe).  It keeps vegetables and fruits fresh for months while the meat drawer is kept consistently cold at 32 degrees.


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## Passepartout (Jan 25, 2018)

DaveNW said:


> One of my best purchases ever was a smaller chest freezer when we moved into this house fourteen years ago.  I knew the freezer in the kitchen was just too small for Costco-sized packages,


We also have a chest freezer that we get great use from, and to break down meats into smaller packages for the two of us, but as I mentioned above the gallons of milk and bales of salad mix and stuff you can't freeze. I make an excuse for bags of artichokes in season.


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## mentalbreak (Jan 26, 2018)

I’m guessing I was on that undesirable returner list. We bought a push lawn mower from costco and it was just way too heavy for anybody in the family other than my husband to use. We gave it a 2-month trial (until we ran it out of fuel) and returned it. The return guy was less-than-friendly.

On the other hand, my BIL was in Costco one day wearing a pair of shoes he had purchased a few months before. The Costco associate commented on them and my BIL said how he really liked them, but probably bought them a size too big. The associate insisted that he exchange for the right size. So he did. Left the used shoes there at the return desk and walked out with the new ones.


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## Talent312 (Jan 26, 2018)

x3 skier said:


> Can I return a girl friend I met at Costco?



If you have a receipt; otherwise, you'll just get a store credit for another.

I once tried to return something at Lowe's and was denied.
They told me to look at my receipt. It said "Home Depot."

.


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## DaveNV (Jan 26, 2018)

mentalbreak said:


> I’m guessing I was on that undesirable returner list. We bought a push lawn mower from costco and it was just way too heavy for anybody in the family other than my husband to use. We gave it a 2-month trial (until we ran it out of fuel) and returned it. The return guy was less-than-friendly.
> 
> On the other hand, my BIL was in Costco one day wearing a pair of shoes he had purchased a few months before. The Costco associate commented on them and my BIL said how he really liked them, but probably bought them a size too big. The associate insisted that he exchange for the right size. So he did. Left the used shoes there at the return desk and walked out with the new ones.



It's unlikely you were on any undesirable list, unless you had abused the refund system, or there was something going on with your membership account.  Costco gets a lot of lawn equipment returned, often (conveniently?) right at the end of the season.  A power lawn mower is not an unusual return, especially if it's too heavy to use.  The problem with gas-powered equipment like that is they need to drain the gas tank, and seal it up safely before it can be shipped back to the vendor.  That takes a certain amount of time, and is a hassle, due to environmental safety. (Where do they dump the gas?)  Chances are, that was why the refunder gave you a hard time.  It's also possible he was just having a bad day. But at the end of the transaction, you did get your refund, right?

That reminds me of something I saw at a Lowe's last summer.  I drove into the parking lot, and saw that a couple had a lawn mower tipped up on its' side in the grass at the edge of the lot.  I went to the store security desk and told them what I saw - that people were dumping gas onto the ground next to a creek that flows right to our salmon-habitat river.  A very major environmental problem.  The security guy ran out to stop them.  The same desk is where returns are handled, and the cashier there said, "I'll bet I know who that is.  They were just here trying to return the mower, and we told them the gas tank had to be empty.  They said they'd take t home and drain it, then bring it back.  Sounds like they didn't even leave the parking lot."  He didn't even sound surprised it was happening.  A very sad commentary.  I hope the people got in trouble, but I kind of doubt it.

Dave


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## DaveNV (Jan 26, 2018)

Talent312 said:


> I once tried to return something at Lowe's and was denied.
> They told me to look at my receipt. It said "Home Depot."



I'll bet that happens a lot, to a lot of people. 

Dave


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## rapmarks (Jan 26, 2018)

Passepartout said:


> We also have a chest freezer that we get great use from, and to break down meats into smaller packages for the two of us, but as I mentioned above the gallons of milk and bales of salad mix and stuff you can't freeze. I make an excuse for bags of artichokes in season.


I have never seen the two goolon containers of milk.  All our Costco sell by one gallon and even f we don't finish , it his half the price of publix


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## DaveNV (Jan 26, 2018)

rapmarks said:


> I have never seen the two goolon containers of milk.  All our Costco sell by one gallon and even f we don't finish , it his half the price of publix



Milk at Costco is usually a bundle of two one-gallon cartons.

Dave


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## PigsDad (Jan 26, 2018)

rapmarks said:


> I have never seen the two goolon containers of milk.  All our Costco sell by one gallon and even f we don't finish , it his half the price of publix


Ours sells the 1-gallon container, but boxed up in packages of two.  You can't just buy a single gallon.

Kurt


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## Elan (Jan 26, 2018)

DaveNW said:


> Not sure how long ago that was, but the current policy is this:  If a normally-stocked item sells at one price, and it goes on sale within 30 days at a lower price, AND if the item is still in stock in the warehouse, they will do a Price Adjustment for the difference.  Once the item sells out, they won't do the price adjustment. So you need to act fast. You only need to go to the Refund desk and ask for a Price Adjustment. (Depending on the warehouse, they may refer you to the Front End Supervisor's desk by the checkout, to do the adjustment.)
> 
> If you find the item has sold for less within 30 days after you bought it, AND it is out of stock (so the Price Adjustment is no longer available), your only option is to return the item for a refund (within 90 days, if it's electronics.) The down side to that is you can't just buy another of the same item, because it's out of stock.  So that isn't helping you much, except to refund your money if you felt you should have been able to buy something for less than you spent.
> 
> ...


 
  There's a portion to this story that I just remembered.  The new, lower price, if I now remember correctly, was perhaps advertised as "online only".  This was some time ago (~15 years?), but when I first posted my recollection above it seemed I was forgetting some detail, and I think that was it -- online only.   Nonetheless, it doesn't really change the story, the amount of common sense needed, or the most reasonable outcome;  I would have to re-package and return the TV, giving the local warehouse a used TV to deal with, then re-order the TV online and have the new one delivered to my house.  Still far more reasonable to just issue a refund.


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## Elan (Jan 26, 2018)

Another thing about our Costco.  Their bagels are good.  But one must buy a 3-pack, IIRC.  Something about our Costco's bagels, but I swear they mold if you simply look at them funny.  So, buying a 3-pack, unless one lives exclusively on bagels for a few days, isn't practical, as you'll likely only get 1.5 packages used before the rest mold.


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## DaveNV (Jan 26, 2018)

Elan said:


> There's a portion to this story that I just remembered.  The new, lower price, if I now remember correctly, was perhaps advertised as "online only".  This was some time ago (~15 years?), but when I first posted my recollection above it seemed I was forgetting some detail, and I think that was it -- online only.   Nonetheless, it doesn't really change the story, the amount of common sense needed, or the most reasonable outcome;  I would have to re-package and return the TV, giving the local warehouse a used TV to deal with, then re-order the TV online and have the new one delivered to my house.  Still far more reasonable to just issue a refund.



I agree. And that was before the open-ended returns on electronics  was changed to the 90-day policy. I think overall, things now are easier to work with. Costco has had to adjust to the market, but still has the most generous return/refund policy of any company I know of. If you had the same situation today, I think it would have gone more easily for you.

Dave


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## DaveNV (Jan 26, 2018)

Elan said:


> Another thing about our Costco.  Their bagels are good.  But one must buy a 3-pack, IIRC.  Something about our Costco's bagels, but I swear they mold if you simply look at them funny.  So, buying a 3-pack, unless one lives exclusively on bagels for a few days, isn't practical, as you'll likely only get 1.5 packages used before the rest mold.



And that goes back to the original warehouse business model - that they were established to support businesses. Home consumers need big families, or a hearty appetite, to get through some of those package sizes. I rarely buy bread or bakery goods at Costco, because I can’t get through it in good time. Maybe start splitting things with your neighbor? 

Dave


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## rapmarks (Jan 26, 2018)

I have been fortunate to have stores with only one gallon, fort Myers, Madison and Middleton WI, or Sioux Falls.  But would you believe milkmis only about 2.30$ per gallon in Wisconsin.  I do not understand why eggs are so high priced at Costco though.


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## DaveNV (Jan 26, 2018)

rapmarks said:


> I do not understand why eggs are so high priced at Costco though.



Maybe the chickens belong to a union? 

Eggs at my Costco aren’t that high, and the larger quantity packages, the 18-packs and such, are usually about the same as a single dozen at the grocery store. So not sure why that is for you.

Dave


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## VacationForever (Jan 26, 2018)

Elan said:


> Another thing about our Costco.  Their bagels are good.  But one must buy a 3-pack, IIRC.  Something about our Costco's bagels, but I swear they mold if you simply look at them funny.  So, buying a 3-pack, unless one lives exclusively on bagels for a few days, isn't practical, as you'll likely only get 1.5 packages used before the rest mold.


You can try freezing them.  We freeze bread all the time.  No difference in quality when you take it back out of the freezer to thaw in the fridge.


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## Elan (Jan 26, 2018)

Don't get me wrong -- our family of 5 goes through bagels pretty quickly.  Nonetheless, our Costco's bagels mold in very short order. Like a few days.  I'm not using freezer space for bagels.  Or any fresh bread product, for that matter.  That's not a practical solution. 

  As far as business vs consumer, that's the irony.  Before we had kids there were these big lots of food goods that I'd look at and think "Wow, maybe in a fire station they could use that much", but now that I could actually use some of those things in those quantities, they are not as available.  I can say, unequivocally, that in the last 20 years, our Costco has moved very far away from the business, or bulk-oriented model to more of a consumer oriented, value-added model -- for instance, fewer 10lb packs of chicken breasts, and more 3 lb packs of chicken breasts stuffed with Prosciutto and swiss cheese.  Nothing wrong with the change, as I'd suspect it's higher margin, it just doesn't suit our needs very well.

  ETA:  The only things I can think of, off the top of my head, that we buy "in bulk" from Costco these days are the 3 packs of large Heinz ketchup and the 2 packs of large Mrs Butterworh (?)syrup.  Oh, and the 5lb's of sliced american cheese, which we split up, vacuum seal and put in outside fridge.


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## DaveNV (Jan 26, 2018)

Elan said:


> Don't get me wrong -- our family of 5 goes through bagels pretty quickly.  Nonetheless, our Costco's bagels mold in very short order. Like a few days.  I'm not using freezer space for bagels.  Or any fresh bread product, for that matter.  That's not a practical solution.
> 
> As far as business vs consumer, that's the irony.  Before we had kids there were these big lots of food goods that I'd look at and think "Wow, maybe in a fire station they could use that much", but now that I could actually use some of those things in those quantities, they are not as available.  I can say, unequivocally, that in the last 20 years, our Costco has moved very far away from the business, or bulk-oriented model to more of a consumer oriented, value-added model -- for instance, fewer 10lb packs of chicken breasts, and more 3 lb packs of chicken breasts stuffed with Prosciutto and swiss cheese.  Nothing wrong with the change, as I'd suspect it's higher margin, it just doesn't suit our needs very well.
> 
> ETA:  The only things I can think of, off the top of my head, that we buy "in bulk" from Costco these days are the 3 packs of large Heinz ketchup and the 2 packs of large Mrs Butterworh (?)syrup.  Oh, and the 5lb's of sliced american cheese, which we split up, vacuum seal and put in outside fridge.



I agree things have evolved far away from the old days of everything in a cut-down cardboard box, and shopping with only flatbed carts.   Remember when they had to call out the item numbers on the products, so the cashier could key them in? Barcodes really helped change that.

I first waded into the warehouse mania in 1982 in San Diego, when I lied to get a Price Club membership at the old Morena Boulevard location.  (That's Warehouse #1 in the entire system, if anyone cares.)  In those days you had to own a business or be Civil Service to belong.  I was Active Duty Navy at the time, but was able to use my non-military building security pass as my photo ID, and they gave me a membership.  I'm sure there was a fair amount of elbowing each other and <wink wink> going on at the time behind the counter, and they likely could tell exactly what I was doing.  I wasn't alone.  There were lots of military folks inside Price Club in those days.  It's much different now.  But those hot dogs and soft drink combos at the Food Court are still $1.50. 

Fast forward to 1998, and I married a Costco career staffer.  Man, I really drank the Kool-Aid, didn't I?  LOL! 

Dave


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## Elan (Jan 26, 2018)

Since the Xmas tree portion of this thread has seemed to run it's course, I'd be interested in hearing what folks here buy from Costco "in bulk" -- meaning in *quantities larger than one could typically find* at Walmart, or Target or other common store.  As I stated above, for us it's ketchup, syrup and cheese.


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## presley (Jan 26, 2018)

DaveNW said:


> first waded into the warehouse mania in 1982 in San Diego, when I lied to get a Price Club membership at the old Morena Boulevard location. (That's Warehouse #1 in the entire system, if anyone cares.) In those days you had to own a business or be Civil Service to belong. I was Active Duty Navy at the time, but was able to use my non-military building security pass as my photo ID, and they gave me a membership.


My mom had a membership there way back when, too. I remember we often had other people go shopping with us because they didn't have a membership and wanted to use my mom's card. There was a time when I was 17, that the store actually let me use her card. I was buying mass amounts of hot dogs, popcorn and chips for my birthday party. It was crazy. I had a friend with a truck to load all the stuff up. I'm sure the checkout person knew it wasn't my card, but I was with a group of people and we were in major party mode and I think they just let us slide. That was probably my happiest memory of Price Club, Morena Blvd.


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## Luanne (Jan 26, 2018)

DaveNW said:


> I first waded into the warehouse mania in 1982 in San Diego, when I lied to get a Price Club membership at the old Morena Boulevard location.  (That's Warehouse #1 in the entire system, if anyone cares.)  In those days you had to own a business or be Civil Service to belong.  I was Active Duty Navy at the time, but was able to use my non-military building security pass as my photo ID, and they gave me a membership.  I'm sure there was a fair amount of elbowing each other and <wink wink> going on at the time behind the counter, and they likely could tell exactly what I was doing.  I wasn't alone.  There were lots of military folks inside Price Club in those days.  It's much different now.  But those hot dogs and soft drink combos at the Food Court are still $1.50.
> 
> 
> 
> Dave


I joined Price Club back in the early 80's in Hayward, CA.  I was single and a [single] friend convinced me to join.  I don't remember if there were joining requirements, but I worked for a large telecom company so maybe that was my "in".   When I married we kept the membership which eventually morphed into a Costco membership and we soon got a store in a closer location.  We've been loyal customers ever since................even if we now have to drive an hour to get to the closest store.


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## DaveNV (Jan 26, 2018)

Elan said:


> Since the Xmas tree portion of this thread has seemed to run it's course, I'd be interested in hearing what folks here buy from Costco "in bulk" -- meaning in *quantities larger than one could typically find* at Walmart, or Target or other common store.  As I stated above, for us it's ketchup, syrup and cheese.



TP, paper towels, ketchup, grated cheese, pork chops, steaks, frozen chicken parts, yogurt, protein drinks, and probably a lot more I can't remember offhand.  

Dave


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## Luanne (Jan 26, 2018)

Elan said:


> Since the Xmas tree portion of this thread has seemed to run it's course, I'd be interested in hearing what folks here buy from Costco "in bulk" -- meaning in *quantities larger than one could typically find* at Walmart, or Target or other common store.  As I stated above, for us it's ketchup, syrup and cheese.


Let's see, we were just there yesterday.  We bought:

toilet paper, chicken breasts, laundry detergent and bleach, Cetaphil (ran into some friends who were there buying the same thing as they had just come from the dermatologist who recommended the product AND that they get it at Costco), Metamucil, Laughing Cow cheese, trash bags, frozen blueberries

Other things we buy in bulk:  paper towels, Kleenex, steaks, yogurt, spices, canned foods (tomatoes, beans), ground beef, produce (both fruit and vegetables), vitamins, bar soap

Most of the time these things may be available in other stores.  BUT, even if you can buy them in bulk, the prices, and quality, is better at Costco.


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## VacationForever (Jan 26, 2018)

Large bags of brocolli, butternut squash, mushrooms, Ziploc bags, trashbags, water, and as what DaveNW said: TP, Kitchen paper towels, pork chops and steaks.  I don't buy fresh chicken anymore due to that one bad stinky experience.  I used to buy bananas, apples, peaches, grapes, papaya and cantaloupes.  I don't generally get fruits in bulk anymore due to the high levels of sugar in fruits.  I still get persimmons when I see them.


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## rapmarks (Jan 26, 2018)

DaveNW said:


> Maybe the chickens belong to a union?
> 
> Eggs at my Costco aren’t that high, and the larger quantity packages, the 18-packs and such, are usually about the same as a single dozen at the grocery store. So not sure why that is for you.
> 
> Dave


Like six dollars in ft Myers to buy eggs, only cage free available.


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## Elan (Jan 26, 2018)

Well, I'd argue all day that one can find similar quantity, quality and prices for things like paper towels, trash bags Ziploc's and TP at other stores.  Having said that, we do buy that stuff at Costco, *IF* we're out there for other items.  Same with laundry detergent, paper plates etc.  We get those things at Costco if we're there, but none of them drive us to shop at Costco.  And the thing about most of those items is they're once a month type purchases, if that.  So if you're in Target or Walmart or similar even once per month, chances are you'd be able to buy the same product at similar prices (often _much_ _less_ if you actively shop sales).  Heck, even my local HD, which I'm seemingly in every week, is often competitive on Bounty paper towels, for instance.    

  I do like Costco steaks.  And they run good deals on tires.  But we've gone from once a month to maybe once every 4-6 months.  If it weren't for tires and the seduction of scoring some other random good impulse buy , I'd probably give up my membership.


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## VacationForever (Jan 26, 2018)

Elan said:


> Well, I'd argue all day that one can find similar quantity, quality and prices for things like paper towels, trash bags Ziploc's and TP at other stores.  Having said that, we do buy that stuff at Costco, *IF* we're out there for other items.  Same with laundry detergent, paper plates etc.  We get those things at Costco if we're there, but none of them drive us to shop at Costco.  And the thing about most of those items is they're once a month type purchases, if that.  So if you're in Target or Walmart or similar even once per month, chances are you'd be able to buy the same product at similar prices (often _much_ _less_ if you actively shop sales).  Heck, even my local HD, which I'm seemingly in every week, is often competitive on Bounty paper towels, for instance.
> 
> I do like Costco steaks.  And they run good deals on tires.  But we've gone from once a month to maybe once every 4-6 months.  If it weren't for tires and the seduction of scoring some other random good impulse buy , I'd probably give up my membership.



I agree that trash bags etc are not necessarily cheaper at Costco but we really do not price compare.  We make the excuse of wanting to go to Costco to buy whatever products so that we can walk through the aisles and look for things to buy.


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## IngridN (Jan 26, 2018)

Bulk purchases include all paper products as well as probiotics and airborne when they have a coupon. With only 2 of us I buy very few perishables. I have done a lot of price comparison and their products/prices don't compare to what you can get at other stores if you compare same to same. The exception being if there are 50% off sales. I also love their Kirkland brand items. There is one OTC product that costs us $30/month at CVS and $5 or so for the Kirkland equivalent...you can't beat that. On and on.

I also love their steaks now that they carry Prime grade.

Ingrid


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## Elan (Jan 26, 2018)

VacationForever said:


> I agree that trash bags etc are not necessarily cheaper at Costco but we really do not price compare.  We make the excuse of wanting to go to Costco to buy whatever products so that we can walk through the aisles and look for things to buy.


Yeah, I get that.  There's no doubt that cruising the aisles at Costco is more fun that at Target.   I like Costco, but I hate the free samples and consequentially clogged aisles, long checkout lines, etc.  Plus, and this is big, it's on the other side of town from where we live.  If it were more convenient to get to (and in and out of), I'd go more often.

Sent from my Moto G (5S) Plus using Tapatalk


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## DaveNV (Jan 26, 2018)

rapmarks said:


> Like six dollars in ft Myers to buy eggs, only cage free available.



Yeah, we definitely have choices here.  My Costco has several types of eggs in various size packages, including flats, brown eggs, cage free, and whatever else. There are a number of options.  But an 18-pack is something like $3.  So cheap, I never even think about it.

Dave


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## DaveNV (Jan 26, 2018)

Elan said:


> If it were more convenient to get to (and in and out of), I'd go more often.



One big thing for me is gas.  The warehouse isn't all that far from my house, enough so that I've only bought Costco gas for years.  Now that they have 4% back with the Costco Citi Credit Card, it's even more incentive to buy it there.  Add that 4% plus the 2% with my Executive membership, and it's a done deal. 

Dave


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## VacationForever (Jan 26, 2018)

DaveNW said:


> Yeah, we definitely have choices here.  My Costco has several types of eggs in various size packages, including flats, brown eggs, cage free, and whatever else. There are a number of options.  But an 18-pack is something like $3.  So cheap, I never even think about it.
> 
> Dave


Argh... I don't think I want flat eggs.


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## CalGalTraveler (Jan 26, 2018)

Elan said:


> Yeah, I get that.  There's no doubt that cruising the aisles at Costco is more fun that at Target.   I like Costco, but I hate the free samples and consequentially clogged aisles, long checkout lines, etc.  Plus, and this is big, it's on the other side of town from where we live.  If it were more convenient to get to (and in and out of), I'd go more often.
> 
> Sent from my Moto G (5S) Plus using Tapatalk



Google Express can now deliver from Costco to your home.  Check to see if it is in your location. We too have our Costco way across town. They won't deliver milk and eggs but for other staples we were able to get delivered in one day. There are also some coupons out there for new subscribers that can save $$.


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## DaveNV (Jan 26, 2018)

VacationForever said:


> Argh... I don't think I want flat eggs.



Ok, that was funny right there.  

Dave


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## x3 skier (Jan 26, 2018)

Elan said:


> Another thing about our Costco.  Their bagels are good.  But one must buy a 3-pack, IIRC.  Something about our Costco's bagels, but I swear they mold if you simply look at them funny.  So, buying a 3-pack, unless one lives exclusively on bagels for a few days, isn't practical, as you'll likely only get 1.5 packages used before the rest mold.



I’ve had the same experience.

Cheers


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## heathpack (Jan 28, 2018)

Elan said:


> Since the Xmas tree portion of this thread has seemed to run it's course, I'd be interested in hearing what folks here buy from Costco "in bulk" -- meaning in *quantities larger than one could typically find* at Walmart, or Target or other common store.  As I stated above, for us it's ketchup, syrup and cheese.



Our Costco items:
1.  Organic chicken breasts, thighs, and occ legs
2.  Lamb loin chops, boneless leg of lamb
3.  Pork tenderloin
4.  Fage 0% plain Greek yogurt
5.  Cooked rotisserie chickens
6.  Occasionally produce like berries, haricot vert
7.  Maple syrup
8.  Dijon mustard
9.  Sliced jarlsberg cheese
10. Wine
11. Sometimes frozen oj 
12. Large packages (5-6 heads) romaine
13.  Kirkland balsamic vinegar
14.  Every now and then, soda or bottled water
15.  Whipped cream
16.  Peanut butter
17.  Vanilla extract


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## DaveNV (Jan 28, 2018)

Bagel people, I just asked my Costco staffer spouse about why they go moldy so quickly.  I was told to tell everyone this:

It's because the bakery seals the bags they come in before the bagels have fully cooled and the moisture has dried.  The trapped moisture, heat, and yeast in the bagels combine to cause the issue.  Take the bags home, and OPEN THE BAGS to let the bagels air out, dry out, and release any pent up trapped moisture and such.  They can then be bagged again and stored for longer periods of time without going moldy. If you won't be using them in a reasonable time, freeze them.

So, there you go.  Right from a Refund Cashier who has given away a LOT of money to members with moldy bagels.  

Dave


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## MULTIZ321 (Jan 28, 2018)

DaveNW said:


> Bagel people, I just asked my Costco staffer spouse about why they go moldy so quickly.  I was told to tell everyone this:
> 
> It's because the bakery seals the bags they come in before the bagels have fully cooled and the moisture has dried.  The trapped moisture, heat, and yeast in the bagels combine to cause the issue.  Take the bags home, and OPEN THE BAGS to let the bagels air out, dry out, and release any pent up trapped moisture and such.  They can then be bagged again and stored for a longer periods of time without going moldy. If you won't be using them in a reasonable time, freeze them.
> 
> ...




Thanks Dave, I will inform my wife.

Richard


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## vacationhopeful (Jan 28, 2018)

Might also turn the store supplied bag inside out and let dry out for 15 minutes or now .. before returning the bagels. Or use a ZIPLOCK bag.


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## clifffaith (Jan 28, 2018)

We just let our Costco membership lapse for good. The parking is such an issue, and two of us simply don't need to be buying anything in bulk. Our last trip was the week before Thanksgiving. Since I knew I wouldn't be back I did buy two tubs of the individually wrapped biscotti. With all the Christmas season goodies in the house, we have only had a couple biscotti out of the first tub. It will be interesting to see if the second tub seems a bit less fresh since I bet it will be March before we open it ( luckily biscotti are already sort of dry so I don't think it will be too much if an issue).

What we always did with our membership, since we went at most three times per year, was to be sure to get a last trip in during the last month of our term, and then lapse until we went again, rather than renewing on an annual basis.


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## VacationForever (Jan 28, 2018)

Tihsi


clifffaith said:


> We just let our Costco membership lapse for good. The parking is such an issue, and two of us simply don't need to be buying anything in bulk. Our last trip was the week before Thanksgiving. Since I knew I wouldn't be back I did buy two tubs of the individually wrapped biscotti. With all the Christmas season goodies in the house, we have only had a couple biscotti out of the first tub. It will be interesting to see if the second tub seems a bit less fresh since I bet it will be March before we open it ( luckily biscotti are already sort of dry so I don't think it will be too much if an issue).
> 
> What we always did with our membership, since we went at most three times per year, was to be sure to get a last trip in during the last month of our term, and then lapse until we went again, rather than renewing on an annual basis.


Keep your biscottis in your fridge for longer shelf life.


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## moonstone (Jan 28, 2018)

clifffaith said:


> We just let our Costco membership lapse for good. The parking is such an issue, and two of us simply don't need to be buying anything in bulk. Our last trip was the week before Thanksgiving. Since I knew I wouldn't be back I did buy two tubs of the individually wrapped biscotti. With all the Christmas season goodies in the house, we have only had a couple biscotti out of the first tub. It will be interesting to see if the second tub seems a bit less fresh since I bet it will be March before we open it ( luckily biscotti are already sort of dry so I don't think it will be too much if an issue).
> 
> What we always did with our membership, since we went at most three times per year, was to be sure to get a last trip in during the last month of our term, and then lapse until we went again, rather than renewing on an annual basis.




My sister let her Costco membership go when she moved 2hrs away from the nearest Costco after her retirement a few years ago. Now a few times a year she gives me money to buy her a Costco Cash Card so she can go and stock up when she's in town. As long as she pays with the card (& additional cash if needed) she doesn't need the membership.

~Diane


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## clifffaith (Jan 28, 2018)

VacationForever said:


> Tihsi
> 
> Keep your biscottis in your fridge for longer shelf life.



Well, we just happen to have three so plenty of room! Cliff thinks we'll be moving one of the extra refrigerators with us when we move into the retirement community. I get push back when I say that won't be happening so I'm leaving it alone for now. I am bound and determined to start cutting back on how full we fill the fridges and the big pantry, but it's hard not to buy a dozen cans if Progresso soup, etc when it's on sale. And every time Von's has spend $100 get $10 off more big cans of coffee come home. But when we move we simply won't have the room.


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## clifffaith (Jan 28, 2018)

moonstone said:


> My sister let her Costco membership go when she moved 2hrs away from the nearest Costco after her retirement a few years ago. Now a few times a year she gives me money to buy her a Costco Cash Card so she can go and stock up when she's in town. As long as she pays with the card (& additional cash if needed) she doesn't need the membership.
> 
> ~Diane



Interesting, so in theory if we were planning on becoming members again, we could be members for a year and on our last visit buy a cash card of say $200 and really put off having to pay the membership fee again ( Sam's Club is $10 less last time I looked so I'd shop there but Cliff harbors ill will towards Walmart)


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## DaveNV (Jan 28, 2018)

Faith, what you described technically would work, with this caveat:  Corporate policy is that if you are not a member, and you're paying with a Cash Card, and you spend less than the amount on the card, you're supposed to get your change in cash.  The cashier is instructed to cash out the balance on the card, so the card then becomes null and void, and it can't be added on to.  The point of a Cash Card is to give a non-member the experience of shopping at Costco, with the (hopeful) expectation that they would become a member. (So your cash card shop would be a one-time thing.)

Also, I'm not sure how widely known it is, but the membership fees you pay to be a Costco member is what pays the salaries of Costco employees, and pays for the warehouse overhead costs. 

Dave


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## easyrider (Jan 28, 2018)

I like the Costco refund policy but rarely use it. I had left some liquid COq10 in the fridge for a long time. I thought I used it up and had bought another. When I found the 3/4 full bottle I retured it to Costco and told them it smelled funny. They exchanged this for a new bottle.

A couple of weeks ago we made it to Costco Puerto Vallarta. I think we spent about $350. One of the purchased items was cases of wine. We did bring home 18 bottles of wine that isn't available in the USA. Other purchases were salmon fillets, shrimp, chicken breast and general food items needed for a couple weeks of timeshare. We love Costco for the consistency of the quality products at all locations.

Bill


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## DaveNV (Jan 28, 2018)

easyrider said:


> A couple of weeks ago we made it to Costco Puerto Vallarta. I think we spent about $350. One of the purchased items was cases of wine. We did bring home 18 bottles of wine that isn't available in the USA.
> 
> Bill



If you are a wine fan, here is something to know:   The local Costco warehouse decides how many wine items they will stock in that warehouse.  So some warehouses, even in the same local vicinity, may have different wine stocks that nearby warehouses.  Also wine available in one state is very likely different from wine available in warehouses in other states.  So as you're traveling, stop and check out the wine in the local warehouse - you will find a lot of commonly available items, but could find some new stuff you didn't know about. Costco is the largest wine seller in the country, and the wine selections offered are considered some of the best values in the industry, so it's always worth checking out.  Win-win, if you like wine.

Dave


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## mentalbreak (Mar 31, 2020)

I’m glad that Costco has modified their return policy in the midst of COVID-19.

Today’s isolation project at our house is disassembling our 14-year-old playset from Costco.  Great demolition work for teens that need to get some fresh air and release some stress.

I did joke to my husband “should we return it?”  100% a joke.  It was well loved and I’m kind of sad to close another chapter of childhood.


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## DaveNV (Mar 31, 2020)

mentalbreak said:


> I’m glad that Costco has modified their return policy in the midst of COVID-19.
> 
> Today’s isolation project at our house is disassembling our 14-year-old playset from Costco.  Great demolition work for teens that need to get some fresh air and release some stress.
> 
> I did joke to my husband “should we return it?”  100% a joke.  It was well loved and I’m kind of sad to close another chapter of childhood.




Hey, another family project:  Try to return it. Trust me, you would not be the first!  

Dave


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## VacationForever (Mar 31, 2020)

DaveNW said:


> Hey, another family project:  Try to return it. Trust me, you would not be the first!
> 
> Dave


Dave, You may or may not know this one.  A rare return question, I think.  I bought the California Fastrak Hardware from Costco from 10 years ago or so.  Never used it, never registered it and still sitting in my drawer.  Do you think I can return it?   I am too embarrassed to take in to returns but I have never used it.  I bought it for my second car then but never got around to registering and installing it.


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## DaveNV (Mar 31, 2020)

VacationForever said:


> Dave, You may or may not know this one.  A rare return question, I think.  I bought the California Fastrak Hardware from Costco from 10 years ago or so.  Never used it, never registered it and still sitting in my drawer.  Do you think I can return it?   I am too embarrassed to take in to returns but I have never used it.  I bought it for my second car then but never got around to registering and installing it.



I'm not in California, so am not sure what this is, but I'm guessing it's a toll road device?  Are they still selling that item?  Even if not, I'd say take it back and see what they say.  The worst case scenario would be them saying, Sorry, can't do it.  No harm, no foul.  The issue would be whether they can find the purchase in your shopping history.  If you happen to have a sales receipt that shows what you paid, you'd help them to help you.  Otherwise, how will they know what it sold for?

There was a time when "no sales receipt" meant the best price they'd give you was the last price that item sold for.  With older items, it becomes a matter of finding the item in their system.  Since they instituted the computerized shopping history thing a number of years ago, it has streamlined the process.  But for something that may not be in the system anymore, you're kind of stuck.  Again, I'd say give it a try. It certainly can't hurt.

Hope this helps.  Good luck!

Dave


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## VacationForever (Mar 31, 2020)

DaveNW said:


> I'm not in California, so am not sure what this is, but I'm guessing it's a toll road device?  Are they still selling that item?  Even if not, I'd say take it back and see what they say.  The worst case scenario would be them saying, Sorry, can't do it.  No harm, no foul.  The issue would be whether they can find the purchase in your shopping history.  If you happen to have a sales receipt that shows what you paid, you'd help them to help you.  Otherwise, how will they know what it sold for?
> 
> There was a time when "no sales receipt" meant the best price they'd give you was the last price that item sold for.  With older items, it becomes a matter of finding the item in their system.  Since they instituted the computerized shopping history thing a number of years ago, it has streamlined the process.  But for something that may not be in the system anymore, you're kind of stuck.  Again, I'd say give it a try. It certainly can't hurt.
> 
> ...


Thanks.  Didn't keep the sales receipt.  California has since gone to a sticker RFID system about 6 months ago but they still support the Fastrak hardware.  I have the sticker in my car as I drive to California several times a year.


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## pedro47 (Mar 31, 2020)

I bet she purchased that tree between December 6 - 24, 2019.

So she was within the 30 days return policy on some items.
correct range should be December


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## DaveNV (Mar 31, 2020)

VacationForever said:


> Thanks.  Didn't keep the sales receipt.  California has since gone to a sticker RFID system about 6 months ago but they still support the Fastrak hardware.  I have the sticker in my car as I drive to California several times a year.



Take it in.  Can't hurt, right?  Better than having it sit in the drawer at your house. 

Dave


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## controller1 (Mar 31, 2020)

pedro47 said:


> I bet she purchased that tree between December 6 - 24, 2019.
> 
> So she was within the 30 days return policy on some items.



I'll take that bet.

That post was from 2018.


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## Sandy VDH (Mar 31, 2020)

There is people who are banned from returns, especially if they have been warned a few times and are habitual violators.  I have hard of the perpetual BBQ and yard furniture shoppers who buy it every spring but who then return it every fall because they don't want to store it.  Do that for a few years in a row, and Costco will pay attention.

Remember they know everything that you have purchased and exactly what you have returned.


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## DaveNV (Mar 31, 2020)

Sandy VDH said:


> There is people who are banned from returns, especially if they have been warned a few times and are habitual violators.  I have hard of the perpetual BBQ and yard furniture shoppers who buy it every spring but who then return it every fall because they don't want to store it.  Do that for a few years in a row, and Costco will pay attention.
> 
> Remember they know everything that you have purchased and exactly what you have returned.



Yes, they do.  Carry it a step further:  In Hawaii Costco's, tourists are known to buy surfboards, paddle boards, boogie boards, snorkel gear, and even patio furniture, then at the end of their vacation a week later, they try to return it.  It has happened enough that Costco there has put a stop to it.  I even had them give me a hard time trying to return an Aloha Shirt I bought that didn't fit right.  Refunding in a place like that must be a nightmare.

Dave


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## IngridN (Mar 31, 2020)

VacationForever said:


> Thanks.  Didn't keep the sales receipt.  California has since gone to a sticker RFID system about 6 months ago but they still support the Fastrak hardware.  I have the sticker in my car as I drive to California several times a year.



I don't believe you'll be able to return it to Costco because that $30 you paid for it went to the state and your Fastrack account has that credit sitting there. I would suggest calling them and see what you need to do to get your money back. Depending on your usage, they charge your cc that you supplied (or subsequently updated) to maintain that amount.

Edit to add: when CA changed the system...for us a different type of hardware that we currently use, you had to call Fastrack, they sent you new ones and you then return the old ones.

Ingrid


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## VacationForever (Mar 31, 2020)

IngridN said:


> I don't believe you'll be able to return it to Costco because that $30 you paid for it went to the state and your Fastrack account has that credit sitting there. I would suggest calling them and see what you need to do to get your money back. Depending on your usage, they charge your cc that you supplied (or subsequently updated) to maintain that amount.
> 
> Edit to add: when CA changed the system...for us a different type of hardware that we currently use, you had to call Fastrack, they sent you new ones and you then return the old ones.
> 
> Ingrid


I have never registered the one that I bought from Costco.

I already have the sticker one.


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## IngridN (Mar 31, 2020)

Missed that. I would call Fastrack first though before I had to interact with an additional person in these times. It's been so long since I got mine, I don't know how it was handled. I do seem to vaguely recall a sign that this was a passthrough type transaction.


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## rapmarks (Mar 31, 2020)

Last fall when we arrived in Florida i bought a pack of toothpaste, tissues, paper towels,  toilet paper, canned chicken, tuna, , and beans From Costco in larger quantities than usual. We always ate out a lot, so I have a lot left, and I am sure grateful I made those purchases.


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## pedro47 (Apr 1, 2020)

controller1 said:


> I'll take that bet.
> 
> That post was from 2018.


Thanks for the correction. 
Enter wrong year , the correct year should be 2018.
Ok you won that bet. LOL.


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