@DaveNW I don't do returns at Costco even at timees when I should. If someone regularly abuses the liberal refund/return policy, what does Costco do about it? "Fire" them by terminating their membership?
It depends on the type of abuse. Some people return things all the time. (My spouse calls them "regulars".) There is no issue with that. If the return is legitimate, Costco has no trouble with it. The Costco buyers factor in something like 10% of any item as expected returns. They track such things, and if an item has too high of a return rate, they may stop selling it. (Pretty smart, actually.) You should never hesitate to return something that you're not satisfied with, whether it is food that went bad or didn't taste right, clothes that don't fit or that you don't like, something that broke under regular use, or any merchandise that just didn't measure up to your expectations. That's part of the Costco business model, and will be no trouble for you.
The people who get into trouble are those who deliberately abuse the policy. I'm talking about the people who buy the huge screen TV the week before the Super Bowl, and return it the week after - year after year. The people who repeatedly buy something that isn't up to the task at hand, then return it when it fails, only to buy another of the same item, then return that one when it fails for the same reason. An example of that was a guy who owned a small restaurant. He bought a non-commercial deep fryer intended for a home kitchen, and used it in his restaurant. When it failed, he bought another, and then another. After about the fourth time, it came to the attention of the refund cashier, who knew this guy because he was a "regular." A Manager was notified, and the guy was told he would not be receiving a refund on this item if he ever returned it again. He was "strongly" encouraged to buy a commercial deep fryer. He did.
Memberships being cancelled are rare, and the situation has to justify the action. Returning something they can't prove you bought (that whole shopping history thing I mentioned in a previous post), and trying to defraud the system in some way. People shoplift items all the time, then try to return them for cash. That whole shopping history thing comes into play a lot. It's people like that who cause their own issue.
So if you have something you think needs to go back, take it back. If they refuse the refund, ask them why. Often, in disputes with members, a Manager or Supervisor is brought in. After discussion with the member, the Manager will often agree to the refund, and that's that. Abuse it enough to become a person known to be troublesome, and your account can get flagged as one to watch. When they scan your membership card at the Refund desk, any "card blocks" come up right away. The clerk can read and make notes on your account, and any red flags are noted. Go to another warehouse, and the same notes show up there. In most cases, it's a non-issue. But if you're a problem member, they'll know about it, and take action accordingly.
In short, 99.999% of members never have an issue. The return policy is generous for a reason. They know if you're a happy member, you'll spend more. So go about your business normally, and don't worry about returning something you don't like. If you're trying to cheat them, they'll know. And THAT is the best way to have your membership cancelled. It's rare, but it does happen.
Dave
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