Costco is beloved by shoppers for many reasons. Its low prices, free samples, and food court are all part of the reason why the chain boasts almost 130 million members as of last year.
Another aspect people love about Costco is its return policy—though this isn’t without controversy. Costco is known for accepting returns on most items, a fact that has led numerous internet users bringing their years-old possessions to the chain in search of a refund.
For example, one user claimed she returned a used bidet to the store. Another alleged that she was able to return a couch after two years of use, and a further user documented all of the people returning Christmas trees after the holiday had passed.
Now, a self-proclaimed former Costco employee says that he experienced a customer attempting an incredible return—and that the return was accepted.
Returning a playset after a decade
In a video with over 578,000 views, TikTok user @psychoz28 says that he used to work in the “Membership” area of Costco, which he describes as comparable to customer service.
While there, he was repeatedly informed of the store’s generous return policy. One day, he got to learn just how generous that return policy could be.
“I get called down to Membership. I see a guy standing there with one of those orange flatbed carts. It has a whole bunch of pieces to a playground set,” he recalls, showing a picture of a playground set being sold for $1,399.99.
The TikToker was then told that he was to help the customer find his receipt. He eventually managed to find it in the computer system, only to discover that the purchase was made in 2008.
“I look at him and I ask, ‘What’s the reason for return?’” the TikToker recounts. “He says, ‘My kids grew up.’”
Unbelievably, this was enough for that Costco location to process the return.
“It’s allowed to go through because it’s customer satisfaction first at Costco,” the TikToker notes. He then adds that there are a few checks to make sure the system isn’t being abused. For example, one can “check their return history to see if they’ve done anything like attempting this before with, you know, returning multiple thousands of dollars in merchandise.”
However, this person’s return was deemed legitimate.
“He is able to return it because his kid grew up. There’s no problems, no complaints. That’s how Costco operates,” the TikToker states. He later adds, “This guy essentially borrowed a $1,400 play set for his kid. It’s crazy how much Costco cares about their members.”
Commenters share their thoughts on this return policy
On Costco’s website, it appears that a return like this does fall in line with their stated policy. However, some commenters believed this to be an abuse of the system.
“Honestly that’s not finding a loophole that’s just a piece of crap person,” wrote a user.
“I wish I could have a morally decent version of this level of audacity,” added another.
That said, some countered with similar stories.
“My husband returned our outdoor furniture after 5+ years. The best part is they came and picked it up from us at our house and then sent us a gift card. We didn’t even have to bring it in,” said a commenter.
@psychoz28 Costco return story#greenscreen #costco #customerservice #retail #fyp #membership ♬ original sound – PsychoZ28
“And this is why I buy everything I can at Costco. Had an issue with a couch bought during Covid. Couldn’t get a replacement because of c19 so we lived with it then 2 years later they took it back,” shared a second.
“I watched a family return an above ground pool. Because they didn’t need it during the winter,” offered a third.
The Daily Dot reached out to Costco via media request form and @psychoz28 via TikTok comment.
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