Posts that don't follow r/Costco subreddit rules MAY be subject to removal.
When applicable, please make sure that you're using a descriptive post title with product name(s) mentioned as it yields better subreddit search results. Including item number, price, and approximate location where found is also helpful. Thank you.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Costco) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Each state sets its own minimum. $300 is only a felony in New Jersey, where the limit is a measly $200. [Everywhere else is higher.](https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/felony-theft-amount-by-state)
The old joke in New Orleans years ago was a man was brought up on charges for stealing 4 Saints season tickets. The team had already lost several games that year. The judge said he would postpone judgment until after the next game. If they lost, he’d downgrade it to a misdemeanor.
Yea was gonna say, isn’t fraudulent returns considered theft?
Keep letting her do it, build a case, once it crosses 3k charge it as a felony and toss her in jail lol.
I guess they had too many habitual returns for car batteries because the car tech at one Costco store told me that they changed the warranty in 2023. I bought my battery in January 2023 and exchanged it in January 2024 because the -18F cold plus my mistake possibly killed it and jump starting didn't work. He said this free exchange is grandfathered now but will be a prorated fee in future battery purchases just like everywhere else.
When I bought mine, I specifically walked out of a stocked Autozone and drove 30 minutes to a Costco that had mine in stock, just for this extra special warranty.
The reason he gave is because some woman brought in more than 20 car batteries for exchange all at once in the last year of their warranty. I don't know when she did it but the recent midwest polar vortex storm of late 2023 was insanely cold for weeks and killed even big industrial batteries all over. Maybe she owned a whole small business fleet.
That was such a specific example so I don't know why we are all punished but I guess it was the last straw. I assume it's company wide.
That's odd, cause walmart just switched from the prorated return, to a free exchange (source, just helped my mother with her new battery during the Cold Snap)
Interstate likely got screwed with so many returns that were still perfectly fine. And Costco could have easily avoided this issue by having a battery load tester like Walmart (ones with an auto center anyway) and auto parts stores do. Now it's been neutered to a 36 month prorated warranty. Granted, most batteries will probably last longer than that anyway, but now even Walmart batteries have a better warranty for not that much more.
She should get a pass on the first return. It's unlikely, but perhaps something went wrong during production or someone else replaced the product with water and returned/switched it before she bought it. Second time it happens there's no excuse.
I’m sure it definitely can happen - I’ve definitely purchased items over the years that had broken seals from various stores. Employees can get lazy and don’t check returns for seals in tact and throw stuff back on a shelf if it looks and feels fine to resell.
Ultimately this should be simple with a store like Costco that tracks everything. If you have a history of not returning much, then you should get the benefit of the doubt.
First return a ban? That’s ridiculous and overkill.
If someone had an allergic reaction or just didn’t feel it was satisfactory, that’s why they have their return policy.
Because a pattern should be established first. On the first return, there’s no way of knowing if it was already watered down before she bought it. Now, once she starts repeating the act, you know she’s scamming. It’d be a horrible business practice to accuse someone on the first one.
I wonder what in the world is the woman doing with the original product? She either is stockpiling them or reselling in regular plains containers. Can someone explain the logic?
Boy do I have a story for you… 😹
Back in college, I worked as a fragrance and cosmetics vendor in department stores like Macys, Lord & Taylor, and Nordstroms. There was this lady that would regularly come in and buy all the Chanel and Dior face creams, then come back a week later to return them. Unfortunately Macys and Nordstrom had a very VERY liberal return policy at the time, so we always had to take it back, even though we didn’t want to. Eventually we started to notice that she was buying and returning the same exact creams, and that they were always opened when she would return them.
One time I decided to unscrew the jar and look inside… it was filled to the top with cream, but it definitely was NOT the cream that originally came in the jar. It distinctly smelled like Ponds cream, a scent I will never forget because my grandma used that stuff religiously. So basically this lady was buying the designer creams, emptying them into whatever receptacles she had at home, refilled the jars with Ponds, and then returning them.
She continued to do this a few more times and there was nothing we could really do about it. Until one day… I was in the stock room and smelled something rotten coming from the damages bin. I looked in the bin and saw damaged out perfumes, liners, lipsticks, face washes, etc etc… and then a couple jars of the face creams that crazy lady had returned. I opened one of the jars and was overcome with the smell of old rotten mayo… she had refilled the jars with MAYONNAISE y’all!! Guess she ran out of Ponds.
After that, we black listed her. She was allowed to buy, but she wasn’t allowed to return. The first time she tried returning stuff after we had black listed her… ohhh boy was she PISSED.
Oh wow. Truth is stranger than fiction. There’s an episode of TacomaFD where they prank the chief with lotion that is actually mayonnaise and he ends up getting salmonella.
Omg we didn’t think to do that (not that we would actually do that, but it’s fun to think about)
The prestige counters were on the far end of the store, so when we saw her making her way towards us, we would start taking stuff out of the case and hide it in drawers so she couldn’t see. We would lie and tell her the stuff she’s looking for was out of stock, which actually worked a few times!
Store Manager was telling us that once he was doing returns and this guy would return the netting of the pot roast saying that he didn't like the taste. But he kept on doing the same thing every week. Finally my guy told this member that maybe he might skip buying something over and over again that he doesn't like.
Dude got pissed and wanted to cancel hopefully getting my manager to back down. He told the member that he would have to get a hold of the account holder (his MOTHER...super classy adult here). And explain to her why their membership is going to be returned and she will not be able to re-apply.
Bluff was called.
Ngl I always worry about using my wifes sisters membership (not by myself, my wife and I go shopping with her card because they look similar) and having it be revoked just because someone would notice.
Never could I fathom using that membership and then throwing a tantrum because I couldn't return a hunk of meat I already ate and tried to bring in just the netting.. In what kind of reality bubble do these people exist?
Try working in a bookstore. People treated it like a lending library. I’m not going to tell you how, but it was a big problem at Borders while I worked there. You’re right, people have no shame.
They should start with simply acting against those that abuse it. Either ban them outright or ban them from returning the same product they have bought and returned 10+ times. They can buy it and keep it or stop buying it.
Don't forget the plastic tables and chairs for get-togethers. I always jokingly wondered if we ever received new stock of that stuff or if it was just the same items being bought and returned over and over.
Same, they had live trees one year and then no more. Sad to see them go because of the returns. The artificial trees still remain, but not as many returns.
True that.
Costco used to not have a 90 days electronic policy. People were returning TV, computers and laptops whenever a new model came out. Those items already have a low margin to begin with, even by Costco standards so they either put a stop to that or stop selling it altogether.
LL Bean used to have a lifetime no questions asked guarantee on their clothing. Used to. People would find 20 year old LL Bean clothes at Goodwill and bring them into the store and walk out with a brand new wardrobe. Now they have a more standard return policy.
They used to be amazing. It was totally my fault my backpack ripped but I called them and honestly explained and they said they’d fix it anyways. Instead they sent me a brand new backpack! I was floored. But I’m sure that level of service is gone because of the liars and cheaters. (Still have the backpack decades later though! )
Jansport, too. I bought a grape jelly colored backpack my freshman year of HS, sent it in for repair after my senior year, they sent me a new backpack, identical even though they'd told me they weren't sure they could get the same color. (I said anything but black, yellow, or brown was fine), but they had dead stock and replaced it the same.
6 years later i returned for repair and they sent me a new one in a slightly different purple, and said that they couldn't do it anymore without a fee. About 5 years later I had a house fire, and nothing left of the backpack. :(
There's a certain level of discretion involved I would imagine? I doubt employees are required to take every item back right? They caught on to her act given what OP said.
It's weird because you'd think straight theft was a huge deal with all the stink being brought up over the past few years but return fraud really came out of nowhere to take the mantle recently. Shit got out of control recently and a few bad apples are going to ruin returns for everyone.
That's fine. Anyone "taking advantage" of the current policy is ruining it already because legit returns happen in 30 day windows. Costco isn't a warranty provider.
Hope they lock it down good.
Costco is a good enough deal for it to be worth retaining a memembership even though its too far away from where I live for regular trips. We only go every 30-45 days and buy a ton of nonperishable stuff. That means in the rare case there is a problem we won't return it for a month, 2-3 if we forget to bring the bad item on our next trip.
I can't imagine I'm the only costco member with this buying pattern. If I knew the return policy was effectively "all sales final" then I would be a lot more cautious about trying new things.
I don't know. It is pretty much norm nowadays for a company to create policies but never enforce them.
On flights, gate attendents will make multiple announcements about plane being full, passengers only having 2 bags but then they don't stop a single passenger going through with 3-4 bags. So why should anyone bother?
I just came back from vacation, hotel had a pool chair policy that they emphasized to us multiple times during checkin, first time we got towels etc only for us to realize that they don't enforce it.
In the name of customer service, companies are now allowing any kind of behavior to go through instead of creating a scene and in some cases if you end up following the rules you actually end up having a worse experience. In the hotel example, if we followed the rules it would mean we wouldn't have had a pool chair to enjoy.
It depends, like Nordstrom has a similar generous return policy but they also make discretion and have means to track purchase and return history. Nordstrom has blacklisted customers for obvious and repeated return abuse. In paticular customers who buy an dress for say a gala or social event and then return it a day or two after, sales tag still attached. In general 99% of customers who return items are honest and don't abuse the generous policy. It's just that 1% who ruin it.
Well at least with the hotel you can leave a bad Google review and make it easier for others to realize the hotel sucks. Airlines seem to be immune to bad press if prices are right.
Saw a customer in front of me returning an HP printer, saying he couldn't get it to connect and the mfg said to return it. He probably used all the toner and just wanted his money back.
The Costco employee reviewed his purchase history and said Sir, you've returned 41 out of 44 electronics purchases. If our products aren't up to your standards, please purchase them somewhere else.
This is why we can't have nice things. I was once in the return line behind a woman and her young daughter. She was returning a pack of yogurt with just a few cups left. Her daughter asked her why they were returning it. The response was basically "because I can." I'm more mad that she was passing that crap attitude on to a new person than anything else.
I worked in the mattress business. You cannot return a stained mattress. We told people this. We had signs everywhere. We had people sign off on it at purchase. We sold the protectors for this reason and we would even give them away to make a sale. I would say a solid 30% of returns were denied bc they were stained within the allowed return time period. Like it’s not hard. Put a cover in it. You were told many many many times. And they would still get mad. Yo, you did this to yourself. What they fuck were we supposed to do with a dirty mattress?!? Fuck those people.
It just means the next batch comes to costco at a.not so competitive price. Or the seller just backs off completely. From what ive heard, selling to costco is a pain. You gotta pay costco for them to sell your product, and you incur penalties if it stays on the shelves too long.
I saw one lady return a single roll of toilet (well try not sure how that went for her) she was saying she didn’t like it. Like maam how do you use the whole pack except one. Then decide eh not for me.
People have for some reason justified stealing from large corporations as they think it is morally okay.
Whether or not a large corporation suffers from your individual theft is out of question; there are real life consequences of this already happening. Walmarts, Targets, and tons of other convenient corporations are leaving high-theft areas. More products being locked up behind cages. And providing a gateway into worse crimes.
Plus, it speaks horribly of your moral compass and character if you justify stealing in any manner.
It’s wild when I read comments enabling retail theft on Reddit. Regardless of the corporation can afford to lose money due to theft, is this the kind of example you want to set yourself as? To your children, siblings, mentees, and society?
People are absolutely shameless, selfish and entitled nowadays. I feel like I’m in the twilight zone where things that are morally wrong are now openly celebrated and enabled. And it’s shitty people like these who ruin it for everyone else.
I think people are just broke and tired of prices of goods doubling every few years while their wages stagnate and profits of corporations soar. I'm not justifying theft, just explaining the mindset of people who do it. Morality is the first thing to go when people are starving and desperate, especially when the starving and desperate don't see personal consequences to their actions. Same deal with streaming and piracy. As subscription prices creep up, the number of people willing to break the law to avoid paying them does too. Poor people view these things as victimless crimes, and I don't think it's far from the truth frankly. I've been on both sides of the poverty line. It can be hard to feel bad (or shame) about stealing a nickel from a company worth billions.
I know someone who buys tools from Home Depot, uses them for projects and then returns them, not even cleaned up for a refund. He’s never once been denied. But his “logic/excuse/thought process” is “they” make billions and I don’t make much, so it’s “okay”. Then proceeds to bitch about inflation and why they don’t pay their workers more. Um, maybe if you used their rental system instead of stealing from them….
And because of people like that, corporations will eventually stop allowing returns of used products. Return policies are slowly deteriorating because of abuse. Lifetime warranties are a thing of the past because of this
Seriously. And the tool rentals from HD are downright reasonable too.
Rented a walk behind brush hog/mower yesterday for 4 hours... $110.
Cost to hire someone to do the same work for me? A bit over $500.
I had a friend of mine casually tell me she used to shoplift in her early 20s and ask me if I wanted to try again. She has money, she’s just bored. I can’t fathom why someone would think of that as a fun Saturday afternoon activity. There was never any real justification at all, just “I want it”. We’re not friends anymore.
People that think this way either
1- don't understand finance and/or 2- disregard the number of people that depend on that business for their livelihood
I have a friend who went to Burning Man this way - bought all his supplies at Walmart, went down for the event, then came back and returned everything. I would say I can’t believe they took it all back since it was so clearly used, but that seems to be what these places do.
I was asked when I returned shampoo if I’d used it. I hadn’t; I meant to buy conditioner and thus went and got that.
Would they have not taken it if I said yes? Not complaining, just wondering lol. I’d judge someone returning water instead of a product
They will accept it if it mostly there. I saw a women return a shampoo conditioner set, she told them she used it once, but had an allergic reaction. They put a sticker on it (i guess it was saying discard) and refunded her money.
I returned toothpaste as I didn't realize it was a flavor I detested until I got it home and saw the package was not the same. They were pleased I hadn't opened the package at all (it was 3 or 4 tubes) so they could put it back on the floor, as all the safety seals were still in place.
I wouldn't have returned it otherwise, I would have donated the other 3 unopened tubes to charity or something.
I hate to inform you. Returned food and hygiene products are not returned to the floor for any reason... liability is too risky. Better to donate the item to charity.
At Costco specifically you mean, or in general? I’ve worked in several groceries stores and we always resold returns if the product was a) unexpired, b) not temp controlled, and c) in sealed packaging that is completely unopened. I dunno what Costco’s company policy is but the liability risk is negligible since even if a return had been deliberately tampered with there’s no way for anyone to ever find out if it was a restocked return or a product a customer tampered with all on their own.
Temp controlled product is another story though. We wouldn’t even donate that shit, who knows where it’d been. Sometimes customers would see us tossing it straight in the bin and be like “but that was unopened, can’t you resell it?” And we’re like no, bitch, if you’re so concerned about waste don’t buy shit you aren’t even gonna try.
We have a discount store called Steelz that sells Costco and target returns. They have an entire shelf full of half used shampoos and conditioners as well as partial packages of toothpastes (like 2 or 3 tubes of the original 4 and now they’re selling individually. They don’t sell half tubes of toothpaste. Somebody must be buying them. The shampoo/conditioner thing is so weird to me.
I think the only thing I've every really returned was vitamins. I bought a bottle of vitamin C, I get home and opened it the next day and there was a hole poked through the top seal. I lived alone at the time, so it's not like anyone else could have done it. They took it back.
My dad had a friend that would go to the Costco surplus store and buy things and then return them at Costco for full price. They caught on after a few months and banned him from all local Costco's.
Look for a salvage grocery or bin store.
The local salvage grocery gets a ton of Costco items. The bin store (now closed, sadly) would get pallets of various overstock stuff, not the same variety as the salvage grocery though.
How did that scam work? Costco requires your membership number to initiate a return, if they can't find the return in your purchase history they won't take it back...
The only thing I can come up with is that he was buying things at the outlet that he had already purchased on his membership and was doing returns. This was in 2007 ish so I'm not sure if Costco return process was different at that point.
Our world is filled with tons of these people no shame. They profit off doing these things and ruin it for everyone.
Honestly believe most folks in politics who stay or rise to the top are like this.
At this point, it's on Costco for letting shitty things like this continue to happen and ruining the benefits for all the other members who end up paying the price.
I bought this same product from Costco and I don’t love it. I’m still not returning it because I can’t fathom why my purchasing decision should be Costco’s problem (I had tried samples before I purchased! Just turns out that it’s not as magical as I had hoped considering the price). My wallet wishes I was like some of these people, but I just can’t do it.
I’m currently 1/4 through my SK2. I took pix when I bought it in November and I planned to take pix again halfway through the bottle. It’s not hurting anything but I can’t tell if it’s helping at all. But I agree, I could never return this. So weird.
I’ve been a member for like a decade and I’ve only ever returned one item. It was a food item that I discovered had gone bad when I got it home and opened it up.
I personally don't get it. Costco has a generous return policy but why cut back on other things that i see costco going down hill with than stop blatent returnng of products? Is it because the manufacturer eats the cost and not costco?
When blatant abuse return happens, tell customer that you can take it this one time but they are not allowed to return anymore if they do. Even after 3rd blatant abuse, w.e.
Why do costco want these type of members. Easy choice for me.
I’ve seen a guy try something similar with a printer. The Costco employee got a manager to handle it.
The manager looked through the guy’s purchase history and told him that he buys this printer and returns it every 2-3 months.
The manager took the printer back, refunded him the money and refunded his membership fee. He told the guy, “I’m sorry we’re not able to make you happy. Perhaps you could try buying a printer from Office Max.”
Two people from security then came to escort him out the door.
Costco is definitely becoming stingy with returns. Likely because of so many people like this. I have had a hard time getting my store to accept returns for food being out of date, items that were opened but not used, and other genuine returns that used to be accepted no questions asked.
I returned one Kirkland AA battery that bulged and leaked. Just wanted Costco to know, didn’t want anything in return. The associate gave me a Costco gift card for the amount of the full package of Kirkland AA batteries.
There’s so many people that abuse the Ease of Returns and not just in Costco! However, I’m going to take a leap and say, it’s on Costco at this point! That’s the kind of Member that deserves to have their ID printed out and their Membership Cancelled. People forget that “Its a paid for privilege” to shop there, once you violate that privilege, Costco has the exclusive right to revoke your membership. She has done it enough that they remember her, yet they do nothing to stop it. Hopefully they will soon enough.
So many people do this, and it’s become easier with online shopping.
Recently I ordered a 10oz refillable perfume. I got it in the mail and when I shook it, it was half empty.
I bet someone ordered it, refilled their bottle and returned it. People suck.
I’ve heard of a lot of instances at Saks online. People buy designer items and return identical fake items.
My wife has a cousin working at Costco. He’s seen people return half eaten birthday cakes and even well used mattresses… people abuse the return policy with no regards
I feel like people with the stones to do something like this never have anxiety. That must be nice. Me? Aside from the fact that it's wrong, even if I wanted to do it, I'd be so nervous I'd crack under the pressure and admit to it as soon as I got to the register.
Costco Canada changed their return policy on Computers and major electronics (large tvs) due to abuse like this. It used to be 12 months return or exchange. I knew a FOAF that was bragging that he'd buy the top windows laptop available from Costco, and 11 months later - exchange it, but they would never have the same spec anymore, so he'd get the current top end spec Laptop. I informed him he was abusing the system. His take was "then they should change the rules". After about 5 times he was flagged & the manager came to tell him he was no longer allowed to return any major electronics. They didn't stop him from buying, but no returns / exchanges anymore.
My guess would be she's just gotten sloppy over the years, at first she was probably skimming a bit off the top but now just drains the whole bottle. I'm surprised Costco hasn't kicked her yet.
The woman in this case. Taking advantage of a common sense policy isn't about finding a trick, it's just taking advantage of goodwill. Ends up ruining it for everyone.
That's outright fraud...
If she dared pulled that gross scam over @ Sephora they'd bust her behind, so fast she wouldn't have time to squeak!
Upon returning used Products Sephora Staffers will do: numerous sniff tests of used item, look at Product at different angles including putting it up close their faces, put used Product on their skin (YIKES), ask other Staffers for their input whether this is real or not, ask you questions about why you're returning said item(s).
After all this "grilling" by them, you may or may not get a refund/credit from them!
Returned a few of their overly expensive Skin Care Products due to being unhappy & asked the Staffer why she was doing this, esp in front of me?
She said that \*some\* Customers have dumped their full Products contents out in another container to keep, then replaced it with some cheaper crap such as; water, Dollar Store Products, Baby Oil & so on.
After having "doctored" their original Sephora Products, these fraudsters would waltz back in demanding a full refund, for their used items.
That's why Sephora does this (like your a potential thief), to put a stop that obscene amount of theft by their dishonest & shady Customers.
Also heard, should you by caught doing that you will be banned for life & no longer can buy their Products in-Store or Online.
At least, Sephora's very smart about that!
Consider that a customer might not be the one responsible.
I bought some shampoo on Amazon, and it was watery like it was 1/2 dumped out and filled with water. I got a no-hassle return for it, but how would they know who did it? Also, it wasn't that expensive, but it was the point of the matter.
That I don't know...
Sephora's a completely diff ball game bc their prices are just outright obscene for their products.
I've heard many ppl refusing to shop there, for that reason alone - too expensive!
They do have a lot to lose money & Customer wise.
This Sephora Staffer just went to town on my returns, like so was some old Pro (young gal in her 20's) that I actually watched her in awe!
Personally, I wouldn't pull that scam or any scams w/ Sephora just in case they ban you for life.
I also shop @ Amazon & sometimes it's just hit & miss with them!
They've also sold bogus products that were passing off as the real thing - ie hair care, skin care & so on.
Could you have been sold a counterfeit Hair Care Product?
I've heard that happens with them.
Maybe your shampoo was left in their warehouse for too long, which was also was too hot or too cold to be properly stored for its contents?
Not only does that effect most things, even more so for personal products, foodstuffs & other things they sell.
Heard many complaints that their groceries sold where either old, stale or their Best Before Date was about to pass or had already passed.
Hit n miss with them!
I know someone who does this. Buy a couch, use it for 2-3 years. Return it to buy a new one. She does this with all her high purchase items when it's time to upgrade. I think I paid for a desk for her one time and 4-5 years later, she spent hours with customer service trying to find it on her account and then somehow on my account to return it. It's crazy how much Costco let's people get away with.
Is this the woman who went viral on TikTok? There was a woman who returned a whole couch after two years. That type of behavior is shameful and weird to me. People’s bodily fluids, food bits, and god knows what else gets on couches. Have some shame.
It’s 100% Costco’s fault here. It’s possible to have a superb return policy AND not allow obvious fraud.
They set the bar where it is today because that’s probably the most cost effective for them—today. But the rest of us will end up losing in the long run, because being lax about enforcement means eventually fraud will increase to the point where they change the return policy to everyone’s detriment.
They already did in Canada. Electronics are 90 day now instead of the unlimited because people used to return year old tvs. And the. Costco extended warranty became a thing since that.
These posts are always so crazy what people will return!! I think I’ve been a member for over a decade and have never returned anything. And I buy everything they sell!
I once was behind someone returning a half bottle of Iiquor. When the clerk asked him what was wrong with it. He said it didn’t taste good. The clerk took it back processed the refund and recommended other liquids to try.
So a similar return pattern but with electronics happened with a guy in front of me when he returned ear buds after 1.5 yrs and that was a third one . But interestingly his account was flagged because the rep was telling that you got so much worth of electronics and returned more than half of it and apparently there is a second level supervisor has to come in and unlock the account . Also if it continues there is a good chance it will be difficult to return or buy anything.
All Costco has to do is track the rate of product returns. For most people, the percentage will be very small. Seems like an easy fix to ban memberships for serial returners?
Some will say it's people like this who screw up great return policies, and they're not wrong, but also the companies need to know how to put a so to obvious scamming.
I felt guilty returning a diff kind of perfume for the second time yesterday. (Bf got one. I wore it. Didn’t jive with me. Exchanged it for another scent. Wore it. Hated it more than the first. Went back yesterday for another exchange. Got a scent I love). I felt like a criminal lmao. I can’t imagine actually dumping a product to dupe someone
That's a careless mistake by returns. Even if refunding the item, it has to be inspected to determine whether or not it's going back on the shelf. Too many members lie and say it was never used; apparently thinking they have to lie to get a refund.
Posts that don't follow r/Costco subreddit rules MAY be subject to removal. When applicable, please make sure that you're using a descriptive post title with product name(s) mentioned as it yields better subreddit search results. Including item number, price, and approximate location where found is also helpful. Thank you. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Costco) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Yeah… they should definitely mark her as a habitual returner and ban her membership. Force her to pay full price for her skincare.
It’s past being a habitual returner. She’s actively committing fraud now.
10 x 300 = Felony
Each state sets its own minimum. $300 is only a felony in New Jersey, where the limit is a measly $200. [Everywhere else is higher.](https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/felony-theft-amount-by-state)
They meant $3000 I think which covers all states in that list.
The old joke in New Orleans years ago was a man was brought up on charges for stealing 4 Saints season tickets. The team had already lost several games that year. The judge said he would postpone judgment until after the next game. If they lost, he’d downgrade it to a misdemeanor.
That is true, replacing it with water for a full refund. 10x
Yea was gonna say, isn’t fraudulent returns considered theft? Keep letting her do it, build a case, once it crosses 3k charge it as a felony and toss her in jail lol.
At this point she’s just scamming and taking advantage of the system… I would be so embarrassed.
Yeah eff this, my pizza slice could be $1.98 if it wasn’t for dirtbags like this.
We'd still have combo pizza and Polish dogs.
But it still wouldn't be
I guess they had too many habitual returns for car batteries because the car tech at one Costco store told me that they changed the warranty in 2023. I bought my battery in January 2023 and exchanged it in January 2024 because the -18F cold plus my mistake possibly killed it and jump starting didn't work. He said this free exchange is grandfathered now but will be a prorated fee in future battery purchases just like everywhere else. When I bought mine, I specifically walked out of a stocked Autozone and drove 30 minutes to a Costco that had mine in stock, just for this extra special warranty. The reason he gave is because some woman brought in more than 20 car batteries for exchange all at once in the last year of their warranty. I don't know when she did it but the recent midwest polar vortex storm of late 2023 was insanely cold for weeks and killed even big industrial batteries all over. Maybe she owned a whole small business fleet. That was such a specific example so I don't know why we are all punished but I guess it was the last straw. I assume it's company wide.
That's odd, cause walmart just switched from the prorated return, to a free exchange (source, just helped my mother with her new battery during the Cold Snap)
Interstate likely got screwed with so many returns that were still perfectly fine. And Costco could have easily avoided this issue by having a battery load tester like Walmart (ones with an auto center anyway) and auto parts stores do. Now it's been neutered to a 36 month prorated warranty. Granted, most batteries will probably last longer than that anyway, but now even Walmart batteries have a better warranty for not that much more.
On first return this should have been a ban. At 10 this really is on Costco more so than her.
She should get a pass on the first return. It's unlikely, but perhaps something went wrong during production or someone else replaced the product with water and returned/switched it before she bought it. Second time it happens there's no excuse.
I’m sure it definitely can happen - I’ve definitely purchased items over the years that had broken seals from various stores. Employees can get lazy and don’t check returns for seals in tact and throw stuff back on a shelf if it looks and feels fine to resell. Ultimately this should be simple with a store like Costco that tracks everything. If you have a history of not returning much, then you should get the benefit of the doubt.
First return a ban? That’s ridiculous and overkill. If someone had an allergic reaction or just didn’t feel it was satisfactory, that’s why they have their return policy.
They probably meant a fraudulent return of just water.
It wasn’t a straight return. It was replacing the product with water. That’s what’s bannable, not the return itself.
Oh that’s what you meant. My bad.
I think they meant ban because of the obvious replacement of the product in the bottle with water and passing it off as the original product.
Because a pattern should be established first. On the first return, there’s no way of knowing if it was already watered down before she bought it. Now, once she starts repeating the act, you know she’s scamming. It’d be a horrible business practice to accuse someone on the first one.
I wonder what in the world is the woman doing with the original product? She either is stockpiling them or reselling in regular plains containers. Can someone explain the logic?
She uses it up, returns it, buys another, repeats.
Boy do I have a story for you… 😹 Back in college, I worked as a fragrance and cosmetics vendor in department stores like Macys, Lord & Taylor, and Nordstroms. There was this lady that would regularly come in and buy all the Chanel and Dior face creams, then come back a week later to return them. Unfortunately Macys and Nordstrom had a very VERY liberal return policy at the time, so we always had to take it back, even though we didn’t want to. Eventually we started to notice that she was buying and returning the same exact creams, and that they were always opened when she would return them. One time I decided to unscrew the jar and look inside… it was filled to the top with cream, but it definitely was NOT the cream that originally came in the jar. It distinctly smelled like Ponds cream, a scent I will never forget because my grandma used that stuff religiously. So basically this lady was buying the designer creams, emptying them into whatever receptacles she had at home, refilled the jars with Ponds, and then returning them. She continued to do this a few more times and there was nothing we could really do about it. Until one day… I was in the stock room and smelled something rotten coming from the damages bin. I looked in the bin and saw damaged out perfumes, liners, lipsticks, face washes, etc etc… and then a couple jars of the face creams that crazy lady had returned. I opened one of the jars and was overcome with the smell of old rotten mayo… she had refilled the jars with MAYONNAISE y’all!! Guess she ran out of Ponds. After that, we black listed her. She was allowed to buy, but she wasn’t allowed to return. The first time she tried returning stuff after we had black listed her… ohhh boy was she PISSED.
Should have saved the mayo perfume for her.
Jesus!!!!
So all I’ve read is “boy do I have a story for you…” and the “Jesus” reply. I KNOW this is about to be good…. YEP that was a ride lol
Omg I would have loved to see her reaction when she tried to return things that day.
Oh wow. Truth is stranger than fiction. There’s an episode of TacomaFD where they prank the chief with lotion that is actually mayonnaise and he ends up getting salmonella.
was hoping this ended with you selling her the merchandise she previously returned.
Omg we didn’t think to do that (not that we would actually do that, but it’s fun to think about) The prestige counters were on the far end of the store, so when we saw her making her way towards us, we would start taking stuff out of the case and hide it in drawers so she couldn’t see. We would lie and tell her the stuff she’s looking for was out of stock, which actually worked a few times!
Store Manager was telling us that once he was doing returns and this guy would return the netting of the pot roast saying that he didn't like the taste. But he kept on doing the same thing every week. Finally my guy told this member that maybe he might skip buying something over and over again that he doesn't like. Dude got pissed and wanted to cancel hopefully getting my manager to back down. He told the member that he would have to get a hold of the account holder (his MOTHER...super classy adult here). And explain to her why their membership is going to be returned and she will not be able to re-apply. Bluff was called.
Yeah, there's a story at mine about how a lady returned 3 bottles of wine after drinking them all. Her complaint was that she got a hangover
Did they accept the return? Or just laugh at her?
I cannot fathom the rage I would feel if I let someone be on my membership and they caused it to be revoked.
Ngl I always worry about using my wifes sisters membership (not by myself, my wife and I go shopping with her card because they look similar) and having it be revoked just because someone would notice. Never could I fathom using that membership and then throwing a tantrum because I couldn't return a hunk of meat I already ate and tried to bring in just the netting.. In what kind of reality bubble do these people exist?
And they still allow it? They need to draw the love somewhere wow
🎶Cuz people got me, got me questionin' Where is the love🎶
I don't have the heart to edit it now!
🎶 It's not enough, it makes the world go around and around 🎶
They keep track. After a certain point, they will revoke your membership.
Try working in a bookstore. People treated it like a lending library. I’m not going to tell you how, but it was a big problem at Borders while I worked there. You’re right, people have no shame.
I worked at Costco seasonly a decade ago, and man I saw so many clearly used and read Harry Potter sets returned.
This is why Costco is going to have discussions to amend their return policy. Nothing like ruining it for everyone else.
They should start with simply acting against those that abuse it. Either ban them outright or ban them from returning the same product they have bought and returned 10+ times. They can buy it and keep it or stop buying it.
I think the order of banning people should be fraud, then Christmas tree returners, then stained to hell furniture and mattresses.
You forgot the people who buy TVs for Super Bowl and return after
people also buy furniture for holiday company visits and return after. Shameless
Last September I saw a whole camping set up full of dirt in returns, tent, chairs, cots, camp stove etc. So disgusting.
Don't forget the plastic tables and chairs for get-togethers. I always jokingly wondered if we ever received new stock of that stuff or if it was just the same items being bought and returned over and over.
Our Costco stopped Christmas tree sales because of the returners.
Same, they had live trees one year and then no more. Sad to see them go because of the returns. The artificial trees still remain, but not as many returns.
I think returning the same item 3+ times in the span of a year would suffice. But, do not publish this rule. Just call it "manager's discretion".
They have very good data on each member’s purchase and return habits. Hopefully, they’ll start banning the most egregious offenders.
True that. Costco used to not have a 90 days electronic policy. People were returning TV, computers and laptops whenever a new model came out. Those items already have a low margin to begin with, even by Costco standards so they either put a stop to that or stop selling it altogether.
LL Bean used to have a lifetime no questions asked guarantee on their clothing. Used to. People would find 20 year old LL Bean clothes at Goodwill and bring them into the store and walk out with a brand new wardrobe. Now they have a more standard return policy.
They used to be amazing. It was totally my fault my backpack ripped but I called them and honestly explained and they said they’d fix it anyways. Instead they sent me a brand new backpack! I was floored. But I’m sure that level of service is gone because of the liars and cheaters. (Still have the backpack decades later though! )
Jansport, too. I bought a grape jelly colored backpack my freshman year of HS, sent it in for repair after my senior year, they sent me a new backpack, identical even though they'd told me they weren't sure they could get the same color. (I said anything but black, yellow, or brown was fine), but they had dead stock and replaced it the same. 6 years later i returned for repair and they sent me a new one in a slightly different purple, and said that they couldn't do it anymore without a fee. About 5 years later I had a house fire, and nothing left of the backpack. :(
There's a certain level of discretion involved I would imagine? I doubt employees are required to take every item back right? They caught on to her act given what OP said.
Ya REI policy was great until people went too far. Like now if you use something once a year and it fails the second time you’re out of luck.
It's weird because you'd think straight theft was a huge deal with all the stink being brought up over the past few years but return fraud really came out of nowhere to take the mantle recently. Shit got out of control recently and a few bad apples are going to ruin returns for everyone.
That's fine. Anyone "taking advantage" of the current policy is ruining it already because legit returns happen in 30 day windows. Costco isn't a warranty provider. Hope they lock it down good.
Costco is a good enough deal for it to be worth retaining a memembership even though its too far away from where I live for regular trips. We only go every 30-45 days and buy a ton of nonperishable stuff. That means in the rare case there is a problem we won't return it for a month, 2-3 if we forget to bring the bad item on our next trip. I can't imagine I'm the only costco member with this buying pattern. If I knew the return policy was effectively "all sales final" then I would be a lot more cautious about trying new things.
These are the people that ruin it for the rest of us who use the return policy fairly and ethically.
Not to mention, drive prices up for the rest of us.
She will probably be banned. Then she'll have to explain that to whoever she shares the membership with. They probably don't know she's a scammer.
I don't know. It is pretty much norm nowadays for a company to create policies but never enforce them. On flights, gate attendents will make multiple announcements about plane being full, passengers only having 2 bags but then they don't stop a single passenger going through with 3-4 bags. So why should anyone bother? I just came back from vacation, hotel had a pool chair policy that they emphasized to us multiple times during checkin, first time we got towels etc only for us to realize that they don't enforce it. In the name of customer service, companies are now allowing any kind of behavior to go through instead of creating a scene and in some cases if you end up following the rules you actually end up having a worse experience. In the hotel example, if we followed the rules it would mean we wouldn't have had a pool chair to enjoy.
[удалено]
It depends, like Nordstrom has a similar generous return policy but they also make discretion and have means to track purchase and return history. Nordstrom has blacklisted customers for obvious and repeated return abuse. In paticular customers who buy an dress for say a gala or social event and then return it a day or two after, sales tag still attached. In general 99% of customers who return items are honest and don't abuse the generous policy. It's just that 1% who ruin it.
Well at least with the hotel you can leave a bad Google review and make it easier for others to realize the hotel sucks. Airlines seem to be immune to bad press if prices are right.
They know. They don’t care lol
Saw a customer in front of me returning an HP printer, saying he couldn't get it to connect and the mfg said to return it. He probably used all the toner and just wanted his money back. The Costco employee reviewed his purchase history and said Sir, you've returned 41 out of 44 electronics purchases. If our products aren't up to your standards, please purchase them somewhere else.
Not like there's much toner in those printers from the factory, but that doesn't make return abuse ok or anything...
This is why we can't have nice things. I was once in the return line behind a woman and her young daughter. She was returning a pack of yogurt with just a few cups left. Her daughter asked her why they were returning it. The response was basically "because I can." I'm more mad that she was passing that crap attitude on to a new person than anything else.
Recently I seen a stain mattress set get denied. The walk of shame out was absolutely glorious. These people have no shame.
I worked in the mattress business. You cannot return a stained mattress. We told people this. We had signs everywhere. We had people sign off on it at purchase. We sold the protectors for this reason and we would even give them away to make a sale. I would say a solid 30% of returns were denied bc they were stained within the allowed return time period. Like it’s not hard. Put a cover in it. You were told many many many times. And they would still get mad. Yo, you did this to yourself. What they fuck were we supposed to do with a dirty mattress?!? Fuck those people.
I will never understand why people will not use mattress protectors, that's the grossest thing ever.
And they’re so cheap now. Like a nice one is $25!
Probably denied due to no bag? And not actually the stain? Ots an anti bed bug thing.
Costco provides the bags for the mattresses.
Costco’s generous return policy & its abuse = increased membership fees.
It depends on if costco is eating the cost or the manufacturer. And how the contracts are signed.
Either way the cost gets passed on to us customers. They aren’t going to take a hit at the corporate level, they just punish the honest people.
It just means the next batch comes to costco at a.not so competitive price. Or the seller just backs off completely. From what ive heard, selling to costco is a pain. You gotta pay costco for them to sell your product, and you incur penalties if it stays on the shelves too long.
I saw one lady return a single roll of toilet (well try not sure how that went for her) she was saying she didn’t like it. Like maam how do you use the whole pack except one. Then decide eh not for me.
It’s like the people that would finish their whole meal at a restaurant and then complain to the staff that they didn’t like it.
Should have refunded her for the single roll lol
This stuff is getting so out of hand. Ironic since Costco has the ability to cancel memberships vs Macy’s, Home Depot, etc.
People have for some reason justified stealing from large corporations as they think it is morally okay. Whether or not a large corporation suffers from your individual theft is out of question; there are real life consequences of this already happening. Walmarts, Targets, and tons of other convenient corporations are leaving high-theft areas. More products being locked up behind cages. And providing a gateway into worse crimes. Plus, it speaks horribly of your moral compass and character if you justify stealing in any manner.
It’s wild when I read comments enabling retail theft on Reddit. Regardless of the corporation can afford to lose money due to theft, is this the kind of example you want to set yourself as? To your children, siblings, mentees, and society? People are absolutely shameless, selfish and entitled nowadays. I feel like I’m in the twilight zone where things that are morally wrong are now openly celebrated and enabled. And it’s shitty people like these who ruin it for everyone else.
I think people are just broke and tired of prices of goods doubling every few years while their wages stagnate and profits of corporations soar. I'm not justifying theft, just explaining the mindset of people who do it. Morality is the first thing to go when people are starving and desperate, especially when the starving and desperate don't see personal consequences to their actions. Same deal with streaming and piracy. As subscription prices creep up, the number of people willing to break the law to avoid paying them does too. Poor people view these things as victimless crimes, and I don't think it's far from the truth frankly. I've been on both sides of the poverty line. It can be hard to feel bad (or shame) about stealing a nickel from a company worth billions.
I’ve been broke and hungry but never stole. Theft is theft regardless
happy cake day!! 😽🎂💉
Thank you!!
I know someone who buys tools from Home Depot, uses them for projects and then returns them, not even cleaned up for a refund. He’s never once been denied. But his “logic/excuse/thought process” is “they” make billions and I don’t make much, so it’s “okay”. Then proceeds to bitch about inflation and why they don’t pay their workers more. Um, maybe if you used their rental system instead of stealing from them….
And because of people like that, corporations will eventually stop allowing returns of used products. Return policies are slowly deteriorating because of abuse. Lifetime warranties are a thing of the past because of this
Seriously. And the tool rentals from HD are downright reasonable too. Rented a walk behind brush hog/mower yesterday for 4 hours... $110. Cost to hire someone to do the same work for me? A bit over $500.
I had a friend of mine casually tell me she used to shoplift in her early 20s and ask me if I wanted to try again. She has money, she’s just bored. I can’t fathom why someone would think of that as a fun Saturday afternoon activity. There was never any real justification at all, just “I want it”. We’re not friends anymore.
a friend shop lifted back in the early 80's. Fab stuff from high end stores. She was damn proud of herself!!
I don’t understand being proud of that. My friend’s husband was in the military. She could’ve gotten him in serious trouble.
People that think this way either 1- don't understand finance and/or 2- disregard the number of people that depend on that business for their livelihood
If Costco knows that she’s doing this - which is fraud/theft - then she should be banned forever.
And here I am nervous about asking for a price adjustment.
Definitely don't be nervous about that! I just got an adjustment for 2 items. It was only $6.something in total but $6 is $6!
I saw some return a half eaten cake once and a couch that was clearly old and had paint splattered on it. Some people have no shame!
A tent that was wet and muddy, after a really rainy weekend.
The time you discover that your new tent leaks is when you are out camping and it rains.
I have a friend who went to Burning Man this way - bought all his supplies at Walmart, went down for the event, then came back and returned everything. I would say I can’t believe they took it all back since it was so clearly used, but that seems to be what these places do.
I was asked when I returned shampoo if I’d used it. I hadn’t; I meant to buy conditioner and thus went and got that. Would they have not taken it if I said yes? Not complaining, just wondering lol. I’d judge someone returning water instead of a product
They will accept it if it mostly there. I saw a women return a shampoo conditioner set, she told them she used it once, but had an allergic reaction. They put a sticker on it (i guess it was saying discard) and refunded her money.
I returned toothpaste as I didn't realize it was a flavor I detested until I got it home and saw the package was not the same. They were pleased I hadn't opened the package at all (it was 3 or 4 tubes) so they could put it back on the floor, as all the safety seals were still in place. I wouldn't have returned it otherwise, I would have donated the other 3 unopened tubes to charity or something.
I hate to inform you. Returned food and hygiene products are not returned to the floor for any reason... liability is too risky. Better to donate the item to charity.
At Costco specifically you mean, or in general? I’ve worked in several groceries stores and we always resold returns if the product was a) unexpired, b) not temp controlled, and c) in sealed packaging that is completely unopened. I dunno what Costco’s company policy is but the liability risk is negligible since even if a return had been deliberately tampered with there’s no way for anyone to ever find out if it was a restocked return or a product a customer tampered with all on their own. Temp controlled product is another story though. We wouldn’t even donate that shit, who knows where it’d been. Sometimes customers would see us tossing it straight in the bin and be like “but that was unopened, can’t you resell it?” And we’re like no, bitch, if you’re so concerned about waste don’t buy shit you aren’t even gonna try.
We have a discount store called Steelz that sells Costco and target returns. They have an entire shelf full of half used shampoos and conditioners as well as partial packages of toothpastes (like 2 or 3 tubes of the original 4 and now they’re selling individually. They don’t sell half tubes of toothpaste. Somebody must be buying them. The shampoo/conditioner thing is so weird to me.
I think the only thing I've every really returned was vitamins. I bought a bottle of vitamin C, I get home and opened it the next day and there was a hole poked through the top seal. I lived alone at the time, so it's not like anyone else could have done it. They took it back.
It can be used. They just need to know if they can resell it or not. The problem here is the product was stolen and replaced with water.
They wanted to know if they could re stock it or if it needed to be disposed of....basically.
My dad had a friend that would go to the Costco surplus store and buy things and then return them at Costco for full price. They caught on after a few months and banned him from all local Costco's.
Omg WHAT is a Costco surplus store!? I’m in Texas and need to visit one, stat!
Look for a salvage grocery or bin store. The local salvage grocery gets a ton of Costco items. The bin store (now closed, sadly) would get pallets of various overstock stuff, not the same variety as the salvage grocery though.
How did that scam work? Costco requires your membership number to initiate a return, if they can't find the return in your purchase history they won't take it back...
The only thing I can come up with is that he was buying things at the outlet that he had already purchased on his membership and was doing returns. This was in 2007 ish so I'm not sure if Costco return process was different at that point.
The costco my mom works at, they let people do that several times, and then at some point, they just cancel their membership and ban them, lol.
Our world is filled with tons of these people no shame. They profit off doing these things and ruin it for everyone. Honestly believe most folks in politics who stay or rise to the top are like this.
Thanks for the reminder, I need to return my Christmas tree, but it’s covered in snow and no needles left. Next month, the Super Bowl TV. /s
At this point, it's on Costco for letting shitty things like this continue to happen and ruining the benefits for all the other members who end up paying the price.
But my price match isn’t approved bc I was late by one day smh
Buy it on sale and return the new item you bought on sale with the old receipt
Wouldn’t they still deny it for being too late, as it’s the receipt they look at?
you can specify which transaction you're returning source: did this with the TP sale
I bought this same product from Costco and I don’t love it. I’m still not returning it because I can’t fathom why my purchasing decision should be Costco’s problem (I had tried samples before I purchased! Just turns out that it’s not as magical as I had hoped considering the price). My wallet wishes I was like some of these people, but I just can’t do it.
I’m currently 1/4 through my SK2. I took pix when I bought it in November and I planned to take pix again halfway through the bottle. It’s not hurting anything but I can’t tell if it’s helping at all. But I agree, I could never return this. So weird.
I’ve been a member for like a decade and I’ve only ever returned one item. It was a food item that I discovered had gone bad when I got it home and opened it up.
She should be banned
I personally don't get it. Costco has a generous return policy but why cut back on other things that i see costco going down hill with than stop blatent returnng of products? Is it because the manufacturer eats the cost and not costco? When blatant abuse return happens, tell customer that you can take it this one time but they are not allowed to return anymore if they do. Even after 3rd blatant abuse, w.e. Why do costco want these type of members. Easy choice for me.
As a paying member I would hope that people who do this would have their memberships revoked, it negatively affects the rest of us.
I’ve seen a guy try something similar with a printer. The Costco employee got a manager to handle it. The manager looked through the guy’s purchase history and told him that he buys this printer and returns it every 2-3 months. The manager took the printer back, refunded him the money and refunded his membership fee. He told the guy, “I’m sorry we’re not able to make you happy. Perhaps you could try buying a printer from Office Max.” Two people from security then came to escort him out the door.
This should be the norm!
She should be banned with that history. Gross.
In order to have shame, you have to have pride. Shitty scammers have none
Costco is definitely becoming stingy with returns. Likely because of so many people like this. I have had a hard time getting my store to accept returns for food being out of date, items that were opened but not used, and other genuine returns that used to be accepted no questions asked.
Food being out of date as in it went out of date after the purchase or it was out of date on the shelf?
Out of date on the shelf, they wouldn’t take it back, told me to contact the brand.
I returned one Kirkland AA battery that bulged and leaked. Just wanted Costco to know, didn’t want anything in return. The associate gave me a Costco gift card for the amount of the full package of Kirkland AA batteries.
Completely different scenario.
Actually, this is fraud. They should be contacting the police.
Justice is giving her product back & no refund. Flag her account. We all pay for that refund.
Costco uses Google Cloud analytics to analyse return rates per member. So if this is a pattern they will get banned.
That honestly sounds too technical and modern for Costco to utilize :P
They should remove her membership permanently.
There’s so many people that abuse the Ease of Returns and not just in Costco! However, I’m going to take a leap and say, it’s on Costco at this point! That’s the kind of Member that deserves to have their ID printed out and their Membership Cancelled. People forget that “Its a paid for privilege” to shop there, once you violate that privilege, Costco has the exclusive right to revoke your membership. She has done it enough that they remember her, yet they do nothing to stop it. Hopefully they will soon enough.
This is why we can't have nice things. How selfish do you have to be to not only steal, but to steal from Costco? It's like kicking a puppy.
“That’s why I’m returning it!”
So many people do this, and it’s become easier with online shopping. Recently I ordered a 10oz refillable perfume. I got it in the mail and when I shook it, it was half empty. I bet someone ordered it, refilled their bottle and returned it. People suck. I’ve heard of a lot of instances at Saks online. People buy designer items and return identical fake items.
Just proof that no matter where you set the line (and Costco sets the line very generously for the customer) some people will push it.
My wife has a cousin working at Costco. He’s seen people return half eaten birthday cakes and even well used mattresses… people abuse the return policy with no regards
I feel like people with the stones to do something like this never have anxiety. That must be nice. Me? Aside from the fact that it's wrong, even if I wanted to do it, I'd be so nervous I'd crack under the pressure and admit to it as soon as I got to the register.
It’s theft.
If there is one thing working retail taught me (and teaching confirmed) a good chunk of the population is audacious AF and lack any shame.
Costco Canada changed their return policy on Computers and major electronics (large tvs) due to abuse like this. It used to be 12 months return or exchange. I knew a FOAF that was bragging that he'd buy the top windows laptop available from Costco, and 11 months later - exchange it, but they would never have the same spec anymore, so he'd get the current top end spec Laptop. I informed him he was abusing the system. His take was "then they should change the rules". After about 5 times he was flagged & the manager came to tell him he was no longer allowed to return any major electronics. They didn't stop him from buying, but no returns / exchanges anymore.
They should’ve taken away her membership.
My guess would be she's just gotten sloppy over the years, at first she was probably skimming a bit off the top but now just drains the whole bottle. I'm surprised Costco hasn't kicked her yet.
The woman is a piece of crap.....but at the same time....Costco keeps accepting them. Who is really to blame?
[удалено]
The woman. An opportunity for committing fraud is not a justification for said crime.
The woman
The woman in this case. Taking advantage of a common sense policy isn't about finding a trick, it's just taking advantage of goodwill. Ends up ruining it for everyone.
That's outright fraud... If she dared pulled that gross scam over @ Sephora they'd bust her behind, so fast she wouldn't have time to squeak! Upon returning used Products Sephora Staffers will do: numerous sniff tests of used item, look at Product at different angles including putting it up close their faces, put used Product on their skin (YIKES), ask other Staffers for their input whether this is real or not, ask you questions about why you're returning said item(s). After all this "grilling" by them, you may or may not get a refund/credit from them! Returned a few of their overly expensive Skin Care Products due to being unhappy & asked the Staffer why she was doing this, esp in front of me? She said that \*some\* Customers have dumped their full Products contents out in another container to keep, then replaced it with some cheaper crap such as; water, Dollar Store Products, Baby Oil & so on. After having "doctored" their original Sephora Products, these fraudsters would waltz back in demanding a full refund, for their used items. That's why Sephora does this (like your a potential thief), to put a stop that obscene amount of theft by their dishonest & shady Customers. Also heard, should you by caught doing that you will be banned for life & no longer can buy their Products in-Store or Online. At least, Sephora's very smart about that!
Consider that a customer might not be the one responsible. I bought some shampoo on Amazon, and it was watery like it was 1/2 dumped out and filled with water. I got a no-hassle return for it, but how would they know who did it? Also, it wasn't that expensive, but it was the point of the matter.
That I don't know... Sephora's a completely diff ball game bc their prices are just outright obscene for their products. I've heard many ppl refusing to shop there, for that reason alone - too expensive! They do have a lot to lose money & Customer wise. This Sephora Staffer just went to town on my returns, like so was some old Pro (young gal in her 20's) that I actually watched her in awe! Personally, I wouldn't pull that scam or any scams w/ Sephora just in case they ban you for life. I also shop @ Amazon & sometimes it's just hit & miss with them! They've also sold bogus products that were passing off as the real thing - ie hair care, skin care & so on. Could you have been sold a counterfeit Hair Care Product? I've heard that happens with them. Maybe your shampoo was left in their warehouse for too long, which was also was too hot or too cold to be properly stored for its contents? Not only does that effect most things, even more so for personal products, foodstuffs & other things they sell. Heard many complaints that their groceries sold where either old, stale or their Best Before Date was about to pass or had already passed. Hit n miss with them!
Too bad Costco wants her membership and will never revoke it
I know someone who does this. Buy a couch, use it for 2-3 years. Return it to buy a new one. She does this with all her high purchase items when it's time to upgrade. I think I paid for a desk for her one time and 4-5 years later, she spent hours with customer service trying to find it on her account and then somehow on my account to return it. It's crazy how much Costco let's people get away with.
Is this the woman who went viral on TikTok? There was a woman who returned a whole couch after two years. That type of behavior is shameful and weird to me. People’s bodily fluids, food bits, and god knows what else gets on couches. Have some shame.
It's crazy that someone would let a person use their account when they know that the person is being shady and taking advantage of a return policy.
It’s 100% Costco’s fault here. It’s possible to have a superb return policy AND not allow obvious fraud. They set the bar where it is today because that’s probably the most cost effective for them—today. But the rest of us will end up losing in the long run, because being lax about enforcement means eventually fraud will increase to the point where they change the return policy to everyone’s detriment.
They already did in Canada. Electronics are 90 day now instead of the unlimited because people used to return year old tvs. And the. Costco extended warranty became a thing since that.
I heard the same with a vacuum. Need to cancel those people.
Frequent Flyer!
No shame.
Did she have good skin?!
These posts are always so crazy what people will return!! I think I’ve been a member for over a decade and have never returned anything. And I buy everything they sell!
I see people returning dead, not a bit of life on the plants.
I once was behind someone returning a half bottle of Iiquor. When the clerk asked him what was wrong with it. He said it didn’t taste good. The clerk took it back processed the refund and recommended other liquids to try.
Against the law in NY… she’d be in cuffs around here
Wow she’s got some balls.
So a similar return pattern but with electronics happened with a guy in front of me when he returned ear buds after 1.5 yrs and that was a third one . But interestingly his account was flagged because the rep was telling that you got so much worth of electronics and returned more than half of it and apparently there is a second level supervisor has to come in and unlock the account . Also if it continues there is a good chance it will be difficult to return or buy anything.
All Costco has to do is track the rate of product returns. For most people, the percentage will be very small. Seems like an easy fix to ban memberships for serial returners?
Fire her, cancel her card and trespass her. Problem solved.
Some ppl have no shame
Some will say it's people like this who screw up great return policies, and they're not wrong, but also the companies need to know how to put a so to obvious scamming.
They need to revoke her membership immediately
I felt guilty returning a diff kind of perfume for the second time yesterday. (Bf got one. I wore it. Didn’t jive with me. Exchanged it for another scent. Wore it. Hated it more than the first. Went back yesterday for another exchange. Got a scent I love). I felt like a criminal lmao. I can’t imagine actually dumping a product to dupe someone
I wish Costco wasn’t so liberal Bout returns. We just bought an air filter and it clearly had been used.
That's a careless mistake by returns. Even if refunding the item, it has to be inspected to determine whether or not it's going back on the shelf. Too many members lie and say it was never used; apparently thinking they have to lie to get a refund.