Only a few stores serve as a true one-stop shopping destination such as Costco. The warehouse chain supplies some of the popular and beloved products, such as brand-name groceries, clothing, electronics, and household essentials. You can easily eat a hot meal at Costco, because of its fan-favorite food court items.
Considering such a broad and constantly changing inventory, not every item is the winner. That’s why Costco is really no stranger to customer complaints, especially when products fail to meet huge expectations. However, the warehouse chain strives for customer satisfaction.
That’s probably why Costco has some of the most generous return policies out there. It’s very helpful to remember that policy when you try to decide whether or not to buy from Costco, especially if we talk about a big-ticket item.
The club’s “risk-free 100% satisfaction guarantee” applies to all items at all price points, with a couple of notable exceptions. As employees and shoppers point out, you can easily find anything in the return bin at Costco on any given day. The following list shows a few items that shoppers return the most to Costco warehouses, as noted by both employees and members on social media.
Clothing
From pajamas all the way to winter coats, shoppers can easily fill their entire wardrobe with clothing items bought at Costco. However, not every piece of Costco clothing successfully stays in the permanent collection.
Many of those items wind up at the returns counter instead. In fact, one shopper noticed constant large volumes of clothing returns, sharing on Reddit that “When the lines get really backed up, it’s often because a member returns a ton of clothing. Some members do return one or two dozen clothing items.
That could close one of the two lines for a while.” Well, in defense of all Costco aficionados, another Redditor came up with an explanation for the high volume of clothing return. They basically said that that’s happening because there’s virtually no way to try the clothes on.
Keurig Coffee Makers
Keurig machines come with the convenience of brewing a single cup of coffee every morning, negating the need to make an entire pot. With tons of coffee brands getting in on the K-Cup frenzy, it’s really no wonder that Keurig is one of the leading small kitchen appliance purchases.
But if you shop at Costco all the time, you could notice that the Keurig boxes are stacked behind the return counter. One customer on Reddit shared an interesting conversation with a Costco employee about the most common returns.
Her response was that Keurig Coffee makers are the second most common returns marked. Another Redditor mentioned how the trouble with Keurig machines could be user error, mentioning that you have to actually clean them on a regular basis or the lines could jam up.
Dyson Vacuums
Dyson Vacuums present quite a convenient, cordless method of keeping the kitchen and the rest of the home tidy, ideal for rapid cleaning of all the crumbs on the kitchen floor. But Costco shoppers rapidly pointed out the product’s shortcomings.
In fact, one customer even stated on Reddit that they “returned the Dyson after only two days. It was a horrible vacuum cleaner and sucked up less than half of what I tried to clean up.”
So many customers suggested that the quality of Dyson products decreased over the years, and many noted that older models bought many years ago are still functioning right.
Fresh Produce
The grocery section at Costco is a neverending treasure trove of bulk pantry staples, baked goods, and free samples. It’s also the place where members can pick up an array of fresh produce, all the way from fruits and vegetables to pre-packaged salad kits.
Many members, though, aren’t happy with Costco’s produce. They claim it is less fresh than expected. As a matter of fact, it’s one of the most common complaints by members.
One customer recalled that they bought a package of salad greens, and only 2 days later it was a mushy mess. They also mentioned that the package had 3 more days before the best-by date. For them, that was the final straw.
Alcohol
Even if laws and regulations depend on each state, Costco still accepts alcohol returns where needed. The club’s website even states that “Costco doesn’t accept returns on cigarettes or alcohol where prohibited by law” so you might try to check your local regulations before you decide to return any alcoholic products you might have bought.
At warehouses in states that allow for alcohol returns, employees are quite quick to mention the sheer volume of returns they noticed.
One employee even mentioned how the influx of alcohol returns they saw during wedding seasons is quite shocking. When unopened alcohol returns are allowed, the large influx seems to come from unopened bottles. This comes as a result of purchasing too many products for one event.
Meat & fish
Very similar to fresh produce, many Costco members are quite discouraged by the short shelf life of the meat and fish bought at their warehouses. Even if you can find quality meat products at Costco, customers still point out that the products constantly go bad before the best-by date.
Many customers declared that they took back meat that smelled terrible before the Best Buy date. Many of them are unsure whether or not that’s a thing related to their store, but they simply refuse to pay $60 for a package of meat and then throw it away.
The same applies to some unfortunate encounters with fish bought at Costco. Another member wrote on Reddit that “Salmon has been doing this quite a lot recently. Terrible fish smell five days before the sell-by date.”
Refrigerators & freezers
For many home cooks, the refrigerator is the heart of the kitchen. It keeps all the important ingredients as fresh as possible before cooking. Refrigerators and freezers are some of the many appliances you can buy at Costco.
However, many members decided to go online to warn others to do their due diligence and conduct a much-needed research before buying anything. One employee mentioned that “three out of five members call in and ask to return an appliance.”
Small automated kitchen appliances
Automated gadgets bring plenty of convenience to home cooks. However, there are times when the manual version is the actual way to go. Costco shoppers have had quite a lot of negative experiences with such tools, and many ended up in the return bin. One shopper shared their experience with an automatic wine opener they got from Costco, saying that they were widely disappointed by it.
Air fryers
Just like their much larger counterparts, smaller countertop kitchen appliances are used for preparing meals on a daily basis. the rise in popularity of the air fryer also leads to countless Costco members who add them to their shopping carts.
However, a good deal of them wind up bringing them back. Many air fryers are returned, and it makes us wonder if there’s something wrong with them before being shipped to Costco or if Costco makes the worst choices when it comes to them.
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