3 Times Costco Gave Me a Full Refund for a Purchase I Didn’t Like

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Costco has a very generous refund policy. Read on to learn more about getting your money back on a regrettable purchase. 

The reasons I enjoy shopping at Costco are multifold. For one thing, buying groceries at Costco often results in a lower credit card tab than shopping at regular supermarkets. That’s important when you’re trying to build up your savings account. Also, Costco is known for its great customer service. And that’s something I’ve experienced firsthand.

Costco happens to have an extremely generous return policy. If you buy something that’s defective, you can rest assured you’ll be given your money back. And if you buy food items that end up spoiling ahead of their printed expiration date, you can return them and get your money back.

Now, there are some rules you need to follow when making Costco returns. With electronics, for example, you must make your return within 90 days to get your refund. But as long as you stick to the rules, you don’t even have to make up an excuse for asking for your money back. In fact, here are three situations where I was able to get a Costco refund simply for not liking the product in question.

1. When a laptop keyboard wasn’t comfortable

As someone whose job is to write content, it’s important to me to have a laptop that’s easy to use. So when I picked out a new laptop at Costco years back and brought it home, I was bummed to discover that I just plain didn’t love the feel of the keyboard. And I felt that would slow me down in the course of my work.

When I took the item back to Costco and was asked if anything was wrong with it, I explained that I didn’t love the feel of the keyboard keys. The customer service representative simply said “okay” and processed my return.

2. When the towels I bought lacked the fluff factor

I’m not someone who needs the most luxurious towels after a shower. But a while back, I bought towels from Costco I didn’t end up liking the feel of. I got all of my money back — even though I’d already used one of the towels from the two-pack I’d purchased.

3. When I didn’t like the feel of a workout shirt

I purchased a shirt from Costco that I thought would be perfect for running in. Only the material wound up being heavier than I thought it would be. Costco took it back without even asking about fit. And I was fine with that.

You have options when you shop at Costco

There are certain Costco products you can’t return as easily as others. Cigarettes and alcohol, for example, generally cannot be returned to the store after you’ve walked out with them.

But you may find it helpful to know that you can change your mind about a Costco purchase and still get a full refund for it. And you might also appreciate that you don’t have to make up an excuse as to why you’re taking it back.

Best of all, you don’t even necessarily need a receipt to get a Costco refund. When you go to customer service, they can look up the item using your membership number and refund you accordingly. It really doesn’t get much easier than that.

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The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Discover Financial Services is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. Maurie Backman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale. The Motley Fool recommends Discover Financial Services. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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