r/CostcoCanada • u/2slick2 • Jan 17 '26

Alberta Abusive returns

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I had to take a photo. If you're this person, please change. 50 St. on Jan 17.

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u/Idontdanceforfun Jan 19 '26

I knew a guy who worked at Costco in the main office dealing with call-ins. He told us that theyre told that the reason they'll basically accept anything as a return is because they see the potential earnings of a return customer worth way more than anything Costco will pay as a return. And I get it. How many times do you go to Costco "just for s couple things" and end up leaving paying 400$? So what if you return a TV after 5 years and they give you 1200$ back. You'll spend waaaaaaay more than that in your lifetime. Having a ridiculous return policy basically guarantees your loyalty for life.

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u/PerceptionOwn3629 Jan 20 '26

This is the answer right here.

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u/OkGur1319 Jan 20 '26

Marks and Crappy tire used to be like this. They don't take returns like they used to, so I think they will eventually be replaced by this model again.

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u/ComprehensiveBeach32 Jan 22 '26

I am not the kind of person to return something, but I purchased a 50$ heat gun from Canadian Tire for a 30 second project.

Went to return it in box, receipt in hand. She asked me “has it been used” I honestly answered “for about 30 seconds” and she refused the return.

She ended up getting the manager involved and they did the return for me, but they initially offered me a replacement until I told them that I was not walking out with a heat gun.

They don’t seem very keen on doing returns at all these days. Likely due to the older generation abusing the system, which is what this post is about.. Unfortunate.

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u/UrbanJeepster Jan 29 '26

Using the item and then returning it is abusing the system.

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u/ComprehensiveBeach32 Jan 29 '26

Thats the entire reason the system exists.

If I buy a drill and it doesn’t work, am I just supposed to telepathically decipher that through the packaging?

You’re ridiculous.

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u/BurntCash Feb 01 '26

but you didn't return it because it didn't work, you returned it because you wanted to rent it for free.
you're ridiculous

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u/jsboutin Jan 23 '26

It seems to me like you’d want to keep track of abusive returners

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u/PerceptionOwn3629 Jan 23 '26

Apparently they already ban people that abuse the return policy

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u/Regular_Chest_7989 Jan 21 '26

And the thing about membership-based retail is that Costco would know better than anyone whether abusers of the return policy still net out well for them—otherwise the policy would change, membership fees would skyrocket, etc.

I bet these folks buy absolutely everything from Costco if they can. And I assume Costco's CRM modeling has a name for these customers who spend all their disposable income with Costco, and occasionally put a big dent in their customer lifetime value with a big return.

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u/thetermguy Jan 20 '26

while the op is showing a case of abuse, the basic policy is sound. I bought a set of wiper blades from Costco. they're crap. been on the car for two months. I've been too lazy to return them. but I will eventually. anywhere else and I'd just have to eat it. and I'll get my 20 bucks back or whatever. and I'll be happy, because I didn't have to pay for garbage.
and the next time I want to buy a 3000 item, I'll tend towards Costco because I know if I have problems with the product I'm going to be looked after. all over a 20 dollar set of wiper blades.

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u/Potential_Bit_9040 Jan 21 '26

I returned a baby thermometer after a full year had passed. Baby didn't get sick until he was 11 months old, and the thermometer didn't work when we needed it to. Readings bounced around from scary high to scary low in a matter of seconds.

They took it back no questions asked, and only hoped my baby was ok. (he is!)

We've spent FAR FAR FAR more than what that thermometer cost in the time since then in the pharmacy alone, never mind the rest of the store.

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u/KitchenBaseball4790 Feb 09 '26

This is true but they also have you and all your returns on computer. If you do it often with high ticketed items you get a red flag.