Costco fans left baffled after customer returned two 10-year-old mattresses, but warns subscriptions can be canceled

COSTCO employees shared the boldest comebacks they’ve ever seen, including two 10-year-old mattresses with multiple stains.

Employees responding to the Costco Reddit thread warned shoppers that their memberships could be revoked if they abused the lenient return policy.

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The store has a famous 100% satisfaction guarantee that has resulted in products being returned years after they were purchased in poor condition.

At the Subreddit r/Costcosomeone asked what the “most egregious” returns employees had seen and whether they had ever seen someone’s membership revoked for returning an item.

“Two 10-year-old mattresses with urine stains,” one person responded.

They said this person didn’t lose their membership, but they saw people kicked out of the club for giving back “too much.”

“[Like] 60% to 70% of all purchases,” they said.

Another employee said he once saw a customer return nearly $32,000 worth of trees two years after purchasing them.

“They were redoing the landscaping and it no longer fit into the new design,” they wrote.

“The GM approved the return because they spent a lot of money on that warehouse, and it was worth it to keep her happy and continue her membership than to say no.”

In a similar situation, another employee said a frequent buyer returned Dyson vacuums every few years as a way to get a free upgrade to the latest model.

“The manager looked at how much the member spent per year and approved it. [Spending] X thousand a year entitled him to free vacuum cleaner replacements for the rest of his life.”

SOMETHING SUSPICIOUS

Despite the flexible policy, Costco employees can deny returns.

One employee said a customer canceled his subscription after he was told he couldn’t return a piece of spoiled fish.

“This guy arrived wanting to return the rotten salmon he left in the trunk for months,” she said. he wrote.

“It was green and black and smelled like absolute death. I denied the return.”

“I was called every name in the book, but I was still denied return.”

She said everyone around her was shocked by her client’s attempt.

“I was also eight months pregnant and extremely tired from the conversation, so my coworkers were obviously defensive of me, including the members who were in line.”

Membership and store cards offered by major retailers

Here’s a breakdown of the store cards offered to customers from various retailers and their benefits:

Costco:

• Goldstar Subscription: $60 per year, shop at all Costco stores and online with two additional cards for your family.
• Executive Member: $120 per year, 2% annual rewards, discounts and additional benefits on Costco services, shop online and in-store and get two additional cards for home use.

Sam’s Club:

• Club membership: $50 per year, Bonus Offers, Same Day Delivery, Instant Savings, Sam’s Club Mastercard, Members Only Fuel Savings, Tire & Battery Center, Free Membership and Add-on Memberships.
• More membership: $110 per year, all the benefits of Club membership plus Sam’s Cash, free shipping, free curbside pickup, advance purchases, and pharmacy and optical discounts.

Target:

• Target Circle: A free rewards program that allows users to earn 1% in Target Circle Earnings rewards when a qualifying purchase is made, access personalized deals and offers, receive a birthday gift, and earn a vote to help direct how Target helps its community.
• Target RedCard: A credit, debit or reloadable card that offers users 5% off in-store and online, as well as exclusive offers, free two-day shipping and an additional 30-day return window.

Walmart:

• Walmart+: $12.95 per month or $98 per year with 30-day free trial. It offers members free delivery, free shipping with no minimum spend, fuel savings, Paramount+ subscription, car, Walmart+ travel, home drop-off, mobile scan and store entry, and early access to offers and product launches.

In the same Reddit thread, a buyer shared a photo of someone trying to return a decades-old television.

“I thought it was a prank when I saw it,” the customer captioned a photo of a 22-year-old television on a cart waiting at the return counter.

Other shoppers were equally surprised by the response.

“I fully support canceling the Costco membership of the person who did this,” one customer wrote.

“You have to be an absolutely psychotic human being to do that.”

It’s unclear whether returns were granted, but Costco implemented a 90-day return limit on electronics in 2007.

Another shopper was shocked to see a member try to return an obviously used, five-year-old grill.

Also, see the controversial change in the food court that some customers consider unfair.