Costco shopper tries to return garbage can 7 years after purchase — the store knew how to handle it

Costco's return policy is among the most generous ones in America and it has become somewhat of a social media trend to return products after a long time and post videos about it. The wholesaler clearly states that its priority is to “guarantee the customer's satisfaction on every product they sell.” Thus, members can return most of the stuff anytime if they are no longer satisfied with it. But it doesn't always work that way and this was highlighted by Costco members and employees on a Reddit thread, revealing when it isn't ok to return items.

According to the unofficial subreddit for the retail chain called r/Costco, the big box retailer does reject returns under certain circumstances. For example, one user shared that when a customer tried to return a seven-year-old garbage can, the store rejected the request saying "Seven years is an acceptable expected lifespan of a garbage can". While the reason is unusual, it seems justified as returning a seven-year-old item is bizarre enough.

It turns out, that the reason is legitimate and mentioned in Costco's policies. The policy outlines that workers may deny returns for products that have a “limited useful life expectancy” including items such as tires or batteries. 

While life expectancy is one reason, several users shared more reasons for the store to reject returns. "At the Costco, I work at, somebody tried to return a diamond ring worth over 5 grand that they had bought 15 years prior at a different Costco. That was the only time I've ever heard management deny a return," @TheKootz revealed. Turns out, this too is mentioned in Costco's policies. The retailer mentions that to return diamond jewelry, members need to present the original paperwork and they need to get the items verified as well. 

However, the general consensus on the forum was that Costco is the most generous retailer in the world. Several users claimed that they had never witnessed a rejected return request ever in their life. "I haven't witnessed one but just last week, saw a guy returning a literally falling apart Gazebo wrapped in rust and dirt and he had disassembled it partially. He just left it there at the returns desk and noticed they gave him store credit," @CaliFijian shared.

Similar stories have been shared on TikTok as well where members have returned old items due to outrageous reasons. In a shocking story, a woman returned a two and half year old couch, simply because she didn't like it anymore.

In another story, a man returned a 14-year-old playground set because he had no use for it. Sharing the story, TikTok creator @psychoz28 explained how the customer successfully got back his $1,400 by returning the playset because his kids grew up.

The creator explained that the man bought the set in 2008 and returned it for the full amount, essentially borrowing it from Costco for over a decade, for free. "It’s crazy how much Costco cares about their members," the creator said.