‘Customer satisfaction at the end of the day’: TikTok users push Costco’s return policy to the limit with wild refunds

Costco is well-known for its no-questions-asked return policy. Now some shoppers are taking it upon themselves to test the limits of that policy.

“Returning my slime stained carpet to Costco,” one TikTok user posted earlier this month.

Costco offers customers an unlimited grace period to return most purchases for a full refund, earning the wholesaler a top-six spot among stores with exceptional return policies, according to a 2023 ranking by U.S. News and World Report.

While the customer received a full refund for the ruined rug, the comments section on the TikTok video was divided. “That’s embarrassing for you,” one person wrote. “This just seems wrong,” another added.

For others, it’s simply about getting their money’s worth. “I could be mad but in this economy . . . hell yeah,” one comment read. Even Costco employees chimed in. “Our upper management has said Costco makes way too much money. [T]hey would rather take the hit than lose a member,” one wrote. “Customer satisfaction at the end of the day.”

What if the rug is in perfect condition but you just don’t like it anymore? No problem. Another TikTok user returned a rug bought over a year ago because it no longer matched their aesthetic—and received a full refund.

Costco’s return policy is not only open-ended in terms of time frame, but it also doesn’t clearly define the condition items must be in upon their return to the store. One person returned a broken couch four years after buying it. Another brought back a half-eaten chicken bake. Both were refunded in full. “This is why we can’t have nice things,” one person commented.

This isn’t the first time customers have pushed the policy’s boundaries. One notable return made headlines in 2018 when a woman brought back her dried-up Christmas tree in January.

Extreme as it may seem, the policy supports Costco’s membership model. “Kudos for Costco,” the couch-returner said at the end of his video. “You’ve got me as a client for life now.” Research shows that restrictive return policies can cost retailers business, whereas positive return experiences often lead to more purchases.

Still, that doesn’t mean the customer is always right. Of the $685 billion in U.S. retail merchandise returned in 2024, $103 billion was attributed to return/claims fraud or abuse, according to a 2024 report from Appriss Retail and Deloitte.

Just because you can, doesn’t always mean you should.