A video of an American Costco shopper returning a set of old pans has highlighted the store’s lenient return policy, but can something like that be done in Canada?
Content creator Kayla certainly raised some eyebrows when she returned a set of three pans after using them for more than a year. According to her TikTok profile, Kayla is a mom of three who lives in California. In a video posted in July 2024, she describes what it’s like to return used items to Costco.
“Come to Costco with us to return these pans that we’ve had for over a year,” she said. “As you can see, they’re all used and scratched up, so let’s go return them.”
@kaylarahman01/TikTok
After returning the pans, she shows a receipt for store credit worth US$86.19 (C$124.14).
“It worked,” stated Kayla. “Now, let’s go shop for new pans.”
In the caption, she clarified that it was the first and only time she returned a Costco purchase. She also explained that she was unsatisfied that the coating on the pans started peeling quickly.
@kaylarahman01/TikTok
“So I tested Costco’s 100% guarantee return policy, and yes, it worked,” she wrote.
“I do not recommend abusing this policy as they do keep track of your returns and can be flagged, but it was awesome to be able to return the pans and actually try the product out longer than 30 days and put the in-store credit towards better pans. I did not need the receipt or the box.”
@kaylarahman01/TikTok
Many retailers have adopted policies to flag accounts with abnormal return or refund habits. However, Daily Hive could not independently confirm whether Costco does this in Canada. We will update this story when Costco responds to our query about return-based account flags.
Bruce Winder, a retail analyst and advisor, told Daily Hive that the retailer could be paying close attention if you make repetitive returns.
“Especially with today’s technology… retailers are monitoring customers’ data,” he said. “And if you’re a serial returner… it’s not unrealistic for [a retailer] to treat customers who abuse things differently.”
Returning items at Costco: Canada vs. US
According to Costco US and Costco Canada’s websites, both countries share the same return policy, which states that returns and exchanges are guaranteed.
“Costco guarantees your satisfaction with the merchandise you purchase from us,” reads the Costco Canada website.
Items purchased online may be returned to Costco warehouses worldwide.
Although cell phones, televisions, and other electronics must be returned within 90 days to qualify for a refund, neither website specifies a return period for other items.
However, based on the reactions to Kayla’s video, which has 1.4 million views, Costco’s generous return policy appears to be a divisive topic.
“They have a 100% return policy no matter how used or how old,” wrote one viewer. “Used to work there and had someone bring in a mattress that was over 10 years old and for a new mattress free.”
Another wrote, “We literally get new rugs every few months cause of this rule.”
One commenter joked, “Let me know when Costco sells cars with the same policy.”
Not everyone was impressed.
“Everyone else loses when selfish people abuse the return policy,” wrote one Redditor.
One person explained, “As someone who’s worked on the manufacturing side, I can tell you that you, as a consumer, pay for this behaviour. We anticipate high return abuse and factor that into our pricing because we have to give the money back, pay for the courier to get the product back, and disposal.”
What are your thoughts on Costco’s return policy? Let us know in the comments.
With files from Simran Singh