A social media post has gone viral, showing a woman returning her dead Christmas tree to Costco for a full refund.
Costco is known for its customer-friendly return policy. With the exception of some types of electronics, practically everything else sold in the store falls under Costco's no-questions-asked 100 percent satisfaction guarantee. If you purchase something and are less than satisfied in any way, you can return it for a full refund. Over the years, I've heard a lot of crazy Costco return stories. I've even stood in line, bowing my head in shame, as my dad returned an almost-empty bottle of vitamins because they "didn't work." I've seen a man return a single, rusty frying pan that must have been 10 or more years old. His reason? He moved, and it no longer fits into his kitchen cabinets. There are a few stories that have floated around on the internet that are hard to believe. One tells a story of a woman who returned an empty bottle of wine because the drink "gave her a headache." Another depicts a man who returned a decade+ old boombox, with a receipt.
Myself, I have also returned some things here and there. If I can, I prefer to buy anything with a motor -- vacuum, carpet cleaner, etc. -- from Costco, just in case it fails down the road. The store's return policy is also great for trying new foods since if you don't like it, you can always bring it back.
But the entire pantheon of the most ridiculous Costco returns doesn't hold a candle to this latest story.
In California, a woman dragged in her dead Christmas tree on January 4 and asked for a refund "because it is dead."
One customer captured the bravest Costco return ever on his smart phone and narrated the whole affair.
“I can’t make this stuff up,” the bystander wrote on the Facebook post. “Woman in line at Costco, totally nonchalant, to return her Christmas tree ‘because it is dead’ on January 4.”
Can you imagine the courage it would take to drag a dead Christmas tree into Costco 10 days after Christmas and demand a refund with a straight face? I honestly don't think I'd be able to do it.
Buy a potted plant or a bouquet of flowers that dies sooner than you'd hoped? Fine, ask for a refund. But unless this woman celebrated Greek Orthodox Christmas on January 7, there is no excuse for returning a Christmas tree this far after the holiday.
After getting a good deal of grief from the Costco customer service employees and the other customers waiting in line, the woman apparently did receive her refund.
Costco's famous return policy does have its drawbacks. People who make more returns than the average customer, or make extremely unreasonable returns, do sometimes see their Costco memberships canceled. The company is happy to process returns, but also reserves its right to stop these people from defrauding the company in the future.
It's pretty safe to say that if this woman hasn't already had her membership expired, she is definitely on thin ice.
What is the craziest thing you've ever seen returned to Costco? Let us know in the comment section below!
