In the 21st Century, shopping has become a touch of a button, thanks to the new technology. It is now possible to order goods from all parts of the world, with just a touch of a button. Most business operators have learned this, and now are moving their services online. Here comes a question asked by many people Can I return air pods to Costco?
However, the delivery sometimes is below our expectations. If the goods don’t meet your expectations, the best way is to return them and claim a refund. What if the air pods you purchased in Costco don’t meet your standard, what do you do?
Costco’s goods return policy.
Like other brands, Costco has a draft policy that will guide you to claim your refund. Being a huge wholesale store the process can be very long and tiresome, unlike customers with lifetime membership cards. However, these policies are prone to changes in case of a need arises. For example, after COVID 19 pandemic.
These policies are:
- Membership policy card. Costco offers two types of credit card membership when you join; executive and gold star membership. These cards are used for placing orders.
When returning goods purchased online, you are required to produce this card. Costco will then refund you or, give you a choice to pick another product of your choice, without extra cost.
To the non-members, the number of goods returnable is limited. In case of violation of the return policy, Costco revokes the membership.
- Returnable list. Costco stores have a list of those goods that are accepted back and those that cannot be taken back. Some of these includes; alcohol and cigarettes. This policy however depends on the law.
- Electronics. Costco accepts the return of electronics for 90 days. Furthermore, they have a technical team to help in the installation of various electronics.
- Goods made for a specific customer. Goods made from a customer’s specifications cannot be accepted back. However, Costco can do repairs per warranty in case of any fault.
- High-value goods: For highly valued goods such as diamond bracelets and gold chains, a member has to produce all original papers. Costco will then issue a memo and then carry out an authentication test.
What are the new policies?
In 2019, Costco was forced to change some of its policies. This was due to the COVID 19 pandemic which affected not only our lifestyles but the way we shop. These are rare cases and it has to adjust to cater to these changes. These changes were;
- Two people per membership card. This was to reduce overcrowding in their stores.
- Limited returning. Costco set a maximum no of goods returned by customers. This was to discourage people from over-purchasing essential commodities such as foodstuffs, bottled water, and hand sanitizers.
To also protect their employees, as most of the returned goods were likely to be contaminated with the deadly virus.
- Limited purchase. In all their store, Costco has limited the number of certain commodities a customer can buy. These include disinfectants, tissue paper, and alcohol.
The idea was to enable everyone to at least buy enough of these commodities. It was also to avoid shortage of these goods, as many producers could produce in bulk like before.
- Goods off shelves. To create room for more foodstuffs and other essential items, Costco had to remove fewer essential and non-perishable goods on the shelves. This also helped in reducing wastage from spoiled or expired food stock.
The return process of these goods is very simple. All goods purchased online can be returned to any Costco store nearby. Physical purchased goods, on the other hand, have to be returned to the exact store purchased. All the legal documents must accompany them for non-membership customers.
It is not a requirement to have a membership credit card to buy at Costco. Nonetheless, you will have to pay 5% more than the quoted price. These membership cards are grouped into two:
- Executive membership: to be a member, there is an annual fee of about $120. This membership is valid in all Costco stores worldwide. In addition, one receives a 2% reward at each end of a business calendar.
- Business membership. They are used to purchase goods for personal use or resell . It is valid in any Costco stores for resale purposes the customer needs to have appropriate documents.
- Gold star membership: It is the cheapest and most common membership among customers. Its benefits are limited, unlike the preceding two membership.
There are several tricks most customers ignore or are not aware of them. They will help you take advantage of the new offers and shop more for less.
Costco is not cheaper than other retailers. Before shopping, it would be great to compare prices with other retailers. Costco also offers services like water delivery and cars for hire.
Shop during the early evening or early afternoon. Mostly, at this time people are busy with their jobs. Early in the morning, stores are overcrowded as well as late evening.
