‘The return policy here is unmatched’: Costco shopper notices customer returning couch. Then she takes a closer look

Costco is known for having such a lenient return policy that people try to push what they can get away with.

Aside from a few specific exceptions, the big box store will let you return just about anything if you're not completely satisfied—including your membership.

Sometimes, they don't even need your receipt to process the return; instead, they can look up purchases from your membership card.

People have returned a litany of used, broken, and half-eaten merchandise and have been able to get their money back with no hassle.

One person returned a stinky three-year-old rug that was falling apart; another returned cat food without the original bag because their furry friend stopped liking it, and others returned fully eaten steak and chicken that just had the bones left.

And the list goes on and on. Here are a few others compiled by Mashed:

• A dead Christmas tree returned in January
• Moldy strawberries and ant-covered apples
• Printed photos that they didn't like
• A four-year-old air conditioner (though this one was an accident)
• Litter box with litter still in it
• 11-year-old pillows that were "dark brown and smelled horrible"

Recent return goes viral

In a viral video with more than 725,000 views, TikToker Sheri (@definitelysheri) noticed something was off about an item in the store.

A couch, an ottoman set, was sitting in the middle of the floor, but the seats on the couch looked flat, and the leather was completely crinkly and cracked.

Surely they weren't selling that. Then Sheri put two and two together.

"Someone literally just returned this POS to Costco. The return policy here is unmatched," she said, seemingly appreciating the returner's boldness and Costco's willingness to take it back.

Wait, what is the actual policy?

Costco boasts a "risk-free 100% satisfaction guarantee."

"We guarantee your satisfaction on every product we sell, and will refund your purchase price," the site states.

While most items, including food, are returnable, here are the listed exceptions:

• Specific electronics (you can find the full list here) have a 90-day return window
• Diamonds must have all their original paperwork and will need to go through an authentication process
• Cigarettes and alcohol
• Products with a limited useful life expectancy (like tires and batteries)
• Custom items
• Plane and event tickets
• Gold bullion, gold bars, and silver coins
• Gift cards

Can you get in trouble for making too many returns?

Yes, you can.

As Business Insider put it, Costco's return policy is "ripe for abuse."

Costco does not specify on its site if there's a limit to how many items you can return before getting in trouble.

In an email statement to Business Insider, a spokesperson said that a person's membership may be canceled if they abuse the policy, but "this decision is made on a case-by-case basis and is at the discretion of each location manager."

So, there are still no clear rules around what that means.

Further investigation led to conflicting information. Depending on the state, some customer service representatives said that you could make an unlimited number of returns with no repercussions, while others said to be careful because they mine how many returns you make and flag people who often return high-value merch.

Commenters react

"I’ve seen a Christmas tree returned and half a watermelon before," a top comment read.

"Who wants to take our couch in for us? My wife and I are too embarrassed?" a person said.

"Before they changed their electronics policies my neighbor returned his tv each year and for the same money his new tv got bigger and bigger," another shared.

@definitelysheri Costcos Return Policy > #costco #costcofinds #costcoreturns #costcotiktok #canitkirkland #christmas #christmascountdown #tiktokpartner #iykyk @Costco Wholesale ♬ Hell To Da Naw Naw Naw - Bishop Bullwinkle

The Daily Dot reached out to Sheri for comment via Instagram and TikTok direct message and to Costco via email.

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