A COSTCO shopper was shocked when their request for a refund was denied after they ordered a MacBook but received an empty box.
Costco’s 100% satisfaction guarantee is a big draw for customers.
They can shop confidently, knowing that if something doesn’t meet their standards, they can return it for a refund.
However, one shopper had difficulty getting their money back after they were delivered an empty box instead of a MacBook.
“My wife opened the box to find that the Macbook had been removed from its box and that we received a shipping box with an empty Macbook box that had nothing but the instructions packet in it,” they wrote in a Reddit post.
“I picked it up immediately as the UPS truck left. There was no tampering with the box.”
They filed a claim with Costco to get their money back but got an email from the loss prevention team saying a police report was required to offer a refund.
“Again, the Macbook was not stolen. An empty box was delivered to me,” they reiterated.
“I go to my local precinct, and the police tell me they cannot write a police report because there is no evidence that my package was stolen in front of my house.”
The officers even called Costco and spoke with the loss prevention team on behalf of the customer, but it didn’t change anything.
The next day, the shopper got an email from Costco’s investigation team saying the refund was denied without any explanation.
“Furious, I call the customer service line yet again, and after several attempts by the dialbot to get rid of me, I finally am able to reach someone. I explain my situation and finally got in touch with a supervisor who tries to personally escalate my case for reconsideration,” they said.
The supervisor told them they would need a police report or to contact their bank to get a refund.
“I’m at a loss of words of what to do. The package I received was a shipping box with an unwrapped Macbook inside of it that had its internal paper seal surgically cut.”
“I never received my item. The theft of my laptop could not have happened on my doorstep as I picked up the package immediately as the UPS truck left!
“I do not know what to do, and I can’t take a loss this expensive. I don’t want to charge back if I don’t have to. What do I do?”
Reddit users rushed to the shopper’s aid with ideas on how to get their money back.
“When I had this issue with Amazon on a different computer item, I used the weight of the package from the tracking information to prove that the package never contained the item I ordered,” commented one person.
“If you have the box, then you have the serial number. Contact Apple and see what they can do,” suggested another person.
“I’m guessing someone in the UPS system stole it. I had two sets of airpods from Costco stolen by UPS. They know what the boxes look like and what’s in them. Finally, I had the third pair shipped to the store,” added a third shopper.
Ultimately, none of these options worked, and the original poster had to go back to the police department and get a report to get their refund.
“Tips for folks in this situation: make sure you get a police report. Even if the cops say no, find somewhere you can get a police report,” they wrote.
“As soon as I got that (had to go in a second time), the investigations team processed the refund pretty quickly.”
Membership and store cards on offer from major retailers
Here is a breakdown of the store cards on offer to customers from various retailers and their benefits:
Costco:
- Gold Star Membership: $60 per year, shop all Costco stores and online with two additional cards for your household.
- Executive Membership: $120 per year, annual 2% reward, additional discounts and benefits on Costco services, shop online and in-store, and get two additional cards for household use.
Sam’s Club:
- Club Membership: $50 per year, bonus offers, same-day delivery, instant savings, Sam’s Club Mastercard, members-only fuel savings, tire and battery center, complimentary membership, and add-on memberships.
- Plus Membership: $110 per year, all benefits of Club membership plus Sam’s Cash, free shipping, free curbside pickup, early shopping, and pharmacy and optical savings.
Target:
- Target Circle: A free-to-join reward program allowing users to earn 1% in Target Circle earnings rewards when an eligible purchase is made, access deals and personalized offers, get a birthday gift, and earn a vote to help direct how Target helps out your community.
- Target Circle Card: A credit, debit, or reloadable account card that gives users 5% off in-store and online as well as exclusive offers, free two-day shipping, and an additional 30-day returns window. Formerly Target RedCard.
Walmart:
- Walmart+: $12.95 per month or $98 per year with a free 30-day trial. Offers members free delivery, free shipping with no minimum spend, fuel savings, Paramount+ subscription, auto car, Walmart+ travel, returns from home, mobile scan and go in-store, and early access to deals and product releases.
WHAT’S THE DEAL?
The return policy of Costco states, “We guarantee your satisfaction on every product we sell and will refund your purchase price.”
But, there are some exceptions to Costco’s lenient return policy.
For example, as of 2007, all electronics must be returned within 90 days of purchase or when the member receives the item in the mail.
Diamonds of 1 carat or large must be returned within 48 hours, and they will be inspected for authenticity.
Items with a limited life expectancy, like batteries, cannot be returned.
Airline tickets and tickets to live performances are also non-refundable.
A Costco customer threw a tantrum after their return of a 15-year-old sofa was denied.
But other shoppers were shocked when the store refunded a man who returned a cassette player from the days before CDs.