BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 25 Jul 06 - 02:34 PM

If you don't have the receipt they will only offer a credit or exchange I'm afraid Mrs D. Funny thing is though I did the same with a clock radio. They no longer had the same model so they told me to pick any other. I was honest enough to pick one around the same price:-)

Cheers

DtG

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 25 Jul 06 - 02:25 PM

Well we bought a dvd player from asda that has ceased to function but we don't have the receipt so if Dave is right I might just take it back and see what happens. Although I seem to recall on a previous occasio they only offered a credit note when I could give a receipt. Quite honestly it doesn't seem right that someone can get full use out of a product and then get their money back when they want something better but - hell if thats the policy all power to you they make more than enough profit anyhow.

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: Big Mick
Date: 25 Jul 06 - 01:38 PM

Didn't say it is a sound business practice. Seems silly to me, and surely the price is affected. However their business model and pricing seems to take this into account.

As I said, if Clinton were attempting to keep something secret to pull this off, I would say that is stealing. But it appears he is not.

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Jul 06 - 01:35 PM

Do you seriously believe the customers aren't paying for this loophole?

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: Big Mick
Date: 25 Jul 06 - 09:56 AM

If there is no violation of the law, and the company is aware and says it is within their corporate policies, I don't see the beef.   If CH were taking advantage of some loophole to steal, then I would be all over him as he well knows. But he, and others, indicate that the company is aware of this and has no problem with it. Am I missing something?

Mick

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 25 Jul 06 - 09:48 AM

And you were just as wrong as he is.....

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: GUEST,Wesley S
Date: 25 Jul 06 - 08:57 AM

I made my point a long time ago. To repeat it would be Shambalistic.

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 25 Jul 06 - 03:36 AM

So I guess that's the Nay Sayers shut-up???

good

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Jul 06 - 11:28 AM

I've never been in a Costco either, mostly because there is a Sam's Club a mile from the house and I go in and buy their rotisserie chicken fairly often. I'll check out the Costco on the way to work and see if its worth the switch. I had a membership years ago but I never got around to using it, so I never renewed it. I wonder if they'll refund that? (Or up me for another year? I think the card is still around here somewhere.)

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Jul 06 - 10:38 AM

American Costcos carry tobacco inside the store. The booze is a seperate room however.

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 23 Jul 06 - 11:49 PM

"our Costcos have an alcohol section"

Must be the difference between Coscto US and COstco Canada, cause I've never seen a Canadian store with booze....

I'm not even sure that our Costco still carries smokes....

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Jul 06 - 10:16 PM

Perhaps a new permathread can be started. Call it "Clinton Hammonds shopping tip of the month".

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: Ebbie
Date: 23 Jul 06 - 09:00 PM

Our Costco - Juneau, Alaska - has an alcohol section also.

I like Costco for a number of reasons, among them that morale seems high there.

And books. They sell books for a price I'm willing to pay. $14.95 to my mind is far better than $26.95.

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: Peace
Date: 23 Jul 06 - 07:58 PM

OK, that's what I thought from a Google of Costco. So, if ya drink the case of beer and then complain that it gave ya a headache--which has never happened before to ya with beer--would they refund your money?

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: robomatic
Date: 23 Jul 06 - 07:53 PM

I'm kinda enjoying this in a strange way. Costco is big box as they come, but I've had some very good (and very bad) experiences in Costcos with the personnel. I think they're great. And our Costcos have an alcohol section with some high quality items.

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: Peace
Date: 23 Jul 06 - 07:51 PM

Yeah. I know.

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 23 Jul 06 - 07:50 PM

So you have OH so much to offer to this thread....

thanks again.....

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: Peace
Date: 23 Jul 06 - 07:25 PM

Oh. I don't think I've ever been to a Costco.

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 23 Jul 06 - 07:18 PM

Costco doesn't sell alcohol....

Thanks for coming out "Peace"

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: Peace
Date: 23 Jul 06 - 07:02 PM

Do they have a similar returns policy on alcohol? I was thinking . . . .

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 23 Jul 06 - 06:53 PM

"you walked out of store with something for which you did not pay"
Then why do I have a reciept for the transaction?!?!

"partners in crime will provide absolution"
There was NO crime.... nor am I seeking any kind of absolution....

YOU wanna look a gift-horse in the mouth? That's YOUR problem!

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: Jeri
Date: 23 Jul 06 - 06:42 PM

What makes it acceptable to me is the fact they knew he had a new printer and still gave him his money back. He didn't lie. They WANTED to do it. If he'd won a prize for being the 200th person that year to bring back a dead printer, nobody would care. I think that, since it was their decision, people should be mad at Costco for contributing to the delinquency of a Clinton Hammond.

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: Metchosin
Date: 23 Jul 06 - 05:53 PM

Clinton, in essence, you walked out of store with something for which you did not pay. No amount of justification, read somehow an equivalency to a "windfall" or seeking partners in crime will provide absolution.

I do not think pocketing someone's wallet found lying on the ground is a windfall either.   Others may not agree, but IMO both are theft. I believe on some level you think that too, despite Costco's metaphorical sign hanging on its back that says, "Kick Me", but I could be wrong. I also don't think there are many among us who are absolute paragons of virtue. I know, upon introspection, I have slipped from the path more than a couple of times in my life......yup, mia culpa.

If you don't want to be my friend because of what I perceive as ethical, that's your prerogative.

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 23 Jul 06 - 03:47 PM

See if I ever try THAT again... next time I'll PM people who I like, instead of posting to the main forum, and the rest of you can suck skite

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Jul 06 - 01:05 PM

Like I said, it's a windfall.

You can pick it up or you can walk past it. Clinton seems to have picked it up, but like Cassandra, most of us didn't believe it was what he said.

Odd place for him to be in--he was trying to do us a favor and got trounced for it.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 23 Jul 06 - 11:42 AM

"Perhaps he was deliberately trying to stir the pot"
Who the FK would bother?!?! Stirring the "Mudpot" is like shooting fish in a barrel, or making teenagers depressed.... There's no challenge at all.... As I've said over and over, my primary reason for posting was to share a gift-horse with others.... perhaps 2ndary to that mighta been bragging rights.... I didn't give it that much thought....

"recycling wasn't his primary intention"
Not in the least.... I returned the printer to see if I could get $$ for it.... plain and simple.... and I did.... and Costco didn't mind one damn bit, so why should I?

"an unusual idea"
Only to some it would appear.... some others seem to grok.....

"at one time seemed fond of the homily, "Ass, grass or gas, nobody rides for free."
That's my mom.... not me.

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: Metchosin
Date: 23 Jul 06 - 11:33 AM

One could view Costco's refund of money on the printer as compensation for a Costco member's inconvenience and time spent in dealing with a defective product, beyond the manufacturers's replacement; an unexpected stellar corporate move on Costco's part, IMO.

The fact that Clinton bothered to return the broken machine to the store more than 18 months after the original date of purchase, unless the company, as a benefit of membership, was also providing recycling services in his area, is what I find odd.

Perhaps Clinton was just being a responsible consumer, however, it would seem, because he also didn't mention it, that recycling wasn't his primary intention. He seemed to be expecting to get some further compensation, an unusual idea after that length of time, I believe, for most.

That Clinton did not bother pointing out, until a good way into this thread, that he told Costco, at the time of return, that he had received a replacement of the product by the manufacturer, also seems odd. Perhaps he was deliberately trying to stir the pot here by witholding that small bit of information.

I would have thought, that most would have automatically viewed this as fraud on first reading and therefore would have qualified the "fraud" point at the outset, rather than get pissed off when it was noted, particularly Clinton, who at one time seemed fond of the homily, "Ass, grass or gas, nobody rides for free."

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 23 Jul 06 - 08:09 AM

Why is this not fraud?

Aaaaarrrrrggggghhhhhh!

fraud    ( P ) Pronunciation Key (frôd) n.

A deception deliberately practiced in order to secure unfair or unlawful gain.

A piece of trickery; a trick.

One that defrauds; a cheat.
One who assumes a false pose; an impostor.

Neither unfair nor unlawful. No trickery. No cheating. No false pose. No Impostor.

How the f!"£ is it fraud?

For those unfamiliar with the term. Both Costco and Asda seem to have the same ploy to get customers to buy electrical goods from them. There is a NO QUIBBLE GUARANTEE. Quite simply, for those that do not seem to get it, if you return any item, in any condition, for any reason they will give you your money back with no arguments.

It is a very good ploy. It gets people in. It gets them to buy things to see if they are happy with them. The downside is that occasionaly people do return things. If the extra sales revenue did not outstrip the losses they would not do it!

Got it now?

Cheers

DtG

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 23 Jul 06 - 03:24 AM

Fuck off, "Guest"

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 23 Jul 06 - 03:24 AM

"You told them that Epson had replaced it and they gave you your money back?"

Yes... that's exactly what I'm telling you....

Sweet FKN crap, did I stutter the first time or something?!?!?!

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Jul 06 - 03:24 AM

That comes to you direct from the queen of toxic

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: dianavan
Date: 23 Jul 06 - 03:21 AM

So, lets get this straight.

After Epson replaced the product with an upgrade, you returned the old one to Costco. You told them that Epson had replaced it and they gave you your money back?

You're puttin me on.

Either that or you are a scam artist like I said before.

Why did you take it back to Costco if you didn't intend to try to get your money back regardless of the fact that you knew the item had already been replaced?

Deviant behaviour, Clinton. Very inappropriate.

Borderline sociopath.

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 23 Jul 06 - 02:31 AM

A MANAGER came over to help the 'clerk' give me my money back....

What's so hard to understand folks??? Or is it that you're really as thick as you appear in this thread????

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: Ebbie
Date: 23 Jul 06 - 01:25 AM

I get it: Clinton wanted to get rid of the old one so he took it to Costco and said, I don't need it and I thought Costco might want it. They replaced it with a new one some time ago.

They said, No problem. Here's your money.

I agree with dianavan; it was a clerk who had been told that Costco refunds with no questions asked and she didn't know what to do in this particular case.

Next time, Clinton, ask to see the manager. S/He'll most likely look at you and say, Let me get this straight: We already gave you a new one? And you want more money? If you don't want money for it, why did you bring it back?

It will make you feel so much better. :)

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 23 Jul 06 - 12:14 AM

" I doubt if this is Costco's policy"

Go there yourself and find out....

You can be next to admit that you were wrong

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: dianavan
Date: 22 Jul 06 - 10:11 PM

"Costco DIDN'T ask... I -told- them Epson sent me a new one.... "

That changes everything!

In that case, Costco was under no obligation to give you a refund.

However, I doubt if this is Costco's policy and is probably a result of a clerk not knowing what to do. Either that or Clinton is stretching the truth. Why in the world would you return it and tell them you had already received a replacement? Doesn't make sense.

In any event, most people would consider it a done deal if a replacement had already been provided.

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 22 Jul 06 - 08:43 PM

Who cares what Big Mick has to say about it???

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Jul 06 - 08:16 PM

Let's hear what Big Mick has to say about it, Jeri.

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: frogprince
Date: 22 Jul 06 - 08:03 PM

Costco DIDN'T ask... I -told- them Epson sent me a new one

He took the old one back to Costco and got a full refund on the old one, not mentioning that he'd already received a new one.

On the way to point this out, I found that Jeri had already put it together. Try to be logical, for sure, Ron, but also try to pay attention.

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: Jeri
Date: 22 Jul 06 - 07:39 PM

Ron, you might have fallen over a fucking clue when Clinton said: Costco DIDN'T ask... I -told- them Epson sent me a new one.... Costco STILL tripped over themselves to give me my money back.... Try to find another excuse for the holier-than-thou stuff.

How much do you suppose this $200 printer/word of mouth advertising is going to cost the average consumer compared to the hudreds of thousands spent for one 30-second prime time commercial? You guys just want to belittle someone and it looks to me like the lamest excuse in the world is good enough for you. I said it was transparent earlier, and I think the more people try it, the more obvious it is. I'm out of this, as it seems to have attracted the right mixture of people to be pretty hateful.

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: Ron Davies
Date: 22 Jul 06 - 06:54 PM

On the border of fraud. Wrong side of the border. He had been "made whole" when he received the--upgraded-- replacement printer. That obviously was fine--and should have been the end of it.

He pushed beyond that. And it will show up in higher prices for the rest of us.

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Jul 06 - 06:48 PM

The word that hasn't come up yet (that I've noticed, anyway) is "windfall." It appears that Clinton has found a crack through which some good stuff falls and he has taken advantage of it. I had a Dell monitor replaced by Dell when it was unpacked new and was found to have a goofy pixel. They said it wasn't going to get any worse, but since the monitor was brand new I didn't want one with a bright red spot on it. They replaced it, and in the replacement box was a note that said "don't send back the old one." When the house was burglarized in Feb. 2005 both were stolen and my insurance company paid to replace both. I suppose that was almost a windfall (except of course for the deductible and Allstate's nasty rules about putting a cap on what they'd replace as far as my office equipment used for employment work. . . )

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: Ron Davies
Date: 22 Jul 06 - 06:39 PM

Let's try to look at this logically:

1) CH bought an Epson printer from Costco. It went on the blink and Epson sent him a new one--at no cost to him--an upgrade, as I recall. He did not send the old one back to Epson, since according to him, they said he didn't need to. Fine. At that point he had been "made whole again".

2) He took the old one back to Costco and got a full refund on the old one, not mentioning that he'd already received a new one. They didn't ask, so he didn't mention it.

Why is this not fraud? Either Costco or Epson will be out the cost of a printer, and CH will be ahead the cost of a printer. As mentioned earlier, multiplied by others who play this fast and loose game, this eventually shows up in higher prices for those who play by the rules.

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 22 Jul 06 - 03:46 PM

Seems like one could do a lot worse

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=83830&p=irol-stockchart

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Jul 06 - 03:41 PM

Warning...Don't buy Costco stock!!!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 22 Jul 06 - 02:19 PM

"Suprises me"
Surprised the FK outa me too... that's why I posted this.... To make sure I wasn't the only one getting "The Sweet Deal"

"I was wrong."
No biggie... it happens to us all :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 22 Jul 06 - 02:14 PM

OK, Clinton, that clarifies it. Suprises me but OK in that case, I was wrong.

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 22 Jul 06 - 02:10 PM

"you (probably) entered a verbal contract with Epson"

I did no such thing....

I asked, "What do you want me to do with the old one?"

They said, "We don't care what you do with it."

I took them at their word....

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 22 Jul 06 - 01:49 PM

Clinton, I don't think that what you or Costco said to one another matters a scrap in what I suggested.

The way I see if it that you (probably) entered a verbal contract with Epson to accept a new printer as a replacement for the old item. Replacement to me means you no longer use (or in this case claim in order to be able to use) the original item.

Subject: RE: BS: Shop At Costco? Keep Your Receipts!
From: Ebbie
Date: 22 Jul 06 - 01:38 PM

There are many things I don't get and I guess it isn't worth it to me to try. This may be one of them.

I have a couple of friends who say they get a kick out of the computer virus creators. In my opinion those virus spreaders are malicious and hateful.

Who is right? I say I am. They think they are. As they might say in the UK, I can't be arsed to think it out.