Costco return policy

Dan4BBQ

Return a vacuum after 4 years years of use?

Even if you live next door---don't call me.  You make the regular consumer look like a cheat.

I don;t want to be associated with you.

Newportlocal

I like big green egg, but I feel the fault is with them. Regardless of whatever falling out they had with Costco it is selfish and inconsiderate to punish the customers. Obviously,Costco didn't buy these out of a truck in a back alley. Big Green Egg sold them to Costco.

njl

I get what you're saying about the furniture. And yes, if Costco takes it back, then that is on them. My issue with the egg is this. Are you truly dissatisfied with the product? If it is performing exactly as expected, then how can you be dissatisfied? That would be more of a moral debate that you'll have to decide for yourself. I'm not here to start an argument, just giving my 2 cents. I'll get off my soap box now.

If I bought an Egg from Costco thinking it had a warranty from BGE and then found out it did not, I'd be most dissatisfied with that particular Egg.

I explained to the woman at the store that without the manufacturer's lifetime warranty (or the belief now that Costco would stand behind it indefinitely) it just wasn't a good enough deal.  From Costco, the egg and nest was only around $100 cheaper than buying an egg and nest from a local BGE dealer.  Saving $100 on a $700 ceramic cooker and going from lifetime warranty to none: not worth it IMO.  The Amex angle is an interesting one, but still a gamble in my opinion.  Sure, they might extend the warranty some...but I doubt they'd be of much help in 5-10 years if the base cracked.

Local Costco here had a medium for $579 with stand and nest. 

CA prices for a medium egg are as follows.  $699 for egg, $100 for nest, and $100 for the stand.  Saving about $320, but no lifetime warranty makes you think about it.. $320 for the warranty, or risk it and buy replacement parts when required. 

That was the Costco price here too...but just for a medium egg and nest.  I'm not sure what the stand you mention is.  When I was shopping for them, just before they showed up at Costco, a nearby dealer told me it'd be $599 for the medium and $99 for the nest.  About a $120 difference.

XLBalco

Dont worry. Ppl will continue to abuse return policies and they will tighten them up.

Honestly, nothing lasts a lifetime and your lifetime warranty in most cases is worthless.

I don't think I would shop at Costco for my vac nor furniture but if i did, Id say lesson learned.

hogsfan

Costco could easily outline time limitations on their warranty if they wanted to. They leave it open ended so you'll think you can always bring it back indefinitely. If they are going to use that as a sales tool to influence my decision to buy, you can bet I'm going to take the item back when I need to. There are things I would not have bought at all if I couldn't bring it back in the event of an issue. I've also driven past other stores simply because I wanted to buy from Costco for their 100% satisfaction warranty.  They say 100 percent satisfied...period! And they purposely don't mention time limits (which they DO have on electronics...so it's not like they aren't capable of putting limits out there.) 
They can't have it both ways. If they put on open-ended warranty out there then I would expect them to honor it. They get my business (and annual membership fee) because they offer that piece of mind that nobody else does. 

Incidentally, Bed, Bath, and Beyond has a similar arrangement.

The Naked Whiz

I like big green egg, but I feel the fault is with them. Regardless of whatever falling out they had with Costco it is selfish and inconsiderate to punish the customers. Obviously,Costco didn't buy these out of a truck in a back alley. Big Green Egg sold them to Costco.

We've been through this before.  BGE did NOT sell these Eggs to Costco.

Newportlocal

I like big green egg, but I feel the fault is with them. Regardless of whatever falling out they had with Costco it is selfish and inconsiderate to punish the customers. Obviously,Costco didn't buy these out of a truck in a back alley. Big Green Egg sold them to Costco.

We've been through this before.  BGE did NOT sell these Eggs to Costco.

From you I believe that. It is amazing a high volume store could get that many not from the dealership, but I have no doubt you have the best information and respect you. The problematic aspect is that I am fairly avid at searching the web. Not all consumers will be so fortunate. All of the people that get caught up in this mess buying one from Costco will have disappointment and cause negative publicity for big green egg and could effect future big green egg purchases. It is an unfortunate PR position.I bought mine at a dealership after catching wind of this maelstrom.

njl

After watching a TV program about the Costco buying process (the way Cosco's buyers determine what Costco will stock), its even harder to believe the BGE story, that all the big box clubs that got them bought from a new short lived rogue distributor that bought truck loads of product and then sold them in violation of BGE's distribution terms, then ceased to exist.  I said before, and I still think BGE should honor the warranty on any BGE bought via retail...whether from a normal dealer or box club.

BYS1981

I meant the nest as the stand, but it also came with the eggmate tables. 

njl

Hmm...the one I had did not come with the side tables.  It was 3 boxes...all the ceramics in the big box. Grids, rings, DFMT, and book/papers in a flat box.  Nest in a long/thin flat box.  I never even opened that last one...so unless the side tables were disassembled and fit in a box roughly 3'x7"x2", they weren't included.

Adamd

I don't think I could bring myself to be that kind of customer to return items that are so old. The moral issue comes into play on how long do you really expect that item to last? I am not going after the OP but I am shocked Costco took it back after 4 years. 

The Naked Whiz

Costco should never have offered a lifetime satisfaction guarantee because it generates discussions like this one.... )

xraypat23

I've got no morals when it comes to big corporations. If it was something I bought at a mom and pop store i'd never return it. But the big box stores, screw them all. return it, if they won't take it back, call amex up and tell them this product is supposed to have a lifetime warranty. I'd bet one way or another you're getting a new egg, or a refund.

Newportlocal

Costco should never have offered a lifetime satisfaction guarantee because it generates discussions like this one.... )

Big green egg also offered a lifetime warranty.That also generated this discussion. There unwillingness to honor theirs to people who purchased in good faith as a reasonable person from Costco with no knowledge Big green egg wouldn't stand behind their product if purchased there.

The Naked Whiz

Well, try buying a gray market Tag Hauer and then asking them to honor their warranty after you tell them where you bought it.  I don't see this as being much different.  You can also just as easily say the customer should have done their homework.  But bottom line is, if they register their warranty, they will find out it isn't covered and they will have the option at that point of returning it to Costco for a full refund, and then buying an Egg from an authorized dealer. 

stike

whiz, please.  enough with the logic and rational thinking.

Newportlocal

Well, try buying a gray market Tag Hauer and then asking them to honor their warranty after you tell them where you bought it.  I don't see this as being much different.  You can also just as easily say the customer should have done their homework.  But bottom line is, if they register their warranty, they will find out it isn't covered and they will have the option at that point of returning it to Costco for a full refund, and then buying an Egg from an authorized dealer. 

That is logical and rational and would give those unfortunate an out of bringing the whole thing back if they are part of the group that registers their products immediately. I have no axe to grind. I like you and the work you have done. I bought mine from a dealership. I do think that people will get caught up in the Costco issue and it isn't good PR. I doubt anyone purchasing at Costo thinks they are purchasing gray market products. I reasonable person would assume it was authorized.Most would assume Big green egg would have done a court stop order to protect their image if it wasn't authorized. If Walmart sold Big Green eggs I would assume they had the right and it wasn't gray market as well.

BGE4Life

I can't believe this discussion.  I have had my first egg for 3 years and my second for 9 months and have really had no issues.  I did get a new gasket because I felt it was truly defective but BGE also replaced 2 wheels from the large nest that my sons dog thought were chew toys.  I offered to buy the wheels if they replaced the gasket and they gave me the wheels and replaced the gasket. There service is phenomenal and their integrity is amazing.  I also buy clothes from LL Bean, comforters from The Company Store, Shirts and hats from Queensboro.com and many other satisfaction guaranteed products or services.  I would not under any circumstances send back a shirt that faded after 100 washings or a pair of pants that a seam ripped after 3 years just because it was satisfaction guaranteed. C'mon man where is your conscience?  4 years and you didn't take it to a vacuum repair store and spend the 80 to 100 to fix it?  It is customers like this that make the products we like cost so much and has caused good retailers to change their return policies because people think it is ok to buy a big screen tv before the super bowl only to return it afterwards thinking it is a free rental service.   

Newportlocal

I can't believe this discussion.  I have had my first egg for 3 years and my second for 9 months and have really had no issues.  I did get a new gasket because I felt it was truly defective but BGE also replaced 2 wheels from the large nest that my sons dog thought were chew toys.  I offered to buy the wheels if they replaced the gasket and they gave me the wheels and replaced the gasket. There service is phenomenal and their integrity is amazing.  I also buy clothes from LL Bean, comforters from The Company Store, Shirts and hats from Queensboro.com and many other satisfaction guaranteed products or services.  I would not under any circumstances send back a shirt that faded after 100 washings or a pair of pants that a seam ripped after 3 years just because it was satisfaction guaranteed. C'mon man where is your conscience?  4 years and you didn't take it to a vacuum repair store and spend the 80 to 100 to fix it?  It is customers like this that make the products we like cost so much and has caused good retailers to change their return policies because people think it is ok to buy a big screen tv before the super bowl only to return it afterwards thinking it is a free rental service.   

There are two separate discussions running in this thread. I buy chamois shirts, wicked good slippers, Maine wardens parkas at LLBean and have no reason to return anything when it finally wears out. They are a great company. I understand a 5 year old roomba vacuum return is excessive or returning a tv after a super bowl party. That being said a Big green egg is manufactured out of Mexican ceramic and probably their greatest manufacturing cost is shipping. I love my big green egg, but for the $1100.00 price for an xl before even adding a nest, accessories or tax. I would expect lifetime replacement. It is incorporated in that price. If I know I was at fault with the breakage I would offer to pay and not abuse the warranty. Still Costco eggs being sold to any casual buyer should legitimately would be honored rather than caveat emptor and taking it out on purchasers that were loyal enough to buy one. When I go to home depot and buy a weed eater or power tool I don't question whether they are an authorized dealer.

The Naked Whiz

If I went to a dealer and saw one price, and then Wal*Mart or Costco and saw a price $250-$300 less, I think I'd ask.

Newportlocal

If I went to a dealer and saw one price, and then Wal*Mart or Costco and saw a price $250-$300 less, I think I'd ask.

Wholesale buyers like Costco and Walmart get considerably different leverage buying in volume. At this point hope we can agree to disagree.

njl

There are two separate discussions running in this thread. I buy chamois shirts, wicked good slippers, Maine wardens parkas at LLBean and have no reason to return anything when it finally wears out. They are a great company. I understand a 5 year old roomba vacuum return is excessive

Just to set the record straight, It was not a "5 year old roomba."  I just went and checked the receipt again.  It was a 3.5 year old roomba.  And when I diagnosed the problem and tried to resolve its issue myself, the web site I found that talked about the bump sensor issue didn't say they go bad, it actually used the term "defective":

The bumper sensors are housed behind the actual bumper and not readily
visible without taking the front bumper off. If cleaning there with
compressed air has not helped, then likely they are defective.
 
After reading this, and trying the compressed air cleaning, I decided it was time for it to go back to Costco.  If they want to put limits on the return policy, fine.  But they haven't.  At least not yet. 

I'm not the sort who eats half the package of whatever and then returns the rest for a full refund, or wears clothes for a season and then returns them, but if you sell me a durable good and it breaks before I've decided to upgrade/replace it, and you have a "100% satisfaction guarantee" with no time limit, then I'm going to bring it back for a refund, and most likely buy another if I was otherwise happy with it and they still sell it or a comparable product.

Newportlocal

There are two separate discussions running in this thread. I buy chamois shirts, wicked good slippers, Maine wardens parkas at LLBean and have no reason to return anything when it finally wears out. They are a great company. I understand a 5 year old roomba vacuum return is excessive

Just to set the record straight, It was not a "5 year old roomba."  I just went and checked the receipt again.  It was a 3.5 year old roomba.  And when I diagnosed the problem and tried to resolve its issue myself, the web site I found that talked about the bump sensor issue didn't say they go bad, it actually used the term "defective":

The bumper sensors are housed behind the actual bumper and not readily
visible without taking the front bumper off. If cleaning there with
compressed air has not helped, then likely they are defective.
 
After reading this, and trying the compressed air cleaning, I decided it was time for it to go back to Costco.  If they want to put limits on the return policy, fine.  But they haven't.  At least not yet. 

I'm not the sort who eats half the package of whatever and then returns the rest for a full refund, or wears clothes for a season and then returns them, but if you sell me a durable good and it breaks before I've decided to upgrade/replace it, and you have a "100% satisfaction guarantee" with no time limit, then I'm going to bring it back for a refund, and most likely buy another if I was otherwise happy with it and they still sell it or a comparable product.

Honestly,sorry you were dragged into that by my response to someone else. It is the big green egg company not standing behind their product when sold by a major retailer that was my issue. I like Big green egg and love my big green egg,but it makes them look bad.

stike

"I buy chamois shirts, wicked good slippers, Maine wardens parkas at
LLBean and have no reason to return anything when it finally wears out."


I would just like to point out that in the entire history of human evolution, from the first point when man became self-aware, that this is the first time this sentence has ever been uttered, in any medium.

Newportlocal

"I buy chamois shirts, wicked good slippers, Maine wardens parkas at
LLBean and have no reason to return anything when it finally wears out."


I would just like to point out that in the entire history of human evolution, from the first point when man became self-aware, that this is the first time this sentence has ever been uttered, in any medium.

Someone had brought up llbean, but nonetheless lmao

stike

my wife worked in a place with a liberal return policy.  they'd bite their lips when all the TVs came back after the superbowl. but you know what? don't hang out a sign saying "lifetime satisfaction guarantee" and then quibble about what people should be satisfied with.

i agree that it would make BGE look supercool to cover those grey-market eggs, but they don't have to.  i'm sure costco has been apprised of the issue, so their continuing to sell them, even if they somehow got duped into buying them by a rogue distributor, means they are on the hook.

rickHP

I think a fair amount of people understand the concept of grey market importing of stuff like watches and cameras, although I wasn't aware that Costco engaged in that until I saw the documentary someone referenced upthread. It's much harder to understand how non warrantable product from a US company ends up there and I don't blame consumers for assuming that BGE would stand behind the warranty.

Newportlocal

my wife worked in a place with a liberal return policy.  they'd bite their lips when all the TVs came back after the superbowl. but you know what? don't hang out a sign saying "lifetime satisfaction guarantee" and then quibble about what people should be satisfied with.

i agree that it would make BGE look supercool to cover those grey-market eggs, but they don't have to.  i'm sure costco has been apprised of the issue, so their continuing to sell them, even if they somehow got duped into buying them by a rogue distributor, means they are on the hook.

That is a good point now it makes Costco look bad as well without making their customers aware of the problem and selling them.

I appreciated the Llbean joke not to take things too seriously.

XLBalco

I've got no morals when it comes to big corporations. If it was something I bought at a mom and pop store i'd never return it. But the big box stores, screw them all. return it, if they won't take it back, call amex up and tell them this product is supposed to have a lifetime warranty. I'd bet one way or another you're getting a new egg, or a refund.

mom and pop shops are the worst...i get hating on big box retailers..

local shops typically charge more, give back less to the community and usually have HS part time kids on payroll while they pocket the rest while bitching and moaning all day that they dont have the market cornered anymore...  know why?  cause they usually suck.

BGE4Life

Wow,  the point I was trying to make is that I don't take advantage of liberal return policies when logic tells me that I have used something a hundred or more times over many years and it is out of manufacturer warranty.  Satisfaction guaranteed to me means that if I am unsatisfied in a reasonable amount of time, maybe 30 to 60 days I might take it back.  I just hate to see people lie and make excuses that I know are BS to take advantage of the satisfaction guarantee,  I have seen someone return a couple roasts from a receipt of over 800.00 and complain that all the guests at the party hated the food and the customer was given a refund for the whole thing. I'll say it again.... C'mon Man.