Originally Posted by
eefor jfp
When we lived in the US, we bought just about everything we could at Costco, in part because of their return policy. And we enthusiastically recommended them to friends and family. They took back a 14 month old VCR that broke (I went into the store to ask about how to ship it to the manufacturer for repair and they said "just bring it back and we'll take care of it"). They gave me a new tire when I got a flat they couldn't fix (it did cost a few dollars for wear and tear and some state fee). They took back an extra deli platter my wife bought for a party (and promptly threw it in the trash--issues with spoilage, I guess, but there were no issues with the refund).
I don't abuse the policy but now that I live in Europe, I wish there was a Costco here. (We still pay for Costco annual membership for the two or three trips a year I make to the US.) Most stores give you seven days to return something and even then it's a hassle. if an item is defective, it's a fight to return it for a replacement, let alone store credit or cash (they want you to go through the authorized repair center which can take weeks and you pay the shipping). Buying in bulk just means paying double or triple the price for two or three times the quantity. And customer satisfaction is a totally unknown concept. Man, I wish there was a Costco here....
If Costco wants to have an overly generous return policy for defective merchandise, then so be it.
But returning perishable food that was bought by mistake? You say it was an "extra deli platter", which sounds as if she bought more than she needed, as opposed to something being wrong with it at time of purchase. Regardless if Costco is willing to take it back or not is irrelevant, there was never a chance they could or would resell such an item.
To me, this is an easy call. Accept the mistake of buying more food than you needed and then drop off the extra at a shelter where it can actually go to good use. Or maybe an area of town where you've seen the homeless living on the street. Worst case, offer the food to one of your guests who would like it. Any scenario, really, that doesn't involve the food ending up in the trash for no good reason.