This Is the Number One Way to Get Your Costco Membership Revoked

Just because you pay for it, doesn't mean your Costco membership is always guaranteed. In fact, there are things you can do that will result in Costco taking your membership away.

Costco is fan-favorite store for shoppers who love to stock up on bulk items for their households. From food to furniture to caskets (seriously), you can get just about anything at Costco.

A Gold Star or Business membership costs $60 annually and an Executive membership will run you $120 per year. All three membership options give you full advantage of the club store, but the Business and Executive memberships have more perks. However, one perk that every Costco shopper receives is Costco's lenient return policy.

Costco allows you to return every product they sell (including your membership) for a refund. There are a few caveats — electronics have a 90-day return policy, diamonds have only a 48-hour return window, cigarettes and alcohol return policies vary by state, and products marked with limited warranty also don't fall under the normal return policy. But for the most part, you can return any Costco product at any time either in-store or online.

Sure, this policy is great if you purchased a toaster and it stopped working after one use. But, Costco's flexible policy also opens the door for people to abuse the "100% satisfaction guarantee."

In a 2016 Reddit post that called for Costco employees to share their "most outrageous item that was returned," more than 60 commenters shared their crazy stories. One user recalled a woman returning an empty bottle of wine because "it gave her a headache." Other returns include half-eaten cakes, years-old fish that got lost in the freezer, and even a dead Christmas tree in January.

While you may be thinking Costco's return policy is a great way to get a few bucks back on things you no longer use. You might want to rethink taking advantage of the wholesaler.

Costco reserves the right to revoke your membership at any time. So, if you're caught not-so-sneakily returning old, used products, you might find yourself on Costco's blacklist, which could include a lifetime ban from ever buying a Costco membership again.

All returns are up to the discretion of the store manager, too. So they may accept your package of strawberries that has grown mold, but they might not accept your past-expiration ground beef. Essentially, when it comes to Costco returns, use your best judgment and only return items that are truly worth returning. Because scoring a few extra dollars probably isn't worth losing your perks as a Costco member.

Related:

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