Costco Electronics Return Policy (Full Guide)

Do you know what Costco Electronics’ return policy is? Well, you are at the perfect place to find the answer to such a question.

Costco is well known as being one of the most lenient when it comes to their return policy. For a long time Costco had very minimal restrictions on when items could be returned. However, if you’ve recently purchased electronics from Costco you may be curious how this policy extends to those items.

Electronics can be returned to Costco within 90 days from the date of purchase for a full refund. It is helpful to have your receipt and the item’s original packaging, however, it is not always required.

In this article we will discuss how Costco’s return policy applies to electronic purchases, what is covered, and the process for returning an electronic without a receipt or after it has been opened.

Table of Contents

How Does Costco’s Return Policy Apply To Electronics?

If you’ve been a Costco member for a long time, you’ll know that their return policy is fairly generous when compared to other stores. They boast a “Risk Free 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed” policy. However, they do have some limitations to this policy.

Most items at Costco can be returned at any time, for any reason, but Costco does set time limits for certain, more expensive products. One example of this is their electronics policy.

Electronics purchased from Costco must be returned within 90 days from the date of purchase. This time limit is put in place for a few different reasons:

It stops customers from taking advantage of Costco;
It prevents customers from returning a heavily used item;
It discourages customers from buying an item they only intend to use for a short period of time; and
It protects Costco from paying for damage caused by the customer.

90 days is still a fairly generous timeline, many other stores will only provide a 30 day or 60 day return window for electronics.

What Does Costco Include As An Electronic?

If you’re curious whether the item you bought is considered an electronic, we have a list of items that they consider to be in the electronics category.

The following are considered electronics and would fall under that 90 day time limit:

Televisions,
Projectors,
Major Appliances
- This includes refrigerators above 10 cu. ft., freezers, ranges, cooktops, over-the-range microwaves, range hoods, dishwashers, water heaters, washers, and dryers.
Computers,
Touchscreen Tablets,
Smart Watches,
Cameras,
Drones,
Camcorders,
MP3 players, and
Cellular Phones.

However, this list does not cover *everything* that may be considered electronic by Costco. It will help if you remember what area of the store you purchased your item in or what category of online shopping you were in.

If you have questions on whether or not your item qualifies as an electronic you should contact Costco.

What Do I Need To Return My Electronics?

While many stores require that electronics be returned with their original receipt and original packaging, Costco does not always require this.

Since every Costco member has their own member card, all of your purchases can be looked up in their database. This allows Costco to find the electronics purchase even if you don’t have your receipt or its packaging.

So, if you unboxed your electronic product and tossed the packaging before realizing you wanted to return it, you aren’t completely out of luck.

You should visit your nearest Costco and discuss the return with a worker. Most of the time Costco will work with their customers to make sure that their needs are met.

What Reasons Does Costco Accept For Electronics Returns?

Although Costco has their 90 day time frame in place for electronics returns, they don’t have any stipulations that limit the reason you can return your electronics.

While Costco likely won’t accept an item that has been intentionally damaged in some way by the member, they will accept the item for most other reasons.

So, if you accidentally bought the wrong item than what you were looking for, the item doesn’t function the way you thought it would, you don’t like the color, it doesn’t fit in your home, or the item is malfunctioning, you will be able to return it without any issue.

Do Costco Electronics Come With Warranties?

Many more expensive items from Costco’s such as major appliances, TVs, and cell phones come with individual warranties.

These warranties will be specific to the item in question, however it can extend the period where you can return or exchange your product.

Many times Costco’s warranty will extend for up to two years.

However, it is important to note that warranties are intended to cover an item that has broken or malfunctioned due to a manufacturing error, not simply replaces an item that you’ve grown tired of or intentionally broken.

For instance, if a cell phone has a warranty that would cover system malfunctioning or an accidentally broken screen but you try to replace it due to water damage, then that may not be covered by your warranty.

It also will be up to Costco to determine how they want to fulfill the warranty. They can choose to repair, replace, or refund your purchase, but this won’t be a decision you get to make.

So, if you are hoping to get a refund for your electronics it is always best to make your return within the 90 day timeframe and not rely on the warranty for a full refund.

Are There Any Other Special Considerations?

The only other special consideration to make about returning Costco electronics is if you have purchased an Apple product from the warehouse.

Costco states on their website that all Apple products must be factory reset before being returned.

The only way to get a refund for an Apple product is if all personal information has been wiped from the device, and a factory reset is the best way to do this.

However, although this is required for Apple devices, it really is recommended to do for any electronic device you purchase.

This ensures your information is completely protected.

How Do I Return An Item Purchased Inside A Costco Warehouse?

If you want to return an item to Costco the process is fairly simple. You have the option to start your return online by going to Costco.com and signing into your account. However, you don’t have to start it online.

You can also go into Costco Warehouse and find a worker from the Member Services Team. They will walk you through the return.

Again, you generally are not required to have your original receipt or the packaging for the item, but there may be cases where your return is difficult to approve without them, and it always helps to expedite the process.

How Do I Return An Item Purchased From Costco Online?

If you want to return an online order in person to a Costco warehouse, you simply follow the same steps we covered above.

However, if you want to send the product back through the mail the process is a little different.

You will have to initiate the return online by logging into your account, selecting the “Orders and Returns” tab, choosing the “Returns” button next to the electronics item you wish to return and following the prompts to complete your request.

You will receive a return label in your email and can package your product and send it on the way.

However, certain items are not able to be returned through the mail to Costco, including:

Special Order Kiosk items,
Optical items,
Tires,
Tickets and digital goods,
iTunes and Google Play purchases,
Jewelry items,
Perishable items, and
Any Apple products.

Conclusion

Costco accepts electronic returns within 90 days from your original date of purchase. Costco makes it easy to return an item and doesn’t require you to provide any specific reasoning.

Even if you simply changed your mind about the item, Costco will take it back and offer a full refund.

References

https://customerservice.costco.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1191/~/what-is-costcos-return-policy%3F

https://customerservice.costco.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/6874/related/1