Woman Returns Dried-Out Cut Christmas Tree To Costco...

[Minerva Mouse]

I work with a guy like this, he returns half bottles of wine, complains about food to get it for free, takes things back YEARS after he's had them, buys cologne and meticulously opens the package, replaces it with an old bottle (full of water) and returns it. If he breaks a cellphone, he'll go buy a new one while the old one is getting repaired, or he's waiting on his new one to be delivered and then return the purchased one within the 14 day window. He's been fighting a dentist bill for almost two years now to avoid paying it and somehow hasn't managed to go to collections. Drives me bonkers, but because of all the loop holes and the companies willingness to keep a customer happy, he somehow continues to get away with it, over, and over, and over again.

IMO they are scam artists, manipulation of the system is not cool.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Total Scam artist.

When Costco changes their policy, people will know who’s partially responsible.

I would love to put her face on a billboard with a PP's phrase...

This is why we can't have nice things.

 

[RedAngie]

I'm hoping that Costco would eventually cancel the membership of someone who habitually makes such returns. Give them the benefit of the doubt two or three times, but tell them to get lost after that.

My daughter's friend works for Costco. She says they do revoke memberships for excessive shady returns, but it's more like after the 5th or 6th attempt. They phrase it something like "We're sorry that we've been unable to satisfy your needs and continue to disappoint you. We're refunding your membership fee."

It's not a total scam but that's just classless and 100% knowingly abusing a return policy that will be cancelled and affect all of us that aren't abusing it if it goes on too much.

I wouldn't be surprised though if I found out that she sold pictures of a cannon camera for $800 and ended up on judge judy because this person has little if any scruples.

I heard the Judge Judy camera scammer DID get arrested for fraud and lost custody of her kids. She died about a year ago, possibly from suicide.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

My daughter's friend works for Costco. She says they do revoke memberships for excessive shady returns, but it's more like after the 5th or 6th attempt. They phrase it something like "We're sorry that we've been unable to satisfy your needs and continue to disappoint you. We're refunding your membership fee."



I heard the Judge Judy camera scammer DID get arrested for fraud and lost custody of her kids. She died about a year ago, possibly from suicide.

You mean there really was a camera scammer too? The one I saw was a cell phone scammer.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I don't understand how people can go into a store and return something like that with a straight face and not be completely mortified.

I worked at Old Navy as a teenager. We got lots of returns of clothes that was obviously worn. With deodorant stains and other stains. We couldn't say no but we would damage it out and not put it back on the shelves. There was one lady who did it all of the time. Disgusting!

 

[SC Minnie]

Ew ew ew

When I worked at JCPenney, the return policy was much more lax than it is now. An elderly lady brought in sheets from 17 years before, in their original packaging with the receipt. I didn't mind handling the return.

If I had to return used sheets, I'd probably go right in the back room and set my hand on fire to kill all the cooties.

I worked at JCPenney in college. We had a lady return a TownCraft (JCP brand) polo type shirt. It was old and worn with little holes in parts of it. We could tell it was a number of years old because the label wasn't even the current design. They exchanged it for her without a receipt and she got a new shirt.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

Ughhhh... People like her are the reason my job at the Target service desk this year was short lived. God bless those people who can stick it out and deal with the entitled dregs of society.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

I don't understand how people can go into a store and return something like that with a straight face and not be completely mortified.

I worked at Old Navy as a teenager. We got lots of returns of clothes that was obviously worn. With deodorant stains and other stains. We couldn't say no but we would damage it out and not put it back on the shelves. There was one lady who did it all of the time. Disgusting!

I worked at Bath and Body Works for a couple of years when my kids were first born. I don't know if they still have the same return policies, but we had to return ANYTHING, even if it was fully used. There was a woman who would come to the semi-annual sales and return like 15 empty bottles and get store credit and basically do a running even return since everything was priced at the lowest price.

 

[mnrose]

You are also reminding me of the return policy at Sears (I think it was Sears). They had a lifetime guarantee on their jeans, and people on certain message boards I frequented when my kids were small would BRAG about how they never had to actually pay for jeans for their kids because they would buy them at Sears, return them when they out grew them. It was sick. And, yet there were all kinds of people cheering them on. Ugh. So wrong. Who do they think was paying for all those "free" jeans? And, yet it was these same entitled twits who would rail about other people "abusing" the system. Really? Have you looked in the mirror? Stealing from a retail establishment?

 

[Christine]

Just to play devil's advocate here, I wonder if it's possible she got a crappy tree from them. Bought it the day they went out for sale, took it home, decorated it, and then say despite all her best efforts the tree dried up really fast and she had to get rid of it and get another or do without. Because it was the holiday season, maybe she just didn't get around to returning it (I know *I* would have been pressed for time at that point). Just wondering. Honestly, if this situation happened to me, I'd take the tree right back, but I suppose there is a possibility that she was unhappy with the tree's long term quality.

 

[mnrose]

Just to play devil's advocate here, I wonder if it's possible she got a crappy tree from them. Bought it the day they went out for sale, took it home, decorated it, and then say despite all her best efforts the tree dried up really fast and she had to get rid of it and get another or do without. Because it was the holiday season, maybe she just didn't get around to returning it (I know *I* would have been pressed for time at that point). Just wondering. Honestly, if this situation happened to me, I'd take the tree right back, but I suppose there is a possibility that she was unhappy with the tree's long term quality.

Sorry. Don't buy it. It's possible, I suppose, but if you want your money back because it sucked, return in quicker. Otherwise, the rest of us are going to think you are a horrible human being scamming the system. That's the risk you take. Also, it's a $30 tree. Not sure what you can expect for a $30 dead tree?

 

[Christine]

Sorry. Don't buy it. It's possible, I suppose, but if you want your money back because it sucked, return in quicker. Otherwise, the rest of us are going to think you are a horrible human being scamming the system. That's the risk you take. Also, it's a $30 tree. Not sure what you can expect for a $30 dead tree?

Oh, I agree. Just playing the opposite side. If I had a tree that "failed" I'd be up at Costco with it the day I made the decision that it was a dried up tree. I would think that if I waited until it was convenient for me to return it, I'd void any credibility I have with my complaint. But people like you and me are "normal." I've discovered there's a whole population of crazy out there that were obviously raised by wolves (no disrespect meant for the wolves).

 

[ronandannette]

You are also reminding me of the return policy at Sears (I think it was Sears). They had a lifetime guarantee on their jeans, and people on certain message boards I frequented when my kids were small would BRAG about how they never had to actually pay for jeans for their kids because they would buy them at Sears, return them when they out grew them. It was sick. And, yet there were all kinds of people cheering them on. Ugh. So wrong. Who do they think was paying for all those "free" jeans? And, yet it was these same entitled twits who would rail about other people "abusing" the system. Really? Have you looked in the mirror? Stealing from a retail establishment?

The return policy at Sears in Canada must have been a little different. They would do unlimited replacements on children’s clothing for the same item in the same size only. I had a very active boy who was also a slow-grower. I routinely got two or three pairs of jeans “for the price of one” when the knees wore out before he outgrew them. Totally in-bounds and because of it I was a very loyal Sears customer and I recommended it to many others over the years. Why not utilize the policies that are in place specifically for the purposes of customer-retention? This example is certainly different than the Christmas tree or used sheets but not everybody who takes advantage of a store’s own policies is a scammer.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Who has the time, patience or stamina to drag a tree back outside, tie it back to your car and drive it back to Costco. She was determined!

Again, I have no idea how she can do that without being completely mortified.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

Just to play devil's advocate here, I wonder if it's possible she got a crappy tree from them. Bought it the day they went out for sale, took it home, decorated it, and then say despite all her best efforts the tree dried up really fast and she had to get rid of it and get another or do without. Because it was the holiday season, maybe she just didn't get around to returning it (I know *I* would have been pressed for time at that point). Just wondering. Honestly, if this situation happened to me, I'd take the tree right back, but I suppose there is a possibility that she was unhappy with the tree's long term quality.

I live 45 minutes from Costco. Returning something is a pain. I could see it taking a few days.

But the fact that she didn't return it until after New Year's tells me that she was simply taking advantage of the policy.

I hope that they keep track and realize that the best thing to do is to refund her membership.

I can say that my mother in law is not allowed returns at Wal-Mart. She repackaged stuff that was almost a year old and returned it. Many times. Eventually they told her that she had exceeded their good will and she was on a no return list.

 

[RedAngie]

You mean there really was a camera scammer too? The one I saw was a cell phone scammer.

You're right. It was a scam for a cell phone, not a camera.

Just to play devil's advocate here, I wonder if it's possible she got a crappy tree from them. Bought it the day they went out for sale, took it home, decorated it, and then say despite all her best efforts the tree dried up really fast and she had to get rid of it and get another or do without. Because it was the holiday season, maybe she just didn't get around to returning it (I know *I* would have been pressed for time at that point). Just wondering. Honestly, if this situation happened to me, I'd take the tree right back, but I suppose there is a possibility that she was unhappy with the tree's long term quality.

Another article I read said the above was the reason she gave for the return. It started to dry out and drop needles a few days before Christmas after it was already decorated. Not enough time to return it then and get another to redecorate.

 

[Hikergirl]

If you want to see what kind of people are really out there- work in retail.

 

[marcyleecorgan]

One of my former supervisors was like this. She even returned the Christmas wrapping paper cut on the roll that they didn't use!!! UGH

So what if she got a crappy tree? They are only intended to be used for Christmas, up until the 6th of Jan. if they are following tradition. Then they go outside into the landfill! That's what a Christmas tree is for!

I say this as we got a crappy tree this year too... DH was like, "WHY aren't you watering it!?" and I said, "I have watered it every two days." So DH gave the base a little shove and water sloshed everywhere. So clearly I watered the tree... but it was a crunchy little stick by Christmas. Sooooooo we wrapped it in a giant tarp and hauled it outside. It is currently hanging out next to our lawnmower which looks kind of funny I have to keep hauling it another 10 yards or so to get it to the pickup curb...

 

[tasha99]

While it was probably a scam, we don't actually know that it wasn't a crappy tree. I wouldn't rush to return something if I were busy--who cares what other people in line think? I've returned three things to Costco in my life--light bulbs (wrong color), a shirt (too small), and an empty bottle of wine (off and vinegar-like). Maybe there's an article on the gall of that lady who returned an empty bottle of wine, but it was bad. I wasn't going to drive around with a half full bottle, so I dumped it and returned it about a month after I bought it. I'm sure Costco keeps track.

 

[Hikergirl]

While it was probably a scam, we don't actually know that it wasn't a crappy tree. I wouldn't rush to return something if I were busy--who cares what other people in line think? I've returned three things to Costco in my life--light bulbs (wrong color), a shirt (too small), and an empty bottle of wine (off and vinegar-like). Maybe there's an article on the gall of that lady who returned an empty bottle of wine, but it was bad. I wasn't going to drive around with a half full bottle, so I dumped it and returned it about a month after I bought it. I'm sure Costco keeps track.

But she used that Christmas tree on Christmas Eve and Day. Unless it lost every single needle before that day then it was used in the way it was intended to be used. Real trees dry out and drop needles, anyone who buys real trees knows this and knows they need to be taken care of.
Maybe she didn't water it, maybe she had it by a heat source. If it was something that was supposed to be up all year round then I'd understand, but it is a Christmas tree, if it was up, green, had needles and decorated on Christmas Day then you are a loser for returning it.

You returning wine that you couldn't drink is not the same thing.