Man Goes to Costco. Then a Customer’s Return Leaves Him Speechless: ‘People That Return Stuff Like This Should Have Their Membership Taken Away’

For $65 to $130 a year, Costco members get low prices, cheap gas, the iconic $1.50 hot dog-and-soda combo, and an extremely lenient return policy.

TikTokers have long celebrated successful returns they thought wouldn’t go through, including a stained rug, old children’s clothes their kids had grown out of, a 6-year-old couch, and more.

While most Costco members are overjoyed that this policy exists, some believe abusing it or making reckless returns could eventually ruin it for everyone else.

That was exactly the reaction when one Costco shopper filmed what he saw in the return line and decided to post it to TikTok.

Jordan’s (@jordan.mactavish) clip was viewed 1.4 million times and shows a completely rusted Weber gas grill, clearly not in the first phase of its life.

“This return took my breath away,” he wrote in the video’s text overlay.

Commenters Were Irked

A lot of viewers couldn’t believe somebody would even attempt to return a grill in that condition.

“People that return stuff like this should have their membership taken away,” one commenter wrote.

“These are the reasons why Costco will eventually change their return policy soon… SMH!” another said.

Not everyone thought one old grill was enough to worry about Costco’s bottom line, though.

“I’ve returned airfryer that no longer works after 4 years. Im also an executive member for over 10yrs. Costco will be fine. And i spend Alot too biweekly,” another viewer wrote.

How Can Costco Afford Returns Like This?

It’s very possible that Costco can afford an unusually generous return policy largely because of how much money it makes from memberships.

In 2025, for example, the company brought in $5.323 billion in membership fees and reported $10.383 billion in operating income. Costco has also said those membership fees help cover operating costs, which allows it to keep merchandise margins lower than many other retailers.

Plus, Costco doesn’t necessarily take the full loss every time somebody brings back an item it can no longer sell.

Depending on its agreement with a supplier, Costco can use allowances for unsellable returned merchandise or recover certain costs from vendors. In some cases, that means the supplier absorbs at least part of the loss.

Even merchandise that can’t go back onto store shelves may still have some value. Costco operates a liquidation channel where it sells member returns, excess inventory, and damaged or salvage merchandise by the pallet or truckload. Those returns can range from nearly unused products to heavily damaged ones.

@jordan.mactavish #costco ♬ Saxophones getting louder – Sped Up – AntonioVivald

The Mary Sue has reached out to Jordan via direct message and Costco via its contact form for comment.

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