“Doesn’t seem as good as Costco,” complains Sam’s Club customer after being denied a refund for an out-of-stock item

RETURNS can often be a source of frustration or relief, depending on where you shop.

Recently, a Reddit user shared his experience with a return at Sam’s Club and was completely baffled as he was initially denied a refund for an item he purchased.

In a post titled “Return policy doesn’t seem to be that great at Costco,” the user described how he tried to return two unopened SanDisk Micro SDXC cards and encountered an unexpected obstacle.

Even though the items were unopened, an employee told them that a manager would need to check to see if the product was in stock before returning it.

This requirement caused confusion and prompted the user to investigate further.

“To my surprise, they said they do not accept returns of an item if it is out of stock,” the user said.

The user later edited their post to say that they were eventually refunded for the item after initially being declined.

According to some commenters on the thread, this part of the return policy was “not true” after the user asked if their interaction was valid.

“You can return practically anything with a receipt except gift cards,” one person noted.

“Sounds very wrong,” wrote another. “Basically it takes almost everything.”

A third commenter noted, “Man… I literally saw a woman bring food in bowls that got her money back. She said we should just throw the bowls away. We didn’t even know what it was. My store returned EVERYTHING.”

Sam’s Club’s return policy does not include a policy that only allows returns of in-stock items.

The US Sun has reached out to Sam’s Club about this situation and asked if their return policy does not allow customers to return an item if it is out of stock, but have not yet received a response.

STATEMENT ON THE RETURN OF SAM’S CLUB

Sam’s Club’s website emphasizes that customer satisfaction is their top priority, and this is backed up by a comprehensive return policy that accommodates a variety of purchasing scenarios.

Members can return most items at any time, but certain categories have specific time frames, according to the website.

There is a 90-day return period for electronic items and large appliances, while there is a 30-day return period for heavy commercial equipment and motorsport items.

Mobile phones, including prepaid and postpaid options, have a 14-day return period.

However, according to the return policy, not all purchases can be returned.

Items such as gift cards, tickets, custom orders and prescriptions are non-returnable. This makes it clear what can be refunded or exchanged.

Items such as beer, wine, spirits, car tires, batteries, eyeglasses and hearing aids have special policies that vary by club location.

Thanks to three practical options, you can easily return an item.

Members may bring items and their receipt to any Sam’s Club store where a refund will be issued in the original form of payment.

For online purchases, returns are just as easy: view your account order details or contact the Member Service Center for assistance.

For more details on specific items or to initiate a return, members can visit their local Sam’s Club or access comprehensive information through the online Help Center (see website).

Meanwhile, a customer at Sam’s Club has expressed his intention to cancel his membership after being denied a full refund.

And another shopper criticized Costco after having difficulty navigating the crowds.