Does Costco Actually Let You Return Eggs? It's Complicated

Costco is known for having a very relaxed return policy, which may leave some wondering where perishable goods fall in Costco's guidelines. Can you really return absolutely anything? Unfortunately for customers, the answer doesn't seem to be abundantly clear.

The Irish Star shared a story that was originally posted to Reddit regarding returns at Costco on one specific item — eggs. A user who claimed to be the sibling of a Costco employee explained what had recently happened in their sister's store. "My sister called this morning and said they had several people trying to return eggs yesterday ... She rejected all the return requests," they said.

The emerging bird flu epidemic could provide some answers as to why egg returns have become so prevalent. The Irish Star reported that some shoppers were stockpiling eggs whenever they could find them at different stores during the bird flu-induced shortage, and then trying to return the ones that were more expensive once they found cheaper alternatives.

Costco has previously denied shoppers the right to return items that were bought out of a sense of panic during the coronavirus pandemic. Several store locations posted notices that they would not be accepting returns for items like toilet paper or antibacterial wipes. This was apparently in an effort to stop people from buying more than they needed and then trying to return the excess later. Something similar could be happening with eggs now.

On Costco's website, the retailer claims to have a "risk-free 100% satisfaction guarantee." While there are some stipulations for bigger purchases like electronics and diamonds, and things like gift cards obviously can't be refunded, it seems like pretty much anything you buy at Costco that you're not happy with can be returned for your money back.

Costco's super relaxed return policy is highly publicized, but not necessarily an anomaly. Other grocery stores have similar policies which will allow customers to request a refund for almost any product. Of course, none appear to specifically list whether it allows returns of eggs in its policies. Costco doesn't either, but it seems like it accepts the practice.

But, if that's the case, it doesn't make sense that one store would suddenly decide it wasn't accepting any egg returns if it is something it normally does. Maybe a manager at that store was frustrated with the number of people attempting to return eggs, or maybe a new employee didn't quite understand how wide-reaching Costco's return policy is.

Regardless, there still seems to be a question mark surrounding whether or not you can return eggs at Costco. It seems like it could be location-dependent, or possibly even an exception to its open return policy.