5 Costco Foods Employees Say to “Avoid”
Costco’s return policy is so generous (they really will take back practically anything, for any reason) it encourages what some employees call “speculative shopping”, where people will buy something they’re not sure about in the knowledge they can get their money back. Those who work in the Costco returns department know which products are returned so frequently they should be avoided altogether, and are sharing tips on social media to help other shoppers. Here are five foods Costco employees say are always being returned to the store by unhappy customers—so buyer beware!
Fresh Strawberries
The fresh strawberries are notorious for going off too fast. Costco shoppers don’t have to bring produce back to get a refund—proof of purchase is enough. “People don’t often return produce items like they would a small appliance or clothes. But the answer would be strawberries if people actually went through the effort of returning them,” one employee shared.
Avocados
The quality of Costco avocados varies wildly depending on where they’re sourced. “Be careful buying the bag of avocados. Best are the ones from Mexico,” one Redditor said. AVOID buying the ones from New Zealand. They never ripen (get dark green), and inside, they are rotten.” Another employee said the bananas are iffy too: “Most of our produce is good; it’s the bananas that are bad. At least half the time, they don’t ripen.”
Fresh Produce
Costco’s fresh produce is hit or miss, workers say. “Was a membership manager for 7 years. The most common thing was vacuums. And Keurigs. Then probably produce. But does that count as defective? Anyway, all understandable cause it’s expensive (or rotten) and didn’t last,” one Redditor shared. ‘I really wish more people would buy frozen produce. It’s such a better value. I work in the industry and 85% of fresh fruit and veggies are thrown out,” another employee agreed.
Keurig Coffee Machines
One employee said Keurig coffee machines and Dyson vacuum cleaners are always being returned. “Those little keurig machines were definitely the item I saw the most when I worked refunds,” they said. “The employees who took back my Keurig Supreme Plus said they nearly always end up returned before the year mark,” a shopper confirmed.
Primo Water Cooler
The Primo Water Coolers are constantly breaking down, one worker says. “Those Primo water coolers. Same brand lived ten years but this latest model is returned twice in three months,” one employee said. “Omg mine just died yesterday after 14 months 😭,” another confirmed.
