Can You Return A Whole Cake To Costco For A Refund?

One of the perks of being a Costco member is the wholesale retailer's generous return policy, which promises 100% satisfaction or your money back – with a few exceptions. For instance, returning alcohol to Costco may not be possible depending on the location and its state's laws. However, that policy extends to some pretty surprising items that you might not think would be return-able, such as a whole cake.

That's right, you can return a whole cake to Costco for a refund, granted, of course, that the cake was purchased at Costco (maybe you forgot to clear out fridge space for one of Costco's massive sheet cakes). This is less of a black-and-white rule and more of an interpretation of the fine print since Costco's website contains only a list of exceptions to the return policy. Some of them include electronics purchased more than 90 days prior, cigarettes and alcohol where prohibited, and custom products, among other things. But food — specifically, cakes — are not mentioned as an exception to the return policy.

Indeed, you can return a whole cake and even other partially eaten food to Costco, so long as you are returning at least 50% or more of the purchased item. You have the best chances of success if there's a quality issue but, technically, you can return opened food for a refund simply because it didn't meet your standards of taste.

In addition to returning whole cakes or partially eaten food, there are some other nuances to know about Costco's return policy. First, you don't necessarily need the receipt in order to make a return. It certainly is helpful but, depending on the item, the store may be able to process the return without it.

Another detail to keep in mind is that certain items, like tires or batteries, might have a separate, product-specific warranty that covers them. You could still try to return these things and make your case, but the final say lies with that specific store's management.

Don't get too over the top with the returns, though, or your membership could be on the line. Rumor has it that Costco ends memberships over excessive returns, although that's not explicitly outlined anywhere on its website. However, it stands to reason that customers who regularly abuse the generous return policy (say, for example, you make it a habit of returning upwards of 60% or 70% of purchases) may eventually have their membership revoked.