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My neighbor purchased a battery for my car for me at a time when I could not drive the car to purchase it myself. He had a Costco card, which he used. I have also had a Costco card for the last 22 years.
A cell went dead in that battery two nights ago. AAA said I needed to replace the battery immediately. I drove directly to Costco and was ready to have them replace it with a FREE one, which it specifically stated on the battery would be done for that battery if it went out of service before 3 years were up.
They don't put them in for you, so I had to buy the replacement and put it in myself. Then I had to take the old battery back to them. One of the service people watched the car for me while I went in and bought the battery and then I drove home and a neighbor put the new one in for me.
I paid more for the replacement than the original one cost, but expected to be refunded the entire purchase price because it said FREE replacement on the battery. Well, since the original was not bought by me, they said the warranty did not apply, and if I am able to get my neighbor to confirm that he bought the battery, I may get some of my money back but not all.
What ever happened to FREE Replacement? If I do succeed in getting ANY of my money back, I will not be buying another Battery from Costco. This has never applied to any other brand of battery I have purchased, including ones I have purchased in grocery stores--you take the battery back, it is stamped with a warranty date, and you get a FREE Replacement if that is what it says.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
lol costco does not install batteries point blank. im sure your grocery store doesn't either. you get a free replacement. not free instalation.
But he didn't even get a free battery! That is a worthless warranty, in my opinion.
I changed out a battery with Costco under their 100 month warranty the other day as well. I brought it into the tire/battery purchasing area at the Van Nuys CA Costco, where the was no line, found the new battery and asked for an exchange and warranty credit. You'd think it would be simple, BUT NO, I had to take my old battery to the customer service returns desk for the warranty credit then come back to buy the new one. They have a register there, what's the difference?! So I go to returns, in the middle of the week, and find the line out the door and wrapped around the building. So I waited for what seemed forever and when I got to the CS Returns desk, I ended up with a guy Vanacio (or something like that) who, being on loan to the desk, had to ask everyone else what to do. He did later admit he used to work that desk but it makes his head spin. So I get my 40% back, apparently from what I paid over 5yrs ago, because it wasn't even 30% of today's cost. They kept the battery. I asked if they're going to make sure the core fee for the new one was going to be waived since they kept the battery. "Yeah, just show your receipt." he said. So I went back to the battery/tire store and pulled a new battery and put it on the table, showing my receipt. Well, Bobby there insisted that because I didn't bring the battery to him personally to put on HIS floor behind HIS desk, that I'd have to pay the core charge. I went back and forth with him on this saying that Costco HAS my battery at CS and I'm sure they'll bring it over. He then tried another ploy and said since I chose the warranty refund which was more ($8 more than the $9 core charge) that I should be happy. I said that's not the purpose of the warranty, to eat up the core charge. Costco has a battery that they will recycle, therefore I shouldn't be charged a core on the new one. Then he got ol' Vanacio who said since I didn't pay a core charge on the old battery, that I can't be refunded the core charge again. Of course I didn't pay it the core charge then, I gave Costco my previous old battery then too! That's how it works! These guys are dunces! I just paid the $9 now I have to send Thad, the store manager a message and you know they'll ask me to go in and waste my time to get a refund! I should complain to the state.
I too had a Kirkland 100 month battery failure and took it to the tire & battery area only to be told to take it to the front service desk. They looked up the purchase on my account and computed the pro-rated warranty coverage at 20% of the original purchase price which with tax was basically $10. I then asked the girl at the desk do I get something to show the Costco agent when I go get a new battery that I returned a battery and should not be charged for a core deposit. She said they would see that on my account. I grabbed the same battery which is now $30 more than it was then and when he rang it up he also added the core deposit... to which I responded I brought in a core... and that started the whole discussion/argument. I was told that since I got a warranty adjustment I couldn't have that and the core deposit. I said they are two different things. Got no where... He said if the battery had failed in the 3 year free replacement I wouldn't have been charged the core deposit or if the 100 month warranty had expired the core would have been used to negate the core deposit on the new one... I said that makes absolutely no sense since they are absolutely separate items and why would a core be good for a core deposit when the battery is less than 3 years old and again when it is over 100 months old... Somebody is not working with a full deck...
I quit shopping there. they are not what they used to be. I had 2 new tires put on my car by Costco and while driving the lugnuts came off and I am lucky to be alive. Of course they blamed it on my car, when the worker didnt tighten them. same thing happened to a friend of mine . Costco is fake.
I have bought COSTCO batteries . Everytime the batteries fail prematurely before 100 months. I brought back to Customer service. I loose $10 core charge. The COSTCO refund is great with everything else but batteries. It is robbing the core charge from its own members.
Costco has gone downhill in everyway.