I believe that some people want to behave ethically and others don’t by taking advantage of others whenever they can. Costco has always been extremely generous with return policies. But there is a limit to what is acceptable when unethical members do things like trying to return a 3 year old tv or a 10 year old couch. What is being suggested isn’t that bad, but will a Costco fitter truly respect a customer when they obviously play games with the rules?
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Costco invented the games and the rules. You don’t need to worry about them being abused by their customers. If they are prone to be abused in a certain category, like with electronics, they already implemented a more stringent 90 days return policy to protect themselves. So they know how to protect themselves, you don’t need to worry about it on their behalf.
Even with their liberal return policy, it’s already very well calculated based on actual data. I’m sure that the amount of extra sales they generated simply because of their liberal return policy more than offset the loss they make have to take for the amount of returns they accept. It’s already all baked into the pricing model anyway.
Sometimes they don’t even take the loss on the return, but they make the manufacturers take the loss on the return. That’s why sometimes you see instruction from manufacturers to contact them for support instead of returning the item to the stores. Now is that “fair” to the manufacturers then for consumers to return things a year later? Sure it is, because the manufacturers already accepted this risk when they struck a deal with Costco in order for their products to get a foothold in such a lucrative sales channel. You have to look at the macroeconomic of things like they do, instead of sweating the individual ethical prepondering of returning something after having made use of it for 6 months and wonder if it’s an ethical thing to do or not. It’s totally ethical to comply and play by the rule that is setup by the retailer (and not yourself) in any situation.
As for hearing aids, who is to say that it’s Costco who will lose money on the 180 days return policy? It’s probably already all negotiated up front with the hearing aid manufacturers, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see that it’s the manufacturers will eat the cost of the 180 day return and not Costco. So what if somebody returns an older model like the 9040 for a newer model like the 9050, does Philips really lose money? They make up for the lost sale of the 9040 with the new sale of the 9050, so it’s not like they get hurt on their end. They manufacture HAs by large volume, so a restock cost of the 9040 is peanuts to them anyway. They probably have thousands of 9040s in stock that are going to remain unsold now due to the fact that they’re introducing the 9050 to replace them. So what if they sold a pair of 9040 for under 6 months only to have them back in their used/returned stock pile? From a financial stand point for them internally, it’s probably a wash for them if they move a pair of 9040 from an unsold stockpile that might eventually be scrapped because nobody will buy them anymore, into a used/returned stock pile.
I lose no sleep playing the game that Costco and their manufacturers set up for their consumers to play, because they’re taking advantage of us consumers with those games just as much as THEY ALLOW us consumers to take advantage of them back. It’s quid pro quo to everyone, and at least it’s THEM who set up the game and rules for everyone to play by, it’s not the consumers who get to dictate the rules of the game. And by being the one who gets to set up the game, they’ll always come out ahead of the consumers who play their games, why? because they can change the rules of the game anytime themselves. But consumers also hold their own power by voting with their wallet. So it’s a tango that both sides dance, and by the look of it, it’s a win win tango for both sides.
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I don’t agree. Their employees and shareholders benefit when they are profitable. Members benefit when they are profitable by paying the lowest prices possible. Their suppliers are in a similar situation. You are technically right, But would a small business owner want customers like you? I would not.
And that is why a small business owner would never be able to have the policy that Costco can afford to have. Costco moves merchandise by the volume, and it’s this economy of scale that is providing a win win for everyone, for Costco and their employees and their shareholders and their suppliers and their customers. Nobody is losing here. Whoever said that Costco is not profitable because they’re being abused by their customers on their liberal return policy? If anything, it’s thanks to their liberal return policy that things are working out too well for Costco as well as Costco shoppers.
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A small business would write different rules. The problem with giant corporations that manufacture hearing aids selling them through giant retailers that have enough market power to control the market is that small businesses don’t have a lot of areas to compete in. They already lost when Costco decided to sell hearing aids and developed their business model.
Corporations’ only purpose is to maximize shareholder value. Any public good they provide is either incidental or dictated by law. Totally unregulated capitalism will always end up with a single corporation owning everything.
That’s why regualting business is critical it the markets’ and our health. You should never ask a business to do something against its own best interest. You need to tell them.
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Agreed. I buy almost everything I can at Costco because of those policies, including clothes in different sizes because I know I can return those that don’t fit. But I stay way within the lines of what is reasonable by acting in ways I would want to be treated. I think most members are like me. But I think Costco would change the rules if more members came near taking obvious advantage. I hope that never happens and I don’t think we should regulate commerce.
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Exactly. I’m actually in the same boat as yourself, I don’t abuse the system that Costco has setup. And Costco relies on most members being reasonable like us in order to be able to allow this win win situation to keep on going. Otherwise, as you see in electronics, newer and better models come out too often too much every year that this liberal return policy is not sustainable and had to be adjusted to avoid abuse.
But I don’t see returning an older model like the 9040 to get the 9050 within 6 months as abuse, because you still spend the money at Costco for a pair of hearing aids in the long run. Now, if somebody returns a pair of hearing aids just before 6 months then buys another pair with the intention of return them again before 6 months, and keeps on doing so, effectively to get “free use” of hearing aids over and over again, then of course that is abuse. But Costco already has a way to deal with that as well, they simply will refuse to sell you anymore hearing aids, just like how they implemented the 90 day return policy for electronics as a control measure to avoid abuse. So I think all is good there because Costco keeps customers on a “balance” to avoid abuse and most customers get it and also stay on this balance.
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Returning hearing aids to Costco is no different than returning hearing aids to any other provider at the end of the trial period. The only difference is that Costco has a longer trial period, which is their choice. Nothing unethical about it.qqq.
There’s also nothing unethical about trialing two pairs of hearing aids simultaneously with the intent of returning one. It’s actually better this way for Costco or any other provider. The only other way to trial 2 different hearing aids is to do it in succession. That way you have to return the first pair in order to get the second. If your preference after the double trial is in favor of the first pair, then you have to go back and repurchase a brand which you’ve already trialed and wasted by returning them. If you trial two simultaneously, you will definitely keep one of the two pairs.
Costco isn’t exactly a loser with this 6 month policy. They get to use your money during the 6 months of your trial. Where else can they get short term borrowing at 0% interest?
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Has anyone seen 9050’s in any Costco stores yet?
Not yet but the Rexton reach looks great and that will be available soon
Rexton Reach should be back in the stores this week according to my Costco HCP.
That’s what I hear also, I will get into Costco in a few weeks
Another question - how many programs did your HAS put on your hearlink 9040 aids? My HAS put General, speech in noise and a combo TV/Music. Is that what they all put?
You can have up to 4 programs.
It is back here in Canada
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And in the US:
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My last chance to do a clean swap from my 9040 is in two weeks, so I hope it arrives in that time!
Otherwise I’ll either have to return it and be aid-free until the 9050 arrives, or just stick with this one and try to be happy despite knowing the improvements I’m missing.
And I know I could try another brand temporarily to extend the time, but I feel that they might not want to sell me the 9050 after messing them about like that as they already know it’s my current endgame (because I’ve asked about it a bunch of times).
Get one of the other brands such as the Rexton Reach. Who knows, maybe you will like it better. I have already told my audi at Costco that I am going to get both the Rexton and the Philips 9050 and will be returning one or both. No problem returning aids since that is Costco’s policy. Somebody at Costco has already decided that they make more money by offering returns than not.
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They don’t have a choice. You have the right to return your hearing within 6 months “if you’re dissatisfied for ANY reason.” That’s their policy, not yours. You would simply be following their stated policy.
As a Costco member, you have the right to buy hearing aids. Or any other of their products. They can’t deny you access to a product.
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I would agree that they can’t refuse to accept a return if you’re complying with rules but I’m pretty sure they could refuse to sell you a hearing aid. We’ve certainly had reports of that happening. Rationale: They don’t think it will meet your needs.
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