Thursday, February 5, 2009

Thank you Costco

Sometimes I think Costco was created just for me: an impulse buyer. It's in my nature to want to buy something that seems 'just right' - either in the way it's packaged or displayed or whatever, it just seems to have 'me' written on it. The trouble is, since I'm buying stuff I don't really need but to satisfy some other emotional need, I very often have buyers remorse and wish that I hadn't been so impulsive. This is where Costco comes in: their return policy is so liberal as to be almost utopian. In the last six months, for varying reasons, I've returned two LCD TV's, a Playstation 3 and, just today, an HP Netbook. Every return experience was friendly or indifferent and several times I chatted about the product with the customer rep. For me, it's like tightrope walking with a safety net. Yes, the Costco stores may look plain and boxy on the outside but they're the best shopping experience you can get on the inside.