This Is One of the Most Returned Costco Items

We don’t know about you, but we’re a lot less likely to return something to a supermarket than to another store. Something we’ve bought online that doesn’t quite meet expectations? You bet it’s going back in the mail. Faulty electronics? Refund, please. But supermarket goods? Food? Honestly, we’re more likely to just throw it out if there’s something wrong with it—and we know that’s a bit of a waste of money, but returning food is just, well, a lot of hassle.

Apparently, though, Costco customers don’t feel the same. You might expect Costco’s returns department to be handling refunds for its non-perishable or electronic goods, but it turns out that people seem far more likely to return its meat. The reason? It’s…not great.

Costco’s Meat Doesn’t Meet Customer Expectations

You only have to check out social media posts about Costco’s meat for about five seconds before you realize that people seem to be constantly returning it to the store. Sadly, the reason for this is that it’s just really inconsistent. Customers have taken to the internet to complain time and time again about meat turning rancid or rotten within days of getting it home, or about its poor, tough quality, leading to a deluge of refunds. To be honest, we get it: Meat’s only getting more expensive as time goes on, and people expect what they’re buying to be edible at the very least. Ideally, it’d actually taste good, too.

Costco’s beef is one of the main culprits here, and no matter the cut, it seems to perish way quicker than it should—but its chicken has also been plagued by issues. Last year, one person over on Facebook posted a picture of one of Costco’s famous rotisserie chickens with a green (yes, a green) interior. According to a commenter, this is caused by a condition called Green Muscle Disease, caused by fast growth and poor oxygen circulation. Um, is that really the type of chicken you wanna be buying?

With all that said, not every one of its meat products is terrible. Our taste-test of Costco products found that some, like its smoked pulled pork and Italian-style meatballs, are pretty darn good. Its fresh meat leaves a lot to be desired, though.

How to Return Meat to Costco

The good news is that Costco makes it pretty easy to return meat to its stores—or any food that doesn’t quite live up to its standards. On its website, the retailer states that “We guarantee your satisfaction on every product we sell,” and that both online and in-person purchases can be refunded for your purchase price if they’re not up to scratch.

It’s worth bearing in mind, though, that you probably need to act pretty quickly if you’re going to return its meat due to a quality issue. If you leave that pack sitting in your fridge for a week before taking it back, claiming that it’s gone bad, then you might have trouble convincing the cashier of your claim. Keep hold of your receipt, too.