atari2600

i got it as a gift (yeah i know you dont believe me but it was...if you dont believe me, then i guess just stop reading)

it harry potter 4 (which i already own) and it came in this larger box (same width as a dvd box but taller - maybe 1.5 times taller). someone told me its from costco, which im not a member of.

can i return it somewhere else for store credit? if i open it (its sealed) will the dvd inside also be sealed?

Ginwen

Yes you can return it to Costco and get credit (which you can use there), or maybe cash (they've given me cash before). I'd leave it in the big box since that pretty much tells Costco it is from there (every little bit helps). When I do take my DVDs out of those big boxes, they always have the regular packaging underneath.

disneyguy

Not sure but I think you may be charged a surcharge for non members if you purchase something there..
You'd have to check with them to be sure...
DG

atari2600

even without receipt?

dx23

They'll give you credit, only if you are a member.

Sweet Baby James

The DVD inside the box should be sealed, so you should be able to take it back to another store. I know that many people will frown on returning it to a different store, but if you do, Borders will give you no problems. They actually have a policy that says that you can return a DVD without a receipt and they''ll give you store credit as long as the DVD is in sellable condition and that they currently have it in stock at that particular store.

I've returned a few DVDs to Borders after Xmas and was honest in the fact that I wasn't sure if the DVDs were bought at Borders or not. The manager was cool and gave me a gift card. The sweet thing about Borders gift cards is that you can use it to buy DVDs at Amazon as long as you go through www.borders.com .

Ginwen

I returned things before I was a member. They gave me credit and I was able to shop there with it. I don't remember there being any kind of surcharge.

It was at Christmas, so I suppose it may be different at that time of year; you could always call them, or else just try to return it somewhere else.

paulringodaman

good luck man, i've never thought about store credit to non members

uwftke26

What would, in theory, then stop us from returning entire Columbia House DVDs to Borders/Costco for store credit? Surely they offer some limit, right?

Ginwen

It sounds like his DVD is in the special Costco box, so that's why he should be able to return it even without a receipt even without a membership. If not, it might be tricky.

As far as Borders, I think they limit the number of returns without a receipt (since to return without a receipt you have to give them personal information), and the same item may have multiple UPCs (only one of which would be carried by Borders), but other than that nothing. Personally, I don't abuse it but sometimes 2 people give you the same present.

uwftke26

Didn't mean to suggest that I would/should abuse it, I was just curious. The whole "return without a receipt" system just seems ripe for abuse by shady people.

Ginwen

I wasn't implying you would, just trying not to break the forum rules. And yeah it is ripe for abuse by shady people, which is I'm sure why places have put limits on the number of times it's used.

ResIpsa

You don't need a receipt for Costco returns because they have a record of your purchase in their database. I just returned a lawnmower I bought in 2003 (!) to Costo and they happily refunded my original purchase price. I didn't have the receipt so they just scanned my card and located the original purchase. It was kind of embarassing returning an obviously-used lawnmower but it was easier than trying to get a warranty repair.

atari2600

of MY purchase or THE purchase? like i said, i didnt buy it. im assuming its from costco because of the box.

Cameron

sometimes (not always) columbia house & Bmg titles have a diffrent UPC code. usually one digit off, this lets the store know they don't carry it. This however is not true always

vcuram

I used to work Customer Service at Costco when I was in school. They'll give you store credit if you're not a member if you don't have a receipt. When you buy something, they use a dummy membership #.

As for returning other stuff to Costco, they're pretty lenient, especially if you're a member. The only problem would be if you aren't a member, they take your DL #. This keeps track of what you return in their database. If you're a member, they keep track of everything you purchase and return. Too many suspicious returns gets your membership cancelled.

You could conceivably get away with more returns at Christmas time because they don't have time to keep track of everything.