Not all return policies are created equally. In some situations, such as buying clearance, you can’t return the item at all. A Sam’s Club shopper says that the bulk retail chain offers one of the most generous return policies you’ll find for certain merchandise. In fact, he says he actually made money on a recent return.
Now he wants to make sure no one else replaces or throws out an item without being aware that they might be able to take it back—in any condition.
One garden hose on Dan’s (@sharpintx) property recently needed to be replaced. He’d had it for three years and says it was flaking and rotting out, as will happen.
Recalling it was Sam’s Club’s Member Mark brand, he decided to try to return it. It worked.
“They gave me a gift card for a new one,” Dan says in a TikTok public service announcement. “Surprisingly, the gift card for the one I bought like three years ago was more than the one that was for sale right now.”
“So. Free hose,” he adds.
Via TikTok direct message, Dan said the replacement hose cost $2.55 less than the one he returned.
His post resonated with people. As of this writing, it has nearly 100,000 views. Asked if he’s surprised it went viral, Dan told the Mary Sue, “Yes very.”
What is the Sam’s Club return policy?
Sam’s Club allows returns on many items at any time. Some exceptions include electronics, major appliances, and cell phones.
The policy states that you simply need to bring the item and your receipt to a Sam’s Club location to receive a refund in cash or credit, depending on how you made the original purchase.
Dan says that he did not have the receipt, yet was able to return the item.
He says that, while a receipt is preferred, “in mine and others’ experience, they can look up the entire purchase history for the membership.”
Walmart, Sam’s Club’s parent company, didn’t respond to an email sent Monday morning.
People flocked to the comments to share their own tales of returning purchases to the retailer. Some of the items people said they returned were Members Mark; others were not.
“They replaced my [Emeril] air fryer 2yrs later,” one wrote. “I asked on a whim because I was upset it didn’t last long. They said yes and I was shocked.”
@sharpintx Members Mark lifetime guarantee at @Sam’s Club, don't sleep on it. #samsclub ♬ original sound – Dan2fs2ns
Other items people say they returned, in some cases years later, include a television and a dining room table.
A person who says they work at Sam’s Club claimed, “Literally you can return anything and I mean ANYTHING.”
“Take advantage,” Dan says in the TikTok. “The lady checking me out said her daughter used it on a couch. They swapped it out. So don’t forget about it.”
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