12 Of The Most Returned Food Items At Costco

It's everybody's favorite warehouse to peruse with an empty grocery cart and a heart full of retail-induced dreams. That's right — we're talking about celebrated wholesaler giant, Costco. This Washington-based company has taken the world by storm since its inception in 1983, when it shocked the market by becoming one of the first corporations to grow to an overall sales number of $3 billion within its first six years in business. The retail powerhouse hasn't slowed its roll since, reportedly sporting over 130 million card-carrying members and nearly $250 billion in sales in 2024. 

But with greater customer reach comes greater opportunity for things to go wrong in regard to shopper satisfaction. And with Costco maintaining one of the most generous return policies in the game, its trove of paying members are not shy about bringing back products they deem disappointing for reimbursement. But between all of the different grocery options up for grabs, which previously-purchased snacks, proteins, and the like show up to the return center most often? We did some digging to find out. From smelly chicken to leaking milk to rancid nuts, here are 12 of the most returned food items at Costco.

Due to its perishable nature, this one shouldn't feel too surprising. General produce — from spinach to avocados to oranges to salad kits — appears to be a top-returned food item purchased from Costco. Across online platforms, alleged employees and shoppers confirm this, citing issues such as soggy greens or rotten berries that ultimately end in a customer refund.

One alleged Costco worker offered up an explanation as to the potential "why" behind the quality issues associated with the company's fresh produce. "Entire problem is the Costco supply chain is not keeping produce well refrigerated," they claimed on Reddit. "I'd say 95% of boxes of clamshell lettuce I see at Costco are already going bad while sitting there in a store. Yet I can walk down to [the] local grocery store and have zero such problems with clamshell container lettuce." 

Given the mass piles of perishables stocked by Costco at any given time, we can certainly see how keeping them sufficiently chilly might be a hurdle. Still, there's no certainty as to whether or not refrigeration issues are the singular cause of the problem, or if there are other factors at play as well. All we know is that slimy salad kits are brought back to the warehouse relatively frequently in the Costco universe.

With its competitive prices, there's no better place than Costco to stock up on bottles of wine, cases of beer, or handles of liquor for your wedding or other large event. But what happens if the crowd drinks less than you anticipated? Thank goodness for the company's generous return policy, which throngs of customers and workers online have divulged includes previously-purchased alcohol. As long as the state's liquor laws allow for it, Costco will take back that case of IPA no one touched ... and, based on the number of discussion threads out there evidencing returns of this nature, shoppers take advantage of this benefit in spades.

But just because you can doesn't mean you should, and some employees appear to hold contempt for the alcohol return policy. One alleged worker on Reddit under r/Costco described their efforts in trying to talk management into dissolving this policy, as liquor (beer and wine in particular) is sensitive to temperature changes. Drinks that have cooked in the hot sun at a barbecue over the course of an afternoon, for example, might have their taste permanently altered as a result — something which may cause issues for the next shopper who places them in their cart when they ultimately go back on the floor for resale. Despite return clerks' disdain, however, the policy still stands. Between mass event returns, as well as the widespread Costco vodka recall of 2023, it's safe to say that booze makes the cut as a top-returned item. 

It isn't hard to tell when chicken has gone bad, but there's often nothing more disheartening than when it has. You peel open that bag of breasts you purchased from Costco, ready to cook up a delicious dinner, your pan and seasonings already prepped and ready ... only to be sent back reeling by a whiff of stinking, deteriorating poultry. While your meal plans may indeed be ruined at that moment, there is, at least, a light in the darkness: you can get your money back.

It's a sad reality that chicken, with its perishable nature, can spoil relatively quickly. Especially when you consider the long journey through a processing facility — followed by the back of a transport truck — that poultry from Costco must make before it ends up in the aisles of our favorite wholesaler. Online reports of spoiled chicken breasts abound among customers, who usually don't notice the bird's contaminated condition until after they are already home. The good news? Under these conditions, Costco will always refund the affected products. Rather than carting the stinking chicken back to the warehouse in your car, however, alleged shoppers and employees alike recommend bagging and freezing the item before transport to eliminate the issue of more bacterial growth.

There's a reason fishermen throw their catches on a big bed of ice the second they pull them out of the water — seafood can be extremely temperamental in terms of staying fresh. Despite the wholesaler's best efforts in keeping its outsourced seafood in good shape for its crowds of hungry shoppers, spoiled fish still happens — as is reflected in the large number of online reports of rotten Costco fish returns.

Slimy fish with a questionable stench days before its sell-by date is reported relatively frequently in online discussion forums. And what do replying users recommend affected customers do? Make a return, of course. "Bag it, freeze it, take it in on your next trip," suggested an alleged worker on a Reddit thread discussing one shopper's rancid salmon. "Give them a call now to let them know about it so they can put comments in your membership that you've already notified them. This way they know you're not just bringing in old fish if you can't make the return trip sometime soon." While it seems to be salmon that harbors the most reports of spoilage and returns, other products, like sea bass or dungeness crab, pop up on occasion, as well. Keep this information in mind before your next Costco seafood run. 

Despite its bad reputation, red meat can be worked healthfully into many diets. Rich in iron, protein, zinc, and others, the occasional serving of ground beef, steak, or lamb can serve up some great-tasting essential vitamins and minerals. But what should a juicy slab of steak decidedly not serve up? Well, food poisoning for a start.

Eating spoiled red meat can lead to illness if consumed, which is why many Costco patrons — upon cracking open a smelly pack of beef — immediately wrap it back up and bring it back to the warehouse for a refund rather than continuing with their cooking plans. Unfortunately, incidents regarding bad red meat ending in returns pop up relatively frequently on online platforms, suggesting its status as a top-returned food item. But should you be on the receiving end of a spoiled rack of lamb in the future, it's worth noting that alleged Costco employees insist the item in question must be brought back to the warehouse from which it was purchased to receive your money back. This is obviously not the easiest task where dripping, deteriorating meat is involved, so you may want to consider wrapping in multiple bags or freezing prior to making the trek.

A 40 ounce bag of mixed nuts from Costco averages $14.99, give or take. While this is an economical price for such a large bag of portable healthy fats and proteins, it still means $15 for nothing if said bag is inedible. Sadly, many Costco members have found themselves mourning their cash after tasting their almonds, pistachios, or cashews at home.

Rancid or burned batches of various roasted nuts from the wholesaler are commonly brought up in Costco return discussions on online platforms such as Reddit. "My first Costco food return in 21 years," reads the title of one of these chats, featuring a photo of Kirkland's fancy mixed nuts product. The thread was littered with customers calling out the retailer's walnuts, pecans, cashews, and others for similar flavor and texture issues that have ended in issued refunds — and this is just one in a long list of similar internet conversations.

Something to keep in mind, however, is that it is not unusual for high-fat, high-oil foods (like nuts) to go rancid more quickly. These products are chock full of lipids, which oxidate — thus, it's perfectly natural for there to be a few spoiled bags among Costco's copious good ones. If you happen to snag a bad bag in the future, don't despair: simply return it, and grab another. Chances are, this second batch will be just perfect for the making of your next healthy homemade snack.

With so many protein bars on the market, pinning down a decent brand at a decent price can be difficult. Many consumers, however, have managed to find one that fits the bill at Costco, which offers up multiple different protein bar takes sold in bulk boxes at economical prices. Sadly, though, not everyone's purchase has ended in satisfied snacking bliss. Many boxes of different Costco bar flavors and brands have been loaded back up into their purchasers cars, and brought right back to the warehouse from whence they came — a fact evidenced by the products' numerous mentions online.

And what is the basis for these bars' banishment from so many Costco members' pantries? A combination of alleged dissatisfaction with flavor, expiration prior to sale ... even reported stomach issues supposedly stemming from the Kirkland Signature Protein Bars themselves. "I returned Kirkland protein bars and the clerk knew exactly why before I said a thing, lol. Intestinal bombs," mentioned one user cheekily on a Reddit thread, who surmised that returns for this reason happen regularly based on the employee's reaction during the transaction. Whether or not stomach upset is a legitimate reason for the higher-than-normal return rate, the reality is that Costco protein bars do appear to get refunded on the regular. The good news? Since the company will refund you for any one of these reported problems, you have nothing to lose by giving them a try and seeing if they work for you. 

We've all done it: opened up a pack of savory bacon intent on fixing a breakfast to die for, only to be met with a collection of pork slices covered in slime. Sadly, spoiled bacon happens often, and no grocery store — retail powerhouse Costco included — is immune from putting out a bad pack every now and then.

Since this is just the way the pork sizzles, it shouldn't come as too big of a shock that bacon is included among the top-returned food items from the wholesale company. The internet is littered with posts created by consumers reporting moldy, stinky, and slimy bags of bacon from their favorite membership club — as well as advice on how to go about requesting a refund for them. Either zipping the affected bacon into a plastic bag, freezing prior to transport, or taking a close-up photo of the putrid slices seem to all be acceptable methods — depending on your individual Costco and its requirements. While we certainly hope you're spared the disappointment of a ruined breakfast, we encourage you to follow in your fellow shoppers' footsteps and get a refund for your pork-induced sorrow if you're not.

We all dream of a perfectly cold, fresh pour of milk to dump over our morning cereal. But when it comes to Costco's dairy or almond milk variants, this dream is not always a reality for shoppers. Issues such as broken safety seals resulting in leaking containers, spoiled contents — even completely empty tubs void of any liquid at all — are reported on relatively frequently by warehouse shoppers.

And given Costco's gracious return policy, there's no reason to simply toss that gallon you cannot use into the garbage when you can have your money refunded. Members can — and do — take advantage of this benefit in regard to their blemished milk ... and alleged Costco return desk employees don't blame them. "Honestly at my membership desk I'd give you the refund purely for the hassle of needing to deal with a leaky gallon of milk, regardless of if you brought it back," said one self-professed employee on Reddit in a discussion referencing one shopper's unfortunate experience with a drippy carton. While this particular customer probably regretted buying milk at Costco at that moment, we're sure that these incidents are the exception, and not the norm, when it comes to the gallons put out by Costco on any given day. We wish you luck in selecting one with proper freshness in the future.

Ahh, bread, the outer layer of our peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, the vessel for our avocado toast. From wheat to white to sourdough, bread is featured in diets all around the globe — and with Costco being one of the leading membership retailers, it's safe to say a large chunk of the world's bread is purchased from the wholesaler. But if you're planning a bulk buy of some healthy Dave's Killer Bread from the warehouse anytime soon, you may want to brace yourself for the possibility of return.

Recently, various types of Costco bread have come under fire for quality issues — issues that, you may have already surmised, end in return. Online reports of moldy products from both the bakery and bread aisles abound, and consumers don't hesitate to throw the fuzzy-looking loaves right back into their trunks for a refund. Some people, however, insist that mold growth on Costco's bread isn't necessarily a bad thing. "Less processed = more quick to mold," suggested one user on a Reddit post discussing the company's allegedly quick-to-mold bagels. To stave off some less-than-stellar spores following your next fresh bread purchase, you may want to consider refrigerating or freezing your haul to extend its shelf life. Avoiding storage on the counter might be the way to go if you want to avoid the hassle of a moldy return.

Yogurt is a delicious, easy way to scoop some extra protein and live, active bacteria and yeast known as probiotics into your diet. If you're particularly fond of the smooth, refreshing dairy-based treat, Costco presents a great opportunity to stock up on large amounts of yogurt for cheap. From large tubs to single-serving cups, regular to Greek, Costco Wholesale has got you covered for your yogurt needs — or so it seems.

But after you get your haul home, grab a spoon, and peel off the safety seal, the contents inside might suggest otherwise. Posts made by disappointed shoppers on online platforms declaring the presence of mold in their various yogurt products from Costco go back years — and more recently, the issue of moldy dairy from the company was staggeringly widespread. In September 2024, a nationwide recall on strawberry-flavored Greek yogurt cups from Costco was issued in Canada, and returns were granted to all customers who had made a purchase from the affected batches. Between this event and the isolated, similar incidents that came before, Costco yogurt appears to have gained a reputation as a frequently-returned item. Do with this information what you will, loyal Costco shoppers. 

Whether it be enchilada or burrito night, you're going to need tortillas, and it seems a no-brainer to add the grain product to your Costco list. However, the track record of Costco's assorted tortilla selection, according to shopper reports, is less than perfect and often ends in returns.

"I've been buying these for years because they're super cheap and are honestly better than anything else I've found in regular grocery stores," stated a user on a recent Reddit thread, referencing a particular brand of tortillas from the wholesaler. "[...] About three months ago I bought a bag and it developed this mold [...] I returned it and got another one, same thing in one bag, and spotted green mold in the other. The third time I purposefully used both bags quickly and still had to toss a few at the end [...] After that I waited a month thinking maybe it was a batch issue or something, but I bought another one about two weeks ago and here it is again." Unfortunately, this consumer is not alone in their experiences, and mold appears to routinely be the cause for frequent tortilla refunds. The next time you buy your wraps from Costco, maybe consider sectioning them out and popping them in the freezer to preserve shelf life. Doing so might just save you an inconvenient ride back to the warehouse, after all.