People Have Some Serious Gripes About Costco's Appliance Warranty Service

There's plenty of advice on how to search for new appliances, including the best time of year to buy appliances and whether it's worth buying appliances straight from the manufacturer. As you compare models and features, you've likely been factoring in warranty terms, too. If so, your search might have led you to the conclusion that Costco is one of the best places to buy appliances. Some customers, however, have come away with a less favorable impression after dealing with warranty issues.

As it stands, Costco's in-store return policy has no time limit for many items, but major appliances are exceptions. The membership retailer's major-appliance return policy allows only a 90-day return window from the date the item is received. Costco also extends manufacturers' warranties on major appliances to two years, which, in theory, could save you hundreds of dollars — or more — if your new washing machine goes on the fritz or your oven stops working. During the second year, Costco's coverage mirrors the manufacturer's warranty, with coverage varying by manufacturer.

Buyers can also seek free assistance from Costco's Technical & Warranty Services department, sometimes referred to as Costco Concierge Service, when navigating warranty issues. However, some customers say they have been less than pleased with the service they've received. Some have cited a lack of transparency and poor customer service when dealing with an appliance warranty issue, particularly when compared with their experiences returning items at Costco warehouses.

So what are the gripes? Some customers say the Technical & Warranty Services department can take a long time without producing a solution. For example, a user on Reddit's r/Costco reported that their high expectations were left unfulfilled after calling about an issue with an appliance they bought. "Don't buy into the false advertising of Costco Concierge 2 year warranty. Anyone else had luck with Costco Concierge? Wish I had a job where I could hang up on people, deny claims all day long and give information with our [sic] even know what product was calling about," they wrote. "Have to say Costco has been good to me but this is the ultimate let down." 

Others on the subreddit have expressed frustration over getting bounced around by the team. As one user said, "They will give you the run around for awhile. I had the same warranty and took me about 5-6 service calls, hours on the phone, and then finally I had a resolution. Took about 1.5 months total." As you can imagine, this type of back-and-forth can be time-consuming and slow down the progress toward a fix or a replacement.

Costco can send you service technicians, but if you have a real lemon of an appliance, getting a replacement may still involve the manufacturer and multiple repair attempts. That was the experience of a Facebook user who posted about their journey navigating the 2-year warranty offered by Costco on a Frigidaire washing machine. The user wrote, "It has been serviced at least 5 times since and we still have no hot water. When I asked them to replace it, Costco told me that's up to Frigidaire (Electrolux)." In this customer's case, the process left them feeling that Costco lacks real negotiating power with manufacturers to obtain a replacement when an appliance fails.

That experience doesn't necessarily mean manufacturers always have the final say, however. Under Costco's policy, the company can honor its second-year warranty obligation with repair, replacement, or a refund up to the purchase price, though the decision is ultimately Costco's. The specifics of the coverage also hinge on the manufacturer's original warranty terms.

So while Costco's extended appliance warranty terms are promising on paper, individual claims can still involve delays or multiple service providers. Experiences may also vary depending on the repair companies operating in a customer's area. Another r/Costco commenter, responding to a call for advice about the merits of the extended warranty, wrote, "Be aware that unless the feedback is in your area that it won't mean much — the third party that Costco uses is not the same in all locations and thus the service varies."