The great thing about Costco is you never know what you’re going to find once you step inside. From seasonal items to stuff you had no idea existed but clearly CANNOT live without, Costco sells some really interesting stuff. In the past I’ve talked about some of the bizarre things people have tried to return to Costco, but I’ve never broken down the oddest things they sell…until now! Here are 16 of the strangest things that Costco currently sells…

Bear Spray

Many Costco locations, especially those in “bear country”, have been selling bear spray for quite some time.

But unfortunately there have been some complaints about the canisters not actually spraying when fired.

So just make sure you’re NOT the slowest person in your group when hiking and you should be fine.

Edible Brownie Batter

If I had a bowl of Edible Brownie Dough in front me right now, not only would I devour the whole thing, but I’d probably lick the bowl clean.

Costco sells this heavenly goodness which is made by Eat Pastry and is 100% vegan.

This means you can eat it raw OR bake it up.

You can even nuke it in the microwave and enjoy some gooey goodness.

See Also: 7 Ways to Essentially Get a $60 Costco Membership for Free

Coffins & Urns

Yes, you read that correctly. This is perhaps the strangest thing sold by Costco.

Now before you ask, NO, you don’t walk into Costco and buy a casket or urn.

Instead, you visit their website here and do your “forever” shopping online.

Now I’ve never shopped for a casket before, but I’ve been told that Costco sells some very high quality ones and the price is much lower than most funeral homes.

By federal law funeral homes are required to “accept any casket purchased from an outside source.”

Also, and I’m not making this up, the Costco website states that “Acts of God” can potentially delay your delivery date.

Caviar

When you think Costco do you think caviar?

Not me.

But Costco has been known to appeal to all demographics so I guess it doesn’t come as a complete surprise that they sell expensive fish eggs.

At $45 bucks an ounce it’s pricey but I’m guessing it’s a good value if you MUST HAVE caviar at your next soiree.

Smart Toilets

There’s nothing worst than a dumb crapper, so I was stoked to see Costco finally sells smart toilets.

This thing will change your world.

It’s got an LED night light, a heated seat, and a bidet feature that will make you clean as a whistle.

Don’t even get me started on the heating and drying feature…”WOW” is all I gotta say. 

Mortgages

The other day I walked into Costco and came out with 2 gallons of milk, 8 pairs of socks, a 50 lb pound bag of Scott’s lawn fertilizer, and a 30-year fixed mortgage.

This is actually possible these days as Costco has been dealing in home mortgages for quite some time.

They tout that Costco members can save $7,300 on average over the life of the loan.

NOTE: As of May 2022, Costco stopped offering mortgages to their members.

72 lb. Wheel of Cheese

This amazing Parmigiano Reggiano cheese wheel is imported from Italy and weighs-in at an astonishing 72 pounds.

It’s basically like ordering a large golden retriever made entirely of cheese.

If you own a restaurant this could be on your wish list, but for everybody else that buys it I’d like to study you and report my findings to the government.

See Also: 7 Genius Costco Bakery Hacks That Will Save You Money and Time

Dried Sea Cucumbers

Who doesn’t like to pop a couple Dried Sea Cucumbers in their mouth as an afternoon snack.

The next time you’re at Costco go ahead and grab a bag and give them a try.

I actually have no idea if you pop them in your mouth or they require some cooking to make them edible.

But in either case, I’ll probably stay away.

Bottled Water Delivery

The big 3…Sparkletts, Arrowhead, Costco.

They even have a website set up called CostcoWater.com that let’s you set up your account and start your order.

The pricing of delivered water starts at $6.49 per 5 gallon bottle and is actually facilitated thru Alhambra.

Wheelchairs

The biggest takeaway on Costco selling wheelchairs is they are a great value.

You’re going to pay 20-30% less buying from Costco compared to local health and rehab stores in your area.

Online ONLY item.

A HUGE Teddy Bear

Any interest in a 93″ Teddy Bear for your home or kid’s room?

Costco is the place if you do.

Product description says “For ages 3+”….what, do they think it might be too much bear for a 2-year old? C’mon.

I’m just glad it’s not anatomically correct.

Pallet of Food for “Preppers”

Wow, all I gotta say is wow.

Costco has approximated that this is enough chow for 4 people for 1 year.

This pallet of food comes with a 25-year shelf life and all you have to do is add water and cook.

Coming in at over 13,000 total servings, I hope it’s somewhat tasty.

I’m guessing if you’re buying this, the only other thing you might buy off this list is the bear spray.

Online only item.

See Also: Costco Savings Secrets Straight From Their CEO

Wine Tap Station

Coming in at $5,000, this wine preservation system from Costco is by far the most expensive product on my list.

For the price at least it comes with a 2-pack of Argon gas…so you got that going for ya.

Now don’t get me wrong, it looks pretty cool, but the price tag seems a bit excessive.

Online only item.

See Also: Costco Liquor: 4 Things You Gotta Know Before You Buy

Custom Closets

The OCD part of my brain wants to call Costco immediately and get a free consult on putting in new custom closets at my house.

But I’m sure it’s way more than I can afford, but it’s good to know that Costco provides this service.

The picture of that closet is killing me though…

Wedding Invites

Wedding invitations sold by Costco is actually part of their Photo Center which makes sense.

The days of paying $3-4 per wedding invite is over as the deals at Costco look great.

Go check them out the next time you need invitations for ANY special event.

See Also: 11 Costco Photo Center Hacks You MUST Know

Chicken Coop

As of this writing, the selection of chicken coops on Costco.com is a bit slim, but come early Spring it will be hopping.

The prices are really good too, typically way lower than your local feed store or Tractor Supply Company.

Ask the Reader: What’s the strangest item you’ve ever bought from Costco? Don’t be shy…let me know in the comments!

By Kyle James

If you shop on Amazon regularly, I guarantee you’ve been RIPPED OFF multiple times. The pricing they show you when you first visit a product page is often NOT the cheapest option. Get in the healthy habit of spending the 30 seconds required to look at ALL your buying options. Here are a bunch of Amazon screenshots and examples to show you exactly what I’m talking about.

Side-Note: In case you’re wondering about the above Oreo picture, my son used money from his first job to order a 12-pack of Peanut Butter Oreos from Amazon. It’s safe to say he didn’t look for a better price.

Example #1 – Get More BUT Pay Less

My first pricing example is stuff on Amazon where you can actually get more for LESS.

Yes, you read that correctly, by looking at the different quantities you can often get more stuff for less cash.

Here are 2 examples…

Duracell Batteries

Would you rather buy 20 AA Duracell batteries for $15.98 -OR- would you rather spend $0.57 LESS and get 4 more batteries?

Tough question, right? Give me the 24-pack every single time.

See Also: 7 Easy Ways to Find Hidden Amazon Deals and Save BIG

Colgate Toothpaste

This one was a real head-scratcher.

A 4-pack of Colgate toothpaste for $9.98 -OR- a 3 pack for $14.60?

The odd thing about this one was that Amazon gave me the 3-pack by default for some reason.

If I hadn’t looked at the different quantities I would have gotten ripped off.

Moral of the story? ALWAYS look at the different quantity sizes!

Example #2 – Pay Just a Little Extra BUT Get a BUNCH More

I found many examples on Amazon of products that provide huge value when you pay just a small percentage more.

Here are some of the most glaring examples that I stumbled upon.

Flash Drives

Looking for a new Flash Drive or two on Amazon?

Be sure to look at the various capacity sizes available.

BTW, the same goes for ANY external hard drive or portable storage device.

As you can tell by my screenshot above, you can get a 10-pack of Flash Drives, with twice the storage size, and only pay $1 more.

Or get 8x the storage and only pay $3 more.

See Also: Amazon Prime Package Arrives Late? Here’s What You Can Get for FREE

Flossers

I love these Flossers and tend to leave them all over the house which grosses out my wife. But I digress.

So when I went to buy some from Amazon I was stunned that I could pay $10.16 for 150 of them -OR- drop an extra $4 and get 540 of them…enough to last me until all my teeth fall out.

Easy decision.

Basis Soap

Would you rather have 8 bars of Basis soap for $22.59 -OR- 7 bars for $21.45?

If you opt for the 8-pack you’re basically getting that extra bar for a measly $1.14, a savings of about $2.

See Also: 3 Amazon Shopping Hacks That’ll Blow Your Mind

Energizer Batteries

Energizer Batteries also make my list as you can get a 20 pack of AA’s for basically the same price as the 16 pack.

With batteries appearing twice on my list, you ALWAYS need to check the quantity options and find the best deal as Amazon doesn’t always show the item with biggest savings as a default.

Example #3 – Buy Less and Pay Less (per Unit)

Sometimes it’s smart to buy stuff on Amazon in the smaller sizes.

Here’s an example. 

Packing Tape

The above screenshot is evidence that the “5 pack” is not always the better deal.

If you really need that much tape, you’d be WAY better off buying five 8-packs individually as you’d save over $127 by doing so.

Example #4 – Don’t Be Picky About Color and Save BIG

This particular scenario is probably my favorite way to save on Amazon.

If you don’t care about color, you MUST try this Amazon hack.

Portable Battery

I love my Anker portable battery, especially since I was able to save $23 by opting for the black one.

Always look at the different color options for not only portable batteries, but ANYTHING that comes in multiple colors.

I’m guessing Amazon is taking the stance that people will pay a premium for their favorite color.

Sorry, but that’s dumb, especially when the price difference is often HUGE.

See Also: Did You Know You Can Use Your EBT Card at Amazon?

Dial Soap

“But Dial Gold doesn’t get me as clean as Dial White.” Said NO ONE EVER!

Opt for the Gold 3-pack and save BIG.

Final Thoughts…

Stop letting Amazon mess with you and take more of your money than they should.

Always look at the different quantities, colors, and “packs” available before making a purchase.

Your wallet will thank you, I guarantee it.

Ask the Reader: Have you ever noticed these weird pricing phenomenon on Amazon and how do you deal with it?

By Kyle James

Amazon bought Zappos back in 2009, but fortunately they didn’t also adopt Amazon’s less than liberal return policy. They kept their same “100% satisfaction guarantee” policy which had made them so successful up to that point. But like any store policy, there are nuisances and tricks to make it work best for you and Zappos return policy is no exception. Here’s exactly how it works PLUS some hacks for success.

Zappos Gives You 365 Days

You get exactly 1 year from your date of purchase to make a return if you’re not completely satisfied.

Are There Any Exceptions?

According to the Zappos website, there are “no minimums or exclusions” on returns.

But is that completely true? More on that later.

PRO TIP: ZAPPOS WILL WORK WITH YOU

I have a friend who works construction who stepped on a nail with his work boots that he bought from Zappos. The boots had close to 4 months of wear on them and Zappos let him return them for a brand new pair of boots. Also, he did not have the original box and that was not an issue. Moral of the story: Always contact Zappos if you have any issues and they’ll work with you to find a solution.

So I Can Buy 20 Pairs and Return 19 of Them?

I hit up their live chat and asked them that exact question and you can see their answer above.

They put no limit on what you can buy and return.

Zappos Pays the Return Shipping Costs

Not only will Zappos mail them to you for free, but they will ALSO pay all return shipping charges.

They’ve made the process really easy, you just login to your Zappos account and follow the return instructions.

PRO TIP: RETURNED SHOE DEALS

I have it on good authority that many shoes that are returned to Zappos are sold on their discount site 6pm.com. Check out 6pm before you shop at Zappos as you can often get the same exact shoes for 20-60% less. The 6pm outlet does not offer free shipping on everything like Zappos, but they do offer free shipping on $100 or more.

I Love How Zappos Does Exchanges

In an effort to get you the correct shoes quickly, Zappos processes exchanges in a GREAT way.

The second you notify them that you want do an exchange, they’ll issue you an e-Gift card for the amount.

Zappos will then apply the gift card towards the replacement pair of shoes and ship them out immediately.

You don’t have to wait for them to get the shoes first, then have them perform the exchange.

Zappos then gives you 14-days to mail back the original shoes that you bought.

Can the Shoes By Worn?

Technically, NO, they must be in “new” or “good” condition and this serves as the 1 major return policy “exclusion”.

They suggest you wear them indoors for an extended period of time to determine how they fit and if you want to keep them.

They actually suggested to me that I buy multiple sizes so I can test them all indoors before making a decision.

If you wear them outside and scuff the bottoms they are now considered “used” and not eligible for a return unless there is something wrong with the shoe.

But having said that, it’s pretty easy to make the argument that the reason they don’t fit right (or give me blisters) is due to a design flaw in the shoe.

Do you see where I’m going with this? Use your best judgment and try not to abuse their VERY liberal return policy or it will probably go away one day.

See Also: 17 Stores That Let You Return Used Items for a Full Refund

Do I Need the Original Box?

Zappos says you do, but from personal experience, you DO NOT always need the box or original packaging to make a return.

This doesn’t mean to throw the shoe box away the second you get it.

It’s always smart to hold on to it until you know for sure the shoes are keepers as the return will be much easier.

PRO TIP: BE PATIENT

Don’t be in a rush to make a return if you’re not sure about a pair of shoes you bought from Zappos. They give you 365 return days for a reason, they WANT you to test them out thoroughly at home before making a final decision.

What If I Wear New Shoes for a Week and They Hurt My Feet?

I was told by a chat rep that if you wear a new pair to work, and the fit sucks, to “let us know and we can look into it”.

Takeaway: If you have a problem with a pair of shoes you bought from Zappos, whether new or used, let them know about it and they probably will be able to help you out with a refund, exchange, or replacement.

Running Shoes Are a Different Beast

Zappos used to have a “30 Day Runlimited Guarantee” on running shoes that let you buy a pair, run in them for 30 days, then return them for any reason. Unfortunately, this cool return policy feature went away in June of 2024.

Now they recommend you “try footwear on in a clean, indoor, carpeted area so that the shoes remain in their original condition.”

I pressed Zappos on this and said, “Problem is I won’t know if they will work on my feet unless I run in them outside, on cement.”

I was told, “I am sorry to hear that, but worn items are not eligible for return as it relates to our policy.”

So it definitely appears their return policy is getting stricter, most likely due to shoppers abusing it.

See Also: Nike Return Policy: You Got Questions…I Got Answers

Zappos Will Track Your Return History

You can pretty much guarantee it.

I’m guessing that if you make too many returns that they consider “used” you might have your account flagged.

From the research I did, this was corroborated by a Zappos employee.

PRO TIP: TAKE YOUR ZAPPOS RETURN TO WHOLE FOODS

Zappos is owned by Amazon, who also owns Whole Foods, and so they encourage you to bring your return back to Whole Foods and they’ll take care of the rest. Literally you just need to bring your item with whatever packaging or shoe box it came in, no original shipping box needed and no shipping label needed. Head to the customer service desk and have an employee scan the QR code that was generated for you when you started your return on the Zappos website. They’ll box it up for you and attach the shipping label, all for FREE.

Does their Policy Apply to Just Shoes?

No, it applies to everything they sell.

This includes clothing, bags, wallets, belts, hats, and even watches.

See Also: Costco Return Policy: 12 Must Knows Before You Shop

How Long Does It Take to Process My Return?

Once Zappos receives your return and inspects it you can expect it to be processed within 72 hours.

You’ll get an email confirmation once the return is completed.

Zappos Policy Hacks:

Join the VIP Program – It’s worth logging into the Zappos VIP Program with your Amazon credentials and signing up for free.

You’ll get bonus points that you can use on your next purchase and may even qualify for free upgraded shipping.

See Also: The DSW Return Policy: Insider Tips to Make It Work For You

Ask the Reader: What’s been your experience with the return policy at Zappos?

By Kyle James

Photo courtesy of Zappos.