Costco’s return policy for computers

[dennis thompson]

I have always run Microsoft Windows on all my computers. I decided I’d like to try to learn the Apple system. I looked at the Apple mini and it was only $500 so i decided to buy that but I was unsure that an old geezer like me could learn the system and I did want the opportunity to return it if I couldn’t learn it.

I looked at Best Buy and their return period was 15 days, then I looked at Amazon and they had 30 day returns and finally I was in Costco and saw that their return policy for computers was 90 days. So I bought it at Costco.

The prices were all the same, so I’m hopeful that within the 90 day period I’ll be able to learn the system.

[mike stenson]

It's easy. Don't try and make it windows :)

There used to be some decent customer education provided by Apple.

[Jim Koepke]

I have always run Microsoft Windows on all my computers. I decided I’d like to try to learn the Apple system. I looked at the Apple mini and it was only $500 so i decided to buy that but I was unsure that an old geezer like me could learn the system and I did want the opportunity to return it if I couldn’t learn it.

I looked at Best Buy and their return period was 15 days, then I looked at Amazon and they had 30 day returns and finally I was in Costco and saw that their return policy for computers was 90 days. So I bought it at Costco.

The prices were all the same, so I’m hopeful that within the 90 day period I’ll be able to learn the system.

You might try > http://virtualharbor.org < it is a free group of Macintosh users. It was Boston based back in the day of two main user groups being in Boston and Berkeley, CA.

I used to be a member of the Berkeley group, but it shut down when the person who maintained the server moved away.

jtk

[Mike Henderson]

I've used both, started with Microsoft and then had a stint with Apple. I didn't find the Apple very hard to learn.

Mike

[Bruce Page]

My first MS operating system was Windows 1.0! My current shop PC is a Windows 7 pro..
I took the Apple leap 2 years ago for my "office" PC. There is indeed a learning curve, but it is not insurmountable.

[Rob Luter]

I use a PC at work and an iMac at home. Both systems have their advantages. I think the Windows platform has a much better file management system and is easier to customize. The iMac has superior graphics and is pretty speedy. My wife and daughter are both longtime Mac advocates, both having Apple laptops.

Mike Stenson offers some good advice. Don't try to make it Windows.

[Bill Howatt]

It was years ago when I first heard the "Don't try to make it Windows" advice. IIRC, it was often in attempt to set up file management the way their Windows machines had been tailored by the user. The advice was to let the Apple machine's OS do what it was defaulted to do. I never really appreciated that until I got a non-Windows cell phone.

[Jim Becker]

I just bought Professor Dr SMWBO a Mac Mini to replace an unruly Dell laptop which was causing major heartache due to both some functional issues as well as some behaviors that were difficult because of her medical conditions. The transition was virtually seamless for her. It. Just. Works. And having certain things like Messages (text messaging) on the screen that's completely in sync with her other Apple devices was icing on the cake. (yea, there are utilities that can do that on Windows, but only for single recipient threads and virtually 95% of our family messaging is multiple people)

The learning process should be relatively easy. It's not really different from current generations of Windows other than the Finder (file manager) which works a little differently than the Windows equivalent.

Costco is truly customer oriented and they do stand up to return flexibility. The 90 day for computers is generous, but it's virtually unlimited for most things. I recently returned an HP printer to them that was purchased over two years ago because of it refusing to print 'cause it couldn't talk to HP's servers. Two minutes and the money was back on the CC.

[Bill Howatt]

I don't know the offerings for the machine you are thinking of buying but Costco's extended warranties are often very reasonable so it may be worth looking at even it they aren't something you would normally consider.

[mike stenson]

I don't know the offerings for the machine you are thinking of buying but Costco's extended warranties are often very reasonable so it may be worth looking at even it they aren't something you would normally consider.

The only extended warranty I would advise with an Apple product is AppleCare.

[Rick Potter]

Let us other codgers know how it works out for you

[Brian Elfert]

A big difference between the Windows and Mac interfaces is a lot of the stuff is reversed between the two. The window control buttons are on the opposite side of the window. Someone who can close a window almost without looking on a Windows OS will find it takes time to learn the new location on a Mac. The lack of a right mouse button can be a pain too although a two button mouse can be used.

I have worked with a Windows PC for a good thirty years. I took a training class on a Mac about a decade ago and it took me most of the first day to fumble my way through using a Mac. I had to ask people where things where located when the instructor said to open something. My role after I left the class was to support the server side of the application running on Linux. I didn't need to know how to use a Mac for that. I bought myself an M1 Mac Mini about 18 months ago to try to learn Mac. I plugged it in, updated the OS, and it has sat unused since then. It is a complete pain in the rear to move my keyboard, mouse, and monitor from my Windows PC to the Mac so I have never done it since the first day or two. I have a KVM for my two Windows PCs. I want to get a four position KVM, but a good one is about $700 for dual monitors.

[Jim Becker]

The only extended warranty I would advise with an Apple product is AppleCare.
Costco offers AppleCare for Apple products purchased through them as the extended coverage.

[Jim Becker]

The lack of a right mouse button can be a pain too although a two button mouse can be used.

This has not been the case for many years now. Right clicking is fully supported both on Apple pointing devices as well as non-Apple pointing devices. It's a simple check box in the system configurations to turn the feature on. The Magic Mouse understand right and left and for the Trackpad, it's a simple press (gesture) with two fingers simultaneously to get the context sensitive menu that a right click brings forth. There is a lot of flexibility in how one can configure their pointing devices to match how they like to work.

[mike stenson]

Costco offers AppleCare for Apple products purchased through them as the extended coverage.

Yes, I know. The mini that's sitting next to my work mbp was purchased there. It remains the only extended warranty I'd recommend ;)

[Curt Harms]

....................
Costco is truly customer oriented and they do stand up to return flexibility. The 90 day for computers is generous, but it's virtually unlimited for most things. I recently returned an HP printer to them that was purchased over two years ago because of it refusing to print 'cause it couldn't talk to HP's servers. Two minutes and the money was back on the CC.

Which to me begs the question why would a printer have to check with the mothership before printing something? I just joined Costco because I wanted to buy an Interstate battery and even with the membership the price was good. I also didn't know Costco had gas stations. The one near me is about .$20 less than other nearby stations.

[mike stenson]

Which to me begs the question why would a printer have to check with the mothership before printing something? I just joined Costco because I wanted to buy an Interstate battery and even with the membership the price was good. I also didn't know Costco had gas stations. The one near me is about .$20 less than other nearby stations.

This is a great question. I suspect it's the same reason that there are companies advertising for jobs that don't exist. Collection of information.

[Bill Howatt]

I'm sure Jim will provide the details. The only similar case I'm personally aware of is printing from my Android phone which sends the print job to a server and then it sends it back to the printer - the phone doesn't print directly to the printer.

[Jerome Stanek]

Which to me begs the question why would a printer have to check with the mothership before printing something? I just joined Costco because I wanted to buy an Interstate battery and even with the membership the price was good. I also didn't know Costco had gas stations. The one near me is about .$20 less than other nearby stations.

I used to have an HP color all in one that had chipped cartridges that would expire even if they were not in the printer and never used.

[Brian Elfert]

This has not been the case for many years now. Right clicking is fully supported both on Apple pointing devices as well as non-Apple pointing devices. It's a simple check box in the system configurations to turn the feature on. The Magic Mouse understand right and left and for the Trackpad, it's a simple press (gesture) with two fingers simultaneously to get the context sensitive menu that a right click brings forth. There is a lot of flexibility in how one can configure their pointing devices to match how they like to work.

It isn't that Mac doesn't support right click. The older single button mice had no way to easily do a right click like with a two button mouse. You had to so something special to do a right click. I haven't used a Macbook with a track pad. If you regularly use a Mac I'm certain it is no big deal. For someone who hasn't used a Mac since the Mac SE days to have to suddenly use a Mac with no notice or help it is a royal pain. The training class expected the attendees to be Mac savvy since the product in question is for managing Macs, iPads, and iPhones.

[mike stenson]

It isn't that Mac doesn't support right click. The older single button mice had no way to easily do a right click like with a two button mouse. You had to so something special to do a right click. I haven't used a Macbook with a track pad. If you regularly use a Mac I'm certain it is no big deal. For someone who hasn't used a Mac since the Mac SE days to have to suddenly use a Mac with no notice or help it is a royal pain. The training class expected the attendees to be Mac savvy since the product in question is for managing Macs, iPads, and iPhones.

It's been a long time since the single button mouse. A couple decades, as I recall.

[Jim Becker]

Which to me begs the question why would a printer have to check with the mothership before printing something? I just joined Costco because I wanted to buy an Interstate battery and even with the membership the price was good. I also didn't know Costco had gas stations. The one near me is about .$20 less than other nearby stations.
Curt, I buy nearly 100% of our gasoline from Costco, either in Montgomeryville or Warminster. (We do our Costco shopping in Warminster, even though is more of a pain to get to, because they carry a couple of items we use daily that are not at the other store) Costco gas is Top Tier and yes, it's about twenty cents a gallon less than the cheapest local stations, some of which I'd be dubious about the quality. From where we live now near DelVal, gas at Montgomeryville is about a ten minute trip right up Upper State Road.

On the printer question...it's apparently an HP thing. They couldn't help us fix the problem, so back it went to Costco for a full refund, no questions asked.

[Lee DeRaud]

Not sure how it works for Macs, but you need to be careful comparing Costco PC prices to the "outer world".

I've found that the Costco price will be comparable to BestBuy/Staples/etc, but the computer will be a much better configuration: double RAM, i7 vs i5, things like that. They don't offer the widest selection at any given moment, but the ones they have are typically loaded up. The Dell laptop I'm typing this on would have cost nearly 25% more anywhere else...including Dell's own site.

[mike stenson]

Costcos price for Macs is often better than my employers discount with apple. They're standard apple configurations.

[Jason Hennry]

Hi Dennis, that sounds like a smart move! Costco's 90-day return policy gives you plenty of time to explore and adapt to the Apple system. Best of luck with your learning journey!

[Curt Harms]

I used to have an HP color all in one that had chipped cartridges that would expire even if they were not in the printer and never used.

I think HP is living on a reputation earned in days gone bye. Based on what I've read I'd not consider an HP Inkjet. I don't know if their lasers have gone down hill yet or not.

[Brian Elfert]

It's been a long time since the single button mouse. A couple decades, as I recall.

The Apple mouse currently being sold could technically be considered a single button mouse. All I know is when I took the training class about a decade ago the Macs used did not have a way to right click with the supplied mice. The equipment did not appear to be particularly old. I have a Mac Mini I have used basically once since I bought it 18 months ago. I will use the same two button mouse I use with my Windows PC. (Long story on why I bought the Mac Mini.)

[mike stenson]

The Apple mouse currently being sold could technically be considered a single button mouse. All I know is when I took the training class about a decade ago the Macs used did not have a way to right click with the supplied mice. The equipment did not appear to be particularly old. I have a Mac Mini I have used basically once since I bought it 18 months ago. I will use the same two button mouse I use with my Windows PC. (Long story on why I bought the Mac Mini.)

I guess you could consider it a no-button mouse. Since there isn't a physically separate button. A decade ago, the Magic Mouse already existed. Your training was incorrect, it just needed to be configured.

I've been using a Mac since the 90s. I've been a two button mouse since shortly afterwards.

Furthermore, this is all really pointless as the mini doesn't come with a keyboard or a mouse anyway.

[Brian Elfert]

I guess you could consider it a no-button mouse. Since there isn't a physically separate button. A decade ago, the Magic Mouse already existed. Your training was incorrect, it just needed to be configured.


It wasn't a training class on how to use a Mac. It was a training class on a software product that can be run on Mac, PC, or a Linux server. They used Macs as the clients for the training class. They just expected the attendees would know how to use a Mac, which I did not.

[Jim Becker]

The Apple mouse currently being sold could technically be considered a single button mouse. All I know is when I took the training class about a decade ago the Macs used did not have a way to right click with the supplied mice. The equipment did not appear to be particularly old. I have a Mac Mini I have used basically once since I bought it 18 months ago. I will use the same two button mouse I use with my Windows PC. (Long story on why I bought the Mac Mini.)
Like Mike mentioned, I'd call it a "no button"...in the physical sense...rodent but because of the touch interface combined with clicking gestures, it doesn't matter. It "does all the things". For the Mini I just bought Professor Dr. SWMBO, I did put a simple Logitech 'two button plus scrolling roller' mouse with it because she likes to use this roller ball thing that I cannot operate for the life of me. When I sit down to do something for her, I use the mouse. She's actually using it more than she expected. On my own Mac, I use an Apple TrackPad most of the time, but also have a MagicMouse as well as the same Logitech mouse I just mentioned. I use the rodents when I need more precise control, such as for CAD/CAM. But for browsing, which is most of my use, the TrackPad is excellent and I can use it effectively with either hand. (that was important after my recent wrist surgery)

What's really nice here is that everyone can choose the pointing method(s) they prefer with any of these machines. And the Mini, being essentially a bare desktop computer, is certainly a "gateway drug" for folks moving from Windows to MacOS since they can often unplug the monitor, keyboard and rodent that they have been used to using on their old machine and just plug them in (or pair if wireless) with their new Mac Mini and get to work.

[Lee DeRaud]

For the Mini I just bought Professor Dr. SWMBO, I did put a simple Logitech 'two button plus scrolling roller' mouse with it because she likes to use this roller ball thing that I cannot operate for the life of me. When I sit down to do something for her, I use the mouse.
Heh. Wifey loves those long-discontinued Logitech Trackman widgets with a golfball-sized thumb-operated trackball. I think I can keep it running for another couple of years, but at some point the price of used ones on Ebay will get stupid, like the old IBM "clacker" keyboards. Whenever I need to tweak her computer, I've got a dedicated Bluetooth mouse...life's too short for me to use that trackball.

She also loves 4:3-aspect monitors, or more to the point, hates the 16:9 and wider ones I use. Those aren't exactly thick on the ground either.

[Jim Becker]

She also loves 4:3-aspect monitors, or more to the point, hates the 16:9 and wider ones I use. Those aren't exactly thick on the ground either.

Because of The Professor's eyesight issues, she's now on a 35" wide "nearly anamorphic" ratio monitor and I've finally got her keeping reasonable size windows open for the browser, email and messaging so she can actually see them. Text is also "embiggened".

[Lee DeRaud]

Because of The Professor's eyesight issues, she's now on a 35" wide "nearly anamorphic" ratio monitor and I've finally got her keeping reasonable size windows open for the browser, email and messaging so she can actually see them. Text is also "embiggened".

Vision really isn't the issue here: she's using an old Sharp 18" 1280x1024. I tried passing on my old 22" 1600x1050 HP, but she just says "It doesn't look right." Her settings work out to roughly the same text/icon size as I use. Might try a portrait-mode monitor next: the late-'90s vintage Sharp is running off a VGA output and it's getting twitchy. It's either that or go ahead and buy the 19" Viewsonic 4:3 I have bookmarked on Amazon before it goes away.

[Brian Elfert]

Heh. Wifey loves those long-discontinued Logitech Trackman widgets with a golfball-sized thumb-operated trackball. I think I can keep it running for another couple of years, but at some point the price of used ones on Ebay will get stupid, like the old IBM "clacker" keyboards. Whenever I need to tweak her computer, I've got a dedicated Bluetooth mouse...life's too short for me to use that trackball.


I was buying the Microsoft wheel mouse optical every five or six years for long after Microsoft discontinued them. I really liked them and bought my last one still in the box on EBay. I know what it is like to chase down old computer hardware. My last one finally died and I decided to switch to a wireless mouse rather than try to find another one. I really like the Logitech wireless mouse that I got.