Complaint Review: Costco - Issaquah WA

On April 8, 2020, I was having a minor issue with my computer.  I had purchased the computer (a Lenovo) from Costco in March, 2019, so I had had the computer for just over one year.  I contacted Costco Concierge for tech support.  The tech with whom I spoke was extremely rude.  Throughout the call, she repeatedly interrupted me and snapped at me.  While on the phone with her, she did something to my computer that completely destroyed it.  I was unable to go online on the computer.  She then abruptly ended the call, leaving me with a computer that was useless.  That occurred during the shutdown due to the pandemic when I was completely dependent on my computer to work.

I spent a total of eight hours on the phone that day trying to find someone who would address the problem.  I was finally put in touch with Dave (phone number, 509-573-8456) who reached out to a technician who attempted to repair my computer.  After working with that tech for well over an hour, the tech finally told me he was unable to repair the computer.  Dave contacted the manager of the Costco located in Lexington, Kentucky, who agree to replace my computer.  He did not have a Lenovo that was comparable to the one the concierge tech destroyed, but he offered to replace my laptop with a Dell.  I picked up the computer from the warehouse in Lexington, KY the next day. 

I am a mental health therapist and am dependent on my computer to earn a living.  I was without access to my computer for the entire day and had to cancel five telehealth appointments with clients.  I am paid between $80.00 and $150.00 per session, so conservatively, I missed $400.00 of earned income.  I told all that to Dave.  Dave referred me to someone from “Dot Com” who was extremely rude and told me, “Unfortunately, Costco does not cover lost income.”  She offered a $100.00 shopping card which I refused as my loss was $400.00, not $100.00.  She also spoke as though Costco had done an extraordinary favor for me by replacing my computer because it was one month out of warranty.  Whenever I would point out that a Costco Concierge tech had destroyed the computer I had, I was ignored.  I left several voice messages for Dave asking him to call me about my lost income, but he stopped responding to my calls. 

On November 14, 2020, I noticed that the Dell computer’s touchscreen feature was no longer working, and the screen was freezing for brief periods of time.  I contacted Costco Customer Support who again put me in touch with Dave who made weak attempts to explain why he had stopped responding to my calls.  He was going to make some phone calls and get back with me.  Instead, I was contacted by someone from Costco’s insurance company who again offered the $100 shopping card and told me to turn in my loss of income to my own business insurance.  After that call, I left a voicemail for Dave telling him what had just happened and asking what he was going to do about my computer and lost income.  That was on November 18, 2020, and I have yet to hear from him. 

I want a refund for the cost of my original computer and compensation for the $400.00 in lost income.  For a company that prides itself on customer service, Costco has been one disappointment after another.  It is not the company I believed it was.