They are not prorated, just 3 years full replacement and you're done. Just replaced a 2 1/2 year old 24F at my Costco a week ago.
Interstate Battery
- Thread starter tiger862
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It was modified to prorated as of July 10, 2023. However, that applies to batteries sold after that date and if it was before it's still got the original 36 month full warranty.
If there is a defect in material or workmanship (not merely the battery being discharged), this limited warranty provides that upon return of the battery to any United States or Puerto Rico Costco Wholesale warehouse, a pro-rata portion of the original purchase price and sales tax paid will be refunded.
However, battery warranties aren't always by the manufacturer, although obviously Deka or Exide sell under their own names. The manufacturer sells a whole bunch of batteries and the warranty is provided by the seller or marketer. At big auto parts stores with a house brand, it's backed by the store. If it's an independent auto parts store selling Interstate, it's Interstate regardless of whether or not the battery itself is Exide or Clarios.
I'm pretty sure I'll pick up a Menard's ACD battery for her car...I tried to get one Sunday but the only one they had in the store was leaking battery acid and I was unsure if this was just from handling and placing on the shelf as a lot of them had "wet tops" or actually were leaking batteries...
the Korean sourced ACD battery has a 3 year replacement through Menard's (not through ACD) and the CA/CCA/RC is a touch lower but I've had one in my 2014 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon for over 4 years now without issue
Bill
the Korean sourced ACD battery has a 3 year replacement through Menard's (not through ACD) and the CA/CCA/RC is a touch lower but I've had one in my 2014 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon for over 4 years now without issue
Bill
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I was thinking of this and you are correct. Then I think about the 5 batteries I have bought from them. One I did replace because car couldn’t start and I figured rule out the battery.
Since I tested all of them except 1, latest on Saturday.
From 42 mos of use, a H6 went from 900 CCA at 55F, to about 660. It passes a load test, so in reality the free replace would be moot. True, Costco never tested them and handed replacements out like candy. But auto parts stores do. I think the bad warranty only matters to the people who exchanged them when they weren’t faulty. To everyone else, it’s a mental Die Hard. The thought that they will last. Honestly, how many have ever gotten a free replacement, ever? As mentioned, I did once. In my life. And I ain’t no spring chicken
I think what's irritating today is that if you bought a Costco Interstate today (as the new warranty went into effect in July 2023) if it tested poorly after 1 month of ownership Costco would only give you a portion (whatever portion remains unknown) of your purchase price and sales tax whereas had you bought it earlier as you did and I did last June 30th, I'd get my full purchase price and tax for up to 3 years...
I'm hoping that Costco just worded this poorly as I'd suspect their battery sales will dwindle or they'll find another vendor for their batteries as they did when they stopped selling Kirkland stickers batteries here in the States...
as I wrote earlier...I would have bought the GF's new battery from Costco but now will probably buy the Korean made battery from ACD/Menard's
Bill
I'm hoping that Costco just worded this poorly as I'd suspect their battery sales will dwindle or they'll find another vendor for their batteries as they did when they stopped selling Kirkland stickers batteries here in the States...
as I wrote earlier...I would have bought the GF's new battery from Costco but now will probably buy the Korean made battery from ACD/Menard's
Bill
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Depends when sold. Forget the cutoff.
July 10, 2023
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I did buy a new H6 last month.
They’re being realistic because on this forum and another people openly stated they had free replacements every 2 years (to stay inside of 36 or formerly 42 mos).
I do see your point. What Costco should really do is to load test so-called defective batteries. If they fail replace under 36 mos. But the fraud was rampant.
Maybe they would walk the change back.
Keep in mind the below is at 55F, and battery is rated 730 CCA at 0F. The old clearly is not at that.
This is a fully charged 3 1/2 yo Costco H6
This is a fully charged brand new Costco H6
Imho, the old one may be good based on the tester’s algorithm, but it is in decline.
Nonetheless, at an auto parts store it would not get replaced
Some places have a sign to state their policy but if asked nicely they may bend their policy. If you buy thousands of dollars of stuff at Costco and return one battery they might handle it one way vs buy nothing but batteries and return one every two years.
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I’ve never had a problem at Costco but when it comes to batteries I did a replacement one time.
For example I just returned a never opened floodlight purchased 3 years ago. Didn’t need it as I installed a Blink floodlight cam. Imho they’ll take anything back any time frame any condition UNLESS there’s a specific policy, like with electronics or tires or batteries now..
How about 80" TV bought to watch the Superbowl on Sunday and return on Monday?
f355spider
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BTW, per your older battery warranty, you received 100% credit for the old one, purchased a new one at the prevailing (likely higher) price, and now have the current pro rated 3 year warranty on your new 24F purchased last week.
My plan if my older Costco battery fails before the warranty ends: take it back to Costco for the 100% refund, then go get an AGM at WalMart with a four year free replacement warranty.
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I literally saw a son telling his dad this maybe 5 years ago….the dad was saying, “We watch the game on the tv and then the next week we bring it back? That’s ok to do that?”
Son said of course it is. The dad was skeptical and likely had some ethical feelings about it…
Not sure but I think TVs and computers do have different policies…
f355spider
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90 return/exchange limit on electronics at Costco.
Store managers have some discretion on the return policy. I returned a computer I purchased as a gift to my father about 1 year earlier. It was still under a two year warranty, but had already sent it back twice and it was acting up again for the third time (same problem). I went to the store with the reciept, correspondence from Dell and the computer, plead my case with the store manager and he was understanding and approved it. I went back in the store and bought an even more expensive one.
I just put a new Interstate AGM battery in my son's Jeep Renegade. Got it from Costco because WalMart was sold out of H6 size AGM batteries, and every store except Costco was at least $50 higher for an H6 AGM. I hope this new battery lasts at least several years. From what I could find googling, these Interstate AGM batteries seem to outlast the warranty.
i was at costco once and doing a return. struck up a conversation about what do they do with returned TV's . he said they get a credit from the vendor and as they don't want it back they crush them with a fork lift so they can not double dip .
he also told me they sell a crap load of TV's a couple of weeks before Superbowl and a bunch come back after superbowl. Same with pressure washers and portable A/C units . Costcos rental policy is second to none
Remember Interstate is a brand not a manufacturer. Contracts with manufacturers end and new ones start. So what is a great battery today from Interstate might not be if bought in 2025. Or maybe it still is.
I try and buy East Penn. Masquerading as a Walmart EverStart or NAPA or West Marine. I am not out so save every last nickel when purchasing a new battery.
This is part of why I gave up my 15 years of Costco membership. The battery I bought went bad and was only 2 years old. They no longer carried that size battery and refused to honor because they no longer carry it. I had to argue with the store manager who finally gave me a credit but it took alot of effort to get that done. Then 3 of my 4 tires went flat overnight and they wanted to charge me a flat tire repair fee. Again arguing with store manager as I had the tire road hazard package but this apparently doesn't cover that they installed the wrong wheel weights that were causing my tires to leak. Said I needed to pay before they would repair so I was done with Costco and haven't looked back. It is not the same Costco that it was 10 years ago that customer service was extremely high.
it was enough for me to purchase the Menards ACD battery...I asked at the customer service desk if the 11% off rebate or another bag sale starts next week or the week after would they do anything about the price difference and they informed me their price was good for two weeks or they would make a price adjustment...
anyway, I wanted to take advantage of the warmer weather and the peace of mind in getting that other battery out and the new one in...
Bill
anyway, I wanted to take advantage of the warmer weather and the peace of mind in getting that other battery out and the new one in...
Bill
Like everything else today, batteries are made cheaper and shortcuts are taken. I had a couple of Kirkland batteries that lasted years. They were made by Interstate for Costco and I think to Costco’s specs. Now people are reporting they last 3-4 years. There’s got to be a replacement policy that if the battery fails after a couple of months, Costco will replace it. They typically don’t hang out their customers like that. Maybe people were bringing in 30 month old batteries to be replaced so as always have a new battery. That’s why they changed the tv and computer returns, people were bringing in their computers and tv’s in 3years later to always have the latest and greatest.
