Don't Risk Losing Your Costco Membership -- Avoid These 3 Mistakes

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One of the best steps you can take to save money on groceries and everyday essentials is to join Costco. The warehouse club giant is known for its competitive prices on items like bulk food, paper products, cleaning supplies, and more.

Plus, as a member, not only can you maximize your savings at Costco, but you can also enjoy a host of perks that range from cheap gas that's high in quality to discounted gift cards. And if you book a trip through Costco Travel, you might end up paying a lot less to visit your dream destination.

There's a whole lot of money to be saved by shopping at Costco -- especially if you use the right credit cards. Click here for a list of credit cards offering amazing rewards for Costco members. But if you're not careful, you might lose out on the opportunity to shop there for good.

Because Costco memberships offer so much value, it's important to make sure you're not putting yours at risk of getting revoked. Here are a few actions that could result in your membership being terminated, so it's important to avoid them at all costs.

1. Abusing the store's return policy

For the most part, as a Costco member, you can bring back any item you buy at any time for a full refund. But if you go overboard, Costco might revoke your membership -- which it has the right to do at any time, as noted in the fine print.

You may be wondering what's considered excessive in the context of Costco returns. Unfortunately, there aren't clear guidelines. So your best bet is to make sure your returns are reasonable by nature.

This means a few different things. First, if you buy 27 items a month at Costco, don't return 23 of them often. Returning two or three is probably fine. But if you make a large number of returns regularly, it could raise a red flag.

Also, if you're going to return food on the basis of not liking the taste -- which you're allowed to do -- make sure you're bringing back at least 50% of the item in question. Otherwise, it looks as if you're trying to game the system.

If you buy a tub of peanut butter–filled pretzels at Costco, bust it open, and decide that it tastes stale, Costco shouldn't give you a problem if there are five or six nuggets missing. But if you bring back only a quarter of the tub, not only are you unlikely to get your money back, but you might put your membership at risk if you do this repeatedly.

2. Abusing the store's guest policy

Your Costco membership gives you the right to bring any children you have and up to two guests with you into the store. But if you abuse that policy, you risk having your membership taken away.

Chances are, you won't abuse the guest policy by inviting 17 of your closest friends for a Costco outing. But if you're letting friends borrow your membership card and visit the store without you, that is violating the guest policy. So don't do it -- especially now that Costco is cracking down on memberships by installing card scanners at the front of many of its stores.

3. Being rude or inappropriate at the store

Acting rudely or inappropriately might get you kicked out of any store. At Costco, you risk not only a one-time ousting but the loss of your membership.

If you're unhappy about something related to your Costco experience, your best bet is to broach the topic calmly with customer service. Also, read the store's policies so you're able to go in with accurate expectations.

For example, you can only return electronics for a refund within 90 days. If you bring back a laptop after 100 days expecting a refund, you might understandably get upset over not being able to get your money back. But if you read the store's policies carefully, you'll see that if you're denied a refund in that case, it's because you waited too long -- not because the customer service person you're working with is trying to be difficult.

Don't put your membership at risk

Remember, a big part of Costco's business model is making money on membership fees. So it's in the store's best interest to keep you as a customer. And it generally only revokes memberships in extreme situations. Being careful and avoiding the mistakes above could make it so you can remain a lifelong Costco member -- and enjoy big savings for many more years to come.

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We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Maurie Backman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.