In an earlier post, someone found these at Cabelas for $100. I could only find them at the Bargain Cave at the Cabelas website for $150.

However, while perusing the local Costco this weekend, I noticed they are also selling them, but for $200 a piece, with a $50 mail-in rebate. Given that there's some shipping expense from Cabelas, I belive Costco is now spot on. Also, with their forever refund policy, I think getting one via Costco is the right move. As soon as my pocket recovers from the re-entry of my daughters at Xmas, I may go ahead and buy a set for the whole family. Just makes good sense to me.

BTW, the display at Costco has a huge poster of Les Stroud's face on it. Almost did a quick cut-out with my leatherman, but figured they might not appreciate that so much. They need to make a fathead of Les in arctic survival gear or something.

The ones at Cabela's were $150 plus a rebate, but the rebate
ended 12/08. We bought them in the store. They also had TomTom's
for $99. Googleing I do not see anything cheaper than
Costco at this time.

I do wonder if SPOT will upgrade hardware or software soon.

It would be good to ask a sales associate to confirm whether their satisfaction guaranteed refund policy extends to SPOT devices - COSTCO rolled the term back to 90 days a while ago for computers, TVs, MP3 players and similar merchandise. I'm not sure whether SPOT falls into the category of merchandise they will redund on if you're not satisfied.

Hmm, that's right. They had to amend their policy to exclude certain electronic items. Currently the closest excluded category this comes to would be a cell phone, so it would be prudent to check first.

I wouldn't be surprised that Costco would accept a return no matter what their policy says. I have NEVER seen Costco refuse to accept a return. Few months ago I saw a couple trying to return one of those (really neat) portable icemakers. They had no receipt, the box was dirty, torn, patched with duct tape. Costco person finally found that purchase in the computer, they bought it almost TWO YEARS ago. Soon as it popped up on the screen, they got their money back...

I don't discount that Costco might accept a return on a SPOT device, but I know they have amended their return policy for other electronics, and have been pretty up front about it, so asking before buying a SPOT would be good. No more buying a 32 inch wide screen HDTV then returning it, citing dissatisfaction, and getting your money or an 'equivalent' a year later, a 42 inch HDTV. Electronics tend to age differently than icemakers, I think its wise not to try to offer the same return policy for them that they do for icemakers and the like.

REI also has a great return policy, it gets abused too - downstairs in the basement where they offer up returned merchandise for sale, I saw a pair of very old, grubby, well-worn boots with a tag on them, quote "Used 10 years. Pinched left toe." Unfortunately folks who abuse return policies will end up changing them for the rest of us.

Guilty as charged. Then again, that's why they get my business, so it must work for them as well.

I have a habit of going through big propane cook stoves. I buy one, use it for a couple years till it is crudded up and burnt out, then take it back and get another. It is almost embarassing to bring it back, receipt in hand, and get what I paid for it and walk out the door with a new one, but if that's their policy, and it's available to everyone, then it must be fair. If not, as with the electronics exception, then I figure they would change it to suit their business plan quick enough. I have a feeling they are making more than enough income to offset returns, as they are still the lowest price in town much of the time. To be honest, most of what I get at Costco I don't return, but I do a lot of shopping there because of their policy, and if I buy something spendy, like the elliptical machine that never worked right, then I much prefer the idea of simply walking back into the store with the item and the receipt and getting all my money back.

I had a friend that worked at one and he told me about when he witnessed a woman bring in a ziploc bag with what appeared to be vitamin caplets in it, explaining that she wanted her money back because they had passed through her system undigested. Needless to say, the clerk explained that she needn't have brought the undigested pills back, just the opened bottle with what was left. Even an empty bottle with a receipt would've been refunded. They asked her to throw the baggie away and they'd gladly give her money back.

Ugh!!!

These are good return policies, I've used them too - they're net good for the retailer, they create almost frictionless customer service: angry customer comes in, gets money back, no arguments, no bad retail experience - maybe a bad product, but not a bad seller. Tracking what gets returned, feedback to the manufacturer, maybe weed it from inventory. In a world where every bad experience gets posted to the internet, even isolated bad experiences develop into bad reputations. I can whine about how REI carries way too much cotton clothing, some sales associates who don't know much about what they sell, or the dearth of boot selection (which tend to get returned alot), but on the whole they're a good retailer.

And preparedness minded folks benefit from the returned equipment offered at lower prices in the basement shop. I'm inherently cheap, and some of my best buys have come in the REI gear garage.