A viral image shared on Threads claims Costco is purportedly not allowing returns on toilet paper and other items following Hurricane Milton.

Post by @aroundq

View on Threads

Verdict: False

The image is not recent but instead is from March 2020.

Fact Check:

At least 24 people have died as a result of Hurricane Milton, according to the Pensacola Journal, which cited the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Milton followed Hurricane Helene, which caused at least 228 deaths, including 27 in Florida, the outlet reported.

The Threads image, which has received over 1,000 likes as of writing, claims Costco is purportedly not allowing returns on toilet paper and other items following Hurricane Milton.

The image, which features a Costco logo, claims the store will not be accepting returns on toilet paper, paper towels, sanitizing wipes, water, rice, or Lysol cleaner. “Thank you for your understanding,” the same image reads.

The claim is false. Check Your Fact reviewed the post and a comment shared on the post claims the no-return policy dates back to the global COVID-19 pandemic, not Hurricane Milton.

“My husband works for Costco. This is from the early Covid panic buying. They didn’t decline returns during the dock strike or after, and don’t ever decline returns during Hurricane/emergency situations. This is entirely untrue and irresponsible to post without fact checking,” the social media user who shared the comment said.

Likewise, Check Your Fact did not find any press releases or blog posts shared via Costco’s website that reference the claim. The claim is also not featured on Costco’s verified social media accounts. (RELATED: Is Tropical Storm Leslie Projected To Hit The U.S. As A Category Five Hurricane?)

In addition, Check Your Fact did not find any credible news reports to support the claim. Actually, the opposite is true. On October 15, Lead Stories debunked the claim. According to the outlet, the image originally stems from the Instagram account @costcobuys and was shared on the platform in March 2020.

Check Your Fact has contacted Costco for comment.