Reason 71 why Costco is awesome

[ponyo]

I come home from vacation and check my mail and what do I find? More free money.

 

[brianmanahan]

i have a sams club card and recently got a costco to try it

but honestly i think i may stick with sams... they seem to have more stuff i want

 

[Red Squirrel]

Damn that's pretty good. Rare to see companies fess up to a mistake like that. Especially something so small.

 

[Captante]

Sams = Walmart quality in "warehouse club" format.

Costco is exponentially better customer-service wise and usually has both better stuff AND lower prices. (of course YMMV locally)

Also they don't often just randomly close stores down with very little warning like the Sam's in my area did ... the idiots STILL mail me "free" membership promo's every other week too!

 

[Dulanic]

I went into a Sams club and it felt like walmart. I'll go Costco any day, and they treat their employees much better.

 

[Torn Mind]

I went into a Sams club and it felt like walmart. I'll go Costco any day, and they treat their employees much better.

It should be as it is the spawn of the same guy.

 

[Muse]

Ain' no Sam's Clubs around here, never seen one. Costco's the lynchpin of my shopping life right now. I get almost all my groceries there... my fridge is stuffed with them since my every other week trip 3 days ago.

The other day I checked my receipt before leaving the store and saw the cashier had rung an extra hand of bananas and doubled back and complained. I could stand in line for a refund or walk all the way to the back of the store and cop another 3lb bag of organic bananas. I opted for the walk... When ripe, I'll peel them and freeze for my daily smoothie.

Edit: Speaking of not being fully filled, I complained to Costco a couple years ago that their organic ground turkey was underweight, that their supplier was cheating on them. I noticed the other day they have a new supplier.

 

[MtnMan]

Sams = Walmart quality in "warehouse club" format.

Costco is exponentially better customer-service wise and usually has both better stuff AND lower prices. (of course YMMV locally)

Also they don't often just randomly close stores down with very little warning like the Sam's in my area did ... the idiots STILL mail me "free" membership promo's every other week too!

I disagree with wal-wart quality, quality at Sam's is on par with Costco or any grocery chain.

The Costco customer service is much better than Sam's... But Costco doesn't have free curbside, nor do they have the scan-n-go app. 99% of the time, I don't need "servicing" by an employee, and with scan-n-go that I bypass all that except the checker at the door. Plus I get to mostly bypass the most annoying aspect of checking out... other customers that can't run the self-check, or can't find their card to pay.

 

[Captante]

I disagree with wal-wart quality, quality at Sam's is on par with Costco or any grocery chain.

The Costco customer service is much better than Sam's... But Costco doesn't have free curbside, nor do they have the scan-n-go app. 99% of the time, I don't need "servicing" by an employee, and with scan-n-go that I bypass all that except the checker at the door. Plus I get to mostly bypass the most annoying aspect of checking out... other customers that can't run the self-check, or can't find their card to pay.

Some of what they had shrink-wrapped into (larger then alternator-sized!) bulk-packs on the shelves in Sam's last time I shopped in one was literally Walmart-product lol. There's a good reason they have been closing stores.

Also as mentioned above they're run by the same corporate-entity (ultimately) as Walmart. The similarities mentioned in this thread are not exactly shocking.

 

[MrSquished]

Beaucoup bucks!

back when Costco only took Amex we used the Executive membership. My parents, my sister's family and I all lived close by, so we'd all use that account. Two cards but one household would meet with another and do the shopping for all three. At the end of the year, we'd get a check back for close to triple the membership fee.

 

[Captante]

Beaucoup bucks!

back when Costco only took Amex we used the Executive membership. My parents, my sister's family and I all lived close by, so we'd all use that account. Two cards but one household would meet with another and do the shopping for all three. At the end of the year, we'd get a check back for close to triple the membership fee.

My father-inlaw (RIP) had a business membership way back in the day which everyone in the family used all the time. Not sure that would work these days.

 

[MtnMan]

Some of what they had shrink-wrapped into (larger then alternator-sized!) bulk-packs on the shelves in Sam's last time I shopped in one was literally Walmart-product lol. There's a good reason they have been closing stores.

Curious what that larger than alternator size product was? They carry brand names you can buy anywhere, or their Members Mark brand. Never had a quality issue with Members Mark, actually prefer some over major brand names.

Also as mentioned above they're run by the same corporate-entity (ultimately) as Walmart. The similarities mentioned in this thread are not exactly shocking.

And Ford also made the Edsel, MS made Windows Vista, Sony/Beta Max.

 

[Spacehead]

After reading the other Costco thread i looked to see where the nearest one was. East Clevland & North Pittsburgh were the closest. Figured there be one in Erie, nope.

 

[lxskllr]

I don't pay to shop at stores on principle. Closest costco is ~20 miles from me. There's also a Sams, and a BJs(local?) a little closer. I walked into BJs once 20-30 years ago, and I wasn't impressed with their offerings. At the time, I could do just as well stopping in a couple stores local to me. Probably still true of all the "clubs".

 

[Captante]

Curious what that larger than alternator size product was?

joke

\ ˈjōk \

Definition(s) of joke:

1a: something said or done to provoke laughter especially : a brief oral narrative with a climactic humorous twist

b(1): the humorous or ridiculous element in something

(2): an instance of jesting : can't take a joke


You did ask.

I don't pay to shop at stores on principle. Closest costco is ~20 miles from me. There's also a Sams, and a BJs(local?) a little closer. I walked into BJs once 20-30 years ago, and I wasn't impressed with their offerings. At the time, I could do just as well stopping in a couple stores local to me. Probably still true of all the "clubs".

Living by myself I simply don't do enough shopping to justify it anymore.

I have a couple friends I can go to Costco with/use their login anytime if there's something specific I want there.

 

[ponyo]

Beaucoup bucks!

back when Costco only took Amex we used the Executive membership. My parents, my sister's family and I all lived close by, so we'd all use that account. Two cards but one household would meet with another and do the shopping for all three. At the end of the year, we'd get a check back for close to triple the membership fee.

I always get back more in Executive membership rebate than the annual fee. I usually get back about $500 a year as I generally spend about $2k a month or $24,000 at Costco for a family of 3. I just checked, and I'm in that ballpark once again. 11 months and $28,150 spent at Costco so far for Executive membership rebate of $562.99. I still have another month so I'll probably hit $30,000 on spend and get back around $600 from Costco. My wife likes the annual Costco rebate check because I cash it and always give it to her. It's free spending money.

 

[MtnMan]

I don't pay to shop at stores on principle. Closest costco is ~20 miles from me. There's also a Sams, and a BJs(local?) a little closer. I walked into BJs once 20-30 years ago, and I wasn't impressed with their offerings. At the time, I could do just as well stopping in a couple stores local to me. Probably still true of all the "clubs".

Ah, the "pay to shop" justification.

I look at the cost vs. benefit, virtually every time I spend money, being somewhat intelligent. I redeem my annual membership several times over on a single product every year, and it's not a luxury (unless you run out). That item? Toilet paper. Add in paper towels, and it probably quadruples*.

* - based on same item at other retail sources.

 

[ponyo]

I don't pay to shop at stores on principle. Closest costco is ~20 miles from me. There's also a Sams, and a BJs(local?) a little closer. I walked into BJs once 20-30 years ago, and I wasn't impressed with their offerings. At the time, I could do just as well stopping in a couple stores local to me. Probably still true of all the "clubs".

I wouldn't shop at Costco if I was single. While I love Costco, I shop other places too. I love Trader Joe's, Aldi, and Lidl too.

 

[lxskllr]

What are you doing with toiletpaper that the *delta* in prices pays for a $60 base membership?! I bought a 60 pack from amazon last year when toiletpaper was a pita to find. That was <$1/roll, and I have *years* of toiletpaper left.

 

[lxskllr]

I wouldn't shop at Costco if I was single. While I love Costco, I shop other places too. I love Trader Joe's, Aldi, and Lidl too.

Aldi my full time day to day store. I supplement that with biglots if they get something I like, and wegmans for more premium stuff. Lidl and TJs are too far for me to go, and in parts of town I'm not interested in going. Never been in lidl, but I'd be interested in checking them out if convenient. I was in Trader Joes once, and was impressed with what i saw.

 

[Red Squirrel]

What are you doing with toiletpaper that the *delta* in prices pays for a $60 base membership?! I bought a 60 pack from amazon last year when toiletpaper was a pita to find. That was <$1/roll, and I have *years* of toiletpaper left.

Lot of Mexican food.

 

[ponyo]

Aldi my full time day to day store. I supplement that with biglots if they get something I like, and wegmans for more premium stuff. Lidl and TJs are too far for me to go, and in parts of town I'm not interested in going. Never been in lidl, but I'd be interested in checking them out if convenient. I was in Trader Joes once, and was impressed with what i saw.

Lidi is like slightly premium Aldi. I like the bakery at Lidl so I find myself going there more often than Aldi. I'm lucky to have both Aldi and Lidl less than 1 mile from my house and Trader Joe's is only like 2 miles away. So I can be at any of the 3 stores in less than 5 minutes. Costco gets bulk of my grocery shopping but I still actively shop at Lidl, Aldi, Trader Joe's, and Publix every week. I check the weekly ad for all the stores every Wednesday.

 

[woolfe9998]

Dunno about Sam's Club, but Costco has the most ridiculously liberal return policy ever. My wife once bought a fairly expensive watch there, then three years later was unhappy that it had tarnished. They took it back LOL. I had told her there was no way.

That return policy is a huge advantage of Costco over other retailers.

 

[aigomorla]

i have a sams club card and recently got a costco to try it

but honestly i think i may stick with sams... they seem to have more stuff i want

Sams is so much better then costco IMO.

I wish there was more sam's.

Costco in socali is horrible, people parking carts in the middle the isles, people thinking they are more important then everyone else, the lines and parking.
I feel like i am going to goto war when i make a trip to costco.

 

[brianmanahan]

I feel like i am going to goto war when i make a trip to costco.

LOL it wasn't so bad in the one near me, just not as much stuff as i need compared to sam's

the main reason i got costco for a year was the hearing aids

i'll probably let it expire after this year