Costco: is it too onerous to be worth it?

I never really liked certain things about costco -- like being checked for your card on the way in, show your card again at the register, show your receipt at the exit, etc, and all of that while dealing with the mass number of idiots and their massive carts not looking where they are going.

Now it is getting worse:

A few weeks back, my 76 year old Mom who is her last stage of chemo treatment for lung cancer stopped at a Costco in St. Catherines on their way back from gambling in Niagara Falls. Mom tried to get in using her American Express Costco card which has her picture and costco number on the back, but they wouldn't let her in saying that their association with AMEX has expired -- despite the literature stating the card is still valid until December 31 of this year. My Mom was too tired to make a big deal of it, so she went to the membership desk and had a new Costco card printed for her -- I would have made a way bigger deal of it and likely would have cancelled on the spot.

Last week I was in Costco in Mississauga with the wife. I went to get a hotdog while the wife went to the checkout. So she goes up to the register and hands them the Costco membership card and her mastercard, and the teller asks her to remove her prescription glasses as she was wearing her contacts on the picture on the card. My wife was very upset as she felt they were accusing her of fraud as she just handed over a mastercard with the same name as the costco card -- her card. If she was someone else, she'd be committing a criminal offence.

Finally, today my wife and I went back to Costco, rolled up to the cash register and I handed my Costco card. They scanned all the stuff and the wife went to pay but they refused her mastercard because they said the name on the mastercard has to be the same as the costco card -- so I paid as my wife had forgotten her membership card.

Really though -- what is going on at that place? It is quickly becoming more annoying than it's worth. Sure you save a couple bucks in gas, but you have to wait 15 minutes in line to get it. I don't know... I'm getting very close to just cancelling the membership -- but not without ranting about it first, of course.

The costco procedure book must be the size of an encyclopedia.

Costco is probably good for large families that can buy in large quantity.I will never pay a fee to shop somewhere.Want to sell me something?Here's my hard earned cash.Simple.

Tldr: costo makes sure you have your membership card with you and you are actually the person on the vard

I know the manager at the local costco he said the membership is their biggest revenue stream. They are instructed to go all out to make sure you have an excellent experience with membership, but won't hesitate to validate if you are the correct member. They have problems all the time with people coming with family member or friends' cards etc...

On that note, I gave up my costco membership last year. Not worth the crazy public that goes in. The worst of humanity shops at Costco.

Hmmm....I feel like the Wingboy but have been somewhat contemplating checking out Costco because I'm sick of paying boutique prices at the local supermarket but am not looking for another retailer to annoy me. I'm easily annoyed these days.

go ahead, cancel your membership. they won't care.

they have 10 billion more people ahead of you and are happy to take their money....

Costco is the only store I look forward to going shopping with the wife too.... can never get out of there spending less than $300

BTW, Costco Ancaster had gas at 94.9 cents today..... shame on Big Oil (all the other stations in the area) for charging 99 cents.....

cancel your membership and go shop at walmart.

I have never had an issue to date with my membership. In fact I have never really noticed them looking at me like they would have at an Lcbo back in the day ?

I must agree with the above. It's trouble their. I try to put up the blinders and just grab what I'm suppose to be their for. And 400 later I leave with a hell of alot more .

Shopping! Uggghhh.Make a list....in the store....grab what is on the list and get out.The only way to save money is to stop spending it.

SunnY S said:

go ahead, cancel your membership. they won't care.

they have 10 billion more sheep ahead of you that are willing to jump through hoops to spend their own money

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Fixed that for you.

Wingboy said:

Shopping! Uggghhh.Make a list....in the store....grab what is on the list and get out.The only way to save money is to stop spending it.

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Very true. I will probably save money by cancelling the membership -- because many of the things I buy in there are not really needed and are bought because I perceive them to be a good deal.

name calling other members.. wow. that says a lot about you.

inreb said:

Hmmm....I feel like the Wingboy but have been somewhat contemplating checking out Costco because I'm sick of paying boutique prices at the local supermarket but am not looking for another retailer to annoy me. I'm easily annoyed these days.

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Not all things in costco are a good deal, sometimes you pay more than boutique supermarkets.

not worth the cash for the membership for me, particularly since the nearest one is about an hour's drive away... sometimes i'll go with my mom. supposedly their pharmacy is cheap and you may not need a membership to use the pharmacy.

Walk in the exit, and walk on by when they reach for your bill on your way out.
Whats the big deal? We let ours lapse last year, when it didn't pay for itself.
Tires with rims, were too much hassle, so we haven't renewed yet.

For your mom, its possible that there was a fallout between Costco and Amex causing the deal to fall through early.
Amex likes to charge an uncompetitive percentage for using their card, and/or they might no longer be accepting bills from Price Club.

I don't see your point for you being upset though. You need to have a card to buy stuff there.
If you can't be prepared for that before you get there, it's on you, not them.

SunnY S said:

Costco Ancaster had gas at 94.9 cents today.

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I paid that this afternoon. My wait for an open pump was exactly 0 seconds, and I never got out of my car.

Baggsy said:

I don't see your point for you being upset though. You need to have a card to buy stuff there.
If you can't be prepared for that before you get there, it's on you, not them.

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I wouldn't say upset, just annoyed.
Read again what I wrote -- in every instance the person had a valid card:

My Mom had a valid AMEX card which doubles as a membership card -- valid until Dec 31.
My wife had a valid card with her name and picture on it, they demanded she remove her glasses (she can't see without).
I had a valid card today, and we did not realize a rule existed that the card holder had to pay. It might be posted somewhere, but I am not going to read or remember a long list of rules to spend my money. It especially makes no sense with a husband and wife -- it is the same costco membership (supplementary card).

Anyway... it all doesn't matter any more. Next time I am near a Costco I'll stop in and cancel the card. I don't need the hassle nor do I need to carry another card in my wallet.

Stupid that they ask you for a card to enter when you can go through the exit to go eat food and then ponder the store without a card... Not to mention need a card to purchase ****..

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

starboy869 said:

name calling other members.. wow. that says a lot about you.

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Sorry to hurt your feelings.

I used the word 'sheep' because honestly it was the image that came to my mind.


Think about it... you walk in one door, show your card to the person at the door, get herded around the store usually counter-clockwise, wait in line at the checkout, get your card checked again, wait in line at the exit, have your receipt checked, you're out.


The picture in my mind is a flock of sheep that the farmer wants to go down a certain path. They prod them along, they stop at gates, the gates are opened, they are prodded along again -- poked and prodded along, annoyed, but what are they going to do, they are merely sheep and don't have the where-with-all to stand up against it or don't mind it enough to complain.


I suppose I could have used a herd of cows or a drove of pigs, but I'd imagine people would be even more insulted if I used those animals as comparatives.

went to buy a battery for my Jeep at Costco, checking previous trip i knew they didnt have my exact size so i decided to take the battery in with me to verify size, CCA, and battery terminal locations. Gonna need that battery to get my $10 back anyways so why not do one trip.

The drone at the front entrance refused to let me in....her reason "We dont allow outside merchandise in the store....people bring in old stuff and try to walk out with the new..." "Yea, you sell 7 year old batteries that say Mercedes on them with original dust and dirt from factory?"
Manager came, roller her eyes at the drone and said go ahead.

When i had a gas car it was worth it, There was a costco close to work, i went and ate lunch there all the time and filled up my car. Gas savings alone paid off the membership.

Now, not so much, when it expires in march i wont renew. Also, any time of day, Costco is a mad house...that alone is not worth the hassle. For some reason all the space cadets seem to shop there.

Harden the **** up....lifes tough and full of things that may hurt your fragile emotions.

starboy869 said:

name calling other members.. wow. that says a lot about you.

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