Costco Policy

Jiro

Jiro

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Former Costco Employee Responds To Man Who Refuses To Show Membership Card Or Have Receipt Checked
Yesterday, we told you about the California man who, in spite of being aware of Costco policy when he became a member, refuses to show his membership card when he enters the store and makes it impossible for his receipt to be checked on the way out. Today, someone who actually worked at Costco writes in with a rebuttal.

David says that during his time working at Costco while he was in college, he spent time at both the entrance and exit, and claims that these store policies are often more to the customers’ benefit than they are about security or loss prevention.

He writes:
The main reason for having people show their membership cards at the entrance? To make sure you have one. If you get all the way to the register without your membership card it makes for a serious slowdown since a supervisor has to look up your membership number – you’re not only inconveniencing the clerk at the check stand but everyone who got in line behind you as well. If you forgot your card the front door person will send you to the membership desk where they will look up your membership number and write it down for you so the person at the check stand can enter it in. The registers WILL NOT start a transaction without having a valid membership number first.
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The author of the piece we wrote about yesterday was so unhappy with Costco’s receipt-checking policy that he says he deliberately leaves his receipt at the register so that it can’t be checked on the way out.

But David writes about the receipt-checking policy:
To my mind it’s really not just to stop people from stealing. I hardly ever saw people that had items that had not been paid for. Literally maybe once or twice in a month of working the door. We would catch hundreds of dollars a week in overcharges, though. Imagine if you’re shopping at Costco and you bought a giant can of Nestle Quik (this actually happened once) but got charged twice for it. That’s another $10. In that case we would either get a supervisor to refund your money, or send someone out onto the floor to get another can of Nestle Quik. With the kind of volume Costco does errors are frequent and sometimes just can’t be helped. The scanners are so sensitive that it’s really easy to accidentally scan something twice and not notice.

The exit door procedure I would usually follow was to check the receipt for multiples of the same item and make sure they were there. If they didn’t have a lot of items in the cart we would just look at the “Total number of items” shown on the bottom of the receipt, count the number of items in the cart and make sure that matched. We weren’t trained to catch shoplifting, we were trained to make sure that people were not being overcharged. During the time I spent receipt checking I probably caught well over $1000 in overcharges.
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Even without David’s insight, thousands of readers voted in yesterday’s poll that the angry Costco customer isn’t behaving appropriately. More than 90% of voters say he knew what he was getting into when he agreed to be a Costco member. Around 6% say that even though the shopper is correct about his rights, there is no need for him to be rude to the store’s employees.
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Costco will be out of business in few years from now if they kept require members to pay for annual membership fees. Walmart, Target, and other stores don't do that and they are billionaire companies.
 
authentic said:
Costco will be out of business in few years from now if they kept require members to pay for annual membership fees. Walmart, Target, and other stores don't do that and they are billionaire companies.
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Sam's Club require you to buy membership so no difference from Costco so they are wholesome store with bulk package.
 
Foxrac said:
Sam's Club require you to buy membership so no difference from Costco so they are wholesome store with bulk package.
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Exactly ;) They treat their employees very well also. My mom has worked for them since 92, most people that start won't leave, their insurance benefits are awesome, my dad worked for the FAA first as an air traffic controller then an operations manager. He was a federal employee and they got their insurance through Costco, not his job because the benefits were better and more affordable. Part time employees start off at like $10 and cap out at $18, nothing to shake a stick at. My mom is in management and she makes much more than that, I think a few years ago she made like 72K. They also get shares and every few months they get a check. Very very good employers. They've been around for over 20 years, I don't think they're going anywhere. Costco is more geared for business owners rather than a regular consumer like Sams is, the membership is very worth it!! I get my gas there, and my Costco has a liquor store w00t w00t!!

There was a deaf guy working at the Costco by me for a little while anyway, I only saw him once. he spotted my hearing aids and started signing to me, I couldn't answer back though :(

That guy in the article is a tool btw.
 
This guy really really really doesn't want to conform.
Unfortunately I think he's picking a fight with something that isn't worth it.
If he wanted to be so non-conformist he could've tried wearing a skirt or giving up his car for a horse.
 
authentic said:
Costco will be out of business in few years from now if they kept require members to pay for annual membership fees. Walmart, Target, and other stores don't do that and they are billionaire companies.
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We have been members of Costco for years. Although we only shop there once every few months, the amount we save by shopping there always surpasses the cost of membership. Costco's business model has proven very successful for both the business and their customers and I cannot foresee it changing for many years to come.
 
ambrosia said:
Exactly ;) They treat their employees very well also. My mom has worked for them since 92, most people that start won't leave, their insurance benefits are awesome, my dad worked for the FAA first as an air traffic controller then an operations manager. He was a federal employee and they got their insurance through Costco, not his job because the benefits were better and more affordable. Part time employees start off at like $10 and cap out at $18, nothing to shake a stick at. My mom is in management and she makes much more than that, I think a few years ago she made like 72K. They also get shares and every few months they get a check. Very very good employers. They've been around for over 20 years, I don't think they're going anywhere. Costco is more geared for business owners rather than a regular consumer like Sams is, the membership is very worth it!! I get my gas there, and my Costco has a liquor store w00t w00t!!

There was a deaf guy working at the Costco by me for a little while anyway, I only saw him once. he spotted my hearing aids and started signing to me, I couldn't answer back though :(

That guy in the article is a tool btw.
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I found that Costco and Sam's Club started the business in 1983.

I love Costco but sadly they are about 40 miles away from my home.
 
Journey said:
We have been members of Costco for years. Although we only shop there once every few months, the amount we save by shopping there always surpasses the cost of membership. Costco's business model has proven very successful for both the business and their customers and I cannot foresee it changing for many years to come.
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Me either. I love Costco.
 
lol at that "queen drama" in the article. It's no big deal on showing the card at entrance and receipt at exit.

It made sense what former Costco guy explained the reason why we showed the card and receipt.
 
TXgolfer said:
Me either. I love Costco.
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Same here. I have been a member since they were called Price Club back in the '90's.

Never had an issue with them, just the people that shop there. Remember when they allowed employees to rollerskate while working? Someone thought they would get more done that way....unfortunately someone must have gotten hurt and it ended quickly.
 
green427 said:
Same here. I have been a member since they were called Price Club back in the '90's.

Never had an issue with them, just the people that shop there. Remember when they allowed employees to rollerskate while working? Someone thought they would get more done that way....unfortunately someone must have gotten hurt and it ended quickly.
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Haha, I had forgotten about the roller-skating employees. I thought that was such a great idea as they had a lot of ground to cover. Hmmm now that I think about it ... back then you could quickly spot an employee on the floor to help you find something if needed, now it's a lot harder. I wonder if that is simply because they are not on skates or that there are simply less employees on the floor? :hmm:
 
authentic said:
Costco will be out of business in few years from now if they kept require members to pay for annual membership fees. Walmart, Target, and other stores don't do that and they are billionaire companies.
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No such thing, the costco business is still booming, even they are very popular in Australia. Yes, I have Costco in my hometown and a regular member there, I love Costco - they are excellent store.
 
I've been a Costco member for years, and my experience with them has been nothing but positive. Anyone else love their pizza? :yesway:
 
Alex said:
I've been a Costco member for years, and my experience with them has been nothing but positive. Anyone else love their pizza? :yesway:
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I stop there and get one half pepperoni half combo at least every other week!!! Huge pizza, and tasty tasty for only $11.10 (sales tax added) oh hellz yeah!!! I love the chicken bakes too nom nom
 
Our Costco here is ALWAYS busy. I haven't shopped there in years because I tend to over but when I am there. They have a ton of great stuff, hard to pass up. Think I will rejoin once I am up and mobile again.
 
Alex said:
I've been a Costco member for years, and my experience with them has been nothing but positive. Anyone else love their pizza? :yesway:
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I eat their cheese signature pizza every other day at Costco with drinks, they are damn cheap here!
 
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Foxrac said:
Sam's Club require you to buy membership so no difference from Costco so they are wholesome store with bulk package.
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Some of the food at Sam's club is crap! I brought some frozen food and is was freezer burn and had to throw it away. I when to Walmart to buy some dog food and the bags had food moths all over them. I will not buy food from clubs or Walmart.
 
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