question about costco

TeasePlease

Cockasian Brother
Aug 3, 2010
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Gas lines are not always long. I often only have one car in front of me, depends whether you go at peak time when everybody else does. If there is more than a couple minutes wait I skip it as the couple bucks savings aren't worth waiting for to me. Most times it is OK.
same here. Though, if I needs full tank in the truck, I can save $10 or so. I find that the lines move fairly quickly, but i won't wait more than 10 minutes.
 

james t kirk

Well-known member
Aug 17, 2001
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I got talked into an Executive Membership the year I bought a TV there. The TV itself accounted for half the upgrade fee in the rebate. However, I didn't spend as much as I thought and got a "check" for $40. Also, when I bought the upgrade, I wasr guaranteed that if I didn't spend enough to get a big enough rebate to cover the upgraded fee, it would be rebated anyway. Of course, a year later, there was no such record of such an offer taking place. I went back to the business membership we always had. I never even got the black card because the line was long the day I did the upgrade.
Funnily enough the exact same promise was made to me and the exact same result. I thought my memory was getting foggy, but I guess not.

I was in line about 3 years ago and some dude saw me using my regular membership and succeeded in upselling me to the executive membership with the promise that if I didn't get my money's worth that they would refund me the difference.

The first year I got a cheque for 40 bucks, and I wanted to switch back to the regular, but they talked me out of it stating that I had already accumulated so much, etc. That year I made a fair number of business purchases which resulted in me getting a coupon for 70 bucks. This year, I was down to 40 again, so clearly not worth it, so went back to the regular. Again they tried to talk me out of it, only this time I wasn't going to be conned.
 

HAMSTER INSPECTOR

Well-known member
Jun 3, 2005
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Once in a while there may be a few good deals at Costco, but the specials in the weekly flyers are much better.
 

Occasionally

Active member
May 22, 2011
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I've never had a Costco clerk check the card in detail. I used my brother's card for a while until I got my own membership. He had two (one for him and one for the wife) so he just let me have his. I decided to get my own and let him have his card back.
 

Occasionally

Active member
May 22, 2011
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Once in a while there may be a few good deals at Costco, but the specials in the weekly flyers are much better.
True to an extent, but for those weekly No Frills or Walmart deals, you have to drive around from place to place. Costco's everyday prices are pretty good. Costco also has the best return policy out there which helps for cautious buyers.

They give an extra year of electronics warranty for free. I bought a TV from there and it blacked out during the second year warranty period (talk about bad luck). Called them. Easy to schedule. And a guy came and picked it up for repair, then dropped it off about a week later. If this was Future Shop or Best Buy, you're on your own unless you buy one of those extended warranties at $100 per extra year. And no way they come and pick up/drop off a repair even with their pricey extended warranties. Going forward, I will always buy my electronics gear from Costco for piece of mind.

They also sell some great clothes for cheap. Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger jeans are never more than $30! And office dress pants which go on deal at The Bay for $40-50 can be had there for $25-30. Unfortunately, the availability of these good clothing deals are hit and miss during the year. One month it's there, next month it isn't.
 

Occasionally

Active member
May 22, 2011
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The CK & Tommy jeans for $30 are made for Costco / outlet stores... not the same as what the retail stores sell
For sure.

Just about every product Costco sells is slightly tweaked from a traditional store for sake of differentiating product codes and offering so it makes it difficult to compare exact same products. But close enough for me! :)
 

John Henry

Active member
Apr 10, 2011
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I have a membership as well . I share it with my brother so we both have a card . Don't know if this is allowed but we've been doing this for over 10 years . Used to have the excutive card which I got back more then what the membership fee is . That was a big plus . Now we shop at Sam's Club ( $40 membership for the 2 of us ) . Always crossing the border to do some shopping so it pays off . The prices on a certain items are alot cheaper states side and never pay any taxes when coming back at the border . Changed my Costco membership to a regular one since I don't shop there as much anymore. Never get a rebate cheque from Sam's Club but they have good prices so I don't really care about a rebate cheque.

Sam's Club sells gas and diesel at dicount prices as well . I always buy both . Fill up my truck with diesel and bring back 2 - 25 liter containers of gas for my car . Never had to pay extra at the border for fuel.

To be quit honest I really think that we all must be really stupid to pay a store a membership fee to be allowed to spend money in that store . Maybe stores like No Frills should start charging a membership fee . Gee I wonder how that would work out .
 

SkyRider

Banned
Mar 31, 2009
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I want to go and my buddy is going to lend me his card,
Using your friend's card instead of buying your own, eh. Pleasantly surprised that no one (thus far) has accused you of being a cheapskate.

BTW: I could never understand why some people go out of their way to wait in line to save 3 cents on gas.
 

AdamH

Well-known member
Jun 28, 2013
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was wondering if anyone here is a member of Costco and can tell me how diligently they check the card? I want to go and my buddy is going to lend me his card, but says he can't recall how diligent they check the card. (either when entering or when you go to pay)
Is it really worth the embarrassment of being turned away at the cash at Costco for trying to "fraudulently" purchase bulk groceries?
 

AdamH

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Jun 28, 2013
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Using your friend's card instead of buying your own, eh. Pleasantly surprised that no one (thus far) has accused you of being a cheapskate.

BTW: I could never understand why some people go out of their way to wait in line to save 3 cents on gas.
I don't disagree with you.. But I think the above statement is rich coming from the guy who tried to sell his time in a parking lot.
 

james t kirk

Well-known member
Aug 17, 2001
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Found out today (if it's true) that the 2% you get back from Costco in the form of a coupon is charged to the vendors. Costco doesn't give you a dime.

I.e. if you buy a Samsung TV for $1,000.00, that $20 bucks you get back comes from Samsung, not Costco.

This is why they push so hard for you to retain that "Executive" membership - because they get $110.00 up front, with no downside vs. $55.00.
 

SkyRider

Banned
Mar 31, 2009
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I have a membership as well . I share it with my brother so we both have a card . Don't know if this is allowed but we've been doing this for over 10 years . Used to have the excutive card which I got back more then what the membership fee is .
One of my female friends has a Costco membership. She encourages me and her other friends to do our shopping through her so she could accumulate more points. I wouldn't be surprised if some other members also do shopping for their friends and families to accumulate more points.
 

TeasePlease

Cockasian Brother
Aug 3, 2010
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One of my female friends has a Costco membership. She encourages me and her other friends to do our shopping through her so she could accumulate more points. I wouldn't be surprised if some other members also do shopping for their friends and families to accumulate more points.
i wouldn't be surprised, I see "group buys" in the line in front of me fairly often.

Costco won't do separate bills but they will subtotal upon request.

Still seems to to be a big PITA IMO. Hard way to earn 2%
 

fuji

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Jan 31, 2005
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One of my female friends has a Costco membership. She encourages me and her other friends to do our shopping through her so she could accumulate more points. I wouldn't be surprised if some other members also do shopping for their friends and families to accumulate more points.
Costco encourages it. They tried to sell me the exec membership by saying I could bring friends to rack up points.
 

black booty lover

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Oct 21, 2007
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Using your friend's card instead of buying your own, eh. Pleasantly surprised that no one (thus far) has accused you of being a cheapskate.

BTW: I could never understand why some people go out of their way to wait in line to save 3 cents on gas.
as opposed to trying get someone to buy a 3 dollar parking ticket your not going to use??? you cheap ass...
 

black booty lover

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Oct 21, 2007
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Is it really worth the embarrassment of being turned away at the cash at Costco for trying to "fraudulently" purchase bulk groceries?
I guess you and mr.skyrider never read all of my post. I just wanted to check the place out before committing to my own membership.
 

fuji

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I guess you and mr.skyrider never read all of my post. I just wanted to check the place out before committing to my own membership.
First time you go you will find a lot of stuff to buy. But after that it kind of just becomes a grocery store. Consider how many of your purchases are likely to be repeats vs one offs and decide whether you need a membership or just rope your friend into taking you along once or twice a year.
 

AdamH

Well-known member
Jun 28, 2013
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I guess you and mr.skyrider never read all of my post. I just wanted to check the place out before committing to my own membership.
You were also wondering how diligently they check the card while checking out. So my answer is a legitimate answer..

I read your entire post, I just didn't read all of your additional posts.
 

KBear

Supporting Member
Aug 17, 2001
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BTW: I could never understand why some people go out of their way to wait in line to save 3 cents on gas.
The savings was 12 cents per liter for premium gas in my very small comparison sample. During the day there is no line up and if the Costco is on the way home than it makes sense, at least to me.
 
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