No, you do not need a membership for the pharmacy. You will save money, but understand that 99% of it will be generic brands. I personally, am ok with that.
Costco: is it too onerous to be worth it?
- Thread starter Motorcycle Mike
- Start date
No, you do not need a membership for the pharmacy. You will save money, but understand that 99% of it will be generic brands. I personally, am ok with that.
Amex card is valid until December 31, 2014. Card/membership on said card is then no longer valid. You will then need the MasterCard. That cashier was grossly misinformed.
I've walked in many times.... even today I happened to go, and didn't have to pull out my wallet to flash my card, just strolled right in....
at the cash register, it makes sense to flash your card, that way they can register my purchase, and I can get my big fat dividend check at the end of the year which pays off my membership....
as for the receipt when you walk out, you know how easy and rampant shoplifting is? I applaud Costco for this approach on checking receipts. Keeps shoplifting to a minimum which ultimately means lower prices for the consumer at their store.
Bash Costco all you want, but clearly their business model is extremely successful.....
True, the membership fee is the majority of the revenue. That's what helps with the prices.
Worst of humanity at Costco? Obviously you haven't been in a WalMart lately! ?
I haven't been to a walmart either lol. Don't do shopping anymore just eat out. I've seen fist fights in the parking lot of costco over parking spaces. I even had a guy take a swing at me in the membership line in front of his kids. After that, it's not worth dealing with those people.
People are idiots no matter where you go....there's even rumours that we have some on gtam!
Never understood the fighting for parking spots. Pull around to the back, an extra 2 minute walk, no carts banging into your car, easy peasy/ ez pz/ eazy peezy
As far as prices go, if you compare apples with apples (literally) they are cheaper. A few years ago, people were saying WalMart had cheaper prices on the same size Tide, Gain etc. Turns out they had the same boxes, (or close to it) but with less product in it to give the perception of savings. If you buy brand name, you can't beat it. I don't mind a lot of store brand/ no name stuff, so it works out cheaper. Except diapers. Best prices for that.
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Motorcycle Mike
Well-known member
Actually, you have to be careful and know your prices.
We nearly bought a bag of meatballs today for $9.99 for about 1kg of meat. When we got home we checked the bag of meatballs we bought at Food Basics and it was $10 for 1.8kg. Kirkland brand is usually very good quality though. I really like the Kirkland wool socks -- 4 for $12.95 or something when at Sail or Bass Pro a good pair of wool socks is $10 for one pair. I guess I will buy a few packs of socks before I quit the membership.
Gas is also usually $0.06/litre less than all other stations here in Mississauga, the problem is that I have never seen the gas station without a line up. There is a private gas station just up Dundas that is full serve for only $0.02 more than costco prices, so for $0.80 or so, I am not going to wait in line anymore.
I am really surprised my Mom bothers to keep her membership. Her and Dad live in Stratford, and the closest Costco is either Kitchener or London. They should really re-think that.
Mike, I agree with knowing prices. But usually the meat in the meatballs will be a higher quality/ less filler than, say, Food Basics (again, I personally will take the larger amount). As far as gas is concerned, if I have to wait more than 4 or 5 cars, I'll pay the little extra somewhere else. If you are able to go in the a.m., I believe the gas station opens at 630. Less line ups then?
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Ayn Rand disapproves of your line of thinking.
GateKeeper
Well-known member
The only bad experience I had at Costco was when we went shopping, me, the wife, my dad and my mom, walked around, got our stuff and headed to the cash register, the wife hands over her membership card, the items get rung up and my mom and dad wanted to pay for the goods we purchased as a good will gesture, my dad pulls out his debit card and the cashier tells he cannot pay the bill, it has to be the member paying for the items purchased, I was like really, who cares who pays as long as it's paid for and the actual member is there, all the items purchased were for us and not my parents, but no the cashier was not allowing this to happen, so I take my dad to the ATM, he pulls out cash and we go to pay, he hands the cashier the cash, again she won't take it, says he is not the member, so he hands the cash to my wife, and cashier once again refuses the cash as it was not my wife's cash, as it was given to her by my father.....
So I take the cash, and tell my wife to pay for the purchase with the debit card, she pulls it out of her purse, so we can get the hell out of this crazy house.....she swipes the card punches in the pin number and items are paid for, cashier is happy......
Ohh and just before we walk away from the cashier, I grab the debit card and show it to the cashier, just so she knows, she still don't know jack....the debit card was mine, has only my name on it, and my wife has nothing to do with it, other than she uses it to pay for stuff.......and to add injury to insult I tell the cashier my wife has been using this card for all the payments at COSTCO ever since she has been a member....
We went home......
And to this day, my wife still uses my debit card, even paid for the cashews she got today.....
Dumb Azz rules they have, and can't even enforce........
EDIT
I had to make a change, I am not a member, only my wife is, she is the only one holding a COSTCO membership card, she only uses my debit card to pay for the purchases....
So I take the cash, and tell my wife to pay for the purchase with the debit card, she pulls it out of her purse, so we can get the hell out of this crazy house.....she swipes the card punches in the pin number and items are paid for, cashier is happy......
Ohh and just before we walk away from the cashier, I grab the debit card and show it to the cashier, just so she knows, she still don't know jack....the debit card was mine, has only my name on it, and my wife has nothing to do with it, other than she uses it to pay for stuff.......and to add injury to insult I tell the cashier my wife has been using this card for all the payments at COSTCO ever since she has been a member....
We went home......
And to this day, my wife still uses my debit card, even paid for the cashews she got today.....
Dumb Azz rules they have, and can't even enforce........
EDIT
I had to make a change, I am not a member, only my wife is, she is the only one holding a COSTCO membership card, she only uses my debit card to pay for the purchases....
Last edited:
Red_Liner740
Well-known member
Thats when I leave EVERYTHING exactly as it is and just walk out the door. Wanna be a mindless robot? Fine, you clean up this **** and put it back.
because rules are for sheep and inconvenience the 'my way matters more than your rules so adjust to me mentality'
if people don't like it.....easy don't shop there instead of bitching and complaining and then going bacK and then ***** again.
I like Costco....never ever had an issue paying for groceries with my money under someone else's card or vice versa. I go fill up while the wife starts shopping as I can't stand shopping crowds anyway. Never in my life have I experienced the rudeness that you guys describe...maybe it's the way you act that is an issue? I don't know but the experiences you've described I've never had.
Typically the chicks are hotter than most other grocery stores so that's a bonus and frankly I like that they finally got rid of Amex and are now with MC.
the customer is always "right".....
friends of mine purchased food at Costco.
Unbeknownst to them weeks later, one of the food items was being recalled as a result of a food borne illness.
They get a phone call from a rep of Costco informing them that their membership records show they purchased this item, warned them not to touch it (fortunately for them, it was still sitting in the freezer) and to return it to the store for full refund, and offered them an apology.
Membership has its privileges, try getting that kind of service from Walmart.....
Unbeknownst to them weeks later, one of the food items was being recalled as a result of a food borne illness.
They get a phone call from a rep of Costco informing them that their membership records show they purchased this item, warned them not to touch it (fortunately for them, it was still sitting in the freezer) and to return it to the store for full refund, and offered them an apology.
Membership has its privileges, try getting that kind of service from Walmart.....
I've heard that name many times. Your reply prompted a flurry of google activity. At first blush I'm getting the clear impression that her core belief system has been twisted by the popular culture media and that, in fact, making a decent wage working for big business is ok. Please advise.
GateKeeper
Well-known member
Lucky you...
next time tell them your not the actual member and see what happens, or don't have you wife pull out her cash or debit card and you pull out your wallet an try to pay, let us know how it turns out...
As for following rules, I have no issue, but who cares who had the cash in their hands, does it really matter.....
to make it simple, I just let the wife go in herself and do the shopping and at the end still pay with my debit card, that she pulls out of her purse.....god forbid they actually ever read the name on the card......
You're probably as honest as the day is long. That can't be said for everybody. Unfortunately, somebody else holding the cash looks like trying to circumvent the membership policy. Employee has a job to protect specifically and a general interest in the health of the company.
