Bad news if you’re mooching off of someone else’s Costco membership: The retail giant is cracking down.
When you enter Costco, you need to show your membership card to an employee to shop. Costco membership cards are non-transferable, but the company allows members to give a second household card to one other person in their home. Anyone with a card can bring up to two guests to the club during each visit, the company stipulates.
But Costco has noticed that non-members have been sneaking in with membership cards that don’t belong to them — particularly since Costco expanded self-checkout.
Costco recently started asking for shoppers’ membership cards along with a photo ID at the self-checkout registers, the same policy as regular checkout lanes, to crack down. “We don’t feel it’s right that non-members receive the same benefits and pricing as our members,” Costco said in announcing the change.
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Well, not renewing my membership, hell with this horseshit.
Why is this a problem for you? In the UK, they scan your card at the entrance, and it affects my day in absolutely no way whatsoever.
What’s wrong with a business wanting only paying members to enter the members only shop?
Why does scanning your card make you feel like a shoplifter?’ (Sorry, i read your chat with the other person in this thread)
This is such an odd take to me.
Their entire model is based on assuming everyone is probably a thief, and I’ve just had it. That receipt checking of everyone as they leave is bad enough, and my last (literally last, i decided not to go back, wasn’t going to renew and just now realized it would have expired in December) trip there, the woman held everyone up by meticulously counting and comparing every single item in everyone’s cart. took 15 minutes to leave with goods i had paid for, finally just said fuck it and left while they screamed at me like fucking morons. “Touch me and see what happens”. Aside from that, I don’t want my movements documented and recorded by a card reader, for example, this whole incident, no I don’t want people actively trying to fuck with me know who I was.
Damn. You’ve got issues. Your mind is warped.
No, it’s just remnants of when people had pride and manners.
No seriously, you are getting mad at a shop (a private business) that has its own rules to protect its own stock (Probably based on their experience of past issues), its your choice to shop there or not. I appreciate that you dont like the idea of being tracked (although not wanting to use a bank card due to worries about tracking you is a bit strange. I assume you have a mobile phone of some description, or a computer or laptop maybe? What about a satnav or a car built after 2010? If so you are being tracked anyway) But getting mad at them because their rules exclude your ideals is way over the top. Your custom would be lovely but i dont think they really care about one person who rather shop somewhere else than scan a membership card at the door.
Tbh you walkkng away from the recipt checker as they shout after you just makes you sound like an impatient and entitled brat.
Sorry but im trying to be understanding but the more i read of what you say here the more and more i find myself being unable to sympathise.
I guess i dont blame costco for being protective of its stock, i blame the people who tried to steal and made them paranoid and protective about it. Whereas you seem to blame the shop and claim its because you dont want anykne knowing what you are doing when, frankly, no one cares.
I paid for the goods. They are mine. The want to waste a half hour of my time acting like I’m shoplifting, they no longer deserve my money. Not many other businesses actively treat you like a thief so blatantly
I’ve never waited more than 5 minutes in line to have my receipt checked at costco. Also, what most businesses do is not any of costco’s concern. And i have never felt like im being treated like a thief.
The entitlement is all over your comment. “I paid for them, They are mine” “no longer deserve my money” “waste half an hour of my time”
What a karen.
Yeah, they don’t care. They want everyone buying to have a membership, as it’s been for decades. This isn’t some new crazy way they’re screwing people. It’s making sure the rules their members agreed to are followed.
I’m sick of being treated like a shoplifter at their store, and now they’re doubling down. They can fuck off at this point.
Well, now you just sound like you wanna shoplift! 😆
Seriously, though, what does this have to do with shoplifting? It’s like you’re making up excuses to be mad. Just say you don’t wanna pay and leave it at that. No excuses are needed.
You think it’s normal to have your ID checked against your card, at the entrance, at the till, and then have your receipt checked as you leave? Our grandpas’ generation wouldn’t have stood for it, and I’ve come to agree.
They sure did. The damn company was founded by my grandfather’s generation. How much shit are you gonna talk out your ass today?
Where I come from, you don’t count money in front of people, and you just told me how young you are. You wouldn’t remember things like this being an active insult.
Because you can’t give your card, which has your picture on it, to anyone you want? That really doesn’t make sense. How many people do you think your membership, that you pay for, should cover? I doubt you actually had one bc this will literally only affect people who don’t have memberships.
You saw the answer to that right here, and you wrote this anyways.
User name checks out, you do sound weirdly furious at the world.
I wonder if they will take Apple ID. I haven’t carried a drivers license since my state started using them a while back.
My costco card has my photo on it. Is that not a thing everywhere?
My Costco photo is 20 years old and looks nothing like me anymore, but when I asked for a new photo they said no. So obviously they aren’t looking closely at pictures.
Nope, during COVID they stopped taking or checking photos. They’ve had to spend the last few months getting everyone to get a new card now.
Oh you are right, that’s a very good point, I never thought about them skipping the photos because of masks.
About time. Doors are such an overrated method of entry.
edit: nevermind, read the article
You’re right. Hatches are where it’s at these days. Those people advocating the window entry methods are just weird and smelly.
Genius comment. I’m literally lolling
There’s a lady at the door of the Hacks Cross store in Memphis that is absolutely relentless about seeing and reading the values on membership cards as people enter the store. I feel sure that she used to be a living legend at the highway patrol before she retired and took this job.
No free trials? I literally don’t know what I’m missing and if they’re fine with that so am i.
They’ve been doing this here in southern AZ since I became a member like 5 years ago lol
My local started this months ago. At self checkout they ask to see the photo on the back of your membership card to verify you’re the same person. No secondary ID, and not sure what the point of that would be anyway. Counterfeit member cards?
Semi-related fun fact that I like to share; Costco doesn’t require membership for alcohol or pharmacy purchases.
I wonder if that brings changes to the membership tiers. I pay more for Executive membership to get 2% cashback, but if they will not scan my membership on the checkout how would they know how much I’ve spent?
This just saves the time of having such people getting in and filling up a cart and being stopped at the register. I’ve never been able to mooch off someone else’s membership at Costco. The membership cards have photos of the member on them and they would stop me at the register whenever my dad sent me with his and not let me actually make the purchase. And I haven’t even been to Costco (outside of the food court at the one down the street since it’s outside and I can get that sweet hotdog combo without needing a membership) for years.
Costco stores started adding self checkout lanes a few years ago, which means that they weren’t always checking the photo at checkout anymore.
They check your card before you’re allowed to use the self checkout.
Really? Me ma and Dad use my card all the time, a few times they just had to give address.
They started this here months ago. My wife kept her maiden name when we got married. I’m sure you can figure out why our 2 hour customer service call ended in cancellation. FUCK Costco
In a decade you’re the first person I’ve ever met who had a problem with Costco.
Meh, I cancelled for similar reasons. They have tilted over to being way too aggressive about the card shit and it’s gotten annoying. Plus, I don’t think a lot of the deals are actually very good these days.
Did you not bother to get your wife her own card?
My wife never changed her name, but she’s got her own card under her name, on my membership.
We tried to get me one, but we had issues getting the marriage certificate promptly, and customer service really wanted me to pay for my own account.
That makes zero sense. You don’t have to be married to get the household card, just have to live in the same house.
Exactly! They did a great job ignoring that and talking us out of the membership. All I really miss are the muffins.
One of the last times I was in, I was asked for my photo ID and Costco membership card no less than 5 times by employees. I literally got asked while I was in an isle looking at items. I’ve never had this happen before and made me honestly a bit irritated having to constantly pull my ID out of my wallet. This policy needs to chill.
Just tell them to fuck off.
Fuck off, then.
I hate going to costco so many people and the suv carts.
I mean the carts are specifically designed for what they sell. Sam’s and BJs are the same way. A smaller cart would be filled with just a couple items.
So a family can’t bring their multiple kids and the grandparents to Costco? WTF?
Read the article, silly. This isn’t about family members, it’s about non-members flashing cards that don’t belong to them. x3
