A NEW Costco customer was so disappointed after his first shopping trip that he considered canceling his membership the same day.
Costco warehouses are huge and typically full of shoppers.
While it’s the norm for the store, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea.
A new member was discouraged by the vast options and the number of customers that were in the store during his first shopping trip.
“I just became a member for the first time and went to the local Costco. I’ve never been so irritated just trying to find a parking space,” they he wrote in a Reddit post.
“It’s super crowded and people just stop anywhere and block off the isles with the big shopping carts they have, and I didn’t really see any deals on anything.”
They said they only had a few things to buy: a mop and bucket, a Bluetooth speaker, and stuff for a charcuterie board.
But they couldn’t find any of that.
“Please someone enlighten me about the hype surrounding this place because I really want to cancel my membership and not come back.”
“Sam’s Club is much better in my opinion.”
In their responses, customers basically told them not to let the door hit them when leaving Costco.
“It’s your money; if you can’t find items that meet your needs, then it’s not worth it. Personally, I know what times to avoid, or if it’s at a popular time, I know what to expect, so I don’t mind longer lines/further parking,” wrote one shopper.
“If you couldn’t find charcuterie items, you didn’t go into Costco and shop. Please “cancel” and go wherever you want to buy your bucket”, replied another.
A buyer who is a member of both wholesale clubs compared their strengths and weaknesses.
“I like Sam’s because they have a better restaurant offering and a garden section and are much less crowded, but Costco has a better food court, store brands and prepared meal kits,” they wrote.
“But unless you know they have specific things that you use enough to buy in bulk. Not even the places to go with a list.
“You’ll take a look and see what they have today that appeals to you most. And they’re both a great date spot for older married people like me.”
A KEY DIFFERENCE
Costco shoppers pointed out one extremely important benefit of the store.
The bulk warehouse has a notoriously generous return policy with 100% satisfaction.
Membership and store cards offered by major retailers
Here’s a breakdown of store cards offered to customers from various retailers and their benefits
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Costco:
- Gold Star Membership: $60 per year, shop at all Costco stores and online with two additional cards for your family.
- Executive Member: $120 per year, 2% annual rewards, discounts and additional benefits on Costco services, shop online and in-store and get two additional cards for home use.
- Sign up for a Costco Membership here
Sam’s Club:
- Club membership: $50 Per Year, Bonus Offers, Same Day Delivery, Instant Savings, Sam’s Club Mastercard, Members Only Fuel Savings, Tire & Battery Center, Free Membership and Complimentary Memberships.
- More membership: $110 per year, all the benefits of Club membership plus Sam’s Cash, free shipping, free curbside pickup, advance purchases, and pharmacy and optical discounts.
- Sign up for Sam’s Club membership here
Target:
- Target Circle: A free rewards program that allows users to earn 1% in Target Circle earnings rewards when a qualifying purchase is made, access personalized deals and offers, earn a birthday gift, and earn a vote to help direct how Target helps your community .
- Target Circle Card: A credit, debit or reloadable card that offers users 5% off in-store and online, as well as exclusive offers, free two-day shipping and an additional 30-day return window. Formerly Target RedCard.
- Sign up for Target circle here
Walmart:
- Walmart+: $12.95 per month or $98 per year with 30-day free trial. It offers members free delivery, free shipping with no minimum spend, fuel savings, Paramount+ membership, car, Walmart+ travel, home returns, mobile scan and store entry, and early access to offers and product launches.
- Sign up for Walmart+ here
After attempting to return two unopened memory cards to Sam’s Club, a customer realized the store’s policy was not comparable to Costco’s.
“To my surprise, they said, they do not accept returns of [an] item if not in stock,” they wrote.
But other customers were quick to defend Sam’s.
“You can return literally anything with a receipt except gift cards,” one person he responded.
“It feels so wrong,” wrote another.
“Basically it will take almost everything.”
The Sam’s Club website says most items can be returned at any time after purchase.
Electronics must be returned within 90 days; heavy equipment and motorsport items within 30 days, and cell phones within 14 days.
A Sam’s Club customer abandoned his grocery cart after being overcharged for an item.
And members said they would abandon the store after a delivery fee increase.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
