COSTCO members have defended a new card-sharing policy and are instead threatening to go to rivals to buy groceries.
The warehouse retailer cracked down on unauthorized sharing last year.
two
Former Chief Financial Officer Richard Galanti noted that subscription sharing began to increase as it brought more self-pay offerings to customers.
“Since expanding our self-service checkout, we have noticed that non-member shoppers have been using membership cards that do not belong to them,” Galanti said in a company statement last year.
“We don’t think it’s right for non-members to receive the same benefits and prices as our members.”
Shoppers can get a Costco membership through two tiers, Gold Star and Executive, according to their website.
Gold Star is the base offering for a $60 annual fee and offers customers several perks, including two membership cards per family for shopping in-store and online at Costco.
Executive offers the same benefits along with a 2% reward and discounts on other Costco services for $120 per year.
Either way, there are only two authorized cardholders per membership, with the option to add affiliate members for $60 each.
With the crackdown, some claimed they encountered serious resistance from Costco staff, even when authorized cardholders attempted to use a signature that did not contain their name.
gone forever
A couple at a Lincoln, Nebraska store claimed they were refused a purchase because their signature was in one partner’s name and not the other’s name.
When the unnamed partner on the signature attempted to make the purchase, even though he clarified that he was an authorized user, an employee allegedly refused to allow it.
They were so upset by the fight that they abandoned their cart and fled the store, canceling their subscription entirely, according to a statement. publish on Facebook.
Others also said they “hate” the crackdown on membership sharing and would be leaving for competitors like Sam’s Club and BJ’s Wholesale Club.
“Costco is horrible, Sam’s Club has a much better selection,” one shopper wrote in a Facebook thread earlier this month.
“I hate Costco’s membership policy, BJs has a much better policy and it’s also a lot less stressful to shop for,” wrote another.
Costco Membership Sharing Guidelines
Costco has strict rules for subscription usage that shoppers must follow and has been cracking down on violators in recent years.
- Core Member Usage: Only the primary cardholder can use this Costco membership card. It is not allowed to share it for purchases, as the photo on the card must correspond to the person using it.
- Domestic Card: Each Prime Member can add one free Household Cardholder who lives at the same address. That person will receive their own membership card and can shop at Costco independently.
- Guest Policy: Members can bring up to two guests per Costco visit. However, only the member can make purchases. Guests must be accompanied by a member.
- Authorized cardholder: For an additional fee, you can add an authorized cardholder, such as a family member or friend, who does not reside at your address. They will receive their own card and will be able to make purchases independently.
Credit: Costco
STOP THERE
In deepening its efforts to verify membership, Costco has also made changes to store entrances and checkout areas for membership verification and identity verification.
Some members at select stores have identified new scanners where they swipe cards to confirm membership upon entry.
An employee then matches your photo to the card before allowing you entry.
Others claimed that downloading the Costco mobile app is “required” in their store to verify membership.
Costco’s prices have also come under scrutiny by some members, with some fleeing the retailer after 20 years and canceling their memberships after alleged increases.
Others said they would stay away forever to “avoid spending $500.”
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
