A MEMBER of BJ’s Club said he would never shop there again after being charged $55 without authorizing the charge.
He said he would take his business to Sam’s Club after BJ’s automatically renewed his membership without permission.
Rod Manges explained the situation in a post on the BJ’s Wholesale Club Facebook page.
He said he only shopped at the store two or three times over the course of a year and was never notified about his membership renewal.
“They had nothing to offer me, so I was going to let it end,” he he wrote.
Then he saw that his PayPal account was charged $55 for another year of subscription even though he “didn’t authorize it.”
“They know they are terrible because they already have a customer complaint line set up to handle complaints and get refunds, which will only happen within seven to 10 days,” he wrote.
“Do yourself a favor and go to Sam’s Club.”
Rod said he would call BJ and ask for a refund, but he wasn’t the only one who had this problem.
“I was also renewed without authorization. I just had to go to BJ’s and hand in my card, and they canceled it right away and gave it back to me. No problem,” commented one person.
Another shopper said members can turn off auto-renewal in the app and avoid these automatic charges.
“You just weren’t paying attention,” they joked.
BUYER SURPRISE
Rod may be taking his business to Sam’s Club, but many members are abandoning that store as well, following a recent policy change.
Starting next month, Sam’s will charge a flat $8 shipping fee on orders under $50.
Currently, Sam’s Club Plus members receive free shipping on all online orders.
The change takes effect on August 19th, but shoppers are already saying they will cancel their subscriptions because of it.
“Sam’s Club, you claim you ‘highly value’ our subscriptions, but if that were true, you wouldn’t be eliminating free shipping – why do we ALL upgrade to Plus,” wrote one member on X.
“Living more than an hour from a club, I’m struggling to see the value in being a member.”
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 to be a Sam’s Club member 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, receive 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
“I’m switching to a Costco membership. You messed up this time, Sam’s Club!” another buyer commented.
Sam’s Club told The US Sun that it is also removing fees on certain items as part of this delivery change.
“With this change, we are giving members access to different ways to shop, making it easier for them to get the products they want, when and how they want – all designed to help them get more value from their membership,” said a said the spokesperson.
Customers visiting Costco should note that the company is increasing its membership fees for the first time in seven years.
Shoppers have argued that Costco is far behind Sam’s Club when it comes to a membership benefit.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
