FRUSTRATED shoppers are voicing their complaints about a major change to Sam’s Club membership offerings, making waves on social media.
Costco competitor and warehouse club retailer Sam’s Club recently removed a key member-only benefit, prompting some shoppers to vow to cancel their memberships entirely.
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“I thought Sam’s was cheaper than Walmart,” shared one dissatisfied shopper on Reddit.
“Not only am I a Walmart+ member, but I also [I’m] is also a Sam’s Club Preferred Member,” the user continued.
Walmart is the parent company of Sam’s Club, which is named after Walmart founder Sam Walton.
“I just placed an order at Sam’s Club and [was] charged an $8.00 delivery fee, whereas Walmart+ is always free,” the user added.
In recent weeks, Sam’s Club has begun rolling out its new store and membership policies in stores across the country.
Sam’s Club offers two exclusive membership levels, including the Club and Plus levels.
Club membership will cost buyers $50 annually, while the Plus tier costs $110 per year.
The retailer, which previously offered free shipping to Plus members, now requires customers to reach a minimum purchase of $50 before they can take advantage of the offer.
If the minimum order value is not met, customers will have to pay a flat fee of $8 per shipping order.
“By adding a minimum cart, we are increasing access to different ways to shop for our members,” Sam’s Club said in its website.
“This will make it easier for you to get the products you want, the way and when you want,” the retailer added.
Members will also be charged for same-day delivery orders depending on their membership level.
Club members pay $12 for same-day delivery orders, while Plus members pay $8 for same-day delivery service.
Notably, despite the high fees, and unlike shipping orders, there is no minimum purchase requirement for delivery orders.
Sam’s Club Membership Levels
Sam’s Club shoppers can choose between two membership levels.
Club membership:
- $50 per year
- Bonus Offers
- Same day delivery
- Instant savings
- Sam’s Club Mastercard
- Fuel savings for members only
- Tire and battery center
More membership:
- $110 per year
- All the benefits of Club membership plus Sam’s Cash
- Free shipping on qualified orders, minimum order $50
- Free curbside pickup
- Advance purchases
- Pharmacy and optical savings.
Sign up for a Sam’s Club membership here
The chain, which plans to implement the new membership fees and perks — or lack thereof — at all stores by Aug. 19, is also facing growing criticism for changes to its curbside pickup service.
Club members will no longer receive free curbside pickup on all orders as part of their membership level.
Instead, if a Club member spends less than $50 on any eligible order, they will pay a flat fee of $4 in addition to the order value.
Sam’s Club parent Walmart offers free delivery — including free same-day grocery delivery — with its Walmart+ membership.
However, shoppers also need to meet a minimum order of $35 — $15 less than what Sam’s Club requires — to receive the service.
A Walmart+ subscription costs $12.95 per month, or customers can save a few dollars by signing up for an annual subscription for $98 per year.
“We actually have all three subscriptions right now (BJ’s, Sam’s, and Costco) but we probably won’t renew Sam’s because I almost never go into a store and shipping is how we took advantage of that subscription,” one user shared after learning of the price increase.
“If you have a Sam’s Club plus, delivery should be free. Otherwise, yes, it costs more,” joked one customer.
“Sam’s Club is cheaper for bulk items, [and] I have a family of five, so it’s good for us to buy items we use a lot in bulk,” they added.
Still, for smaller families, the benefits don’t seem to outweigh the new fees and restrictions.
“We just let our Sam’s subscription expire. I feel like buying in bulk is not something we need as empty nesters anymore,” another user shared.
One Reddit user even suggested canceling the dissatisfied shopper’s Sam’s Club membership in favor of Walmart+.
“If you are alone or have a small family, there is no reason to buy most of your things in bulk,” explained one user.
“I’d ditch Sam’s and stick with Walmart+ if I were you,” they advised.
How to Sign Up for Walmart+
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Here’s how to sign up for Walmart+:
- Visit the Walmart website.
- Select ‘Account’ and then ‘Walmart+’.
- Click ‘Start 30-day free trial’.
- Enter your information.
- Enjoy the evaluation and benefits.
Remember to cancel before the 30 days are up or pay $12.95 per month (which you can cancel at any time) or $98 for the annual plan if you want to keep it.
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SAM’S CLUB RETURN
Sam’s Club’s latest changes to its shipping and delivery services aren’t the only policies generating customer complaints.
Some stores have begun to crack down on “card sharing” between members and non-members.
Instead, they now require members to use their app to enter the store and make purchases.
“Honestly, I might just cancel my subscription,” one shopper shared on social media.
SAM’S SANDWICH DUPE
Despite receiving a lot of criticism in recent weeks, Sam’s Club shoppers have also praised the warehouse club for its in-store offerings.
Sam’s Club shoppers have discovered a dupe for Chick-fil-A’s iconic chicken sandwiches.
The Southern Style Chicken Sandwich package costs $16.24 at Sam’s Club, compared to about $5.79 for a Chick-fil-A sandwich.
However, Sam’s Club sells the sandwiches in packs of eight, compared to just one sandwich at the deli.
This brings the cost down to just over $2 per sandwich, saving customers almost $4.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
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