Costco Membership Crackdown or All Things Costco 😀

[nw6675]

What do you think about Costco's membership sharing crackdown? Some say they shouldn't be membership based anyway. Others think people might be targeted in the self checkout if asked for their card.

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/food/video/costco-cracks-membership-sharing-100402988

It seems reasonable to me that they can or should enforce their policy.

 

[princesscinderella]

Costco makes their money of the membership fees not the goods they sell, that's how they have such good deals. All products have a very slim markup. I definitely think they have a right to enforce their membership policy. They are a great employer with a great benefits package for their employees and I think that consumers should support these types of businesses, even if it requires buying a membership.

 

[BleuB]

I agree that it's reasonable. If I pay the membership fee for the discounts, I shouldn't have to pay a higher price that Costco may charge to make up the difference for freeloaders. Costco offers great services and either you value them at the price of the membership or should shop elsewhere.

 

[MillauFr]

It is a private business. They make their money by selling memberships. Only logical they are going to crack down. I would expect them verify membership at the self checkout counters or to install biometrics to prevent card sharing.

 

[MillauFr]

Costco is crowded enough already. We don't need non-members shopping there.

 

[soccerdad72]

Never realized this was an issue, but I agree that they should crack down on it.

We wouldn't share our membership with others, but we haven't had a "membership card" for years, just the Costco credit card, so that's not something we'd share in the first place.

 

[Smugpugmug]

I've seen it happen when I last went to Costco. They checked for membership cards when entering but they also checked to make sure the picture matched. They checked again at the register. This was in Maryland, though I also went to one in Florida and absolutely no one cared.

I agree with everyone else that Costco has the right to do this. They make money off memberships and that's why they have such great deals.

 

[MsChristy12]

Costco is crowded enough already. We don't need non-members shopping there.

THIS!!!

 

[mjkacmom]

I‘ve been gold forever. My daughter has used a work around by using a Costco gift card, and then buying a new one (she lives alone are only shops there infrequently).

 

[Christine]

As a paying member, I'm all for it. I think where some people gripe is that they you can only have 2 members on per membership. So if you have extended family living with you or older children living with you that chip in and shop, they can't use your membership if 2 others are already designated.

 

[MsChristy12]

It's a private business, they can do what they what. Also, don't forget that we have agreed to the membership privileges and terms when we signed up. It clearly says the membership isn't transferable. I don't see what's the problem here that they are enforcing it. Whoever doesn't like it, too bad.

 

[MillauFr]

As a paying member, I'm all for it. I think where some people gripe is that they you can only have 2 members on per membership. So if you have extended family living with you or older children living with you that chip in and shop, they can't use your membership if 2 others are already designated.

They have no way of verifying if the other members on the card live in the same household.

 

[Smugpugmug]

Costco is crowded enough already. We don't need non-members shopping there.

Imagining Costco being as busy as a Buc-ees sends a shiver down my spine.

 

[bcla]

What do you think about Costco's membership sharing crackdown? Some say they shouldn't be membership based anyway. Others think people might be targeted in the self checkout if asked for their card.

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/food/video/costco-cracks-membership-sharing-100402988

It seems reasonable to me that they can or should enforce their policy.

It's really odd because of how this all works. They generally ask for a photo to be taken to go on the back of the card.

I do remember back in the days of (pre Costco merger) Price Club where my mom let me use her card. I remember going to get tires for my parents's car with their credit card, and the guys at the tire center didn't care one bit that it was my mom's card. But once I went with a friend to get some stuff for myself, and once the cashier saw a woman's name, she said she had to confiscate the card. But since everything was already rung up, I was allowed to pay for everything.

But the secret to sharing memberships is to just buy Costco Cash cards. This is well within Costco's rules. I let my membership lapse a few times and paid my mom to get a few of those cards. And as long as there's some value on the card, it's possible to pay for the balance with cash/credit. Once I bought over $100 worth of stuff at Costco but only had a Costco Cash card with maybe 9 cents on it.

 

[nw6675]

Imagining Costco being as busy as a Buc-ees sends a shiver down my spine.

In addition to the Buc-ees they're building on I64 in VA, I *heard* they may build on I95 between Northern VA and Richmond for all you Yankees coming down

 

[princesscinderella]

They have no way of verifying if the other members on the card live in the same household.

They make you show you license and match it to the address in order to be considered a household member, otherwise they won't issue the card. I had this issue when I moved and didn't update my costco address but I did with my license and lost my card and needed a replacement.

 

[MillauFr]

Imagining Costco being as busy as a Buc-ees sends a shiver down my spine.

LOL Yes it would be a disaster....

 

[MillauFr]

They make you show you license and match it to the address in order to be considered a household member, otherwise they won't issue the card. I had this issue when I moved and didn't update my costco address but I did with my license and lost my card and needed a replacement.

Does that really prove anything? My daughter has a drivers license with our address on it and she hasn't lived here for 2 years.

 

[Moliphino]

As a paying member, I'm all for it. I think where some people gripe is that they you can only have 2 members on per membership. So if you have extended family living with you or older children living with you that chip in and shop, they can't use your membership if 2 others are already designated.

My mom has a membership (I think she shares with her sister). I do not. I just tag along with my mom sometimes when I want stuff. Mom pays at the register, I pay her back later.

 

[nw6675]

They make you show you license and match it to the address in order to be considered a household member, otherwise they won't issue the card. I had this issue when I moved and didn't update my costco address but I did with my license and lost my card and needed a replacement.

I wondered about that. Sam's doesn't care IIRC. I use BJs mostly. $20 membership through Groupon!