Is CostCo any good?

Hunnymonster

Don't forget folks - on your TVs (any size) CostCo give a 3 year warranty, and it's definitely no-quibble - I took back a TV that was 2.5 years old for repair and they said "why don't we just give you the cash back ?" - I was gobsmacked - totally not expecting it, and when I said, no receipt, no box, no manual - the reply was "got the telly ? got the remote ?"

Also it mentions on the guff that if you're at all dissatisfied with your membership at any point in the year, they'll refund it.

For me - what I particularly like about CostCo over here is that you sometimes get items that are either very hard to come by, or astronomically priced out there in 'normal' shops. (My OH is a Tabasco addict and they do the catering bottles in CostCo for about the same as what she refers to as the 'handbag bottles' are in Tescos)

trickytrolleys

I went to the watford one the other day and was amazed - i got 24 cans of coke for less than a fiver - a box of 48 packets of Walkers for £3.50!! Didnt spend much but got quite abit. I agree that somethings weren't great (fags and booze were not that different) but I definitely will go again and would recommend it to anyone.

Savvy_Sue

Thanks to everyone for comments and suggestions. We're doing a 'works outing' later this month to see what we think!

Lysander_2

Hi all-

I am a Marketing/Membership Manager in a Costco Warehouse in the Northeast US, and since I am also in charge of refunds- I wanted to confirm some things!

Like someone said- Membership is fully guaranteed! If you are ever dissatisfied with your membership, a full refund is available. (Our competitors don't do that) Many people often baulk at paying for a membership in order to buy things. I tell them to try us for a week or a month or ten months- If they still don't feel it was worth it- we will give them a full refund. Nothing to lose, any time.

Likewise on our merchandise- 100% guaranteed, or a full refund. Any time, period. One of the toughest things I need to brainwash into a new refund employee each time, is to take back anything. (So long as we can figure out what it is...). I tell them, "Don't worry about it- It is not your money. Costco takes back everything." Why are we so willing to do this? Rather reliably, that member goes and spends 5 times more on stuff in the next month, and keeps coming back because they were so satisfied.

Of course, the one exception is computers... Computers DO have a 6 month return policy due to how fast they become obsolete. (I'm sure you understand). However, compared to other stores that sell computers- this is wonderful. Usually those stores won't even talk to you the day after you've bought a defective computer from them, let alone after 6 months!

Just make sure you keep your receipt so we can identify what you are returning or else we might not be able to run it through the registers. Another main reason, is because over time, the price of what you have bought may drop. If you have a receipt, we will give you back what you paid. If not, we have to give you the current price, because unfortunately- it takes a long, long time for us to research a lost receipt.

Another tip- if the thought of paying a membership fee scares you- consider getting our Costco American Express Card when you join! Its free. It has your Costco card built right into it, and it doesn't have to be paid off in full each month, though I always do. Best of all, you get money back each time you use it to pay. Last year, the average cash reward for our members with this card was almost double the cost of membership- which means WE are paying YOU to shop!

Finally, I'd like to say THANKS to everyone who has been tootin' our flute! I've worked for Costco for a long time, and when I mention that at a party or something- it becomes the topic of conversation for quite a while afterwords. Everyone has favorite products and happy stories, and we never get tired of hearing them!

Talk to you soon!

koru

How in the world did a U.S. CostCo person manage to find this thread?

An excellent post, thanks. I think it just illustrates the CostCo attitude to true customer service. Sure, it may cost a bit to take back some goods occasionally, but if it gives punters the confidence to shop there, then it is worth it.

AND, it makes them a talking point. Think about how smart that is: this is a big boring warehouse, but they have made themselves a topic of conversation.

It is a bit like M&S's policy of taking back clothes. Everyone knows the stories about wearing an outfit to a wedding then taking it back, and that's just the point: everyone knows.

****************

Check out their opticians service, as well. At the Watford store, they have a full opticians, doing eye tests and everything. They have designer frames (eg, Calvin Klein) for as low as £45! These are £150 in my local opticians.

Alison_B

Another point to bear in mind is the cafe area they have. They do fantastic snacks - pizza and jacket potatoes and they are very cheap. If we are out shopping near to a Costco, we always go there just for our dinner. You can also get a large soda for about 60p and it is unlimited refills too. To me, membership is worth it for this purpose alone as we probably save more than the membership fee in lunchtime meals.

Lysander_2

Titus_frogsbutt wrote:

...I also wonder why Costco are so restrictive as to who is entitled to be a member, such as council employees etc?

Hrmmm... I just realized that most of the posters here are from the UK... I hope that my entire post is accurate for your stores as well. I am from the New England area in the U.S.

Anyway- here in the U.S., we have stopped being restrictive with membership at least a decade ago. When people ask us what they need in order to become a member- we say, "A Driver's License and a few clams." That's it. (Well, maybe only I say 'clams' but you get my drift.)

-D

Lysander_2

loanranger wrote:

I would strongly recommend Costco too.

A couple of years my brother was buying a tv and spent hours ringing round the shops for the best price ( this was before kelkoo and pricerunner), eventually buying from a shop in central london. The next time we went to Costco we saw the same TV for a similar price !!!

Yep! And when someone is still not sure they are getting the best price at Costco- our sales people mention that if they find it cheaper a few months down the line- bring it back! Nothing to lose!

They say, "Well, how long do I have?" and we say, "You can bring back a tv, three years later, simply because you have decided that you didn't like the color of the remote control."

Its very rare that anyone brings back stuff that old, but extremely comforting to have that ability.

-D

koru

Lysander wrote:

Hrmmm... I just realized that most of the posters here are from the UK... I hope that my entire post is accurate for your stores as well. I am from the New England area in the U.S.

Anyway- here in the U.S., we have stopped being restrictive with membership at least a decade ago. When people ask us what they need in order to become a member- we say, "A Driver's License and a few clams." That's it. (Well, maybe only I say 'clams' but you get my drift.)

Yep, this whole website is really just focused on moneysaving in the UK, but anyone is welcome. I am pretty sure that CostCo in the UK limits membership. You need something to show you are in business, eg VAT return. I think they also accept people like teachers, lawyers, civil servants, etc. I imagine most people could find some excuse to join. It seems a bit strange, because some of their stuff clearly has no business link, for instance their opticians and their photo processing.

Undercovercarrot

I cannot praise Costco highly enough. I joined originally at their first UK store (Watford) about 5 years ago and I have not looked back since.

Good things:
1: If you go shopping on a weekday, the shop is virtually deserted. You can have the entire place to yourself.
2: Very cheap eye tests and contact lens stuff. My partner finds this very handy!
3: The product quality is absolutely fantastic, especially the fresh food. I absolutely love their chicken breasts, beef roasts, burgers, pastries etc... and all for less than a supermarket. One of the best buys is their big trays of chicken breasts. For about £8 you get around 15 chicken breasts, which I bag up and freeze (they freeze superbly) and these are also quite often on special offer.
4: Everything is relatively easy to find, and if not the staff are always willing to show you where things are.
5: Books and CDs are quite cheap: generally a bit cheaper than supermarkets.
6: They sell all sorts of beer, wine, spirits etc. Some is quite significantly cheaper as well.
7: Parking is excellent. Big bays, so there is never that issue of banging doors.
8: Tyres are dirt cheap. I got 2 new Michelin Energy tyres fully fitted for my car for £80. Cheapest I had found elsewhere is around £110-120!
9: The cafe is great. Cheap food and excellent quality.
10: Cheap photo processing.

Some minor things you should be aware of:

1: Individual users (i.e. non-trade) generally cannot come in before 12:30
2: The place can get VERY busy on the weekend, esp. Sunday. Best to avoid if possible
3: You can end up spending loads in one trip. However, the stuff you buy lasts you for ages!
4: You may find you need extra storage space!
5: They only accept Debit cards, cash and cheque. However, they all now have ATMs inside, so if you have a credit card, you can always withdraw some cash (although please don't....you KNOW how much that is going to cost!)
6: No carrier bags, so it is usually worth taking a few along to put stuff in.

All in all, a great place to shop.