Costco Bargins (merged)

Hunnymonster

Let me elucidate on the position on computers:

The no-quibble return is only valid 6 months. The guarantee is exactly the same as you'd get elsewhere on the same item (ie. 12 months, 24 months whatever it happens to be)

Might seem an exercise in semantic pedantry - but it is the position (clearly displayed above the customer service desk in the 5 warehouses I've been in recently)

fifo_2

hiya,

i've been reading this thread, thought i might give some comments;

OH runs an unusual small business, which sometimes calls for the bulk purchase of unusual goods. he has membership cards for Makro, Costo and a company called Bestway.

Makro is simply not worth it for most ordinary people. they advertise their prices excluding VAT. once you have added it, you are looking at prices that can often be beaten at your local supermaket without buying a years supply or 20 to 50 times what you would normally buy ! it works for businesses serving food, pub grub, buying massive blocks of cheese, slabs of meat, drums of baked beans, but for the ordinary shopper makro really is only of use if you are a VAT registed business, as the VAT will be factored into your return. electrical brands are either the cheaper end of the market, or more familiar brands are marginally cheaper than the high street. the stationary can be beaten by a staples warehouse or viking direct EVERY time. by watching out for special offers on the high street, Makro really can be beaten every time. whenever I have gone, I've bought nothing

Costo is better all round for bargain hunting. they have a much smaller range of products, maybe a third or quarter of what Makro sell, but it is a lot more attractive to the high street shopper. On every visit I have found very good, genuine bargains, even once the VAT is factored in. Gotta have it ! it is sort of get it while its going. they sell "better branded electricals". I've bought food only once. the store however seems to be full of "go lightlys" - sorry ! but whole families who who are really killing themselves because sugary, salty, fatty food, like 5 litre tubs of ben and jerrys, or wholesale boxes of crisps are "cheap', so they may as well buy lots of it, and not that they have it all, well, we may as well eat it than let it go off. I'm not joking. It worries you that we will end up like the americans you see on Jerry Springer.

Bestway is mainly shopped at by Asian store owners, corner shops, off licences and restraunts / take aways. Mainly food, booze, fags, packaging materials. It is possibly cheaper than Makro, but OH has compared prices, and after the customers paying VAT on their goods, then adding VAT again when they sell it to customers, wonders how the hell these guys can make a living.

buggu

DOnt you get vat back on all purchases?

fifo_2

No, VAT is on virtually everything, it is just that as it does not apply to consumers, they don't notice it, nor are made aware of it.

it's a common misconception that "you get the VAT back". theoretically yes, but it is not that simple

If you business "turns over" more than, i think, 60,000 a year (which is a lot different than making 60,000 a year!!!!) then you must be VAT registered.

Every three months you fill in a return showing the amount of VAT you paid on goods and services that you bought, and the amount you charged on goods and services that you sold.

if you charged out more VAT than you paid, then you send the difference to the VAT man

if you paid out more than you charged, then the VAT man sends you the difference

the vast majority of business owe the VAT man VAT every quarter. any business that gets a refund from the VAT man is probably making a loss or is in serious trading trouble.

RedOnRed

I'm seriously considering joining up when they open their Milton Keynes branch on 07/11/05.

I should be able to blag my way in as I sub contract for a lot of banks and still have an ID for one...

I just hope their store's a lot more impressive then their web site. :rolleyes: It could do with a serious overhaul and as for the pics...they look like they've been taken by a kid with a camera phone.

afinn

for me costco is worth the membership fee just for its no quibble money back guarantee expecially on electrical goods. I had a microwave for nearly 2 years and when it went wrong they took it back without any problems. I did not even have the receipt (they can tell what you have purchased on your account). Most electrical goods are at least slightly cheaper than the high street so with the added bonus of a no fuss returns policy I think it is well worth joining.

RedOnRed

Are Costco selling the PSP?

If so, for how much?

keasden

I rang and asked them about the PSP a few weeks ago, was told they won't be stocking it till January at the earliest. I went today and only saw two PSP games there, Everybodys Golf and Lumines, both were £28 with VAT so still a bit cheaper than most other places.

fruitcake_2

hmm, not sure if this useful to anyone, I logged into the main costco site ( US based), and enquired about membership, haven't received a areply yet, but the site seems to imply that "anyone" can becone a member for $45. When I get a response will post details here.

ultrak3wl

It's probably a bit late to tell people but as I was in Reading Costco today I thought I'd pick up some sweets for kids Halloween tomorrow. I was wondering what I could get that was the least bad for them also could still be eaten up later if not used for trick or treating.

Found the best ever, chocolate-coated blueberries! Made in USA, £3.50 a 24oz pack. These look like dark blue nearly black maltesers and are bits of blueberry coated with milk choc then with dark blue coloured white choc and a Smarty-type dark-blue coating.

"Dilettante" brand but we have renamed them Alien Death Eggs for Halloween; these will last for ages afterwards though and assuming you like blueberries in the first place are absolutely yummy!