Costco customer furious over treatment from employees over store policy that company ‘explicitly’ allows
COSTCO shoppers were disappointed over the poor treatment they faced concerning one of the warehouse club’s policies.
Many felt attacked by employees regarding their Costco Shop Cards despite doing nothing wrong.
Although permitted in Costco’s policy, non-members have faced mistreatment from Costco employees for using the retailer’s version of a gift card.
“Why do Costco employees get so annoyed at Shop Cards?” questioned a customer in the Costco subreddit.
He explained that his parents were members and often gave him Shop Cards so he could make purchases at Costco on his own.
However, the user complained that Costco employees would act “weird” about the card half of the time.
Read More on Costco
“Once when I was going into the store I showed them my card and the person at the door said something like ‘You don’t have a membership?’ and said to the other person ‘So we’re just supposed to let this guy in?'” detailed the Redditor.
“Another time I was checking out and the cashier had to be told by a supervisor to let me check out, and said something like ‘You know that this is supposed to be a membership club right? You can buy a membership at the counter over there.'”
The shopper was not alone in the backlash he faced when attempting to use a Costco Shop Card.
One Redditor commented that their college kid attempted to use a Shop Card at the food court and was refused service and another claimed they were “yelled at” for using a card as if they were “a thief.”
The original Redditor proceeded to explain his confusion over the poor perception surrounding the use of the cards, pointing out that he was not “using some weird loophole to game the system.”
“Costco policy explicitly allows this,” he wrote. “In fact I kind of thought this was the whole point of Shop Cards.”
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“Ultimately I don’t care that much as long as I can still buy stuff, but why do so many people not seem to know that this is the case?” he asked.
One user suggested that the poor employee reactions were due to their training.
“I believe they’re trained to at least attempt convincing you to join and not all of them have the soft skills or sales experience to do that tactfully,” they wrote.
Another Costco fan speculated that the employees who made remarks about the Shop Cards were fairly new and unaware that non-members could use them.
Costco membership sharing guidelines
Costco has strict rules for membership use that shoppers must follow and they’ve been cracking down on offenders in recent years.
- Primary Member Use: Only the primary cardholder can use this Costco membership card. Sharing it for purchases is not allowed as the photo on the card must match the person using it.
- Household Card: Each primary member can add one free household cardholder who lives at the same address. This person will receive their own membership card and can shop at Costco independently.
- Guest Policy: Members can bring up to two guests per visit to Costco. However, only the member can make purchases. Guests must be accompanied by the member.
- Authorized Cardholder: For an additional fee, you can add an authorized cardholder, such as a family member or friend, who doesn’t reside at your address. They will receive their own card and can shop independently.
Credit: Costco
WHAT ARE COSTCO SHOP CARDS?
While only those who pay for a Costco Gold Star, Executive, or Business membership are permitted to make purchases at the members-only retailer, there is an exception – Costco Shop Cards.
These cards are Costco’s version of a gift card.
Costco Shop Cards are available in denominations of $25, $50, $100, $250, and $500.
Shoppers can use Costco Shop Cards to purchase merchandise, gasoline, memberships, and food court items.
Although only members can purchase and reload Costco Shop Cards, members and non-members alike can use them.
Costco shoppers are up in arms over more than just employee reactions to the Shop Cards.
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Some members have called out the chain for its most negative aspect, begging the company to “get rid of all of them.”
Plus, shoppers are upset as Costco plans to discontinue three fan favorites.
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