Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Costco fans thread

S

SHNXX

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Oct 2, 2013
1,901
663
I absolutely hate Costco.
I hate the long lines, hard to find parking, membership fees (great business model for them though), the inability to use cards I want, the long lines for return, the samples, and the packaging of 10x the amount I usually want.

Just economically speaking, assuming one saves 10-20% on goods, to get the 100 dollar membership ROI you would need to shop 500 to 1000 dollars worth at Costco which is a hell of a lot of toilet paper and other things I don't need a lot of.
'
 
SHNXX said:
I absolutely hate Costco.
I hate the long lines, hard to find parking, membership fees (great business model for them though), the inability to use cards I want, the long lines for return, the samples, and the packaging of 10x the amount I usually want.

Just economically speaking, assuming one saves 10-20% on goods, to get the 100 dollar membership ROI you would need to shop 500 to 1000 dollars worth at Costco which is a hell of a lot of toilet paper and other things I don't need a lot of.
'
Click to expand...

I kinda like it. Pretty good value for money here. Queues are sometimes a bit long but never much of an issue. Staff always seem happy enough.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Beeray
SHNXX said:
I absolutely hate Costco.
I hate the long lines, hard to find parking, membership fees (great business model for them though), the inability to use cards I want, the long lines for return, the samples, and the packaging of 10x the amount I usually want.

Just economically speaking, assuming one saves 10-20% on goods, to get the 100 dollar membership ROI you would need to shop 500 to 1000 dollars worth at Costco which is a hell of a lot of toilet paper and other things I don't need a lot of.
'
Click to expand...
Many people spend a few hundred dollars on most trips, and go there at least every few weeks. Quite a few also simply get the American Express card associated with their membership which also gives them rewards and rebates and the membership is often covered just by that (with rewards still in addition to it all).
 
  • Like
Reactions: rick snagwell, mgguy and motulist
Does its existence in any way negatively impact you?

If it doesn't(I don't see how it could) and you really hate the place so much, the easy solution is to just not take out a membership and not go there.

My family has always maintained a Sam's Club membership. Yes, you do(generally) save a lot buying in bulk on non-perishables. My mom also goes there a lot to buy stuff for dinners at Church and for other events. Warehouse stores have their place-maybe not for everyone-but there's a reason why they exist.
 
My wife and I like Costco. Parking at the one we go to isn't bad, even on weekends - I've never not found a spot. Checkout lines can be long, but the wait is rarely more than 10 minutes. I'm sure it's even faster on weekdays. They accept our Amex cards (wish they took Apple Pay), and we buy products in bulk that we can keep around for awhile. We also sometimes buy one-offs of other items after we comparison shop with other stores and online. I find that it takes some discipline not to get stuff we don't need, but we've become much better at that. :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Beeray and motulist
I have a costco membership and it's great! I don't buy everything there, but the quality at these wholesale shops is always top notch.

I buy stuff like toothpaste, body wash, detergent, Zyrtec there. The only things I don't buy there are bread, meat, eggs, etc because they come in bulk and I can't eat that much by myself.

The only annoying thing about Costco are the long lines (avoid this by going earlier) and my cards. I have to use debit because they only take Amex credit.

Their cafe is pretty damn good too. The beef brisket sandwich, cheap pizza, 1.50 hotdog... can't beat that.


The membership cost is a non-issue, especially with the gas savings. And there is no reason to get the $100 membership. They sell a cheaper one at $55.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 0388631 and AustinIllini
Costco is great. Is it perfect? Of course not, but it's really very good. Me and my family go there once a month, drop like 800 bucks, and have almost all our food, toiletries, paper goods, etc. all stocked up for the whole month, and it's all gotten at cheaper prices than almost anywhere else. The only purchases we have to supplement with at smaller stores is perishables like fresh fruit and bread that only stay good for a few days.
 
Costco works well for my family and like another poster already mentioned the cafe is a great way to feed everyone when a quick and cheap meal is needed.
 
i have a family of four and more than make up for the membership fee with the 2% rebate. parking is usually a bitch and there is often lines, but it is no worse than any of the chain grocery stores in the area. and we plan accordingly. i wouldn't go to costco just to get one item, which i've seen people do.
 
AutoUnion39 said:
I have a costco membership and it's great! I don't buy everything there, but the quality at these wholesale shops is always top notch.

I buy stuff like toothpaste, body wash, detergent, Zyrtec there. The only things I don't buy there are bread, meat, eggs, etc because they come in bulk and I can't eat that much by myself.

The only annoying thing about Costco are the long lines (avoid this by going earlier) and my cards. I have to use debit because they only take Amex credit.

Their cafe is pretty damn good too. The beef brisket sandwich, cheap pizza, 1.50 hotdog... can't beat that.


The membership cost is a non-issue, especially with the gas savings. And there is no reason to get the $100 membership. They sell a cheaper one at $55.
Click to expand...

FYI, in April 2016 they're switching to Visa.
 
I've always viewed the overspending at Costco ($300+ every time) to be a symptom of buying too much of unnecessarily bundled goods, rather than getting a great deal and ROI on membership fees.

Anyhow, it seems that nobody feels this way so I guess this is just something specific to my circumstances.
 
I could take it or leave it. A few months after they arrived in my area the supermarkets dropped their sales prices to pretty much match them. I've also found their stock shifts around, and it's a bit of a drive to go there only to find out they don't have what they had last time.
 
My experience with Costco has been fine. I will say, you really should be careful checking the prices, as sale prices at regular grocery stores can be a better price. Again, there is a big equation of comparative costs, how badly you need something, how far away the store is, and how much of that item you actually need.

I will say as someone well acquainted with retail pharmacy pricing, Costco is one of the best places to get medications- both prescription and over the counter drugs. If you don't have insurance, Costco is the best chain pharmacy you could go to. They will charge you very reasonable prices, just above wholesale. Literally, something that would cost you $40 at CVS, Walgreens, Rite-Aid would probably cost you $8 at Costco. They also have a discount program for uninsured/cash-only customers, which saves you more. Their OTC drugs are super cheap too, just you often have to buy a lot.

bunnspecial said:
My family has always maintained a Sam's Club membership. Yes, you do(generally) save a lot buying in bulk on non-perishables. My mom also goes there a lot to buy stuff for dinners at Church and for other events. Warehouse stores have their place-maybe not for everyone-but there's a reason why they exist.
Click to expand...
It certainly isn't shopping at your neighborhood butcher, market, farm stand, etc, but it serves it purpose. My parents often by paper towels and toilet paper there. If they're having a big party, sometimes they have the right stuff in bulk. I think they bought some patio furniture there one time. I'm not sure the membership is necessarily worth it, but in some ways the convenience of buying some things in bulk is worth the fee.

AutoUnion39 said:
The beef brisket sandwich, cheap pizza, 1.50 hotdog... can't beat that.
Click to expand...
Ugh! Next time Grandma Goldberg is in town I'll have her cook you some real beef brisket.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: SHNXX
It serves a purpose, I like Costco, and I also like BJs. Both places provide bulk goods at a decent price. I still price shop, because some things are still cheaper at walmart. I found Costco's paper products to be more expensive then Walmart so I don't but those at costco.
 
  • Like
Reactions: satcomer
SHNXX said:
I've always viewed the overspending at Costco ($300+ every time) to be a symptom of buying too much of unnecessarily bundled goods, rather than getting a great deal and ROI on membership fees.

Anyhow, it seems that nobody feels this way so I guess this is just something specific to my circumstances.
Click to expand...
Don't get how you can hate a corporation. Just take your business somewhere else. No one forcing you to go there.

As for "a symptom of buying too much of unnecessarily bundled goods", you need toilet paper, paper towels, cleaning products, garbage bags, etc. they last forever and you eventually use it up. It won't go to waste. We buy the food we eat and we freeze it as soon as we get home. I don't see what's over buying.

Yes parking and lineups are long, that's why we avoid going on weekends and go on a weeknight.
 
Costco is intended for companies to buy things. A company with say 50 employees will happily buy tons of toilet rolls, tons of coffee if they supply coffee to their employees, etc. etc. All in amounts that are a lot bigger than the average person wants to buy. And of course you are supposed to be a business, who plans ahead what they are buying and doesn't return things because you changed your mind or didn't make up your mind in the first place. You may not be the target customer for their sales model.

heehee said:
Yes parking and lineups are long, that's why we avoid going on weekends and go on a weeknight.
Click to expand...

And if a company is buying, someone goes there during working hours because shopping at Costco is part of their job.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SHNXX
heehee said:
Don't get how you can hate a corporation. Just take your business somewhere else. No one forcing you to go there.

As for "a symptom of buying too much of unnecessarily bundled goods", you need toilet paper, paper towels, cleaning products, garbage bags, etc. they last forever and you eventually use it up. It won't go to waste. We buy the food we eat and we freeze it as soon as we get home. I don't see what's over buying.

Yes parking and lineups are long, that's why we avoid going on weekends and go on a weeknight.
Click to expand...

What are you talking about?
How does anyone hate anything then?

Don't get how you can hate a _______.
Don't get how you can hate an idea
Don't get how you can hate an inanimate object
Don't get how you can hate another person
Don't get how you can hate a historical event
Don't get how you can hate a corporation that defrauds people
Don't get how you can hate a group of people (similar to a corporation) who committed a genocide in Europe during the world war 2.

Anyone can easily hate any of the things above, just as well as a corporation.


Why is it odd that someone can hate a corporation?
A corporation is just an entity that represents a group of people.
 
"Hate" is an extreme word, usually reserved for things and people you absolutely despise.

Using it casually, as you have here, leads your audience into thinking statements such as: "I hate Costco" and "I hate megalomaniac, genocidal, baby-murdering dictators" express an equivalent degree of dislike for the entity in question. You're out of calibration, basically, with the rest of the world: Expect to be misunderstood.

It would've been better if you'd posted something more moderate such as: "Costco, as a shopping experience, just doesn't work for me", and left it at that. It's a bit bland and you'd certainly get less views and replies.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: heehee, JAT and bunnspecial
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back