Study: Costco Customers Are Irrational

Costco - Customer service STINKS

Costco has gone to hell. Their prices are higher than hell now, and not a dime cheaper than walmart, publix, etc. They flagged my account and harass me whenever I try to return something I did not want, or something defective. I have returned 7 items out of 267 I bolught this year.

Gotlife of Ill: The reason the costco Dog food almost killed your beloved Golden, is because they still stock LETHAL Pet food in all the stores. It is still made in china which distibuted per foods that in reality killed TENS of THOUSANDS of Dogs and Cats in 2007. (big media coverup of these facts.) We will NEVER again buy any product made in china for our Golden child, or ourselves.

We are canceling our membership. Costco was once a good store. Those days are long gone.

JJ of FL @ Nov 24, 2009 19:06:53 PM

It depends

We buy detergent, toilet paper, paper towels etc. only at Costco or Sam's club. We don't shop there for food very often though. I like to buy organic frozen berries for kids - huge price difference, comparing to regular supermarkets, and other great food they have. Books, electronics, mattresses and many other things for houshold we buy there. And trust me, we are very frugal. Also Costco has a very good return policy. Not to mention their foodcourt hotdogs hahaha! So, I suggest, before buying membership, just calculate, if it will be beneficial for you and how much money you may save. Sure it will save money fore some families and or businesses and will not worth it for others. And hey! If you make unplanned purchase - that's not Costco's fault. That's about you, my friend, willing to live beyond your needs LOL. After all Costco is here to SELL.

PS I apologize for my English - I'm russian:)

Irina of SC @ Aug 02, 2009 11:43:04 AM

Best Customer Service & Stand Behind Their Products

I am a regular Costco shopper & love everything about them. Buying in bulk has it's advantages & disadvantages; however, so does the discount retailer, too! I purchase Costco produce for any and all produce because of the quality & how long it lasts. I can buy produce at a discount somewhere else, but it's just going to go bad before I have a chance to eat it. If Costco's goes bad, take it back, they'll refund your money, no questions asked!

When I got married, prior to them offering their new service, I special ordered all my flowers to take to a florist to have done. Their flowers are by far the prettiest, most cost effective, and made my special day spectacular. When I am having a day where I need flowers, I go in there & pick them up for my pick me up. Oftentimes, they last two or more weeks. At Valentines Day, they are the ONLY place I've encountered that doesn't raise their prices just because they can take advantage of John Q Public.

I do not agree with this article one bit! When I was hit by Hurricane Ike last year, the first place I turned to for repair materials was Costco. It turns out I saved over $1000 by purchasing my Bamboo Wood Floors from them vs. Lumber Liquidators! Not to mention the carpet replacement, blinds, windows, and gutters. All those savings saved me thousands of dollars with the great customer service to back it up.

Cathy of TX @ Jul 31, 2009 14:38:29 PM

Just my wife and I

We shop at Costco all the time. We still save a lot of money though it is just her and I. Buying products like toilet paper, paper towels pays off in the end. The meat is so much better than Safeway, Albertsons etc. Using the seal a meal pays off in the end. Large quantities? We save money on clothes, medicine, etc. We still save by shopping around at other stores than that we think the card is worth the yearly fee at Costco.

Tim M of WA @ Jul 31, 2009 13:21:26 PM

Unplanned purchases

When talking with a Costco store manager I was told that 60% of their sales are 'unplanned' sales -- customers coming in and picking up extra items that they had not planned on buying.

And it seems to be true when I look at my cart when I check out!!

Buck of TX @ Jul 31, 2009 12:24:17 PM

Quality and Conveience

We don't have a Costco in my area. I wish we did.

We are a family of six, so we do, often use large quantities so we shop at Sam's. Since we started shopping there, I've gotten spoiled by the quality meats (I, like others who have commented, break the meat down in to smaller packages and freeze it) and not having to buy paper and cleaning products constantly. It's also nice not to have two hundred little packages of things to haul into the house and put away.

We rarely buy perishable items that we don't use quickly and can't freeze and some items just aren't a good deal -- soda for instance.

I'm not saying I'm rational. But wider isles, better quality products, shorter check-out lines, and the convenience of having to not buy things as frequently are important to me, even if every product is not always cheaper.

Heather of IN @ Jul 31, 2009 12:00:41 PM

Evaluate the cost of buying in bluk

I love Costco! I shop there just about every week for produce and we are a small family. The bag of mixed salad greens is always below $3 for 3 lb bag. I can't get a 1 lb bag of this at my local grocery store for that. Even if, on some weeks, we don't use the entire bag it is still cheaper than the grocery store! Their meat is excellent,above grocery store grade by far. I have a food saver and break the packages down into 3 to 4 meals and stock up as needed only. Milk prices are also low and that is for a gallon just like the grocery store,no waste there. I say you have to weigh the cost of what your buying. I have nearly eliminated the grocery store and that is a savings alone. What do you think those weekly store ads are? Putting a "loss leader" on the front page to get you in the store then waiting for you to fill up your cart on all the higher priced items not on sale!!

Wendy of MO @ Jul 31, 2009 08:46:21 AM

Irrational? I think not!

Costco is by far one of my favorite stores.I go there at least twice a month. I buy almost all of my staples there. Bread, milk,sugar,eggs,and butter. $3.59 for a 10lb bag of name brand sugar.You can't that in a regular or discount store. I do have a large family so we use what we buy. We also purchase electronics there because they have great deals that usually they come with something extra. Their bakery has the best cakes. The Kirkland brand has excellent products.My friends have me pick things up for them all the time. Their return policy is the absolute best around. The employess are friendly and I can't say I have any complaints.

I used to shop at discount stores but stopped when I realized I was spending more because of the lower prices. You can loose track of your spending grabbing all of those "cheap" items. being mindful and not shopping impulsively is the key

FR of NV @ Jul 31, 2009 01:08:51 AM