PhantomStranger

Costco doesn't want customers only buying a handful of items each trip, which is why they haven't implemented any kind of express lane.

jwstl

Stopped in Costco today and saw Argo: Extended Edition on Blu-ray for $16.99. I believe that's the lowest ever at Costco and 6 or 7 dollars cheaper than Amazon has been.

Trevor

I don't think I've ever used a cart at Costco.

fumanstan

I've never seen self checkout at any of the Costco's i've been to here in California.

ppawuk

They have the self-checkouts in Ohio (but we're a tad bit off topic)! I used it to buy my Blu-ray set of "It's a Wonderful Life" & "White Christmas".

DirkBelig

I used self-checkout last week when I bought a gallon of milk, a box of cereal and the WKRP in Cincinnati complete series DVD set, thus making it almost relevant to this thread.

Mickactual

True that. It's their best deal...despite the fact that they switched from Hebrew National to Kirkland hot dogs.

I'm in NJ and I used one once (forget which Costco). Got to the thing to then only find out it doesn't take cash. I didn't have a CC with me, and had to re-wait on a regular checkout line all over again.

Those self checkout lines are joke with CC only payments. They should either make them CC/cash or have express lane(s) for those of us with 1 or 2 items who don't wanna wait on line behind a dozen people with two full shopping carts each.

bsmith

I guess I'm fortunate in that the Costco closest to me is not that crowded, not does it have the parking problems of the one closer to my work. A benefit of living farther out from the city. We have several self-checkout lanes that I will use when one looks readily available. I have a Costco credit card since I shop there enough to gain value from it. Usually, the regular lanes will only have, at most, two or three patrons in front of me, and that is on a weekend. If I went after work to get a single item like a DVD/BD there is usually a lane completely open for quick check out.

kefrank

I have used the self-checkout exclusively at my Costco for several years now. You know why? Because EVERY TIME i went through a regular checkout line, a Costco employee harassed me about upgrading to the executive membership. I love pretty much everything about Costco, except for that glaringly bad issue. I'm assuming they've stopped doing that, because I have to imagine they got lots of complaints about it if it was always as aggressive as what I experienced.

PhantomStranger

Nope, Costco is still rather aggressive about promoting their executive membership at checkout. I know the numbers work out if you spend enough each year, but any service that heavily promoted by a company tells me it is for their benefit, not mine.

I've started taking a harder stance on these sell pitches by stores. It's become an unfortunate reality of retail shopping. A clerk at Barnes & Noble acted like I had committed a crime when I turned down their annual membership.

kefrank

Ugh, exactly. The numbers don't work out for me and never will, but that never stops them from trying to convince me of it. I had to actually start arguing out the mathematics of it with them once. For a company like Costco that otherwise prides itself on excellent customer service, I find this practice highly troubling.

Trevor

If you go there enough to be bothered by the executive pitch, then you'd probably make money by switching to it.

kefrank

Nah, it only takes one pitch to be bothered by it. I go there roughly twice a month, but I don't buy a ton of stuff. I've never spent more than $2500 in a year. I'd have to spend $2750 just to break even on the fee.

Obi-Wanma

I use the automatic checkout more often than not, but in the times that I've used the regular checkout lanes, I don't recall ever being pushed about an executive membership.

fumanstan

In the hundreds of times i've been to Costco, I actually can't recall any time where i've been asked about an executive membership.

Ropes Pierre

i was harassed when i signed up for my basic bitch membership. I thought the woman was going to hit me, with the way she kept pushing it and subtlety questioned my intelligence for not wanting to be an executive member. has never been brought up again while checking out, but that first time almost turned me off the place with HOW hard she kept at it and kept bringing it over and over.

theflyingdutch

Actually, if you'd inquire a little further you'd learn that if you don't get to the$110 break even point, they still pay you back $55. I asked about it and it's true. You will still pay $55 for the yearly fee anyway, but you'd get the other $55 when it came to send you a rebate coupon.

whotony

What's this now?

We just got our check for the previous 12 months and it was $60..
I guess that means we barely went over the line.

PhantomStranger

You only get your money back if you remember to ask for it from Costco. It's a membership scheme to strongly encourage members to spend more at Costco each year. Their prices aren't that great for that level of commitment.

I don't know about others, but shopping at Costco in a crowded metro location is a nightmare. Parking is always insane and the lines are long. I am always surprised at the number of people willing to put up with it.

kefrank

The only benefit of the executive membership that I would ever use is the 2% back. If I'm not ever going to cover the fee, why should I give Costco $110 every year only for them to give me $55 back when I could save all the hassle and just pay them $55 per year? The answer for me is: I shouldn't. The answer for Costco is: because maybe I'd be motivated to spend more money in their store to actually get something useful out of the executive membership.

Ropes Pierre

i am sure the store gets an incentive for having a large number of executive members and counts on people forgetting to ask for that extra 55 dollars back if they didn't make the cut off.

jwstl

This is a discussion for the Store forum.

Iron_Giant

Just picked up the NEW Planet of the Apes movie on BR for $17.99.

Hope that was the best Deal around.

Obi-Wanma

^It's currently the same price at Amazon, and that is the lowest it's been there.

Spiderbite

I noticed they had the "Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes" Caesar head set at my local Costco for $79.99 yesterday.

I want this to go with my Cornelius head but I think I could only part with 50 bucks or less for it.

It still looks really cool in person.