Costco Membership?

[freebeard]

https://www.google.com/search?q=costco+vs+walmart

TLDR: Costco pays their help.

[darcane]

Originally Posted by The Other Andy

Hello all,

There's a Costco very near me, and I've been toying with the idea of getting their basic ($55/year) membership. It's just my girlfriend & I though, so I'm not sure if we'd use it enough to make it worth it.

We'd definitely be going there for gas, and she loves to travel so their travel deals have her interested. I'd prefer to stock up on non-perishables in bulk, and there are a couple of bigger purchases I'd like to make this year (tires, laptop, desk, other office stuff [I'm setting myself up to take on more freelance stuff]).

Would a membership be worth it? The price seems pretty reasonable. How are their vacation packages?

Whether it is worth it or not really depends on your buying habits.

For me (I have a wife and two kids), it definitely makes sense. I have the executive membership and buy enough there that the rebate pays more than the cost of the membership. But that didn't work out before I had kids...

A lot of the non-food items at Costco tend to be high end items. So, if you are looking for nice, Michelin tires, you can get a good price on them. If you are looking for the cheapest no-name tires that will fit your wheels, go to Discount tire instead. If you are looking for a fancy Alienware laptop, yeah you can get a good price, but if you want a budget minded laptop, go to Newegg.

Gas prices tend to be very good. I paid $1.599/gal a few months ago when most other stations were about $1.899. As someone else mentioned, I've gotten great deals on LED bulbs there too.

YMMV. But for me, it makes sense. For reference, Costco is headquarters near Seattle and I live just south of there.

[Xist]

Fluorescent bulbs last a while, but I purchase them for something like two dollars a box.

[The Other Andy]

Some interesting points so far. Thanks guys.

As far as groceries, does Costco have a full selection (as in, it can replace a trip to a dedicated grocery store)? Can I get fresh produce and such there?

Originally Posted by jamesqf

Laptop, or pretty much anything electronic, you can almost certainly get better/cheaper on-line. Better because the big box stores just carry mass consumer stuff. Try e.g. Newegg.

I'm well aware of Newegg; I've been a customer since the early 2000s

Although that said, I've found recently that a local chain of computer shops has stuff for about the same prices.

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by The Other Andy

As far as groceries, does Costco have a full selection (as in, it can replace a trip to a dedicated grocery store)? Can I get fresh produce and such there?

Yes, it has fresh produce, but it's bundled into bulk sizes. You can't buy just 1 avocado, or 1 potato. I think the avocados are bundled into packs of 6. The prices aren't any better than other grocery stores.

I suggest visiting a Costco with a friend before you decide.

[samwichse]

My experience:

Costco gives a second year of warranty on anything electronic you buy. Unlike places like best buy where they can find any reason not to honor the warranty, making it essentially worthless, Costco stands behind whatever they sell.

A couple cases in point:
Bought a front loading washer/dryer set from them. 1.5 years later, the washer no longer powers up. Snippy person at the manufacturer's support line says "out of warranty, pay $$$ for diagnosis." Called Costco and told them I wasn't satisfied with the machine. No other questions asked by them. Two days later a truck was there picking up the set and a full refund was deposited to my debit account the day after that. Ordered a new set from Costco the evening they came to pick up the old set.

Bought a 12vdc->115vac car inverter. Used it a couple times on trips. Then just under two years after buying, plugged it in and it wouldn't work. Took it back with no receipt or box, cash refund... no questions asked.

Bought some LED bulbs there in 2008. They sucked. I was going to try and remember to return them, got an automatic phone call from Costco saying to dispose of them (properly) and just ask for a refund at the counter next time you go. I did, and they refunded.

Prices are usually pretty good. Customer service is to notch. And I like the way they treat their employees.

[darcane]

Originally Posted by samwichse

My experience:

Costco gives a second year of warranty on anything electronic you buy. Unlike places like best buy where they can find any reason not to honor the warranty, making it essentially worthless, Costco stands behind whatever they sell.

Agreed. Customer Service and refunds are surprisingly good.

I had a fridge that had the circuit board fail over two years after buying the fridge. I called to see if I could maybe get a partial refund, not expecting to get anything since it had been too long and I no longer had the receipt. They said no, just bring it in and they paid me the full price, in cash.

[The Other Andy]

Thanks for all the feedback!

The girlfriend and I went to take a look at the place. Once she saw the prices on school supplies (she's a teacher) it was all over. I'm now a Gold Star member.

I'm definitely glad to hear that the staff is treated well. The person who signed us up was actually a former coworker of mine at a company that treats employees very badly.

[ME_Andy]

I think it's worth it for us. One trip a month, save $10 each time, make a free lunch out of the samples...

[Xist]

I went looking for a teacher supply store to pick up materials for in-home speech therapy. They definitely did not have a warehouse price model. I am glad your girlfriend will be able to save at Costco.