Costco Membership Crackdown or All Things Costco 😀

[Christine]

I will periodically check back and re-book when/if the cost drops. And keep track of the amount to show my husband how much money I saved.

Yes, I checked every day and ended up getting another $30 off my original booking.

 

[JulieBeeRN]

I’ve even made a reservation for another company while waiting for a car at MCO bc the line was too long. It was only $5 more and we didn’t have to wait in a line that wasn’t even moving.

 

[georgina]

I’ve even made a reservation for another company while waiting for a car at MCO bc the line was too long. It was only $5 more and we didn’t have to wait in a line that wasn’t even moving.

I usually stick with Alamo booking through Costco at MCO because I can check in the night before and skip the line. Just go straight to the garage, choose a car in my booked category aisle, and go.

 

[MsChristy12]

Costco Travel has the cheapest rental cars too.

Most of the time yep! But there were I think twice that renting direct w/ the rental car company was cheaper, surprisingly! (we have a couple of elite status discounts). So I always have to cross check all of them multiple times.

 

[princesscinderella]

Costco online has some great gourmet food partners and gift baskets at the holidays too.

 

[nw6675]

Do you guys book through their travel site or is there another way? Calling?

 

[RangerPooh]

I’m all for it. I’m not interested in paying more so people can exploit the system. I had my card scrutinized in self checkout last week. Fine by me.

 

[SueInBoston]

I just used Costco/Shutterfly for a phonebook and got 50% off and free shipping. No more waiting for Shutterfly coupons.

and just sent off some slides and photos to be digitized by Costco/Capture, If the quality comes back decent, I'll send the rest (hundreds).

 

[JulieBeeRN]

Do you guys book through their travel site or is there another way? Calling?

I book through the website bc I enjoy not talking to people on the phone, but there’s a number that you can call too.

 

[barkley]

I have family members who can do so with just allergy relief medication purchases each year

i have wondered if the proliferation of OTC benefit cards being introduced into so many insurance plans, esp. medicare, has eaten into this revenue stream for costco. i used to only get our allergy meds, generic pepsid, tylenol and bayer at costco b/c their savings could'nt be beat but once our insurance started issuing $70 quarterly reloading otc cards that are use it or lose it at the end of each year i buy elsewhere where they are accepted (yup, the unit price is higher at walmart but they accept the cards and between the 3 of us in our household $840 buys ALLOT of otc stuff). i would gladly use them at costco if they were accepted there.

they have very good prices on many prescription medications if you don't happen to have a good insurance plan. Not everything is great, but I found out my thyroid medication is cheaper paying cash at Costco pharmacy then running through my insurance at a retail pharmacy.

they also let you use those goodrx and other online scrip discount programs. ds had a med that was much less at cosco than our regular pharmacy and when i called about it costco's staff suggested in enroll ds in a couple of the discount plans and they they would run insurance and each of the discount plans to see which ended up being the least expensive. sure enough-good rx won out.

Costco online has some great gourmet food partners and gift baskets at the holidays too.

they do but i'm SO disappointed that they've ended their frozen food food shipping-i utilized that allot for items they don't carry at my local warehouses but still carry within the company.

 

[Cheburashka]

I don't even understand how people were getting away with this. At all out local warehouses, they are STRICT at the entrances, making you show your membership card with the photo showing. It's so strict that my 2 boys have been yelled at more than once when they attempted to enter with the cart (that I asked them to grab) and they are more than like 2 feet away from me. The lady at the door is always like "who are you coming in with???" And I have to be like, "they are my kids."

Then at the checkout, even the self one, there is an employee there who asks to see your card before you can approach the self checkout.

It's always been like this. How have people been sharing memberships?

That is very location dependent. The Costcos in my city are relaxed and not like that. While they do ask you to flash your card as you enter, they don't need to see a picture and if you're anywhere in the vicinity of another person who's showing their card, they're not going to question you. And no one asks to see your card when you do self-checkout.

 

[Jangles]

In the U.K. they scan your card as you enter and then again when you arrive at the checkout.

 

[easyas123]

In the U.K. they scan your card as you enter and then again when you arrive at the checkout.

The urs (in Delaware) does the same, and last time I used self checkout I had to scan my card there as well. I can’t recall if there was an actual person checking cards too.

 

[gmi3804]

Since discovering AutoSlash I’ve never found Costco’s rental car rates to be better. I rent cars about a dozen times a year.

All of the big rental companies have loyalty programs that enable you to skip the line. Join them and expand your search possibilities.

 

[Christine]

Since discovering AutoSlash I’ve never found Costco’s rental car rates to be better. I rent cars about a dozen times a year.

All of the big rental companies have loyalty programs that enable you to skip the line. Join them and expand your search possibilities.

I'll have to check out AutoSlash. I am a member of the loyalty programs but didn't get a better rate with them. Even booking through Costco, I can apply my loyalty number and still skip the line.

 

[JulieBeeRN]

I’m always leery of booking through third party sites.

 

[_19disnA]

I’m always leery of booking through third party sites.

I agree and when something goes wrong everyone just points fingers and says it was the other company who messed up. Then you are left playing ping-pong between the parties to try to get it resolved. While I might use Orbitz to easily search for flight options, I always go to the airline website to actually make a reservation. Most search websites simply accumulate the information and there is no discount. Never used Costco travel, but still feel like the few dollars you might save goes out the window as soon as there is a problem and you end up with some poorly trained 'customer service' person who can barely speak English and never has any idea how to help resolve your issue. If you aren't asking one of the 12 commonly asked questions they have in the script in front of them................good luck getting it resolved.

 

[Lilsia]

That is very location dependent. The Costcos in my city are relaxed and not like that. While they do ask you to flash your card as you enter, they don't need to see a picture and if you're anywhere in the vicinity of another person who's showing their card, they're not going to question you. And no one asks to see your card when you do self-checkout.

Actually, the asking to see your card at self check out has just started company wide a few weeks ago. We had that happen to us on our last trip. So yeah, they are most definitely cracking down. I was with my husband and they just asked to see one of ours.

 

[JulieBeeRN]

I agree and when something goes wrong everyone just points fingers and says it was the other company who messed up. Then you are left playing ping-pong between the parties to try to get it resolved. While I might use Orbitz to easily search for flight options, I always go to the airline website to actually make a reservation. Most search websites simply accumulate the information and there is no discount. Never used Costco travel, but still feel like the few dollars you might save goes out the window as soon as there is a problem and you end up with some poorly trained 'customer service' person who can barely speak English and never has any idea how to help resolve your issue. If you aren't asking one of the 12 commonly asked questions they have in the script in front of them................good luck getting it resolved.

You deal directly with the rental company once you make a reservation through Costco Travel. You don’t pay upfront or give your CC information.

I’ve used Costco for Maui vacation packages, Disneyland packages, DCL and rental cars without any problem.

 

[JulieBeeRN]

Although, you are right that it is a third party company. For some reason, I don’t think of Costco like I do Expedia, Orbitz, etc.