gooddealer said:I shop both Sam's and Costco, and IMHO one is no better than the other. They are there to get your business and make a profit out of it.

Profit = good. Just ask the people who work there, people who live in your community, pay taxes, contribute to the economy. I noticed at our Coscto the turnover rate of the employees is very low and they seem to enjoy working there. I think they have great products at a great value too. Just to keep this on topic I'm happy there's a Michelin tire coupon as we need a new set.

horizon6 said:sdhamblin said:Off-topic (I should be shot for taking this off topic)...

One day shopping at Costco I was late getting somewhere, had to wait in line forever to check out, and then there was a huge backup at the receipt checker at the exit. I had kind of decided that I thought this second process amounted to an illegal search anyway, so I headed for the door.

They asked me to stop, but I just kept walking-my receipt was already in my wallet and I didn't feel like getting it out. A whole crew of shopping cart retrievers ended up at my car as I got in. I asked if they had grounds to stop me, no one answered. They had no grounds to detain me, as no one had seen me walk out of the store without paying for anything, since I had paid. So I got in my car and drove away.

After reading the membership agreement, they do spell out this exit door procedure, so if I'm not going to comply, they have the right to take away my membership. At any other non-member establishment though, I think this would still be considered an illegal search-that's why we only see it at membership places.

I thought it was a funny story, thought I'd share. I've shown my receipt since then, once I realized I had agreed to it by being a member and shopping there.

Apologies in advance for this OT reply to the OT comment.

The story is not funny. It is unfortunately a sad commentary on the state of our society that stores needs to take the precautions they do. But it is not fair to the retailer in question to single it out and cast the shadow of a problem not of their making on them while using guesses of the law. Other stores, including non-membership stores, act similarly. For example I've experienced at least one big box home improvement store located near a Costco checking receipts at the exit. Other stores, where practical, use less obvious detector "gates" at the exit. Some stores use means that unfortunately are too invasive of one's privacy. But, remember, if merchandise is removed from stores without being paid for, you as a shopper will face higher prices and then what will your comment here be?

i shop everyweek at costco spend about 500-700 per week, because we have business and some supplies we buy from them.
twice last year they found that they double charge me at the gate, once a banana($1.35) and salmon(~$14.00) both times the manager came and apologized

cme10ae said:gooddealer said:I shop both Sam's and Costco, and IMHO one is no better than the other. They are there to get your business and make a profit out of it.

Profit = good. Just ask the people who work there, people who live in your community, pay taxes, contribute to the economy. I noticed at our Coscto the turnover rate of the employees is very low and they seem to enjoy working there. I think they have great products at a great value too. Just to keep this on topic I'm happy there's a Michelin tire coupon as we need a new set.

Because they have much better pay than Sam's or other retailers.

accumulator said:disposable said:
although i hate walmarts for their tactics in marketing, and their association with china, it's practically impossible to buy a lot of things NOT made in china today, including at costco.

to say that costco has higher quality with all their food isn't true. i've had to take things back to costco, and that never happened in the past. i will say that the majority of their food is premium quality, and that paying the same price for meat there as at a grocery store is a better deal, but there isn't anything automatic about them being better than sam's, at least not now.
As I understand it (explained by a friend who was working on an MBA, and for whom WalM@rt was a marketing case study), the policy at WalM@rt is to deliberately solicit manufacturers to cut costs in any way possible - including lowering quality - while encouraging / requiring them to put the items in packaging that made them indistinguishable from their "regular quality" products. Brand name manufacturers tend not to reduce quality (or at least not by much), because it has a negative effect on their brand quality identification; but the generic imports are typically of very low quality, so that the margins can be kept more reasonable.

Regardless of whether this is true, I do know that the difference between how Costco treats its employees and how Sam's treats theirs are very significantly different. It is for that reason alone that I don't shop at Sam's.

I doubt that this is true. Some brand name products are much cheaper at Costco than retail stores. They either have to lower their quality (or use of premium ingredients) or raise their price elsewhere to supplement those at wholesale store.

$40 off - Viewsonic 8" Digital Picture Frame, costco.com link has it for $87.xx now,
does it mean $40 off this price?

PortAh said:$40 off - Viewsonic 8" Digital Picture Frame, costco.com link has it for $87.xx now,
does it mean $40 off this price?

I am looking at the coupon, and it says $79.99 AFTER $40 off. I think it's referring to this ViewSonic 8" Digital Picture Frame with SwifTouch Touch-Frame ($119.99 right now). Item no. 344932

manny,
if not, then just stop by and get a new pack, and on the way out stop by and return on your old receipt.

anyone know anything about the navigon 7200T GPS?

is the 2 years of map updates something extra being offered with purchase from costco?

the regular price is 28.99 for the eneloop kit

dogface325 said:That's Like Lee Iacoca did at Chrysler years ago. Salary is low (I think Iacoca got 1 dollar) but then comes the bonus and stock options. Isn't the CEO at Costco in the ownership chain somewhere? "Retail Renegade: Costco CEO and co-founder Jim Sinegal says he bought a shirt at Sam's Club -- but just to compare it with Costco's...". As a co-founder he getting many times his 100,000 salary.

Well, of course. But probably not $480 million, which is how much the CEO of Lehman Brothers got paid since 2000...