Calling Costco Members

[EcclesCake]

I've just been trying to work out how many guests I can take with me to CostCo, and am pleased to find the answer is two.

However whilst trying to establish this I was surprised to find that only members can make purchases.

I frequently shop with a friend and we go through the till separately, paying personally for our purchases but using my membership card.

Is this the norm or is my local branch bucking the rule book?

I'm intending visiting a new warehouse and don't want to find out the hard way at the till.

[bednobs]

in ours (reading) we have been caught out before. For example my husband had his costco card, but i had my debit card and they wouldn't accept it. However, you could jsut get round it by either paying with cash, or getting your friend to pay you back with cash

[Ann]

We (me and OH) go regularly go with our friends who are members - as their guests. We always pay separately on our own own debit cards but using their membership card. No problem at all. The girl on the checkout smiles and says "that is fine". We went yesterday and got some good bargains. What do you think to the food they serve at the cafe, its cheap but in my opinion it's horrible!

[Ann]

Ours is the Leicester branch.

[bednobs]

i have never used the cafe - queue too long!
I would just like to point out that mt example was about 10 years ago - things may have changed since then

[Ann]

Bednobs - if your OH has a members card, you can get one too, our (married)friends both have one, I think it works like the Tesco loyalty card where both have the same account?

[Ann]

Our store has only been open less than a year, and we having been paying like that since it opened.

[EcclesCake]

That's odd Bednobs because it is Reading I use. The method I describe is what I did with a friend before I was a member and what I have done since becoming a member myself and, touch wood, I've never had a problem.

I know there are ways round it but as I'm planning on visiting a new one that has just opened and they may be sticklers for the rules I wanted to sound out what the norm is or if Reading is exceptional......and you've just blown that theory out of the water! ;-)

[EcclesCake]

Thanks Ann, it sounds like the norm then and Bednobs just had a bad time a while ago......I guess they have relaxed the policy.

I've never tried the cafe, as far as I can recall it's mostly processed crap and not really my thing.

[Ann]

American fast food - not my cup of tea at all (although the cup of tea is nice! LOL)

[Sipowicz]

I love the Chicken bakes!

[ethandron]

It used to be the case that only the member could pay but that changed a number of years ago and now the guest(s) themselves can pay with their own debit card.
Is that not what you do already Eccles, when you say you go with your friend and go through the till separately, paying personally, but using your membership card?? Perhaps I've misunderstood.

[Ann]

The chicken bakes are the only things I haven't tried Sipowicz, are they nice, what do they taste like - spicy?

[EcclesCake]

That's exactly what I do Ethandron. However while looking to see how many guests I can take the Terms state that only the member can make the purchase.

[EcclesCake]

I've found it.....

http://warehouses.costco.co.uk/about/faq/

[ethandron]

Oh right, I see now. That surprises me as its been a long time since I've been aware of it being enforced.
Reading costco is one of the worst ones I've been to. It's always heaving and seems smaller and generally more squashed up than others. It must serve a huge number of people though, no wonder it's always busy, I think the next nearest is Milton Keynes.
Is the new one in the same area?

[EcclesCake]

The new one is in Farnborough which surprises me as it is so close to Reading!

[ethandron]

Must keep an eye out for when it opens, worth a trip to see what it's like, can't be any worse than Reading and will hopefully take some of the pressure off it!

[albaqwerty]

just a suggestion, how about you and guests take plenty of cash each, put all purchases on your trolley/low low type thingy, each adds up their own purchases and hands the approximate cash to you, it all goes on under your membership card.
Receipt is checked on exit.
When you get home, sit with a calculator to find out the difference in pennies (for example) each of you owes to whom.

Pal and I used to do this in Makro when he was a member.

[EcclesCake]

It opened last weekend, I'm visiting sometime this week. I'll post an update for you.

[EcclesCake]

Alba, I know I could do that but I'm lazy at the best of times and in the heat my laziness increases exponentially!

I'll probably warn my guests in advance that they may have to give me the spondooleys and check at Customer Services when we arrive.