Comments on: Costco Executive Membership: Is It Worth It?

By: KarmicKreator

KarmicKreator — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 04:49:34 +0000

To Jack:
I didnt list all specifics because they are listed in our membership brochure that you can pick up at ANY warehouse. Here’s a prime example of why I didnt list ALL situations… By some state laws we cannot give the rebate on alcohol, in others we can.

If you really want to know just ask at the membership desk for a service directory and flip to the back where all the company policies are laid out clearly for you. And yes the refund on memberships is also spelled out there as well.

As for shouting how much you spend, I sure hope they are being discete with the personal information… my warehouse has no tolerance for anything less. If you’ve been approached, in all likelihood, you would have already made money. We approach those it would benefit… aka who spend enough to warrant the additional cost of upgrading.

Hope this helps…..

By: Jack

Jack — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:42:51 +0000

Valerie is right, and I don’t understand why the person replying to her comment doesn’t specifically spell out exactly what is excluded from the 2% rebate. The comment “a few other MINOR” items neither clarifies nor adds to the discussion. I was once told that gas, tobacco, liquors and sales taxes are exclude. Why not be fully honest and specifically state all those items that are excluded from the rebate? Then customers could make an informed decision if they want to invest the extra money. Finally, a “policy” of giving up back the difference between your rebate and the extra “executive” fee is not legally binding to the store and there is no requirement for the store to honor this policy. I too have always wondered how Costco can afford to have all of those people running around with scanners declaring to everyone in a hundred foot radius that you spend a lot of money at Costco and would benefit from Executive membership. I guess Costco is so eager to lose money because they make in up on volume. Got any used cars?

By: KarmicKreator

KarmicKreator — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 00:20:36 +0000

To VALERIE:
The executive membership is 100% guaranteed… meaning if your check is less than what you pay to upgrade we will refund the difference at the membership desk***.

If the Costco employee told you estimated return was around 400-500 you really should try it… besides what do you have to lose.

There are only few major exclusions, none of which are jewelry or tires. The main ones ARE gas and tobacco alond with stamp purchases and a few other minor ones like cash card purchases…..

Basically the idea is that your purchases would start to pay for your membership, rather than you pay it entirely out of pocket. You shop so much that Costco wants to keep you coming back… and maybe even come more with the incentive of cash back. It sounds like if you were to upgrade you would no longer need to pay for your membership every year, cuz your purchases would make you more than that back with the Executive Rewards check.

By: Valerie

Valerie — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 20:12:32 +0000

If the executive membership is such a great deal for the member, why do Costco employees push the darn thing so hard? I can’t believe that Costco is dying to give me some of my money back. I have heard that not everything is eligible for a rebate, including some large ticket items
like jewelry and tires, but there is not a speck of information about what is eligible and what is not. I have had costco people tell me on two consequtive days that I would get 400.00 then
500.00 back per year. No one can ever give you specifics. When I have declined I even had
one employee tell me I was stupid. I just can’t believe that if it was for my benefit they would be pushing it so hard, and they would have all the conditions and items not eligible printed out in black and white.

By: Denise

Denise — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:00:38 +0000

The Costco Executive level membership saves me a ton of money with our auto and home owners insurance. I have tried shopping for quotes with other companies and no other companies can come close to the great price with great coverage amounts through the Costco/Ameriprise insurance program. Otherwise, I don’t spend enough on food to reap the amazing 2% annual rebate check.

By: ParisGirl111

ParisGirl111 — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 19:20:59 +0000

I agree with Tifa. Being single, the Costco membership doesn’t yield the savings that it would for a family of 4. You just don’t really benefit from stockpiling enormous sizes of the same items. However, my friend who is married with kids has a family and saves tons using her Costco card. She told me I can go with her any time to purchase items. So, I just use her membership when necessary.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:35:35 +0000

The Costco executive membership and even the regular Costco membership fee is worth it. With executive you get your money back if you’re dissatisfied for any reason. I highly recommend getting the American Express Costco credit card to get your membership fee waived. Plus you get some nice cashback with your Costco purchases. If you live close to a Costco location and can get your gas, tires, and everything else from there, it’s a win win! I’ve been doing it for years

By: Big Papa

Big Papa — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:25:38 +0000

Okay then but is the executive card worth investing in or not. Yes I shop maybe 20 times year but could tell you how much I spend. Well I guess stick with what I have and enjoy it I guess.

By: Dave

Dave — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:13:12 +0000

If you are a gold member executive membership is a win-win. If you do not get $50 back in savings in a given year. Take the check to customer service and they will give you the difference and downgrade you to gold. You can then re-up for executive. Since there is no downside (except savings account the interest on the $50), you might as well get all the executive benefits.

By: Barbara

Barbara — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:39:56 +0000

I gave up my membership (the $50 Gold Membership) primarily because I like to go to these bunker-shopping stores when they open, so I can get in and get out. When I arrived at 10:00 a.m. which is the stated opening time, I was told that I had to wait til 11:00 a.m. because the earlier opening time was for executive membership only (it would’ve been nice if it had been posted on their website). Given the location of this particular Costo (Marina del Rey) and how bottlenecked the traffic becomes as the day proceeds, I dropped my membership. I refuse to pay an additional $50 in order to be able to shop an hour earlier. Now I go to Smart & Final which is Costco for single people. Elitism doesn’t always work in the vendor’s favor.

By: Chop Sui

Chop Sui — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 00:04:29 +0000

At my costco the head memberships offered to refund the difference. So if you only get 30 bucks rebate he will refund you an additional 20 so it only costs you 50 no matter what. But, you can easily get the limit if you know a few friends or college buddies who want to buy a new TV or computer my gf racked up 900 for me when she bought a new laptop…lol

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 16:55:06 +0000

If you are a single person or a young couple, consider goin halfers with another couple or someone you know who may be interested. You can get good deals, split the cost and save money that way!

By: Laura

Laura — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 23:46:24 +0000

I thought it would be useful to see if we really did save money with our Costco executive membership. Surprisingly most of our savings wasn’t from our food purchases. We saved half on our car insurance.

I have noticed that Costco’s gasoline has been 12-15 cents cheaper a gallon then other gas stations around my area.

By: SurlyTrader

SurlyTrader — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:57:10 +0000

This card deal is like a lot of others and the answer most likely is: it depends. The cards with the fees usually depend on how often you use them. E.G. if you have an american express blue card, it’s fantastic once you are over the $6,500 point barrier, but before that a lot of other cards are better.

I’m of the opinion that it is usually better if you can juggle multiple cards – Use a Citi Forward card for 5% back on Dining, Movies, Music, Books & games. Use a Chase Rewards or Discover card for 5% back on Gas. Use a Chase rewards or other comparable card for 5% back on supermarkets and drugstores. Then customize a capital one card for 3 miles back on travel. It gets complicated, but you can usually maximize your points that way.

By: Dvr surveillance

Dvr surveillance — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 05:23:38 +0000

I think the premium membership is worth of money. Let’s say if you buy 4 set of tires, 1 laptop or desktop, that costs almost covers the difference.