RE:#34 Costco’s price protection is not 30 days. It is for the life of the return policy as dalmanca explained above. This is why Costco now has 90 day limits on electronic items. They were getting robbed for years, particularly on laptops. People would buy/return/buy/return and effectively forever maintain a current spec laptop while only paying once. The return policy forced Costco to eat the depreciation.

I won’t add more of the same old as much rehashing is done already but I will add this: it seems not one person who posted so far understands the ‘Treasure Hunt’ component of the Costco retail model:
http://www.virginiamiracle.com/2008/01/12/how-costco-creates-fans/

Regular items do not ‘disappear’ nor have they ever done so. Some people are so easily confused it’s not even funny, sometimes I’m not even sure why I bother trying to set the record straight.

@ #14: Costco has only used gift cards for about 3 years, so I don’t know if your timeline is entirely accurate. It is still Costco’s policy to allow non-members to use gift cards. However, despite what the article states, it is also Costco’s policy that any amount due past what is on a gift card can only be paid in cash.

@ #27: Meat is most certainly NOT cheaper at M&M than at Costco. Either that, or the M&M shops I’ve gone to are on a completely different price scale as the one you go to. Or, perhaps you’re comparing different grades/cuts of meat.

@ #34: Price protection at Costco is only 30 days, so I don’t know how you got the markdown the second time unless you argued A LOT (I’ve found that if you argue enough with the managers, you’ll eventually get your way).

For those who say that they buy too much at Costco, that’s certainly not the company’s fault.

As for the membership fee, Floral Giraffe hit the nail on the head: that is how Costco makes its profit. By buying in bulk, the company can purchase for a lot less than a typical retail store. Since that retail store doesn’t charge a membership fee, it needs to make its profit solely on markup. Costco’s markup is at most 10-15%. For those who don’t like the membership fee, consider the following:

(a) Great return policy
(b) Low markup
(c) The membership fee is refundable
(d) Good deals on outside services (car rentals, credit card processing, AAA, etc.)
(e) “Exclusivity” of membership

Even if you only shop a few times a year, $50 is a steal.

I’d rather go here than a “neighborhood” chain-store.

I didn’t realize they were so good with price protection… I’ll have to start keeping an eye on items I’ve already bought!

I did notice that you could buy a lot unused stuff there as well. I am more careful now how much I spend and what I buy. As long as you keep control, it is still worth it. They carry a lot things that no body else carry.

InvestAssetWealth

Does M&Ms really have cheaper (priced) meats? I’ve never taken the time. I only shop at No Frills/Price Choppers and look for deals.

Also, for those single people, buy buy and freeze! I freeze everything from bread to meat to fruits.. I hate to discard food, because if you’re truly about saving money, learn to make meals with anything/everything!

We chose not to renew our membership and now only go to Costco to buy their superior meat when the parents visit (or somebody who has a membership). We’re big fans of the PC Mastercard for all spending and PC Points which equal about $500 per year in redeemed (not free) groceries.

For the rest of the store, I may spend a few hundred dollars a year – not worth it.