Costco Wholesale

This location seems all around to be busier and more stressful than the Vista location off Emerald Dr. Still, Costco continues to impress with its top-​notch customer service, well-​paid and happy staffers, and well-​curated wholesale stock.

Costco charges an entry fee to enter their stores. Once people have paid that entry fee they are determined to consider what they buy a bargain even though the shopping is an abusive experience especially when it comes to checking out.
Not only is the store not organized to help you find what you might want, but there is no bagging or other assistance with checkout. That’s what we’ve observed at least since we have yet to complete a purchase.
We tried Costco years ago and found its food prices were roughly the same as Smart & Final, and aside from a few visible bargains, most merchandise cost about the same as elsewhere. That makes sense because if Costco were superior it would put the others out of business and Target and others, where the shopping is much pleasanter, are still thriving.
But a year ago we needed hearing aids and that’s one of those points of light where Costco shines though it’s hearing products still cost a huge multiple of the cost of manufacturing. Still, the hearing aid business is so tailored to enrich audiologists that Costco can make a pretty penny while beating the controlled market norm. The result was that we bought a Costco membership after many years.
During the year that we’ve had the membership we haven’t used it other than for online purchases because Costco only accepts debit cards or American Express at the register. We don’t use debit cards because of the exposure to fraud with such cards and we don’t use American Express after American Express’s fraud unit left us stranded in Europe some years ago. We found that American Express is not a company that you can rely on.
We were thrilled when we learned that effective April 1, 2016 Costco would be accepting Visa Credit Cards. So, finally, today, we were off to Costco and we found some things to buy. The prices didn’t seem like bargains, and the selection was very limited, but we were there to shop so we went to the register with a cart that rang up at a little under $ 110.
When we went to pay with our Visa Credit Card, though, we found that Costco has reneged on its promise to accept Visa Credit Cards effective April 1. Apparently, they are still accepting only American Express through June 20^th. If they wanted to give American Express an extended grace period, despite giving them a year’s notice, Costco could have accepted both for the interim period, but at Costco the customer is a member, which means customers are locked in and Costco doesn’t have to cater to customer needs. People buy thinking they’re getting a bargain without comparison shopping to confirm what’s a deal and what’s something else.
There’s no denying Costco’s popularity but the values evinced by the management suggest a disregard for customers that is seldom found in successful businesses. We can’t even confirm whether our membership is current or not though we’ve been billed. There’s a self-​satisfaction among the Costco executive group, which is the only explanation for the low class shopping experience in the «warehouse» stores, that suggests that people should only shop at Costco if they are absolutely sure they are not being ripped off.
The rule of business is BUYER BEWARE. Nowhere is that more true that at Costco.

Obviously not the fault of the staff, but this location is a nightmare to go to. Parking lot it chaos, the store itself is not much better. If you’re prone to anxiety in crowds, just don’t do it. I’ll go out of my way to do my shopping at different locations, on the rare occasion that I do go to Costco.

Hot dog and a soda for $ 1.50! :)
good deals. parking is so-​so, but overall I like.

Had a nail in my tire for months. Had to keep putting air in my tire every couple of weeks. Before I went to Costco, I Took my car to another tire shop out of convenience near my work. They told me the tire could NOT be repaired, and a new tire would cost me $ 150. I said peace out. I finally decided to fix my tire through Costco … Not only did Costco tell me they could fix my tire, but they also rotated my tires. I was expecting to pay for my repaired tire and for the rotation. They didn’t charge me a dime. I was so surprised and grateful. They said it was a small repair, and we appreciate your business. Holy customer service!!! Considering Discount Tire said there was no wAy they could fix it and I needed a new tire at $ 150. I will forever be loyal to Costco’s tire center…

If you know there’s a problem with vehicle break ins at your store parking lot, please protect your customers and have video surveillance. It’s a very minimal expense to keep your customers and there belongings safe. Thanks for NOT caring!

This is probably one of the better Costcos I’ve been to because it’s not as crazily crowded as the other ones like Vista’s or Escondido’s. At least here I can move without feeling like I’m playing Mario Kart, no mushrooms, no banana peels, no rush.
The products here have been fresh and I never had problems with anything. Stuff are easy to find too with the produce and meat at the center back, wine at the right back and TP and stuff at the left back. I think I’ve been here enough times to have a mental map of where things are. If they move around stuff then I’ll be like one of those random ants not knowing where to go…
Service is great! I had Sean helping me to sign up for my membership and he was very patient and nice to go over all the details with me and answered my questions. I just wish there are more staff on the floor to help out customers where to find stuff. Sometimes with my mental map, I still feel like a random ant…
Parking is good compared to other Costcos. I’ve always been able to find parking and I never felt like I parked my car in Escondido.

I like how the food court is still outside, I work within the area and find it very easy to just get in line, order my food and go. The line is usually long, however the employees work really hard to work through the rush during lunch etc. Another plus, Costco is close to the beach for when you get hungry, or need to purchase last minute items.
Employees are really helpful, and talkative during checkout. The isles seem wider and the store as a whole seems more spacious walking around than other Costco’s. This store has other items that San Marcos, Vista don’t carry. The vendors here know what there talking about, and carry themselves in a professional way.

Great prices if you don’t mind buying in bulk and dealing with lots of crowds. The weekends are super crowded, It’s probably easier to shop during the week.
Give yourself plenty of time to find parking, shop and pay.
Customer service = pretty good
Parking = pretty bad
Prices = not bad
Lines to pay = bad on weekends

Great place to shop, but you need to know exactly what you want and where it is or you will spend a lot of money there… Meat department is second to none in North County… Parking is a little rough and you can get into a nasty fender bender real easy…

Costco is amazing in many ways, but sometimes you have to be careful. The last three times I have gone, the produce has not been entirely satisfactory. Some of the fruits are no cheaper than the grocery store, even though you are buying in bulk, which is the whole point of shopping at Costco. Twice, I bought a big bag of spinach and it started looking wilty and soggy within a couple of days, which again, defeats the point of buying in large quantities. I bought a bag of frozen chicken thighs, and upon opening my trunk when I got home, I realized the bag had a bunch of holes in it, causing chicken juice to leak all over my trunk (this is a minor issue though — not reasonable to expect Costco to inspect every bag of frozen chicken for holes).
The good news is the beer continues to be a sensational deal. The prices for cases of microbrews such as Stone and Ballast Point cannot be beat. Their vision center is also fantastic, and carries a great selection of frames. I’ve been getting glasses there for years. They are high quality and cheap compared to everywhere else. They tell you your glasses will be ready in about a week, but sometimes they come back in 2 days!

This review is for this young gentleman that was seemed to be around my age. He was super attentive and you could tell he wanted to genuinely help me unlike other the workers. He answered all my question and also didnt push me to buy a specific phones. Instead found the phone
i wanted and also told me what to do if i wanted add another line so I wouldnt have to have to pay
more unnecessary fees. Unlike other costco locations or corporate stores, the rep with the name tag FLICK actually seemed to care.
I will definitely reccommend this Costco versus any other place when it comes to cellular products.

Great selection at this Costco. Marc was my cashier and he was very friendly and informative about the changes with American Express and Costco’s relationship. Bummed they’re splitting as it was originally what enticed me to finally get a membership. Location is clean, well organized and in an convenient location. Downside– this Costco is ALWAYS crowded. Seriously, I rarely see this place not hopping. It just always seems busy. Today wasn’t bad and I left with a lot of great produce and lots of fresh meat and spices for around $ 160. Trying to get the most out of this Amex Costco membership I can before it ends. Overall, happy customer! Will most likely keep my membership.

One of the cleanest Costcos I have ever been too! Super friendly people and they get the lines moving. This place has plenty of parking and a nice food court area to enjoy a hot dog and drink for under $ 2.00. I Stop by this Costco often cause they have alot of beach gear and they have more items then my local Costco.

I love Costco but the people at the membership counter are just not nice at all. So all the great things about Costco are just washed away by the horrible customer service of people like Jaimie. I went to ask if there was a way that Costco could help me bring back a chair I bought for work a few months ago, as it is already built and doesn’t fit in my car. The chair has caused me horrible back pain, to the point I’ve gone to the dr to get it checked. I think is defected… anyhow, I pretty much knew the answer would be no, but I expected a nicer service. If I could only take a picture of this Jaimie’s lady’s face as she was answering. Anybody would’ve thought I was asking the most disgusting question. Her face looked like she was smelling poop.
My question is, why do companies continue to have bitchy mean people as customer service? Seriously! Maybe she just has a resting bitchy face that gets worse with any other expression!
Thanks Costco for caring for your customers that have been members for over 20 years!
Oh, and some guy standing by, which was nicer, felt compelled to reply to the lack of answer Jaimie provided and said you could rent a Home Depot truck to bring the chair back! Seriously?! If I do that. I would’ve spent more than what the damn chair is worth! But thank you for at least having the courtesy of answering politely and not being mean like Jaimie.

This Costco is definitely family centric — they have a huge section dedicated to children products (eg diapers, car chairs, baby wipes).
Other than this, there aren’t any other major differences between this Costco and others. I love Costco!
The only bad thing about this location is that no matter when you go, there are always super congested pockets in the warehouse.
Perhaps, Costco ought to consider organizing the store differently.

Ok, I was reading some of the reviews on here. Really people complaining about the lines? That’s like going to Disneyland and complaining about the lines. Costco is a very busy place!
The staff here are so friendly and so helpful it’s a breathe of fresh air walking into Costco.
I am not a sample person so I hate stopping and trying things but my husband just loves it, it’s his favorite part of shopping.
The selection of food and merchandise is always so neat and clean and reasonably priced. (I mean they call Costco the 400 club for a reason)
I just adore everything about this store! Clean, organized, and amazing staff!
I just love their pizza too!

I have always loved Costco. Ever since my mother handed me a membership card my freshman year of college, I haven’t looked back.
This is my neighborhood location I go to all the time. I usually try not to wander into the actual shop because I always end up buying food. In which I am a single person household, I do not need to be buying in bulk for myself! (Like right now, I’m sitting at work eating out of a giant bag of, Costco bought, Chicago popcorn…)
Anyways, I love Costco from the cheap gas, which I probably fill up here 85% of the time, to the cheap cafeteria food (hot dog with extra onions! woohoo!), but if you’re a Costco shopper you know to try to avoid this place on the weekends, and a week before a major holidays… Oh Costco. The lines will be the end of me.

I come to this Costco almost every other week if not more. My experiences are relatively positive and quick. I’m so familiar with the layout and what we need at home that I can get in and out with relative ease. Two negative experiences recently have caused me to write this review.
On one particular occassion though, I was shocked when I came up to the check out stand and the cashier and helper were negatively gabbing about work and personal life. I was in a bit of a hurry so I even considered switching lanes at one point. The guy in front of me had a bunch of stuff piled on the belt. Unfortunately my stuff was already on the belt and I was next up. You know what would happen if I switched at that point.
Typcially, the cashier will get involved with a little small talk with the customer. That’s what I’ve seen on a pretty regular basis. Some small chatter would be expected with co-​workers. But this went on for a while. The cashier even stopped scanning stuff for the customer before me to continue the conversation. She then proceeded to spill a container of blueberries on the register. Ugh! She scooped up the berries with her hands and put them back in the container saying, «Make sure you rinse these twice»! REALLY! If those were mine, I would’ve asked them to grab another container. Thankful that the customer didn’t since I needed to get out in a jiffy.
Anyway, when that customer finished and the cashier started ringing up my stuff, the conversation continued between the employees. Really unprofessional conversation from what I could tell. Going to Costco is an inevitable event these days. So When I go back, I’ll have to be sure to avoid this person’s line if at all possible.
The other incident I wanted to share was when I used their printer cartride refill service through the photo center. With the cost of ink these days and the number of times I have to change them, I wanted to see if I could save some change by using this service. I dropped off a full set of 5 cartriges. Less than half the price to refill them as opposed to buying a new one. The gal said that they should last longer than new ones. I was pretty stoked to hear that. She even said they have a three month warranty. Whoo Hoo!
However, about a month later, the ink starts running out already. Not even after 40 – 50 copies/​prints at this point as far as I could tell. That was frustrating to see. So I went back to complain. I couldn’t find the gal that told me about the warranty, but mentioned it to the clerk that was helping me. He said they suggest using them within three months, but no warranty. He proceeded to get a scale to weigh the cartriges I brought back. One by one he weighed it and said «empty». WHAT!
Upon hearing this, a woman steps in and started getting involved with the conversation. I can only assume she was a manager since the guy helping me backed away and started doing something else. I mentioned my disappointment with the service after being told that they would last longer than original ones. What peeved me the most was what she said next. «You don’t have to shop here if you don’t want to»! Whoa, did I just hear that right? Um, excuse me, but I pay a membership to shop there and was told something very specific about this service. Too bad it’s not in writing.
Anyway, she ended up refunding the cost of the five cartriges. Maybe it’s the machine or the cartriges, but my other, older cartriges didn’t run out of ink that fast. I guess I’ll never really know at this point.
With all that being said about two negative experiences, I do have to say, I’ve had my fair share of positive experiences here though. Most relatively uneventful.
Keep on Unilocal’n!

This place is great… but you have to come during the «off-​peak» times: during the weekdays in the late afternoon. During this time all of the little sample ladies are out with free bites of food and drinks yet the place is all but empty!
Come for the gas too. Today it’s $ 2.96/gal.