In Hawaii, originally I used the only available clerk managed checkouts but would leave my barcodes up. Some clerks/Associates would just scan in the baskets, others would have me place the items on the belt.
Then Costco opened self-checkout. I switched because I usually did not have a massive number of items and it was quite quick. A drawback of course is that you cannot pay cash or use your Costco rebate check.
Then Costco allowed us to use the scanner for heavy items. Then they appear to have allowed us to use the scanner for all items. I would leave all barcodes up and zip through.
Recently when I scanned all items an associate came and pointed at a new sign that only heavy items were to be scanned. When asked about the change, she said âYou people have not been scanning all itemsâ. It was not a typical response when she said âYouâ. I said, âWell, it wasnât me because I am a stockholder and it would hurt me tooâ.
That interaction aside, I still use the self-checkout.
At our Costco you either have to scan everything with the handheld scanner from your cart or everything has to be scanned on top of the counter and put on the scale. I like using the scanner without having to remove everything from my cart. My cart is never that full so its easy. Maybe someday they will have scan and go like Samâs does.
Samâs Club beats Costco in this area, and itâs not even close. Scan things as they go in the cart, and skip the line altogether. They still spot check when you leave. Samâs also has store pickup of online orders and local delivery (though Iâm not close enough for that one, so havenât tried it). Their cash back is also a lot more customer-friendly (you can redeem it any time, on any order, at any register, and the app prompts you to do so). I just wish they could match Costco on pricing and quality.
I used the self-checkout again today because the rest of the lines were very long. I wanted to do regular checkout because I had $150 Costco rebate check to cash and you canât use those Costco checks at self-checkout. Afterwards, I stopped by Customer Service who reminded me that they canât âcashâ the check but can put it on a Costco Cash card for me AND that card can be used at self-checkout.
Costcoâs purposefully making it difficult to use cash back is why I canceled my executive membership and my Costco credit card. Itâs the worst thing about Costco.
I have gone to Costco in the past during a slow time, where I buy something cheap and when I pay with the check, I get all the remainder in cash.
As an aside: AI says: âA Costco photo cannot have a âhaloâ overlay or any other effects, as the membership photo must be a clear, unobstructed, full-face picture for identification purposesâ.
Shows you that AI can be wrong. It assumed that somehow the member created the photo?
My Costco card photo (of me) does in deed have a halo over my head and was created at the Membership desk at Costco. It also shows up on their tablet when I scan my membership card at the door. It was a special when renewing my membership during a promotion in our Hawaii Costco where money was donated to Kapialani Medical Center for women and children.
This issue comes up from time to time at my local Costco, and it pisses me off. I put all the items in the cart, and Iâll be darned it Iâm going to take all items out of the cart in self checkout and then put them back in the darn cart. Shoot, home depot has scanners that allows me to scan everything in my cartâŚ.
So, I always avoid the self checkout unless itâs a trivial purchase. I always go into the checkout line with every single barcode up. Sometimes they empty the cart, sometimes the line is intelligent. Iâm not about to handle their product due to their policies. Unless they want to pay me for my time.
