Costco shopper cancels membership after ID check accuses him of being his ‘brother’ – so he joined Sam’s Club instead

A fuming shopper has slammed Costco for accusing him of sharing a membership card with his brother.

The shopper said he canceled his Costco membership and joined Sam’s Club instead after the retailer attempted to crack down on card-sharing.

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“Now I just have BJS and Sam Club memberships,” tweeted the consumer. “I canceled my Costco membership because they always question me like it is not my membership.”

“Employee has the balls to ask me if that was my brother in the picture,” he added.

This comes after many retailers have noticed increased organized crime and shoplifting.

Former chief financial officer Richard Galanti noted that membership-sharing started to spike since it brought more self-checkout offerings to customers.

“Since expanding our self-service checkout, we’ve noticed that nonmember shoppers have been using membership cards that do not belong to them,” Galanti said in a company statement last year.

“We don’t feel its right that non-members receive the same benefits and pricing as our members.”

Retailers like Costco, Walmart , and Target have implemented new anti-theft policies to deter shoppers from stealing.

With the introduction of new policies also comes a much-anticipated hike in Costco’s membership prices.

MEMBERS ONLY

The wholesale retailer has bumped its membership fees for the first time in seven years.

Shoppers can get a membership at Costco through two tiers, Gold Star and Executive, per its website .

Gold Star is the base offering, available for a fee of $60 annually. It offers customers several perks, including two membership cards per household to shop in-store and online at Costco.

Executive offers the same benefits along with a 2% reward and discounts on other Costco services for $120 per year.

In the coming months, both membership tiers will cost an additional $5.

Costco vs Sam's Club Membership

Many retailers offer a tiered membership system with various perks:

Costco Membership

• Gold Star: The lower tier membership costs $60 annually. With the Gold Star membership, shoppers can purchase items online and in warehouses. With this tier, shoppers receive 2 membership cards and a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
• Executive: The higher tier membership costs $120 annually. With the Executive membership, shoppers get additional benefits such as an annual 2% reward and discounts on Costco services.

Sam’s Club Membership

• Club: The lower tier membership costs $50 annually. The Plus membership offers instant savings, same-day delivery, and savings on fuel.
• Plus: The higher tier costs $110 annually. With the Plus membership, members enjoy free shipping and free curbside pickup. Members are also able to shop early and receive savings on pharmacy optical products or services.

WHERE’S THE PROOF?

With the crackdown, consumers claimed they encountered serious pushback from Costco staff – even when authorized cardholders used a membership that didn’t have their name on it.

Costco has also made changes to its store entrances and checkout areas for membership verification and ID checks .

Some members at select stores have spotted new scanners where they swipe cards to confirm memberships as they enter.

An employee then matches their picture to the card before allowing them in.

Others claimed downloading the Costco mobile application is “required” at their store to verify memberships.

Frustrated customers have switched or canceled their Costco members in favor of rival retailers like Sam’s Club and BJ’s.

Some Costco shoppers said they can’t trust the retailer to notice mistakes on receipts as many consumers are being overcharged for items they haven’t purchased.

And Costco members have also speculated the retailer is planning a huge change to one of their beloved bakery items.

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