Angry BJ’s shoppers hit with unexpected $55 fee without permission – and customers claim charges weren’t ‘authorized’

A recent Facebook post has brought attention to growing dissatisfaction with BJ’s Wholesale Club’s membership renewal practices.

The user, who claims to have visited BJ’s only a few times in the past year, expressed frustration after being charged for a membership renewal without prior notification or authorization.

According to the post, the $55 charge, which user Rod Manges "didn't authorize," was detected through PayPal.

Manges was caught off guard as they were not notified that their membership was up for renewal.

The incident has left the user feeling frustrated, as he had intended to let the membership expire due to dissatisfaction with the club’s offerings.

The post also highlights the customer’s experience with BJ’s customer service, which Manges claims has a dedicated complaints line specifically for handling refund requests related to unauthorized renewals.

Despite contacting the company, Manges was informed that a refund would take seven to 10 days to process, further exacerbating his frustration.

In their post, the customer advised others to consider switching to Sam’s Club, indicating a preference for an alternative shopping experience due to their negative experience with BJ’s.

NOT ALONE

Manges isn't the only BJ's customer who has endured this issue.

Other shoppers commented on the post, relating to Manges's experience

"Same happened to me last September..." wrote one person, "they had signed me up for auto renewal and it was a month before it expired. I made sure to change it on the website for this year."

On the flip side, a customer said that they were able to get it resolved.

"I was also renewed without permission," they commented. "I just needed to go to BJs and surrender my card and they cancelled on the spot and refunded me. No problems."

To this, Manges replied:

"I called the store CS and they told me I had to call there special line to get refunded. Like they didn’t want to be bothered. They also renewed a whole month before card expires."

SURCHARGE FURY

BJ'S Wholesale Club provides potential customers with single-day passes, but one shopper discovered that there's an additional fee attached.

This morning I got notice from PayPal my account was charged for $55 renewal which I didn’t authorize.

These passes allow non-members to explore BJ's benefits for 24 hours, including access to online shopping, before deciding whether to commit to the $55 annual membership.

While the store doesn’t display the cost of the one-day pass on its website, a customer found out that it includes a 20% surcharge.

The shopper (@foruntooblivion) shared on X that they obtained a pass to evaluate whether the membership prices were justified, only to notice the unexpected fee.

"No thanks, I'll stick to Walmart and Target," they wrote.

BJ's issued an apology, clarifying that a 20% "non-member surcharge" is applied to the final bill for those shopping with single-day passes.

Despite this surcharge, non-members can still save up to 25% on groceries.

"No thanks," the X user replied.

"That surcharge is pocket change, but I find it personally insulting."

More customers have complained about the retailer.

A BJ's Club member vowed never to shop there again after being charged $55 without authorizing the payment.

Plus, shoppers claimed that Costco lags behind Sam's Club when it comes to a specific membership perk.