This man was trying to do a good deed until Costco stepped in to stop it. Commenters are conflicted about how it went down.
In the last few months, videos have circulated of people being met with kindness from restaurant owners as they buy food for unhoused people.
They usually go like this: A person places an unusually large order, say for 150 burritos or 75 butter chicken plates, and the cashier has to speak with their manager to see if they can fulfill all those orders on such short notice.
The person in charge comes out and asks what the bulk order is for, and the TikToker explains that it’s to give out to unhoused people. The person in charge will then heavily discount the meals or give them to the TikTok for free to help with the good deed.
Nice right?
This is not that. In fact, it’s basically the opposite.
A good Costco deed gone wrong
In a trending video nearing 300,000 views, shopper @bestbeforefood tried to order 50 of Costco’s now iconic $1.50 hot dog combos to give to unhoused people in his community. Based on his TikTok page, which he seems to run with his partner, @bestbeforefood gives out meals with some regularity. (The rest of the page is dedicated to reducing food waste by showing that expiration dates shouldn’t stop you from consuming certain packaged foods.)
While the TikToker was able to put in the $75 order on Costco’s self-checkout machine, when he got to the pickup counter, he was told they had to refund the order.
Apparently, Costco has a policy stating that they can only sell five hot dogs per person and that whatever food they buy at the food court has to be consumed there, and they cannot take the food outside.
The second claim is not true—based both on experience and the fact that Costco literally advertises take out pizza as one of its membership perks.
The Daily Dot could not find any information on Costco’s website confirming that the retail giant has a per-person food limit. Pure speculation here, but if a family of 7 comes in and they all want hotdogs, they wouldn’t sell it to them? Seems unlikely.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Costco to confirm whether this is a real policy or something exclusive to this location.
The TikToker trying to make the 50 hot dog purchase seems to make his way over to the customer service desk, but the video doesn’t include any dialogue or further discussion with customer service about the issue, just them refunding him.
The $1.50 Costco hotdog combo—which includes a 1/2-pound beef hotdog alongside a 20 oz refillable soda—has cost the same amount since the 1980s.
And it’s not going to change anytime soon, the company’s chief financial officer confirmed earlier this year after rumors started going around of a potential increase.
If you want to try this out at your location or are just craving a hot dog now, beware that a new policy might restrict your entrance.
Do you need a Costco membership to eat at the food court?
You’ve always needed a Costco membership to shop at one of their warehouses, but depending on the location, you could fill up on their well-priced food court without paying the annual fee.
That went away just a few months ago. As of Apr. 8, 2024, all food court patrons must have a Costco card, Delish reported.
People in the comments section offered some viable workaround.
“I think with proper planning/called ahead/speaking to a manager and arranged a specific date and time for pick up they could do it,” the top comment read.
“Or buy the box or weiners there and buns and make them at home,” a person said.
@imemmaklein Every day im blown away #fbmarketplace #storytime #crazy ♬ original sound – Emma Klein !
Others said they’ve never run into this issue.
“Not at my store. I might have asked you if you’d mind waiting to get them cooked in the oven to make sure we had enough to sell to other members. (They taste better baked too),” a commenter wrote.
“My store lets you buy any amount. My work has gotten them plenty of times and orders like 50,” another chimed in.
The Daily Dot reached out to the food waste TikToker and Costco via email.
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