When customers are used to a certain standard at a business, getting used to new or updated practices can present a rough adjustment period.
Some Costco shoppers have expressed confusion and frustration with recent updates to the bulk warehouse chain’s entrance policies, which have changed to not only disallow the sharing of memberships between family members and friends but to also require members to scan their cards before entering the store to purchase items.
One customer says that he had a frustrating experience with a Costco door greeter who asked him for his physical card to scan.
In a video posted to TikTok, Tejpal Singh (@tejpalsinghtv) says he realized he forgot his card and had his brother send him a photo of it, which would have scanned properly in the machine. But he hit a road block when the store employee caught an attitude.
“Why the f*ck if I’m paying for a membership for some places, do I have to have a physical card on me?” he says in the video. “Because Costco, this is your f*cking problem. I enter your establishment—I forgot my card at home, I have my brother message me a picture of the card that has my face and barcode on it, by the way, this is key—so I enter, and the lady actually stops me. This never happens. She’s like, ‘can I see your card?’ I’m like, I forgot, this is—like here’s a picture of it. Here’s a picture of the only thing you f*cking need for me to enter this place. And she goes, ‘Does that look like a physical card to you?’”
Singh says that he primarily took issue with the employee’s attitude and the way she responded to his lack of a physical card. Had she simply said something along the lines of him needing to have a physical card and that he would have to get in line for a temporary one, he says he would not have been as frustrated by the experience.
“This b*tch,” Singh says. “So I’m like, yeah, I have an active membership that when you scan the picture, you’ll see that I’m paying for a membership. I’m not trying to bamboozle you. I just don’t want to wait in the line for a temporary card. Now this is key, she tells me to go get a temporary card. So I download the Costco app, which I didn’t want to f*cking do. I hate downloading apps. And all the app has is a picture of me, and a barcode. Basically, the thing my brother f*cking sent me. But just in an app form.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Singh via TikTok direct message regarding the video, as well as to Costco via its contact form.
Several viewers compared the experience to Costco’s competitors, like Sam’s Club.
“Sams club would NEVVVEEEER!” one commenter wrote.
“Sam’s club is definitely superior rn with their scan and go. I agree tho, why is Costco LATE with technology,” another said.
“Sam’s club, after one incident at Costco I switched lol,” a third added.
@tejpalsinghtv #punjabi #brown #fyp #foryoupage #foryou #xyzcba #fypシ #costco ♬ original sound – Tejpal Singh
Others remarked on the need to check a physical copy of the card when customers must show or scan their cards at checkout.
“I don’t even get why they need to check a card when you enter when you physically can’t checkout without the card,” one commenter wrote.
“I will NEVER understand checking at the door,” another commented. “You can’t purchase anything without the da*n card.”
“And the way they ask for card at the entrance,” a further user said. “Like yeah everyone has it. How else am i supposed to check out ?”
