If you want something from Costco, you better go get it yourself. One man says he was kicked out of the wholesale behemoth for trying to purchase one item with his mom’s membership card.
In a viral video posted on Saturday, Dec. 28, TikTok user Walter Van Bebber (@vanbebski) talks about his failed attempt to buy an item at Costco using a photo of his mom’s Costco card. As of publication, Bebber’s video has over 470,000 views.
What happened to him at Costco?
“Hey, Costco!” Bebber begins, frantically setting up his camera in his car. “Count your [expletive] days, pal.”
The on-screen text above Bebber reads, “Costco rant.” He explains that the inciting incident for said rant was Costco not allowing him to purchase an item alone using a picture of his mother’s Costco card.
“She’s got the level 1,000 max prestige super deluxe Costco membership. There’s no reason why I need that, too,” Bebber laments. “She’s already paying, like, double what the normal subscription is—why do I need a card too?”
Bebber says he went into the store, scanned a picture of his mom’s card, and got through the entrance just fine.
“I go into the store. I scan a picture of the card, right? Beep! They let me in. They go, ‘Yay! Welcome to Costco! You’re in the cult. You have the membership. You’re clearly welcome here!’”
A downward turn
However, once he was done shopping and wanted to check out, he says he began to face some difficulties.
“I get my item, I wait in the long-[expletive] line—takes three hours on a bad day. You know what I mean?” He says. “I get to the front thing, I put my thing down. She says, ‘Do you have a membership?’”
Bebber says he replied that he did, but when he showed the picture of his mother’s membership card to her, he says the woman declined it.
“I’m like, ‘Yes, here is the thing I used to get in the store! They scanned and accepted!’” He recalls. “She’s like, ‘Mmmm… can’t use that.’ I’m like, ‘Say on God you can’t use that.’”
Bebber explains that the woman at the register called over another employee to help with the situation. Unfortunately for Bebber, the second employee also refused to scan the picture.
“She’s like, ‘Mmm… Can’t scan that.’ I’m like, ‘We literally had the same exact conversation.’” Bebber motions between himself and the camera with his hands for emphasis.
“She calls the manager,” Bebber says. He raises his hands up over his head and throws them back down in frustration. “And now I’m just the [expletive]head who has one item, calling the … manager, holding up the whole line.”
Bebber puts his head in his hands and mumbles into them. “And I’m just like, ‘Oh my God, just let me buy it, please just let me buy it,” he says.
“Manager comes over. He’s like, ‘Who is this on the card?’” Bebber says.
He says he told the manager the card belongs to his mom. “He’s like, ‘Not gonna—not gonna happen, buddy. Your mom and a picture? Not a chance.’”
“I’m like, ‘Dude, please, she’s got the max prestige [expletive] Costco membership,’” Bebber recounts. “‘You can’t just let me buy it?’”
He then states the manager turned him down again before telling Bebber to leave.
“I’m like, bro. This Costco cult [expletive] has to stop,” Bebber concludes. “Just let me buy the … item!”
That’s so relatable!
Many commenters related to Bebber’s unfortunate shopping experience.
“THIS THO!!! My mom has to drive 40 minutes just to go to Costco with me when I need it,” someone agreed. “They rather lose the sale then let you just do it.”
“My mom was literally IN THE HOSPITAL and I was using her card and they stopped me ASKED FOR MY ID IN FRONT OF EVERYONE to make sure the last names were the same,” a different commenter recalled. “AND STILL KICKED ME OIT.”
“VALID crash out,” another user affirmed. “I just go to self checkout.”
Other commenters gave Bebber advice to avoid similar situations in the future.
“Your mom can actually put u under her membership,” one commenter suggested. “Just go with her the next time and they’ll issue you a card with your face. My mom did it for me.”
Advice from the comments
A self-proclaimed ex-Costco employee commented similar advice.
“Costco employee here,” she said. “If ur mom has no one else on her card, have her add you so you can have ur own card under her membership! It is very unfortunate how strict we have to be now. I usually let peoples children in if they are using their parents card.”
She also replied to her own comment, clarifying that the scanners are supposed to prevent customers like Bebber from experiencing situations like the one described in the video. She also urged people not to blame employees, who are simply following the rules.
Lastly, a few users took the opportunity to plug a rival chain.
“Costco is overrated,” claimed one user. “Always packed, checkout is a pain, everyone in your family needs a card. Sam’s club on top!”
“Sams dgaf who card it is long as u got one,” joked another user.
So what’s the actual membership policy?
According to the Costco Customer Service page, the membership card is non-transferable. Members can bring up to two friends along, but said friends cannot use the card by themselves. On another page, it notes that it also does not allow photocopies or pictures of membership cards to pass as replacements for membership cards.
As a few of Bebber’s commenters pointed out, though, Costco does allow members to designate one other person from their household as a fellow member. You can do this by accessing your account details on the Costco website, and then you can go with them in person to get them their own card.
“If you’re the Primary Member or Account Manager, you can assign your free household card to one other person in your home,” the website reads. “That way they’ll also get the benefits of a Costco membership.”
@vanbebski Don’t even try to tell me that’s how they make their money. #hater ♬ original sound – Walter
The Daily Dot reached out to Bebber via TikTok and Instagram direct message, and Costco via press email.
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