COSTCO recently accused a shopper of violating a store policy but got several details about the customer wrong.
The customer was accosted by an employee who claimed he had been inside for five minutes, despite the fact he had been there for over an hour without issue.
The employee is also said to have gotten other key details wrong about the customer when they approached him.
According to a Reddit post, the reason the employee accused the customer is because the scanners picked up someone wearing a backpack who didn’t scan their card.
But the post revealed that the customer was actually wearing his wife’s backpack, so it cannot of been him.
Even though the Costco shopper tried to explain this to the employee, it did not help.
The employee did not apologise, and instead left the shopper feeling bad after being “blatantly accused” of something he didn’t do.
In the comments, one social media user suggested that the customer should take his complaint higher up, because the way he was treated was “unfair”.
The comment said: “I would report this above the manager.
“If you scanned in an hour prior there is probably evidence of this somewhere.
“The way you were treated was unfair, once you provided your card to the manager and explained the manager should have checked the numbers/ ids that had been scanned in.”
The US Sun has reached out to Costco for comment on the post, but did not hear back right away.
PRIOR COMPLAINTS
Back in June, Costco received similar backlash from customers over a policy that required members to scan their cards.
Another customer, Chris Pierce, scrutinized this Costco policy, and claimed that they were asked to provide several forms of ID to enter.
He posted on Facebook: “I’ve followed the rules, paid my dues, and contributed to the store’s success.
“But lately, things have changed.Now there are guards scrutinizing every member, asking for multiple forms of ID just to shop—like maybe I don’t belong here, despite having every right to be.
Costco’s membership scanners
Costco has unveiled membership scanners at its store entrances.
In August 2024, the retailer released a statement about the scanners on its website.
“Over the coming months, membership scanning devices will be used at the entrance door of your local warehouse,” it wrote.
“Once deployed, prior to entering, all members must scan their physical or digital membership card by placing the barcode or QR Code against the scanner.
“Guests must also be accompanied by a valid member for entry.
“If you have any questions or concerns, there will always be an attendant at the door to assist you!
“If your membership is inactive, expired, or you would like to sign up for a new membership, the attendant will ask that you stop by the membership counter prior to entering the warehouse to shop.
“Additionally, if your membership card does not have a photo, please be prepared to show your valid photo ID.
“We encourage you to stop by the membership counter to have a photo taken to have on your card.”
“People like me, who have been loyal members for years, are suddenly being treated with suspicion.”
Costco had previously warned members that they could face extra scrutiny if their card did not show a photo of them.
The reason behind the scanners has been linked to the chain’s crackdown on membership sharing.
Viral footage had been shared showing the process of scanning in as a member.
Once a member scans in, their profile picture comes up inn a large tablet screen.
A Costco member is normally standing next to the scanner to avoid issues, but many think it doesn’t do much good.
Costco shopper Ken Lofton told the ABC affiliate KABC that he thinks the policy will lead to delays.
“I can see that slowing down people getting in,” he said.
“It’s not just a flash of a card anymore.”
CEO Ron Vachris has previously defended the scanners in an earnings call transcript seen by The Motley Fool.
He said: “They’re speeding up our registers significantly when we get all the scanning and memberships verified at the front door.”
In the comments, one social media user suggested that the customer should take his complaint higher up, because the way he was treated was “unfair”[/caption]
