CORP/BIZ Sam's Club...starting to hate them in a bad way...a rant

[TKO]

Last few times I've been to Sam's Club to shop, it has been an ordeal. They have cut checkers and now have more scan your own lines. However, people have issues on those all the time...and anyone buying alcohol holds up the lines bigtime. Also, the hispanics not able to speak English, or trying to use an EBT card, always have an issue at self checkout. THEN, on top of that, on the way out you have to stand in another line to exit the store. It used to be that you walked out and they scanned your receipt and an item in the cart. NOW, they have a policy of scanning 3 items in the cart. This holds up the line such that it is longer than the one you stood in to checkout.

It gets even better now. Sam's online just went to one of those nightmare apps called Recaptcha. Supposed security to prevent robots. I just tried logging in. "Click all the fire hydrants". Then more fire hydrants appear. Click the remainder..."Click all the crosswalks"...then more crosswalks appear. Click those down. Then, it goes to "Click all the trucks". Finally, I am able to login. OH, it gets even better. I went to the contact page after logging in. I wanted to send a quick chat to Sam's and tell them about this. I click SEND, and a Recaptcha appears..."Click all the fire hydrants". WTH? This is maddening. I have a Costco membership, too. I think I'll do my shopping at Costco instead. Sam's has gone to insanity now. I get it. More apartments are going up around there and more minorities shopping there than ever before. More foreigners all the time in the store now, too. They are likely getting stolen blind. However, I can choose to shop where it is more convenient for me.

 

[Looks Harmless]

I always raise my eyebrow at someone buying a kosher Nathan's hotdog from someone in a hijab...

 

[Meemur]

I gave up my Sam's club membership about two years ago. It was taking too long to get in and out, even first thing on a weekday morning, and after I added up savings, plus my time, I found I was better off with a combination of Aldi and Fareway for food, with a once-a-year trip to Family Dollar for paper plates, cleaners, and other odds and ends.

I'm working from home, but I no longer have a home business. That's where I used to save some money on bulk supplies.

Your millage may vary!

Can't speak about Costco because there's only one on the far side of the Metro. It would take too much time and trouble to get over there. I'd have to have other shopping, and I've cut back shopping for non-food items.

 

[Jeff B.]

Costco sounds like it's doing better, but some of your peeves are there too... One of the two Costcos I use is heavy with Indians (dot not woo-woo) and I must say, they are likely the worst drivers on the planet. They are pretty in tune to the lines and open more to accommodate as needed.

We switched to Costco 15 years ago and never really looked back, but I won't tell you it's perfect, just more in tune with me than Sam's.

Jeff B.

 

[Sherrynboo]

I refuse to pay for the privilege to shop somewhere.

 

[Jackalope]

Sounds like a first world problem...

 

[TKO]

I refuse to pay for the privilege to shop somewhere.

I didn't pay this year. I got a deal from Sam's this year to start a membership, after I canceled it previously due to Covid...they didn't have anything so why go. Then, they sent me a gift card promo that paid for the membership.

 

[TKO]

Sounds like a first world problem...

No. This issue was even in the middle east, in Kuwait, when I was there in the Gulf War. LOL! Sheik Mart.

 

[Yogizorch]

I avoid the lines altogether and have them deliver. Besides saving the wear and tear on my car it saves the wear and tear on me. You can also avoid their self scan lines by using their app on your phone and scan your items as you put them into your cart.

 

[Flashyzipp]

We love Sam’s club but live in a small town so know lots of the employees.

 

[kyrsyan]

I've been using Sam's Club site/app to store for over a year with no problems. As for lines in stores, I don't even. The app has a scan and pay function. If I go inside I scan as I load and slide to pay as I head to the front door. Especially during busy times.
About the only time I go through a line now is if I have to pay using two different methods or cash.
As for Costco, in store is good. But their delivery and shipping services jack up the prices a lot. (As in $179 online for a UPS that was $99 in store.) And they don't have site to store. I just managed to get in there yesterday and spent a lot. But it'll be 3 months or more before I can get back in.

 

[Blue 5]

I'd love to switch to Costco, but their nearest store is an hour away on the far side of Louisville. That's not a practical option. Our local Sam's is okay, and the employees are generally friendly, but their app sucks. I've never been able to get the scan and go to work reliably, so we're stuck waiting in lines to check out. Our local store almost never has toilet paper or paper towels, either. Apparently locals are REALLY into butt wiping.

 

[subnet]

Last few times I've been to Sam's Club to shop, it has been an ordeal. They have cut checkers and now have more scan your own lines. However, people have issues on those all the time...and anyone buying alcohol holds up the lines bigtime. Also, the hispanics not able to speak English, or trying to use an EBT card, always have an issue at self checkout. THEN, on top of that, on the way out you have to stand in another line to exit the store. It used to be that you walked out and they scanned your receipt and an item in the cart. NOW, they have a policy of scanning 3 items in the cart. This holds up the line such that it is longer than the one you stood in to checkout.

It gets even better now. Sam's online just went to one of those nightmare apps called Recaptcha. Supposed security to prevent robots. I just tried logging in. "Click all the fire hydrants". Then more fire hydrants appear. Click the remainder..."Click all the crosswalks"...then more crosswalks appear. Click those down. Then, it goes to "Click all the trucks". Finally, I am able to login. OH, it gets even better. I went to the contact page after logging in. I wanted to send a quick chat to Sam's and tell them about this. I click SEND, and a Recaptcha appears..."Click all the fire hydrants". WTH? This is maddening. I have a Costco membership, too. I think I'll do my shopping at Costco instead. Sam's has gone to insanity now. I get it. More apartments are going up around there and more minorities shopping there than ever before. More foreigners all the time in the store now, too. They are likely getting stolen blind. However, I can choose to shop where it is more convenient for me.

I stinking hate Captchas...and why the hell is google using them to search sht...wth?

 

[Kathy in FL]

Meh. Be glad there's traffic and some employees in the stores. No shoppers, fewer and fewer employees manning a store means bad economy ... which if the Dems have their way is what is coming like a sledgehammer.

 

[nebb]

I did a last trip to Costco Oct 31, not gonna renew unless they send an enticement. Will go with my daughter occasionally for a couple things.

 

[Meemur]

I'm trying to be positive, Kathy in FL, but shopping in these times has pretty much lost its appeal to me, not that I liked it that well before. It took bribing myself with my favorite pickles and nuts to get through stocking the pantry, which I did by picking up the items myself so I could check labels.

 

[tech020]

Our membership at Costco expires in December. Just the two of us and we go maybe every 3 months for coffee and some bulk meat for the freezer. So in late November I will buy 3 or 4 $50 gift cards to use over the winter and not renew until April or later next year. They should have a senior rate but apparently they don't give a rip.

 

[The Snack Artist]

These are some great problems to have. Food is terribly abundant in this day. Hope it stays that way forever. Had a Nigerian Priest (Catholic) come to our Parish about 25 years ago. They took him to Jewel. Costco wasn't around yet. He remarked, "So this store is for the whole Chicago?" They drove him to another three blocks away. His mind was blown. He couldn't believe the abundance.

 

[Firebird]

I despise all shopping clubs

 

[Knight_Loring]

Last few times I've been to Sam's Club to shop, it has been an ordeal. They have cut checkers and now have more scan your own lines. However, people have issues on those all the time...and anyone buying alcohol holds up the lines bigtime. Also, the hispanics not able to speak English, or trying to use an EBT card, always have an issue at self checkout. THEN, on top of that, on the way out you have to stand in another line to exit the store. It used to be that you walked out and they scanned your receipt and an item in the cart. NOW, they have a policy of scanning 3 items in the cart. This holds up the line such that it is longer than the one you stood in to checkout.

^^^^^^^
These are the reasons I let mine expire in September without renewing. Frustrating place to shop.

At my Sams Club, they put the oldest person in town at the exit door scanning receipts and supposedly counting items, so slow that there is frequently a line of at least 25 people. When I had a few items, I would carry them right out the door without stopping, passing all the line waiters, not caring what anyone thinks.

Many times I have pointed to the line and told the manager the person at the exit door needs help, none arrived before I got there.

No Thanks! Happily will shop elsewhere!

 

[Quiet Man]

Sams Club has great prices on many items my wife and I regularly use. We shop there weekly. I like the Scan and Go feature on their phone app as it lets me completely bypass the checkout lines.

 

[WalknTrot]

I escaped the Sam's Club web over a year ago. The only thing I miss is that they regularly carried lamb in their meat dept. It's hard to find elsewhere up here, but I can live quite well without it.

 

[Milkweed Host]

I dumped SAM's club about eight years ago when an extreme racist Rosalind G. Brewer
took over as CEO. She has since moved on to Starbucks, but I never went back to SAM's.

Sam's mostly had pain in the arse security guards at the entrance and exit that always slowed
people down. I ran into moldy food there along with thousands of dead bugs in a box of
Post Grape Nuts. I couldn't believe all the dead bugs in the cereal. I still remember that day when
my oldest son took a look at my bowl of Post Grape Nuts and laughed. I got the magnifying glass out
and sure enough, there was a huge amount of dead bugs, colored just like the Grape Nuts.

Grape Nuts was my favorite cereal. In the summer of 68, when I went thru Fort Campbell, I'd take two boxes
of that cereal for breakfast. I'd hide one box in my left hand that was holding the tray and the other box
was on the tray. No I didn't get caught as I was an innocent looking 17 year old that didn't need to shave.

 

[TKO]

^^^^^^^
These are the reasons I let mine expire in September without renewing. Frustrating place to shop.

At my Sams Club, they put the oldest person in town at the exit door scanning receipts and supposedly counting items, so slow that there is frequently a line of at least 25 people. When I had a few items, I would carry them right out the door without stopping, passing all the line waiters, not caring what anyone thinks.

Many times I have pointed to the line and told the manager the person at the exit door needs help, none arrived before I got there.

No Thanks! Happily will shop elsewhere!

I went to Costco today to compare. A Saturday even! Things of note: Costco had MANY more employees working vs the Sam's. Sam's had no one in the electronics dept. Costco...3 employees. Long line to self checkout but I was at checkout in 3 mins. 4 employees at the Costco checkout. That's the difference. There is usually one person at Sam's helping the regular checkouts and the self checkouts. On the way out, no scanning. Just quick look at receipt. No line at all for a Saturday to leave the store. Incredible. Just incredible.

 

[TKO]

I ran into moldy food there along with thousands of dead bugs in a box of
Post Grape Nuts.

So, good point. We have noted we HAVE to check expiry dates on everything at Sam's. We've been caught on expired dates of cases of vegetables.

 

[jeffeljefe]

Sams Club has great prices on many items my wife and I regularly use. We shop there weekly. I like the Scan and Go feature on their phone app as it lets me completely bypass the checkout lines.

yep I agree love sams for the scan and go. I thought I was the only one using this app. I love just going up to all the people in line getting frustrated and angry and I just walk right passed them lol.

 

[marsh]

I get my groceries delivered from Costco. I order online once a month. Yeh, it is more expensive and you tip the shopper, but it eliminates the hassle and exposure. With a garden for fresh veggies, it works out fine.

 

[anna43]

I'm about to boycott Walmart for the same reason.

 

[Texican]

We have used Sam's for decades. There can be crowds, but the shopping goes well. We also order online and any problems with the shipment are corrected immediately by Sam's.

When we shop at Sam's such as yesterday at Sherman, Texas, there were no problems for Sherman is not a large city so not as many people to deal with, but Wally World is a whole different experience.

Guess it depends on where you live as to problems shopping at Sam's.

Texican....

 

[billet]

Sam's ain't all that, but we go because my wife gets a free membership thru work.

 

[Bridey Rose]

Renton (WA) Walmart just expanded its self-checkout section and reduced the number of employee-manned checkstands. Now there's one big line to get into the self-checkout "pen." Went through with no problems, but I didn't buy any produce.

Self-checkout is fine with me because the last 2 times I went through employee checkout there, I was charged for items I refused as potentially defective (a similar can had opened and made a mess) or didn't even have in my cart! If you let their employees check you out, be sure to watch 'em like a hawk.

After my self-checkout, I did keep the receipt in my hand to show the employee at the door, who just glanced at it and marked it with a highlighter. No line for the receipt checker.

When someone else checks me out, I don't bother showing my receipt (which goes straight in my wallet) and just keep heading out the door. If they want to accuse me of being a theif, they're going to have to chase me to do so!

 

[Profit of Doom]

I always raise my eyebrow at someone buying a kosher Nathan's hotdog from someone in a hijab...

Kosher and Halil, while kinda similar, are not the same thing. Don’t forget, that muzzie’s wages help fund terrorism.

 

[Panner]

I don't know if Costco still does it but at one time if you dropped your membership and then renewed let's say 6 months later, your new membership started when you would have originally renewed. So you paid the full year price but had to pay again after 6 months.

 

[1eagle]

We have both clubs. Used to LOVE Sam's early 'Business Card' member's hours. Was worth the upgrade cost, imo. Could start shopping @ 7 or 8 a.m. w/ freshly stocked aisles, clean store, hardly any other shoppers, speedy check-outs. We still like the smaller sizes on several items, but won't buy their meats & rarely clothing items (poor quality compared to Costco). Of course, a larger selection of 'business' items, as well as more restaurant-quality cooking items. But the C19 did away w/ the early hours perk, regardless of your card status. Now opens 10:00 a.m. & nearly non-existant employees for any help & has many of OP's gripes.

Costco gets the bulk of our purchases; far superior quality in pretty much everything, happy staff (paid good wages for retail), good selections, generous return policy, gas, optical (best comprensive eye exams in the area, including clinics), Rx, cash rebates on topline membership (which pays for itself in our case). They now offer Tu-Thur 'early' shopping for those 60+ 9-10 a.m. Great online deals, delivery. They even have a "Business Center" in our metro (which is where a lot of previously in-store items went). No comparison in the bakery dept @ made-to-order cakes, pumpkin pies. Though I do prefer Sam's smaller sizes of bakery items, (who needs a muffin the size of a grapefruit?). Costco's meat dept. is outstanding. But as the kids leave the nest, we're finding quantities are becoming a bit too big for our needs, so we may start sharing/splitting purchases w/ elderly parents, or rely more on Sam's sizes.

Also fun to compare regional clubs as we travel.

 

[Genevieve]

I plan on canceling my sam's membership before july next year. just not worth the hassle anymore. 45 min drive one way, then the lines, then loading and unloading another 45 mins drive back unloading. I've had enough

 

[sjhenderson]

We use Sam's for my disabled sons veggies and olive oil. That is pretty much it now as they are rude people in my area. No Costco for 80 miles. No Wally World either unless emergency.

 

[1eagle]

I don't know if Costco still does it but at one time if you dropped your membership and then renewed let's say 6 months later, your new membership started when you would have originally renewed. So you paid the full year price but had to pay again after 6 months.

That didn't happen to us 2 years ago. When you renew, your renewal starts fresh. Not sure what policy is now, or if it varies by state.

 

[tech020]

I was led to believe that Costco will not backdate the renewal after 90 days. So I wait 4 months to be sure and then get a full year. They can be sneaky but so can customers, ethically speaking of course.

 

[et2]

We’ve been Costco members for a long time. Never paid for their membership ( just the very first time). We bought their executive membership and it pays for itself with the rebate check they send us every year. Plus a few bucks left over to spend.

Love Costco as does my wife. Our favorite store to shop. My wife is driving me nuts right now to go back to get some more of their pumpkin muffins before they’re are gone. Man are they good.

 

[homecanner1]

For years did a shopping buddy deal where she had Sam's membership ( for the bulk dog food) and I had Costco membership, worked for both of us, we did both on same day. She had a minivan and we filled it up.

Now am doing a Costco Family deal with son, only go twice a year, usually spring-fall, pre holidays but have been postponing due to Covid this year and may pass on them altogether.

remember, you can get a one day guest pass to Sam's if you don't have a shop buddy to save on fees, watch your November wknd coupon fliers in Sunday circulars this month, they usually do a one time pass offer for Black Friday - Sunday time frame. I use those once a year if I am craving a Sam's experience and go after the initial stampede.

Error

help.samsclub.com

I would initiate among neighborhood, facebook or church groups to pair up with those who have memberships to go as their guest. Also offer to go halvsies on 2021 fees with a friend and shop together.

Its safer as well to caravan to the big box parking lots

Did the same thing with Ancestry for years during their free Veterans Day (.mil records) and St. Patricks Day trial offers. Use the freebies, save on fees.