Costco Speed Run + Absurd Limit Sign Rant

"Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo" (akioohtori)
07/10/2020 at 15:01 • Filed to: None

Did a speed run on Costco over lunch today. In and out in under 15 minutes. Pretty proud of that.

There is nothing like a visit to Costco, especially during a pandemic, to make you lose faith in your fellow man. So many nose-out masks. So little distancing. BUT there weren’t wild children frolicking through the aisles diving in front of my cart like a confused deer... so at least there is that.

!!! UNKNOWN HEADER TYPE (MULTI-LINE BREAK?) !!!

I support them and, in general, I think they’re a good thing.

However

I do not agree with the way Costco implements them. Specifically , twice I’ve gone to checkout with too many “limited” items and I had no idea.

The first time I thought it was a fluke and I just missed the sign.

The second time I was like “Ok really there was no sign.” I’m not usually one to make a fuss... in fact I spend a fair amount of time and energy to make sure I don’t. So being called out for being over a limit twice in a row kinda triggered me.

I made a very small fuss.

Basically I just asked if there was a sign, because I didn’t see one. The checker said there was. I asked her to send someone to check at some point because I was pretty sure it must have fallen down or something .

I tried to make it clear I wasn’t trying to bypass the limit, I just wanted to make sure there was a sign so others wouldn’t also be surprised .

A manager happened to be in the next register, overheard, and came over . I reiterated that I didn’t mind being limited, only that I really didn’t see a sign and I specifically looked for one.

Luckily she knew what was up and responded with “O h yeah it is printed on the price sign and is super tiny. It is dumb, I’m sorry.” and that was that.

Ok... dumb but fair enough.

So this time I look really hard and sure enough....

You see it? Nah me neither.

ENHANCE

Hmmm still not seeing it....

ENHANCE

Uhhh... wait maybe?

ENHANCE

Oh OK. There it is. In squintovision.

Literally smaller than the price per square foot number.

I actually had to stand on the palette to get this picture.

Seriously? Be better Costco.

DISCUSSION (34)

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
07/10/2020 at 15:11

Glad I wasn't behind you waiting to check out!

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
07/10/2020 at 15:12

I feel your pain. I recently went to Microcenter to buy 2 video cards for my folding rigs, and at the register the salesman tells me that there’s a limit of 1 per household and I can’t have the second one. There was no sign posted, anywhere, that I could find. I’d already found the same deal online through N ewegg so I shr u gged it off. I went to Micro because I needed some other things, and figured I’d get the cards there to help a local brick and mortar business, but whatever.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
07/10/2020 at 15:14

oh... my supermarket does that stuff....well...they have tiny little notes on the isles saying 1 or 2 items of whatever...easy to miss...

but to be honest....you could have full size posters and people would still miss it

i mean... over here you havent been able to get into a supermarket without a cart for uhh..what 4 months now? and theres a clearly marked entrance and exit...seperated...with tape and bigly fucking signs...

people still walk in the wrong side and are surprised they need a cart

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
07/10/2020 at 15:15

Manager:

“It is dumb.”

[does nothing about it]

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
07/10/2020 at 15:19

It was a quick exchange performed while the checking out process was underway. Again, I don’t want to do anything to slow the machine but also was very tired of looking like one of “those people” that I apparently became one haha

This is what we'll show whenever you publish anything on Kinja: > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
07/10/2020 at 15:23

The first time I hit Costco during the pandemic was an experience. Showed up at 5:30am, half dozen people already in line. We hadn’t been there for probably a month at that point and needed to restock on everything. By the time I was done shopping my cart was stacked taller than my height, but I wasn’t hoarding and mostly had individual items. (Except for 4 bags of coffee, 8 cartons of half and half, and 2 packages of ground beef because that’s a normal trip for us)

Some older gentlemen saw it and started to make a comment, then he saw the case of diapers and wipes and patted me on the back and said something about it being ok because I had children.

Cashier and assistant gave me the judgiest of looks as I approached the till. I proclaimed ‘I swear I’m not hoarding” and the cashier replied ‘We don’t judge” (they were totally judging). Then the receipt checker gave me the same look.

When I stepped out the front door the line easily had a couple hundred people in it. W hen they saw my cart I heard them rabbling and making angry comments. Probably would have gone sideways had they not wanted to lose their spot in line. (Good for them though, had the Olfa and at the time would not have hesitated to use it)

I've never unloaded a shopping cart into my car so fast in my life. I was the f out of there with a quickness.

CalzoneGolem > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
07/10/2020 at 15:25

[Is unable to do anything except what corporate told them to do]

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
07/10/2020 at 15:25

My friend’s dad has worked as a big wig for Costco Corporate for many, many years. I would bet with both hands that there is nothing the floor manager can do. Signage, layouts, etc., is likely strictly determined and enforced by HQ.

gin-san - shitpost specialist > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
07/10/2020 at 15:26

I’d imagine that a common sense change like this would still have to go through the corporate bureaucracy; store manager refers it to regional manager who refers it to corporate manager who takes it up with the director and the corporate manager leads a focus group where they “touch base” with regional managers from many regions and then the corporate manager kicks it back up the ladder to some vice-president of corporate regional management who puts their stamp on it and eventually the store manager makes the change.

WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI > gin-san - shitpost specialist
07/10/2020 at 15:29

Not only that, but by the time the whole damn thing goes all the way up , then all the way back down the ladder, the original request will be so far from what is implemented , that it won’t make one bit of difference.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
07/10/2020 at 15:30

Definitely not a That Person. Well played, Sir; well played.

WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
07/10/2020 at 15:30

If I was the manager, I’d go around with a Yellow highlighter, and mark just that text. Problem solved.

If only I had a place to buy a full pallet of highlighters..........

lone_liberal > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
07/10/2020 at 15:32

My local Costco has larger, much more legible signs for limits but those look to be hand written so it may be on a store by store basis.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
07/10/2020 at 15:32

You were recorded, apparently:

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
07/10/2020 at 15:33

I’ve had a couple occasions where I found myself getting a little bit heated in retail settings and each time I made an abject apology on the spot. Everyone’s under so much pressure these days. 67 shootings worth in Chicago last weekend...

MoCamino > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
07/10/2020 at 15:36

I completely understand and support purchase limits. It’s the only way to stop the panic-buying jerks that buy a truckload of toilet paper so the rest of us can’t find any. (Or worse yet, turn around and try to sell it at an obscene profit.) I have to agree, that print was way to small. My Old™ eyes would not have been able to read that.

W hat I DON’T support is limits for no darn reason. We don’t have Costco, we have Sam’s. Among the many things we get there are generic anti-snore strips, because without them I shake the walls at night . At the beginning of all this, we had gone to Sam’s to get toilet paper (it was the only place we could find it) and some other things. We thought we’d pick up four boxes (one box lasts a month) just because they don’t always have them in stock and we have been trying really hard not to go out any more than we had to. When we got to the register we could only buy two boxes because they had a limit of two boxes on anything that was ‘allergy related’. Lots of people had been panic-buying cold meds and allergy pills because they might somehow address some of the symptoms of COVID. So absolutely, limit those. But anti-snore strips? REALLY?

Okay, old man shouting at clouds mode off. :)

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
07/10/2020 at 15:40

hahahahahahaha...silly muricans....even your shirts are spelled wrong

pretty sure thats supposed to say ruining the world since 1776

Darkbrador > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
07/10/2020 at 15:50

uh ... a guy charging and screaming at me to back off would end up not needing a mask, his nose folded on the inside of this face . What’s wrong with people ?