Costco

I buy tires there because they’re cheap and you get free tire rotation.
Today (day after a holiday, 3 days before a huge forecasted snowstorm) I was feeling in the mood to get neglected chores done, so I went to the tire center at 2:20 to drop off my car. There were 5 people waiting and one veryyyyyyy slowwwwww guy working the register. 20 minutes later I was told there would be a 3 – 4 hour wait to get my free tire rotation. I was game; I had brought my computer with me to do some work. I went to the freezing cold warehouse and occupied myself.
Three hours and 45 minutes later my computer died, so I went back to the tire center. There were now 8 people waiting and no one at the register. I waited for 5 minutes but no one came out. I went to the main customer service desk and waited another 5 minutes, then told the customer service person about my 4+ hour wait. After another 5 minutes, the deputy manager came and talked to me. I told him I just wanted to pick up my car; I didn’t have to pay for it because I was just getting a free service, and I was told it would be ready in 4 hours. I told him I expected to wait maybe another ½ hour in line to just pick it up. He said he would check it out, then left for the tire center. After a couple of minutes I followed. He was handling a couple of other things there and no other staff were visible. After he finished with the customer, he left for the service area and came back with my key. He said, it should be where you left it – they didn’t get to it.
I was flabbergasted.
Aside from the slowwwwwww guy, their problem is clearly not enough staff. You get what you pay for, and I now know that their free service isn’t worth it. I had just passed up the same service for $ 25 at JiffyLube; that’s where I’m going tomorrow.

i been a member of the former Price Club since l972 time frame and then it got bought out by Cosco Kirkland. I and my family members i share membership with have been very pleasewith its service and many products. When my son worked in Seattle Redmond. we shared our membership with him. When we went to visit him in Seattle, we tried all the different ones around and found that the snack bars introduced the new food products that were then sold at Maryland DC and Va. Cosco and had the opportunity to taste test them first. Furniture from all parts of the world came first to Washington state first and it was fun to see all the different kinds of styles and varieties there. Many different vendors were only in those areas than here base don local distributors. i like the way Cosco takes back what we buy and is accepting of all I bring back. This makes it easier to choose items without knowing sizes because of their amicable policy of bringing back. i now use the Pharmacy, all the pharmacists and aide are smart and most pleasant as compared to some of the reatils food chains pharmacy departments having to wait and stand. this is the most effortless way to come to drop off the
Rx and then shop or eat and be done in a usable time wait. I loved their cookbooks and feel saddened no more for i used it in my work at a catering consultant and used them inmy fundraiser competitive cooking contests… i love their organic selection of foods and openess to my suggestions to have more and more. i love their customer service e and most of all the top manager of them all Steve. i go to other Costco ArundelMills gas was super great and lower taxed countries passing on the savings to we customers makes allt he difference in the world of shopping clubs… I am only one person in my household but this
Chanukah i used my club member ship to buy holiday gifst which when they came in. i bought them immediately for they go very very quickly. ilove Cosco for sure. gloria p goldman

Grocery stores are not a one-​size-​fits-​all, and Costco is no exception. Costco, with its bulk items, wide selections of foods, and varied non-​food items (eg. electronics, clothes, toys) are great for families who are interested condensing grocery shopping into a single weekly affair. Most essential food items can be found at Costco, and in bulk. This grocery store may not be the best fit for someone who only needs to cook for one person, or cannot imagine themselves using a pack of 36 rolls of toilet paper quickly.
Prices are competitive; however, Costco prices can be very similar to competing grocery stores, especially for non-​sale items. But it’s worth having a membership card, because some sales are quite amazing. Be on the lookout for their sales, which changes each month.
Other things that make Costco unique from other grocery stores:
1) Convenience of having an eye center and pharmacy within the store
2) Free samples to eat as your shop
3) Giant life-​sized stuffed Teddy Bears
4) Food court with super cheap meal options
5) Huge boxes of frozen foods for people with busy lifestyles (eg. ling ling dumplings)
6) $ 5 rotisserie chicken
On the downside, this location does not have excellent customer service. It seems to be understaffed; it is very hard to find a Costco employee on the floor or to reach the right person by phone. I suggest that Costco hire more staff in order to make the shopping experience more efficient for their customers.
Also, beware of long lines, especially during prime shopping hours (eg. weekends). Costco also doesn’t provide grocery bags, so be prepared to bring your own. (They do have boxes that you can also use to carry your food home).

The Tire Shop at this Costco should be avoided. Brought my vehicle in for a nail in tire. Was just here week earlier for tire rotation. Told them at checkin explicitly NOT to rotate my tires as it had just been done the prior week, which they acknowledged and wrote on the work order.
Came back 2 hours later to pick up vehicle and they had rotated the tires (could tell by looking at wheels). Went back into Tire Shop asking them to re-​rotate my tires.
They REFUSED. Said they were busy and «What’s the big deal?». Spoke to the supervisor who also refused.
Got home and went to rotate my tires on my own, and to add insult to injury, they over tightened my wheel nuts to point where I couldn’t get them off the wheels. Had to take the vehicle to the dealer.
The dealer said Costco probably used an air wrench to install and tighten the wheel nuts and thus over tightened.
Pathetic and incompetent staff at Costco.

I keep coming back to this Costco because it is the closest to my house. If I had a choice I would choose another location over this one any day. The service here is consistently disappointing.
The administrative staff is rude and finds actually doing their job overwhelming. They will not help with any questions, you are better off asking another customer.
The service at the tire center is also inadequate. However, this is not their fault. They are friendly and helpful just very under staffed so the wait is very long.

Really don’t enjoy coming here– almost worth driving to another location.
I don’t feel this store is well managed– there are so many unnecessary «choke points» with displays and poor sample placements– combined with typical rude Columbia peeps– you will get run into with a cart. Happened again today. Slow down people!
I will probably not renew my membership next year.

Costco, what a frustrating grab bag of paradoxes you are. I’ve been a member for seven years now and have sung your praises to the heavens, even in the face of valid arguments about slightly lower prices on certain things at grocery stores and other big-​box retailers. I recently began to shop around and discovered that, yes, many prices are lower at my new obsession, Wegmans. Dry goods like pet food and toilet paper tend to be cheaper at Costco, but Wegmans definitely wins when it comes to everyday perishables like milk, cheese, and many fruits and vegetables. Plus, shopping at Wegmans doesn’t feel like a never-​ending odyssey the way Costco trips sometimes do. Navigating the sea of bodies in the aisles on the weekends can be very unpleasant. Getting gas at Costco, especially on the weekends, is just plain foolish. Arriving after 1 p.m. on a Saturday and trying to park within shouting distance of the front doors without circling the lot 15 times is an exercise in frustration. The courtesy of the employees can be hit-​or-​miss; if you need help finding an item, you will most likely be vaguely pointed in its general direction and left on your own.
Now, as for the tire center. .. wow. To say that I’m disappointed is an understatement. Last week, one of my tires started to shed its tread, so I found myself in need of tire service immediately. The guy at the service desk, while friendly, lacked any detectable sense of urgency whatsoever. It took him no less than 30 minutes to handle the two customers ahead of me. When I finally approached the counter, he took five full minutes to handle an incoming phone call. I was told that I had arrived during a lull (could have fooled me), so it would only take about 45 minutes to replace my tire. Great; I’ll take care of the week’s shopping and return just in time to pick up my car. No. It took a full three hours to mount my new tire and another 10 minutes to check out. Neither the guy at the counter nor the mechanic acknowledged the wait. You’re better off spending an hour reading People magazine in the waiting room of your local Meineke or Just Tires than at the Costco Tire Center. All told, I spent nearly four hours at Costco that evening. I drove away, vowing never to return again, but I am weak and they sell Nutella in the big jars. I’ll be back.

I find this location is better than other neighboring costcos.

This particular Costco is super busy. Things always run out of stock and employees are rude.

Cashier gave me an attitude about the fact that the name on my credit card did not match the name of my mother who was standing right next to me (she is the member, not me, and I was buying something FOR HER). The transaction had already been approved and receipt printed and she insisted that she would have to reverse the transaction because it was not allowed. I already had my receipt so I told her to go to hell and left with my items. We subsequently called and canceled her Executive Membership and signed up with BJs. What a worthless organization with awful customer service.

This place is ALWAYS ALWAYS packed. For some reason it seems like this place has more Asian food then other costco’s. If you can get there when it’s not a mad house you will be pleased but be prepared to wait in line and good luck finding a parking spot not at the edge of the earth!

Obsessed with costco…80% of our shopping is done here. This location is always crazy busy (weekends in particular). But the gas station always moves quick despite how long the lines are.

Costco sells the freshest organic foods and fish. Their staff is helpful and friendly. I come here to shop 2 – 3 times a week! Their gas is always cheaper than local gas stations.

Been to a few costco in the area, this is the least liked location on the list. The parking is tiny compared to others, and the customers can’t seems to drive in this area. Maybe it’s an elkridge thing. The lines are long on check out and food sampling. Fighting through those issue with other customer is exactly what the doctor didn’t order. I bought a wrong item after waited forever to check out and saw the return line is equally pathetic. Decided to take to another costco, and it was the right thing to do. The staff here are good, but just the customers that costco attracts, made my 2 trips there miserable.

I really really dislike this Costco. I’ve been coming here for 6 months & this is my review after repeated visits.
My main complaint is the customer service. EVERYONE is rude & pissed off. Cashiers, food clerks @ quick takeaway booth in the front, food sampling ppl, baker lady etc…
It’s unfortunate that the awesome & legendary Price Club has become this horrible place that I dread coming to.
The gas station is crowded at all times & the wait is outrageous.
The quality of produce & bread has been going down hill too.
Just spend a few $$ more & go across the street to Trader Joes. Everyone is nice & courteous & they have awesome quality & variety of food.
I’ll try the Costco near Arundel Mills & if that sux too, then I’m terminating my membership.

I absolutely hate the hours!!! I prefer to go shopping early… around 7am. This place doesn’t open until 10 am on a Saturday! !! Prices seem to change daily. Gas line is always long. I probably won’t renew my membership for the reasons above.

This costco does not have that many products as compared to some of the other ones i have been to. I lived in alexandria va which is where i became their mwmber and i loved it.

It’s a Costco. No real surprises here. Run by corporate, so no real differences between this any any other Costco you’ve visited.
Their location rocks. Central to a ton of other places you might be visiting during your shopping outing.
Parking is plentiful.
If I’m going to patronize a big box store it’s gonna be Costco. They treat their employees well.

This was difficult to find because my GPS (Garmin Nuvi 200, it’s old, I know) did not have it listed. Thank God for the Samsung Galaxy S3.
Free food tastings were wonderful! You could be totally full and skip lunch!

You gotta love Costco. I mean… I just like coming on the weekends for a free lunch! So many samples!
If it’s not at Costco… you don’t need it.
Wide open spaces… toys, tv’s, jewelry, photos, clothes, appliances, food glorious food, makeup, pharmacy… and the best deal on toilet paper!
One trip will last you months. Definitely the place to go if you have a big family. Sooo worth it for the membership fee