Costco.com- Where is that guy with the free samples?
Written: Mar 13 '03 (Updated Dec 17 '03)
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I began shopping at Costco.com a few years ago when Costco sent me a gift certificate for $20 to use at their site. Since I was relatively happy with my first experience shopping at this web site (buying two bags of coffee), I continued to shop with Costco's online store.
About the site:
Costco.com is web service that offers products similar to what your typical Costco Warehouse does (from audio equipment, to tanning lotion, to renewing your Costco membership), only online and without of course the huge crowds and the availability of bulk foods. While many of the products that I have seen in the Costco Warehouse are not offered on the site, I do find most of the products at the online store, along with many products that are not sold at the Costco in my area.
Navigation through the site is a piece of cake. Despite the demand for fancy formatting, Costco has kept their online store simple and easy to use. Costco.com makes it easy to shop by offering categories, from wellness and beauty to electronics, with subcategories in each major category to help refine your search. If you can't find what you are looking for, Costco.com offers a swift search engine.
Membership:
In order to purchase a product from Costco.com you don't have to be a member with the company, however you do have to be a member at the site. Singing up with the site consists of your typical sing-up spiel; address, creating a password, etc. are all needed. Unfortunately, though, if you are not a member with the company there is an extra 5% charge on products. With the addition of shipping fees, and non membership costs, you can many times get a product cheaper by just visiting your local Wal-Mart or Wal-Mart's online store.
Note: Membership with the site is free, however if you want to be a member with the company there is a $45-$100 charge depending on what kind of membership suits your shopping needs.
Note #2: You must have a major credit card to purchase any product from Costco.com.
My Impressions/Experience:
I have been using Costco.com for well over a year now and have been overall satisfied with most attributes of this site. With some orders shipping times are slow, taking up to two weeks at times using standard FedEx, though the price for shipping is much cheaper than many other sites, i.e. BuyDig.com. Since I am a member at both the site and with the company I usually save about 20-30% on my purchases with Costco versus going to a regular retailer. For example, I purchased a PNI V6000 compass at the site for $69.99 plus tax, and only 10 dollars for shipping via standard FedEx. This is almost 50% lower than what PNI asks for this product, even with the tax and shipping included. Shipping on all items are relatively cheap compared to many sites. I also have purchased dietary supplements, and many other products with no major complaints with the product or customer service.
What makes the site especially excel compared to many similar sites is how simple Costco.com is to use. I can view the site's selection, find the product I am looking for, and be done within 10 minutes or less. As I mentioned before, many products sold at the warehouse are not sold at the online store. Even though the online store offers an excellent selection of products, the selection does not compare to what is offered at the actual Costco Warehouse. Also, Wal-Mart's online store seems to have a better selection on many items, i.e. digital cameras.
One of the advantages of shopping with Costco.com is you can return anything you buy at the site at your local warehouse. I have many times returned used products (even products up to 1 year later) at my local Costco to get a full refund! How is that for customer service?!? According to Costco.com, you can return anything if you are not satisfied at anytime, using the site, or taking the product back to your local Costco Wholesale.
Final Thoughts:
Overall I have been satisfied using this site. Although Wal-Mart's online store offers a better selection, Costco has some of the best prices on the net. If you are looking for a decent online experience, whether it be for purchasing dried prunes, to digital cameras, Costco's online store is definitely worth a visit.
Looking for more good deals? You might want to check out my review on BuyDig.com
-Thanks for reading!
Recommended:
Yes
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? Coffee, Pni V6000
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