Costco Wholesale — Local services in Mountain View

I generally have no problem with Costco, and I assume Costco services and policies are pretty consistent across warehouses. However I was wrong. After speaking with Costco corporate, I learned that individual warehouses can set up their own return policies. This particular warehouse has a reasonable policy on non-perishables, but the way it was implemented left a bad taste in my mouth. Don't get me wrong, I have had plenty of good experiences here at this particular warehouse. All I'd like to do is to point out what happened recently to bring visibility to frequent shoppers at this location because the responsibility will most likely be on you, not on Costco.

I recently purchased a large pack of non-perishables and I never opened it. When I tried to return the unopened non-perishables, the customer service member said that Costco can't accept the return because it's already expired. Sure. I agree I shouldn't return expired products, BUT I bought them in October of 2020, and I tried to return them at the beginning of December 2020, which is just a little over one month after.

I'm not disagreeing with this policy. It's completely logical to not accept foods, non-perishables, and produce that passed the expiration date. Sure! It's just a few dollars, who cares? However, two things in particular are worth calling out here.

1). This particular warehouse NEVER mentioned anything like this in WRITING around the warehouse, so the customers can know about this policy prior to purchasing any food, perishable, and produce. No such policy is given on the CORPORATE website either. Where's the transparency? Now, most people will say use some brain. Common sense dictates that you shouldn't return expired product. I agree. But this can apply to any policy the warehouse creates and on any product you buy. It's about COMMUNICATION and TRANSPARENCY.

2). The second call out is pretty straightforward, but it boggles my mind: why would you sell non-perishables that expire in a month!? I would think common sense dictates most if not all perishables should last more than a month. Especially considering the things customers buy from Costcos are often in large quantities.

To reiterate, I think it's one thing to have your own policy, but please let customers know about it well before purchasing something from your store, not mentioning that you sell non-perishables in large quantities that only have short shelf lives of one month. We're all in this together. Just be honest and transparent about your rules.

Please improve your customer's purchasing and return...

Please reduce cross-contamination.

At checkout, there is excessive and unnecessary touching of items by gloved store employees. The checkout staff and their assistants, are likely moving contaminates between and among customers as they touch and handle every item. (Have you ever seen an employee take the time to wash their gloves between each and every customer?)

Instead, please train checkout staff to use the touch-free hand scanner. (Especially when a shopper goes to the trouble to place all item barcodes face up and ready to be scanned.) This is not only safer, it is more efficient. A proficient cashier, can take less than a second per item.

Look forward to seeing this implemented in Costco new employee training.

ps. Glad to see the fire zone has been cleared out of demo cars and delivery trucks. Thanks also for retraining the tire shop managers to focus on the best interest of the customer (and discouraging any poor habits developed from less honorable practices).

Update: There is a (relatively new) person in the tire shop that goes by "ENI" who is just outstanding and needs recognition for outstanding demeanor. What a just wonderfully inspirational person. Go to a tire shop, feel good for the rest of the day, who knew? The world would do well with more ENI's.

Update: Thank you for not only having hand-scanners at self-check-out, but especially grateful for the extra employee pre-scanning the "second" person waiting in line to speed things along. Very thoughtful indeed. On the sad side, the "fire-lane" is yet again cluttered with delivery-trucks,...

I have been this Costco location customer since it was opened. Lately I am not pleased with selections at Costco at all.

I miss the Costco of 10+ years ago with more variety of gourmet cheese and fresh seafood where you can pick fresh clams, mussels and crab. They used to carry oysters (in big jars). Hard to find it now. They seem to go for middle of the range frozen foods now too. Still good price for things like olive oils, but they no longer carry small batch olive oils like they used to. I am buying more and more items from Trader Joes, especially cheese and specialty items. BTW, finding worms in fresh fish in poke is not fine! That is dangerous. I feel for the other reviewer finding it her purchase. That is gross.

Also lately February 2024, they only have 3 frozen pizzas. Two cauliflower crust and Salbatasso single servings. No more large regular crust, thick crust, Detroit style, or single serving pizza bread pizzas. Smart and Final carry Detroit style. So now I purchase our pizzas from Smart and Final and Trader Joe’s. Will not be buying any of cauliflower type pizzas they sell at Costco. And, it has been ages since they carried canned chili. I have to buy bulk from Amazon online. What is up with Costco lately? It is bad when you cannot even buy all American chili or pizzas at Costco. Is it just our Costco?

If you are ever in Japan check out Costco there. Incredible selection of food including many pizzas. It is like day and...