No Return Costco

[Tia]

This am the shopper behind me at Target checkout had his cart loaded with ~10 packages paper towel, the signs on limits were posted all over today. They kindly told him limited to 1, he said ' needed to clean windows' , he wasn't allowed to purchase and looked like he left with 0.

There was some tp there also, but on my way to check out maybe 30 minutes later it looked like it was all spoken for

My wife went to Target shortly after it opened up on Monday, and there was a decent supply and they were limiting to 1 package per family. No crazed shoppers, everyone was being respective of other's personal space, etc. Hope that continues.

Kurt

 

[isisdave]

I hope stores limit returns, especially when active Covid-19 hits their community, because you don't know who sneezed all over that 45-pack of TP.

Also, as DaveNW points out, it's going to really slow down the return line. Plus where are they going to put fairly bulky stuff like TP? Dave, does that stuff go back onto the floor, or do they have to send it somewhere?

And finally, because it will thwart resellers, and teach us all a little discipline for next time.

 

[Sea Six]

The local Publix now has a sign in the TP aisle - One package per person per day. Simple as that. Take 6 packs to the register, you keep one and the other 5 go back on the shelf. Even COSTCO could manage that. And COSTCO does know the difference between retail and wholesale accounts, so they can accommodate the businesses.

 

[DaveNV]

This is as good a thread as any other to post this link. If you have Facebook, you can probably view this. (Not sure how to post it outside of FB.)

Seattle NBC TV King5 news person Jake Whittenberg posted this video, describing how long Covid-19 survives on various surfaces. Worth watching.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=224127492120768

Dave

 

[dioxide45]

This is as good a thread as any other to post this link. If you have Facebook, you can probably view this. (Not sure how to post it outside of FB.)

Seattle NBC TV King5 news person Jake Whittenberg posted this video, describing how long Covid-19 survives on various surfaces. Worth watching.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=224127492120768

Dave

This is why many things in years past were made of brass (an alloy of copper and zinc). You will still often see brass door knobs and pulls and handrails, though perhaps in higher end places these days. It was much more sanitary, perhaps they need to get back into the habit of doing that.

 

[Gypsy65]

Retailers are there for ALL their consumers, not just the ones who see fit to haul a full shopping cart full of TP out the door. The retailer needs to make as many customers as possible get what they can, not sell it all to the first greedy customer in line. YOUR way of thinking is causing all the empty shelves. You are a DISGRACE!
[/QUOTE

I was going to light you up but then realized you have always been either a been counter or an employee. Never a business owner

I’m not a hoarder but I do own a business and I’m not bringing in product and then running it like a communist country
I’m in business to sell. Not regulate

 

[sun starved Gayle]

I was in my local Target early Monday morning and they had signs up limiting TP, paper towels and hand sanitizer (yes, they actually had some) to one per household. There was a woman in the self check out line with two little kids about 7 and 9, and they each had a shopping cart filled with the limited stuff. A sales associate told her she would not be allowed to purchase all the things that were in the two extra carts, and the mother insisted her kids were buying it. The sales associates did not back down and did not allow she or her kids to purchase the items in the second and third basket. As the staff was wheeling away the two extra carts, one of the little girls said in a panicky voice “But we NEED that stuff!” It almost sounded like she was going to cry. Shame on that mother for modeling that kind of behavior to her children, and shame on her for making her children so fearful !

Also, both my husband and my FIL have seen fist fights in separate grocery parking lots this week. The world has gone crazy.

 

[davidvel]

Teenage cashier doesn't give any kind of a crap, thinks nothing of it. Why would they? I do not invite comment on my purchases. For all they know, the local restaurant put out food poisoning and I have family members confined to bathrooms back home.

Stores sell stuff. Stuff sold. Weird inventory pattern noticed, action taken.

This doesn't happen when an ice storm or blizzard is coming. Overbuying, yes. If you are late to the party, no bread or milk for you. I don't ever recall an empty shelf of TP before.

Teenage cashier at Costco? Never seen one of those.

 

[Sea Six]

This is rationing, plain and simple. Were you around in the 70's when you could only buy 10 gallons of gas?

 

[amycurl]

As of right now, Kirkland brand TP and paper towels are in stock on Costco.com. Just sayin'.

 

[DaveNV]

Teenage cashier at Costco? Never seen one of those.

Actually, they could have them. Minimum age for a Costco cashier is 18. Because Costco sells alcohol, the cashier needs to have alcohol training (a computerized course cashiers take about how to spot fake IDs and such.)

Dave

 

[Karen G]

As of right now, Kirkland brand TP and paper towels are in stock on Costco.com. Just sayin'.

I just checked and it says "out of stock" on all brands for our zip code.

 

[amycurl]

Didn't realize that it might be by zip code. Yesterday, they were showing paper towels, but none of the Kirkland TP (they did have two different types of Charmin TP, however.) That was maybe 18 hours ago? So it definitely works to keep checking. Limit one per purchase, though...two days shipping.

 

[pedro47]

Just left Costco Warehouse in Npt News, Va they were limiting only 50 shoppers at a time in the warehouse. Fifty (50) shoppers in to shop; when Fifty (50) shoppers had checkout & exit the bldg..
They did not have any bleaches, Clorox wipes, lysol spray, rubbing alcohol, and hand sanitizer. This was posted on their entrance shoppers door.
The Food court was closed. Take out orders only; no drinks refill.

 

[TheTimeTraveler]

This is rationing, plain and simple. Were you around in the 70's when you could only buy 10 gallons of gas?

Yes, and remember when President Nixon closed all gas stations on Sundays back in 1973 .? Gas was still selling at about 35 cents per gallon back then.

In some parts of the country they had odd and even sales of gasoline based upon the last digit on your license plate. Odd # and you could purchase fuel on odd numbered days; even # and you could purchase fuel on even numbered days.

Nixon even when so far as to have gasoline rationing coupons printed up in case gasoline had to be rationed. Those coupons were never distributed and those issues started to go away once the price got higher, and higher, and higher..........

Anyone remember paying 15 cents per gallon for heating oil ?




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[DaveNV]

Just left Costco Warehouse in Npt News, Va they were limiting only 50 shoppers at a time in the warehouse. Fifty (50) shoppers in to shop; when Fifty (50) shoppers had checkout & exit the bldg..
They did not have any bleaches, Clorox wipes, lysol spray, rubbing alcohol, and hand sanitizer. This was posted on their entrance shoppers door.
The Food court was closed. Take out orders only; no drinks refill.

It's exactly the same at Costco warehouses here near Seattle. The limiting of shoppers into the building is so they can encourage social distancing, and have time to sanitize shopping carts between shoppers.

Stay healthy.

Dave

 

[Karen G]

Yes, and remember when President Nixon closed all gas stations on Sundays back in 1973 .?

I don't remember that but I do remember in about 1978 or 79 that we couldn't buy gas anytime we wanted it for a time. My husband and I had two vehicles and we'd take one up to the gas station and get in a line of cars parked there to buy gas the next day. We'd lock the car and come back the next day to buy gas. This was in the Dallas area. I can't remember how long that lasted, but I don't think it was too long.

 

[Sugarcubesea]

Keep trying at different times of the day. Also try Target, Walmart, others. Another thought...if you have a Costco near you. Nextdoor posts in my area report TP at Costco every morning but runs out by noon if not earlier. Lots of posts from folks offering to run errands for others. You could post a request for someone to get some for you? As well as other necessities? Just a thought.

So happy to report I now have 1 pack of TP and 1 pack of paper towels from Costco....I will not be going out again for quite awhile as we are stocked with meats, can food and everthing we could want... hopefully we can all come of of this with money and jobs still intact....

 

[Sugarcubesea]

People return EVERYTHING to Costco. They overbuy for a party, then return the excess afterwards. They buy huge TVs right before the SuperBowl and return it the week after. The weeks after Thanksgiving and before Christmas are the biggest returns of the year, when people return things they’ve purchased all year, just so they can get money to buy gifts for the holidays. They expect they can always return anything, and it’s endless. My spouse’s entire career s giving Costco members their refunds.

In the case of this panic-shopping, people are over-buying everywhere, thinking it’s no big deal to return it after the need is over. It IS a big deal. A huge deal. And I’ve been trying for quite awhile to ask people not to over shop. I’m glad things are finally being forced into some sense of control.

Dave

Dave, I braved Costco today, they were only letting 50 customers in at a time and the local police was there sitting in a car by the entrance...Everywhere signs stated that Costco was no longer accepting returns on toilet paper, paper towels, sanitizing wipes, water, rice or Lysol. All of these items plus a ton more stated 1 per item and everyone was following the rules...

I got 1 toilet paper, 1 paper towels and other items that I was low on like garbage bags. I got in line at 9:30 and I was number 42 and by the time I left the store the line was wrapped around the building...

Till this over, I will be now be ordering everthing online and having it delivered.... I was down to just a few rolls of TP.

I want to stay safe and keep others safe...

 

[DaveNV]

Dave, I braved Costco today, they were only letting 50 customers in at a time and the local police was there sitting in a car by the entrance...Everywhere signs stated that Costco was no longer accepting returns on toilet paper, paper towels, sanitizing wipes, water, rice or Lysol. All of these items plus a ton more stated 1 per item and everyone was following the rules...

I got 1 toilet paper, 1 paper towels and other items that I was low on like garbage bags. I got in line at 9:30 and I was number 42 and by the time I left the store the line was wrapped around the building...

Till this over, I will be now be ordering everthing online and having it delivered.... I was down to just a few rolls of TP.

I want to stay safe and keep others safe...

Glad you got what you needed. It's quite a struggle, for those who are used to normally being able to just grab and go things. I hadn't heard of the police needing to be there, but they must have been having issues to justify that. Someone on Tug posted about fistfights in parking lots at some stores.

Dave

 

[Big Matt]

I went to Costco this morning also. Same protocol. I needed a few items and got in and out quickly without issue.

 

[TheTimeTraveler]

Dave, I braved Costco today, they were only letting 50 customers in at a time and the local police was there sitting in a car by the entrance...Everywhere signs stated that Costco was no longer accepting returns on toilet paper, paper towels, sanitizing wipes, water, rice or Lysol. All of these items plus a ton more stated 1 per item and everyone was following the rules...

I got 1 toilet paper, 1 paper towels and other items that I was low on like garbage bags. I got in line at 9:30 and I was number 42 and by the time I left the store the line was wrapped around the building...

Till this over, I will be now be ordering everthing online and having it delivered.... I was down to just a few rolls of TP.

I want to stay safe and keep others safe...

So if you got in line @ 9:30 am to go in then what time was it that you finally left the store ????????




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[VacationForever]

I have been worried about our TP situation and went around the house looking for TP this morning. It turned out my husband had stashed a bag in one of the guest bathrooms. I counted and we have 70 Charmin and Northern Quilted Mega Toilet rolls so I guess we are good for another 6 months. I was worried that we might be out in 2 months but now we are good for 6 months.

 

[DaveNV]

I have been worried about our TP situation and went around to house looking for TP this morning. It turned out my husband had stashed a bag in one of the guest bathrooms. I counted and we have 70 Charmin and Northern Quilted Mega Toilet rolls so I guess we are good for another 6 months. I was worried that we might be out in 2 months but now we are good for 6 months.

Little victories.

Stay healthy.

Dave

 

[clifffaith]

Check out lines at multiple stores yesterday were a chorus of "line starts back here" and embarrassed "Oh, so sorry" -- when you social distance six feet that puts you back at the end of the product aisle in a grocery store, so the unwitting would walk down the broad, clear front aisle and pick a checkout lane, only to realize the lane started way down the empty soup aisle. Our longest check out wait was 20 minutes.