A MOVE to remove hand-held scanning devices at self-checkouts from Costco has left shoppers raging.
Taking to social media platform Reddit, a fed up shopper revealed their local Costco removed the scanning device over fears of theft.
Costco has gotten rid of hand held scanning devices a the self checkouts, leaving shoppers raging[/caption]
The poster wrote: “I used to do a quick self checkout with the guns.
“Now the checkout time has doubled if not tripled since I have to scan, place on the counter/scale, and then load back into the cart.
“Plus, there are employees at self checkout with the guns who just stand around and refuse to scan unless you have heavy items.
“There are also 2 employees at the exit checking receipts so it would be stupid to try to get away with un-scanned items.
“I know this won’t change anything, just venting.”
Other fed-up shoppers flocked to the comments in agreement.
One person commented: “I hate the self checkouts for this reason, I have zero desire to move 40-50lbs of dog food/water softener salt to save Costco the cost of a cashier.
“I don’t want to wait for that self checkout cashier to scan the items either.
“The process sucks. Give me a hand scanner or I’ll refuse to use the self checkouts.”
Another person added: “The self checkout is ridiculously slow. Every other register is staffed.”
A third person commented that their local store had also removed the self-scanning device, saying “They were in stores in Oklahoma when they opened and were just removed.”
Meanwhile, Costco has rolled out new scanning technology across its warehouses, leaving shoppers puzzled.
The chain installed new devices as part of its efforts to combat membership sharing.
Footage has gone viral online that showed the scanning devices in action.
Shoppers are now required to scan membership cards as opposed to just flashing them to a store worker.
They can alternatively scan the digital version of the card.
Once a member scans their card, their profile picture appears on a tablet-like screen.
A Costco worker stands by the monitor to ensure customers are following the rules.
The new technology has sparked division online.
And it has prompted some to take what seems like an extreme course of action.
“I canceled my membership over this nonsense,” one shopper claimed.
She claimed the retailer was treating customers like criminals.
Costco membership sharing guidelines
Costco has strict rules for membership use that shoppers must follow and they’ve been cracking down on offenders in recent years.
- Primary Member Use: Only the primary cardholder can use this Costco membership card. Sharing it for purchases is not allowed as the photo on the card must match the person using it.
- Household Card: Each primary member can add one free household cardholder who lives at the same address. This person will receive their own membership card and can shop at Costco independently.
- Guest Policy: Members can bring up to two guests per visit to Costco. However, only the member can make purchases. Guests must be accompanied by the member.
- Authorized Cardholder: For an additional fee, you can add an authorized cardholder, such as a family member or friend, who doesn’t reside at your address. They will receive their own card and can shop independently.
