why does Costco check receipts?

Questions & AnswersCategory: Costcowhy does Costco check receipts?
Nadia asked 2 years ago
Ciao!
I’ve just moved to Canada and one of the first thing I wanna do is getting the membership of Costco! But I’ve read that when you’re about to exit, they check the receipt… I’m really curious about it

1 Answers
Francesca Staff answered 2 years ago
Costco first opened its doors back in 1983, and it has been a favourite among customers ever since. Considered the ideal place for bulk-buying at steal prices, Costco continues to see a massive foot fall of customers every day of the week.

Having one of the largest varieties of different types of goods, Costco is a one-stop-shop for anything that you could possibly need. This has resulted in Costco getting its fair share of dedicated customers and die-hard fans that refuse to shop from anywhere else.

A rather peculiar thing that frequent Costco shoppers have noticed is how their receipts are checked right before they exit the warehouse. This happens after their items have been scanned, bagged and the customer is ready to head off. Near the final exit, a Costco employee will request to check your receipt and quickly have a look-over, comparing it to the items present in your trolley.

Customers were quite confused about why this was being done. Some were even offended as they believed Costco was indirectly suspecting them of stealing from the store. The reality of this last check is quite different, though. Let’s find out why Costco conducts this final check!

Reasons Why Costco Checks Receipts

Checking receipts is actually a standard procedure followed by Costco to make sure that there aren’t any errors in processing. Although most people assume that they do it to prevent thefts, this check actually goes far beyond that.

Numerous Costco employees have talked about how often people get charged for things that they haven’t purchased. This is especially true for warehouse purchasing as people don’t really pay attention to the way their items are being scanned. Additionally, hardly anybody goes over their receipt to ensure that they haven’t been charged extra for anything and their total amount is correct as per the items they have purchased.

So, Costco offers its customers an extra service in the form of this double-check. By having a brief look at your receipt and comparing it to the items in your trolley, Costco workers can ensure that you have been rightfully charged for your purchases. It also helps them maintain better inventory control.
Additionally, another Costco manager explains how they are more concerned with cashier performance than with shoplifters. Surprisingly enough, they don’t see too many instances of shoplifting in their warehouses. However, poor employee performance is something they have to commonly deal with as it causes errors in the way customer transactions are processed. 

The manager further explains how common it is for customers to be charged twice for their items. There have been instances when they caught hundreds of dollars’ worth of overcharging in just one week.
In such circumstances, the supervisor or warehouse manager would offer the customer a sincere apology and refund the extra charges. They also offer you the opportunity to buy the amount of items added to your receipt.

If you have any other questions or confusions about different Costco policies, you can always reach out to their customer service representatives or go over the FAQs page on their website.

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