Ford vs Chevy. People tend to be loyal to one or the other, and sometimes both. We are long time members of both Costco and Sam's. For us, Costco has long been our favorite, but there are a few things we buy at Sam's that Costco does not carry. Some things that give Costco the edge:
• I get my hearing aids from Costco, but that is only every 5 years. $2,500 a pair from Costco, vs over $5,000 from an audiologist.
• Hard to beat Costco prices on Michelin tires, plus they give you free rotation & balancing every 5000 miles, and free road hazard warranty.
• Kirkland, which is Costco's "house" brand, is often times name brand quality at much cheaper prices. Costco, of course, makes nothing, but buys in large quantity from major manufacturer's, and rebrands. Example: Kirkland batteries (AA, AAA, 9v) are made by Duracell, but significantly cheaper. There are a couple of websites that identify the actual maker of Kirkland labeled products.
• Costco guarantees that your annual rebate check will equal, or exceed, your annual membership fee. If not, they will make up the difference.
Granted, these warehouse clubs are not for everyone. Plus, we used to shop them more frequently when we had an extra freezer, and more in-home storage space. But they still have their place.
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