[Sailohio]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

Last week, I needed a refrigerator filter. They had them in stock at Lowes for $50. But, I ordered it on Amazon for $39 and received it the next day. I don't understand why I would ever go to Lowes for something like that, even if they had good service. I think that is why the stores are closing.

That works fine until you need a part today and the Home Depot/Lowe’s are closed because everyone was buying from Amazon.

[retiredguy123]

If you get the VALPAK coupons in the mail, there is a current Sam's coupon where you can join for $45 and get $45 off your first purchase. So, basically, the membership is free.

[Peachfuzz]

You want service, go to Ace Hardware, forget Lowe’s or Home Depot

[Pairadocs]

Originally Posted by Chellybean

Sam's Store on 441 by Homedepot

Don't be conned folks the upgrades membership is a joke, other than getting in the store at 8 am which they don't have any employees that know what they are doing and not enough employees to service the customers. Its a Chit show!
Sam's is in a self destruct mode and I cant wait to see Costco here.
The Manager on Duty Lacey is Laughing with other employees instead of doing her job and helping the service desk with employees that don't know what they are doing PERIOD!
The General Manager is not watching the store and how it is running.
From 8:30 am to 9:36 am no one would pick up the phone in Tires and Batteries and or the service desk.
Try calling 352-751-5150.
Unbelievable!!!! Good luck folks, Sam's stores in my home town finally closed down due to poor customer service!!!
CRAZY!!!! No one cares!

Well, if it keeps up, who knows, maybe the long awaited Costco will come..... doubt it, Costco seems to know their business and we just don't fit their demographics ! Close friend is district manager out in Washington state... he just laughs when I tell him the latest Villages "rumor".... but meanwhile, a trip once a month or so to Winter Park can be a pleasant get-a-way; especially now that almost ANYTHING can serve as "an entertainment experience"..... LOL ! Even shopping !

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by Dr Winston O Boogie jr

That is actually the case with a lot of large retailers. I was in the golf business for 35 years. I worked for Dick's Sporting Goods for a short while and was surprised to find that most of the major manufacturers make products specifically for big box stores. In fact sometimes, the manufacturer will simply license their name to a store and the store will have products made in China with the manufacturers name on it. Any time you see "So and so's Exclusive" you are not getting the same product that you would buy elsewhere.

I had a client that owned a small engine store. He sold lawn mowers, snow blowers and other similar equipment. He said that the same thing was true for lawn care products that you find in places like Home Depot and Lowes. Many are made to less stringent specifications than products you can buy at your Mom and Pop lawn care store where products like Toro and Jacobsen are the real deal.

It's the case in every industry. Part of the problem is that these chain stores buy so much that they can dictate the terms of sales to the manufacturers. Many manufacturers would go under if not for the business generated by big box chain stores. The manufacturers also cannot afford to sell to these stores at the prices that they demand to they either make product with less quality for exclusive distribution by a particular store or they sell their name to the store so that they can have products made under that name.

That Taylor Made driver that you just bought at Dick's is probably not a Taylor Made driver at all. It's most likely a piece of junk with the Taylor Made name stamped on it and Dick's made 75% profit margin on it.

I have heard this before but one would think that the real manufacturer would insist on certain quality on the products with their name on it.

Sad that they do not

[EdFNJ]

Originally Posted by Aloha

The local Sam's Club is the worst one I have ever dealt with. I do not plan to renew my membership. It is no longer worth the price and the terrible service.

"Clubs" like Sam's, Costco, BJ's don't exist to provide "service" they exist for (allegedly) price. If you want service you have to go where you pay "full price" (whatever that is). Department stores (Macy's etc etc) used to exist to provide service with a higher price tag but sadly now they provide NO service and charger even higher prices which is why so many are shutting down (which started even before the pandemic).

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by EdFNJ

"Clubs" like Sam's, Costco, BJ's don't exist to provide "service" they exist for (allegedly) price. If you want service you have to go where you pay "full price" (whatever that is). Department stores (Macy's etc etc) used to exist to provide service with a higher price tag but sadly now they provide NO service and charger even higher prices which is why so many are shutting down (which started even before the pandemic).

We wanted to purchase a combo air fryer, grill, broiler, toaster etc. Best price by far was Sams but knew we would find nobody to answer any questions.

If we needed help would have gone elsewhere to purchase it and know we would have to pay more.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

If you don't get Valpak (or threw it away), you can still access the coupon from the Valpak website, here:
29 Sams Club Coupons & Promo Codes Available - December 2020

[EdFNJ]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

If you don't get Valpak (or threw it away), you can still access the coupon from the Valpak website, here:
29 Sams Club Coupons & Promo Codes Available - December 2020

Thank you! Note (if you plan on holding off) When you click on the link it says "Offer valid 11/1/2020 – 12/31/2020" then when you click on JOIN NOW it says: "Offer ends Jan 31, 2021 see offer details", then when you click on "see offer details" it again says "Offer valid November 1 – December 31, 2020."

Also, you can still get the deal if you were a previous member by using a different email address and/or use you spouses info.

LOL

[yabbadu]

Originally Posted by Chellybean

Sam's Store on 441 by Homedepot

Don't be conned folks the upgrades membership is a joke, other than getting in the store at 8 am which they don't have any employees that know what they are doing and not enough employees to service the customers. Its a Chit show!
Sam's is in a self destruct mode and I cant wait to see Costco here.
The Manager on Duty Lacey is Laughing with other employees instead of doing her job and helping the service desk with employees that don't know what they are doing PERIOD!
The General Manager is not watching the store and how it is running.
From 8:30 am to 9:36 am no one would pick up the phone in Tires and Batteries and or the service desk.
Try calling 352-751-5150.
Unbelievable!!!! Good luck folks, Sam's stores in my home town finally closed down due to poor customer service!!!
CRAZY!!!! No one cares!

Saved me a bunch of money on eyeglasses and a TV rebate!

Do agree though...Customer service at this store is poor!

[Topspinmo]

Originally Posted by Aloha

The local Sam's Club is the worst one I have ever dealt with. I do not plan to renew my membership. It is no longer worth the price and the terrible service.

Welcome to Florida where there are several worse ones.

[photo1902]

Originally Posted by Stu from NYC

We wanted to purchase a combo air fryer, grill, broiler, toaster etc. Best price by far was Sams but knew we would find nobody to answer any questions.

If we needed help would have gone elsewhere to purchase it and know we would have to pay more.

Google

[Chellybean]

Originally Posted by EdFNJ

"Clubs" like Sam's, Costco, BJ's don't exist to provide "service" they exist for (allegedly) price. If you want service you have to go where you pay "full price" (whatever that is). Department stores (Macy's etc etc) used to exist to provide service with a higher price tag but sadly now they provide NO service and charger even higher prices which is why so many are shutting down (which started even before the pandemic).

Check there pricing my friend they are no longer the cheapest on quantity, just FYI

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

I'm probably going to sign up for Sam's. Never would have considered it really, I hardly ever buy in bulk so there's very little "savings" for me anyway (plus other stores have sales that end up netting a much lower price at the end of the shopping trip, per ounce/pound/unit). But it's $45 to join and they give you a $45 Sam's gift card. That means free membership for a year. If I buy something just once this coming year, something that's cheaper than the same thing at Walmart, I will have saved money.

So I'm good with that!

We go to Sam's once a month and buy meats, canned goods and paper good in bulk. It's easy to buy a month's worth of products that never go bad. Sometimes if wee see a particularly good deal on something that doesn't go bad or take a lot of space, we might buy six month's worth.

We have the premium membership and a Sam's Club credit card. With the cash back on the card we get an almost free order about once a year.

I would like to se a Costco but right now, Sam's is the only game in town. And as I said in a previous post, it's likely to remain that way.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

Originally Posted by Stu from NYC

I have heard this before but one would think that the real manufacturer would insist on certain quality on the products with their name on it.

Sad that they do not

In some cases they do, but they also have to abide by the buyers cost restrictions.

My former wife worked for an electrical supply company and they had two main big box chain store customers. They eventually went out of business because the customers were demanding prices that were so low they weren't making enough of a profit to pay the bills.

It's better, though more difficult to deal with a hundred small businesses than to deal with a few that give you a lot of business. Unfortunately, these large chains are where the customers go today.