I bought a customized HP from Costco last April 2008 & the motherboard went out in July of this year. Computers should last 3 to 4 years with no serious problems, but I had bought from Costco so I thought, "No problem, I'll have it serviced under the 2 year warranty." I got a dose of reality. You are on your own after the 90 day return guarantee. What happened is I contacted Costco's Concierge services & spoke with a "technician" for about 1.5 hours, who was clearly just reading a list of things to do. Nice person, he just didn't know much about computers. Finally, he said he could get a case number and have a box sent from the warranty company (the warranty company isn't Costco, it's a third party contractor). The return box arrived and it was too small, so I called and they informed me the computer I had bought from Costco wasn't the one in their records, they claimed the computer sent to me was a slimline (what a load of "carp"). I had my packing slip clearly stating it was an A6460t, and my receipt. After dealing with a number of other people the last person said they wouldn't honor the warranty, because there was no proof I bought the computer from Costco. Wouldn't you like to hear THAT from someone that's supposed to be providing service? I took the computer to my local Costco & spoke with three people, finally ending up with someone claiming to be a manager. I had explained the warranty refusal, shown them my proofs of purchase and the computer with matching model and serial numbers. They pointed to the 90 day return policy and refused to take the computer back. I pointed to the 2 year warranty, the accusing attitude of Costco's service company representative, their refusal to honor the 2 year warranty and asked for a return. They refused, gave me another case number, and told me to go through the process again...a "mistake" had been made, so they said. The mistake was mine, I bought a computer from Costco...buyer beware. After 90 days you are on your own, the run around begins. I'm now looking at a month or more to get my HP computer serviced, having to send it half-way across the country to a third party service provider that's proven to be untrustworthy. I'll continue buying from Costco, but never again a computer. The one star is for their cheaply built computers and service. I depend on my computers to run my business, but cannot depend on Costco to support my business critical systems.  

I ordered a netbook from Costco.com site. If I had read all the review on Costco.com on ResellerRatings.com beforehand, I would not have ordered anything on Costco.com.  
 
When I ordered my netbook, the item was not available at that point, and I had to wait for two weeks while the manufacturer build the laptop in the factory. That's fine. But they should have mentioned this in their listing (or item description), which they didn't. Their website merely said that it will take 3~5 business day for delivery (for express shipping.) But don't get deceived ! This is only for "shipping part". If the item is not available, you may have to wait for arbitrary amount of time(which was two weeks for me).  
To me, my experience on COSTCO.COM ONLINE SITE WAS TOTALLY DIFFERENT FROM THAT OF THE OFFLINE WAREHOUSE STORE IN TERMS OF THE QUALITY OF SERVICE.  
Moreover, when they ship the item, tracking number was not available to me. Come on, this is expensive (some hundred dollars) laptop, and I have no idea what's going on on its way? What if some accident occurs during the delivery? Will this guys let me wait for another three weeks or what? Give me a break!  

I have purchased many items since they launched Costco.com. The customer service has been consistently terrible.  
According to their on-line records, my item was shipped a while back and should have been delivered one week ago. According to UPS tracking number, item was never shipped. Emails to Customer Service is useless, AS ALWAYS.  
Calling customer service, being on-hold for 50 minutes, is equally hopeless. They need to "research" the issue for a few more days to find out what happenned to my order.  
While they offer some good items at good prices, their customer service has always been at the bottom of my list.  

This has to be the worst reseller on the internet. I have purchased many items over the years but this was my worst experience.  
 
4/17-I placed an order with Costco.com which was an easy process. Confirmation e-mail came out telling me when to expect the item (4/23).  
 
4/23-When the item arrived the box it had been shipped in was obviously damaged before it was shipped as the box was taped up and repaired under the shipping label. When UPS put it at my door there were screws and bolts lying on the ground around it.  
 
4/24 -I contacted the customer service number listed on the bill )the first time they were open after the item arrived) I was on hold for 35 minutes before even speaking with someone. They took my information and told me that a person working the case would contact me.  
 
4/28-Received an E-Mail from Todd Fricker, Customer Service Representative tfricker@costco.com 425-313-8100 ext. 111687 stating he was looking into the matter and would get back with me in 2 business days  
 
5/1-Called him, but his v-mail was full so I sent him an e-mail to find out what was going on. I also called the main customer service number, again held for 30 minutes, and they said they could not do anything and that Todd was working on it.  
 
5/3-Got an e-mail from Todd telling me he had e-mailed the vendor to find out what they could do. I found out all items are drop shipped from vendors from this site. It was supposed to be shipped out from the vendor on 5/3 and a tracking number was going to be e-mailed to me...  
 
5/10-They sent me an e-mail telling me they could pick up the old item and ship me out a new one after they received the old one back, so much for fast resolution. I just returned the item to the store and will buy this elsewhere. Not worth the money I was going to save as this as it was a pain and I still don't have my item.

The absolute worst online shopping experience I have had, from start to finish. Ordered two like items on 11/27/2007. They shipped one. Online status showed "partially filled" for order. Phone status said "complete", but then said only one shipped. Two separate credit card charges, one for each item. Emails sent to customer service went unanswered for a month (their email system is awful, making you jump through numerous hoops just to have your email go through to them!). When I did finally receive an email response, it was just a cookie cutter response saying to check online status. Called and after holding for a half hour got through to a "live" person. Was told that they didn't know what happened and couldn't get an answer right away as they would have to call their supplier. (Costco online is pretty much nothing but a drop shipper...which allows them to easily pass the buck when something goes awry.) Was told they would issue credit. Asked the rep if they would be sending confirmation of the credit and she said that it wouldn't be sent until the credit went through -- in 7 to 10 days! By now, my faith that they were actually going to follow through was pretty much non-existent...which has proven to be spot-on as I have still not seen the credit and it has been 11 days. Next step, charge-back. I've never had to do that with anyone, but I should've done it to begin with in this case. A lot of wasted time. Never again.

Placed order on 12/10. On 12/18, received a cancellation notice: "This cancellation occurred at your request, or due to some type of informational error (such as an invalid address, invalid credit card number, or some other incomplete or incorrect data)."  
I checked the addresses, called the credit card company, and everything checks out. Send Costco customer service an email requesting exact reason for cancellation, and the next day I receive this email: "We regret to inform you that we are unable to ship this item, due to the item currently being out of stock."  
First, Costco Online allowed me to place an order on an item they may or may not be able to deliver. Second, the order is in "Process" for a week. Third, they simply cancel the order, saying initially it may be my fault (wrong info).  
Unlike their stores, this online operation leaves much to be desired.  

Costco online is a disaster! I would never order anything from them again. I ordered a watch for my son for Xmas on 12/5. It was shipped to the wrong address, shipped back to Costco, and I have been unable to reach anyone in Customer Service because the line has been busy for two days.

As with the other raters posting on here, Costco.com online is a whole different ballgame then the actual store. They do not ship orders for 11 to 14 days after being placed online. This is a bit extreme, since most of the big companies online ship within a day or 2. I even called to see if I could cancel the order and they said that it takes 2-3 days to cancel the order because a different department handles that and the item might ship before that department gets a chance to talk to the other department. So they have my money and I can't order it elsewhere and I have no product and no guarantee on shipping or the ability to cancel. I will never order from them online again. They can't compete with other online retailers like Newegg.com, who ships same day.  
 
Update-- 10 days later and the item still hasn't shipped yet. Order status shows as in process on their website.

This review was modified by its author, jpatrickm, on 12/12/07 2:58 PM.

DO NOT ORDER ONLINE FROM THEM AND EXPECT TO GET YOUR ORDER IN A TIMELY MANNER!!!! Customer service takes 10-15 minutes, which you have to call if you haven't received your order, and they don't always provide a tracking number. Plus, they REFUSE to refund your order if they failed to ship it to you when they promised. Instead, you have to wait and, if you still don't receive your order a week after the date they told you they'd ship it, you have to call again, be put on hold again, in order to receive a rebate. Don't use Costco.com if you actually want to receive your order quickly, even if they promise a next day delivery!!!! Order from Amazon instead!!!!

I think I can summarize what the general review knowledge is about Costco. Most people would agree Costco as a storefront is great. They are honest about what they are selling you, and they have a great return policy.  
 
Online, Costco.com is a very different story. I ordered 2 LCD tv's on July 5th. It is July 21st today, and they haven't shipped yet. To call their customer service, you end up having a wait time of about 15-25 minutes usually.  
 
Today is the fifth time I've called. The first 2 times were within 10 business days of the purchase (the first two weeks from order date), at which point they neglected to do anything about checking the status of the order. Instead, they said "Don't worry, you'll get it soon. If it's not there within 10 business days then call us."  
 
So then I called again, to hear that "they will look into it." They told me they have filed a notice to the "resolution department." I asked to speak to the resolution department; they don't have a number. I asked to speak to a supervisor; they don't speak to customers. I was told I would hear back within 24-48 hours, and naturally, I did not.  
 
Two days later, I called again. This time, they put me on the phone with a supervisor - Aris Garcia - who gave me standard customer service talk about how they understand my concern, they're doing everything they can, etc etc etc... He told me he would personally look into it, having "sent an email to the shipper." He would call, but I had called after 5 PM EST, so he couldn't. He told me that he was out the next day (a Friday), and that he would personally call me Saturday. I told him instead to have the supervisor for Friday call me personally on Friday.  
 
Naturally, no call. So I call at 4:30PM, hoping to reach someone who can call before 5 PM. I get through at 4:55 and ask for a supervisor. I'm put on hold for 2 minutes, none are available. I ask them to call the shipper. She puts me on hold for another 2 minutes, comes back and says actually I talked to a supervisor your order shipped out today, so you should get a confirmation tonight or tomorrow morning.  
 
We'll see. I'll update as it happens, but regardless, the main lesson is this:  
 
If you're ordering from Costco.com, beware that IF THERE ARE PROBLEMS, IT WILL BE NEAR IMPOSSIBLE TO EITHER FIX IT OR GET A REFUND.

The worst! Had wrong version in store, so I ordered on-line. Still hasn't arrived (7/10). Called Customer service many times. Always wrong info. Though promised, I never received shipping confirmation. Customer service has no way to contact warehouse and check status. I needed at least one drive so I ordered from Fry's on the 3rd. They shipped the same day, I had it in two days, with holiday in between. Costco is my worst experience online. Avoid them on line!

In Store - Outstanding  
 
Web Order - If you frequently order on line, be prepared for your experience with Costco to be the worst ever. I won't go through the exhausting story but purchased a Philips 63" plasma. Problems included: losing the order, multiple calls to the cs center w/avg of 20 minutes wait- absolutely no call backs notwithstanding promises otherwise.  
 
You can expect to speak with a representative who has no knowledge of the situation and has even less interest in resolution (but for one exception - Nichole @ ext 1386).  
 
This is in complete contrast to the outstanding customer service we have had from the warehouse.

WORST online shopping experience ever. I've had better experiences with sellers from eBay. At least some are nice enough to provide tracking number and receipts as proof of shipping. The website for costco did not provide a tracking number for my order (even though one was available). After waiting for about 2 weeks for the order, I called to find out the tracking number from UPS (website indicated that it was not trackable). *insert explicatives here* Somehow, UPS did something and let someone sign for the delivery. Without my knowledge, UPS indicated that it was to be picked up at their facility. Of course, it wasn't picked up and it was returned to sender. Costco was required to issue a refund even though I really wanted the item. They told me to re-order. But the price on the item has increased within the two weeks I had to wait!  
 
Like I said, worst experience ever. I'm going back to Newegg. Stay away from Costco.

Buying from Costco.com is an experience from hell--unlike shopping in a Costco store. In October 2006 I ordered a modular wall unit, and contrary to what the website says, my credit card was charged immediately. Later, a Costco.com service rep denied that happens and essentially called me a liar.  
 
In late November, "2 guys with a truck" showed up well after dark and well beyond the scheduled 8AM-5PM delivery time. They first brought in a cabinet I didn't even order. They then brought in two seriously damaged cabinets with hundreds of pieces of styrofoam stuck to them. Have you ever noticed that styrofoam pieces love to stick to carpeting? Along the way they managed to take a huge chunk out of my wall and leave styrofoam pieces all over my lawn. Their cart left tracks in my lawn as well. At this point I refused to accept delivery.  
 
When I called Costco to complain I was told that the vendor would call me within three weeks about an expedited replacement shipment. When I asked the rep why I had to wait three weesk for a phone call, he said that's how it works unless I want to call the vendor. He gave me the phone number and then I did his job by calling the vendor and asking for an expedited replacement shipment. The vendor (Whalen Mfg) rep bordered on rude and didn't seem to be concerned at all that their furniture comes out of the box looking like it was used for kung-fu practice. When I asked how long the expedited shipment would take, I was told it would take just as long as the original order. Go Whalen Mfg!  
 
I'm leaving a lot of detail out (none of it makes Coscto or Whalen look good) to make this brief but I wrote a letter to the Costco CEO detailing the poor quality of the product, the poor quality of the delivery, the poor quality of the service reps, and the fact that a day's pay was lost waiting for a delivery that never came on time. I even included a picture of our damaged wall.  
 
Thirty days pass....  
 
I never heard a thing from the Costco CEO or anyone else at Costco. Not even an email about an "expedited" shipment. My onlne order status still showed "shipped." I called Costco to ask where the furniture was and the first rep said she'd find out and call me back--she didn't. I called the next day and another rep told me that he'd find out and email the information--he didn't. I called the third day and told themn I wanted to cancel the order and wanted a refund. The rep started arguing with me and told me that she couldn't give me a refund and that I was totally wrong about having my credit card charged the moment I made the purchase. She obviously believes the crap they tell her but they do charge your credit card immediately.  
 
They never refunded my money and after several days an email arrived with a waybill number. A couple weeks later "2 guys with a truck" show up with the furniture. I asked them to unload and unpack everything outside so I could check it before it's brought into my house. This time, the only damage is a broken magnetic door latch but again, there are styrofoam pieces on everything. Luckily, the pieces are oustide this time and I can clean them off. During assembly they find a "minicam" missing from one of the units. Due to the construction of the units, unless you have all of the pieces, you can't build the modular wall.  
 
Now, I have a Costco modular wall sitting in my house in pieces and the chances of getting the right parts from Costco are probably slim to none. After all, they wouldn't even help when the furniture was damaged.  
 
I've been a Costco shopper for years and have gotten great service at their stores. Costco.com is the epitome of bad products, bad service, terrible customer service, and a sure way to have your credit card charged knowing you'll never be able to get a refund. If the product ever shows up, it may be damaged and your chances of getting another damaged one are 100%. And what about that "White Glove" delivery? By the time you're done cleaning up the styrofoam pieces, patching your walls, and putting the stuff together yourself so you don't lose another day's pay (if you can ever get the parts from Costco), you may have wished you never heard of Costco.com.  
 
I've been a big fan of Costco for years and always told people that the prices and service were great. No more. Now, I tell them that the "old" Costco is gone. The "new" Costco acts just like other online scam artists with cheap shoddy merchandise, reps that never help, and immediate credit card charges regardless of their "policy". that claims they only charge your credit card when the item is shipped. Refund? Fat chance of getting one.  
 
You've been warned.

Placed an order through Costco.com for our bedroom furniture set that indicated a 4 to 6 weeks delivery time on 8/19. Five days later, my credit card is charged for the full amount of ~$2000. It is Costco's policy that they do not charge your acct until your complete order is shipped.  
 
Called Lifestyle Solutions once a week for 3 weeks to obtain delivery ETA. Each time they said to call back next week for tracking info. Emailed Costco RE my order status and 1st time they responded in 24 hrs that they are researching and will contact me the following week. Never heard from them.  
 
One would think it does not take 4 weeks to transport furniture by freight, even from LS's NJ warehouse like they said. Sometime around the 5th week, I called Costco and finally got word that the furniture was backordered! Backordered, yet you charged my CC. WTH??  
 
As of today, it has been more than 9 weeks (2 months) since I have been billed. No help from either Lifestyle Solutions or Costco. Even if Costco does not deal directly with the furniture shipment, it is inexcusable and unacceptable for them to be reselling products by a vendor with such practices.  
 
Costco, where is my furniture set?  
 
UPDATE (11/14/06) - Got back in touch with CostCo and they finally credited the full amount back to my credit card. Wasted 3 months waiting for phantom furniture that never arrived. Thanks Costco!

This review was modified by its author, dchme, on 11/14/06 1:10 PM.