Date:         Thu, 31 Aug 2000 07:19:00 -0700
Reply-To:     Katherine Maas <kathmaas@HOME.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Katherine Maas <kathmaas@HOME.COM>
Subject:      Subject: Costco - not for everyone-
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

The first time my partner and I tried to join Costco, we were turned down
because we weren't on the "list" of eligible employers.  If my partner, who
is self employed, had had a business card or piece of personal business
letterhead along, we would have qualified.  As we turned away from the desk,
disgruntled, I happened to mention the name of my employer, and was hastily
told I was eligible, even though they weren't named on the list visible to
me.

We joined, but subsequently regretted it, after a local TV station ran a
little expose on some of the havey-cavey methods they discovered Costco used
to acquire their goods.  One story involved a kayak manufacturer being
approached by an alleged charity to manufacture and sell at cost a bunch of
sea kayaks for use by disabled people.  These kayaks ended up being sold
well below normal market price at the local Costco.  There were lots of
other stories of the same ilk, but this was the one that really stuck in my
head.  While they might not be strictly operating outside the law, they were
definitely operating outside my value system, and we are no longer members.
I don't know whether this kind of practice is true of all Costcos, but it
seemed to be well documented in this case.

Kath, Rob & Vanita (87 Westy)
North Vancouver, BC