‘I tried using my sick mum’s Costco membership and the cashier stopped me’

“It’s kind of messed up! My mum is in the hospital, who else is gonna go to Costco?” Briann demands in the viral video.

Alexandra Feiam

3 min read

December 20, 2023 - 12:50PM

All she wanted was to buy croissants for her mum while she's in the hospital. Source: briannellington/TikTok

Family Life

Don't miss out on the headlines from Family Life. Followed categories will be added to My News.

A young woman was left in disbelief after a wildly strict rule almost stopped her from buying something from Costco.

Visiting her mum in the hospital, 20yo Briann was tasked to go to Costco and buy some croissants.

Picking up her mum’s membership card and saying goodbye, Briann headed to the local shop in Housten, Texas.

It was supposed to be a quick trip, but when she got her hands on the food and headed to the counter, she was met with a confusing roadblock.

Are you following us on TikTok? Head to Kidspot Official to watch our latest videos.

Woman refused entry after trying to use her mum's Costco card

Woman denied at checkout for not being on her mum’s Costco card

“So my mum gives me the Costco card,” Briann told the camera, sitting in the driver’s seat.

“I got to Costco, I get all my s**t, and I get to the self-checkout.”

As Briann scanned the groceries, she was stopped by the cashier.

“The lady says, ‘Give me your card,’” she explained in the clip, handing the cashier her mum’s membership.

“She flips the b***h around, and she sees a picture of my mum,” she continued. “She’s like, ‘Is she here with you today?’”

After explaining her mum was currently in the hospital, the cashier looked at Briann and the items in her cart.

“You can’t buy that,” she said, pointing to the items and shaking her head.

Briann couldn’t help but laugh at the outlandish rule “I can’t buy what?” she asked. “Huh?”

The cashier called over the store manager, and in retaliation, Briann called her mum.

“And my mummy is not happy about this,” she said with a laugh. “She’s not being a Karen … but it’s kind of messed up! She’s in the hospital, who else is gonna go to Costco?”

That didn’t matter to the cashier, it seemed, remaining unmoved by the woman’s situation.

“[My mum] can’t add me to the account,” Briann continued, explaining her grandma’s name was “on the other side.” She added her grandma was unable to pop into the Costco herself as she “can’t drive right now.”

But the cashier remained unmoved.

At last, the manager approached Briann and the cashier, furrowed his brow and summoned the 20yo forward. “Come with me,” he said.

“So I got my croissants, and I won’t be going back,” she said, shaking her head.

Briann vows never to return to Costco. Source: briannellington/TikTok

“Costco made me cry one time for the same reason”

The video went viral almost overnight, with thousands of other disgruntled Costco members sharing similar stories.

“Yeah, they’re strict about it,” someone commented. “One time I took my husband’s Costco card, and they had to pull up the account to make sure I was the other person on it.”

“My mum couldn’t drive for a couple of months due to surgery, and I went Costco shopping for her,” another recalled. “They did the same thing to me.”

“Costco made me cry one time for the same reason,” wrote a third.

“I recently dyed my hair and when I went to return something she didn’t believe it was me,” another woman laughed. “I was like, well get over it it’s me!”

Employees at Costco also let TikTokers take a peek behind the curtain.

“On the Costco memberships, it says ‘non-transferable’ which means no one can use that card except the person whose pic is on the back,” said a Costco worker.

“They honestly try to make it so serious, but it really depends on the cashier,” said another employee. “I woulda let you through … especially just for croissants.”