The Costco chain is renowned for selling a vast selection of products and services across their 795 stores across the world at discounted prices. And this includes electronics such as televisions.
For that reason, many active Costco members go to the retailer to do their electronics and TV shopping. But, besides the good deals, there are quite a few things that you need to know before spending your hard-earned money on a TV at Costco.
And in this article, we will be revealing to you 11 things that you need to know before buying a TV from the famous retailer.
Table of ContentsShow
1) Costco Have Very Competitive Prices
Costco is known for having very competitive prices across the board – and that includes televisions. In fact, some of the deals are that good, in many cases, you can save hundreds of dollars by buying a TV at Costco rather than other retailers such as Walmart and BestBuy.
And the great thing about Costco’s competitive prices is that they are applied to both old and new generation televisions. So, if you’re after a 4K 55″ Samsung TV, rest assured that if it’s available at Costco, you will get a great deal.
Though Costco have very competitive prices on TVs throughout the year, if you really want to get the best deal possible, you should try and shop around the times of Black Friday, Christmas, and other such public holidays.
But, don’t only rely on those times of the year. Costco constantly discounts a lot of their TVs so that they can be sold and open up space for their new batch of TVs to come in.
In other words, you can get great value for money if you keep an eye out for the best deals.
And if that wasn’t enough, Costco also price matches TVs sold on the Costco website and in-store. So, if you find a TV that you like, which is available for 50$ less online than in-store, Costco will discount the product accordingly.
2) There’s A Lot Of Choice
As Costco are one of the largest retailers in the United States, you can only imagine the buying power they have. As a result of that, Costco offer plenty of choice on their website and in-store when it comes to TVs.
You will find both older and newer models that have just been released for a great price. This way, you can shop around and pick the TV that best suits your needs and budget.
3) Costco Have A Very Decent TV Return Policy
If you’re not happy with your purchase, Costco has a very decent return policy. In most cases, you can return a TV within 90 days of purchase and receive a full refund – no questions asked.
However, there are a few things that you need to keep in mind before returning your TV.
Firstly, the TV needs to be in its original packaging and have all of the accessories that came with it. Secondly, in order to qualify for a refund, the TV cannot be damaged in any way.
So, if you’re not happy with your TV for any reason, don’t hesitate to return it and get a full refund, which will go back to your original payment method.
4) Costco Offer A Great Warranty On TV Purchases
Many of the TVs available for sale on the Costco website and in-store come with a manufacturer warranty should anything happens to the TV within a certain period of time, which is usually 1 to 2 years.
However, Costco offers a service called SquareTrade warranty, which allows you to enhance the warranty on your electronic items after the original warranty expires.
So, if you’re planning on spending a few thousand dollars on a top-of-the-line television, it’s definitely worth considering. This way, your expensive TV will be covered for many years into the future.
To get a price, you should visit their website and get a quote tailored perfectly to your needs.
5) You Need To Have An Active Membership To Buy A TV From Costco
Now, this is one of the downsides that you need to keep in mind when buying a TV from Costco. Due to Costco’s low prices and after-sale services, they’re only available for paying members. In other words, if you don’t have a membership – you can’t buy a TV from them.
But don’t worry!
If you’re interested in signing up for a membership, there are several options available to choose from. The cheapest option is the Gold Star membership, which will cost you $60 per year.
If you’d like to have access to even more benefits, then you can also go for the Executive membership, which will cost you $120 per year.
You can either purchase a membership online or visit the nearest Costco store and get one added on the spot.
In case you don’t want to spend any money on a Costco membership as you won’t really shop from there besides this one purchase, you can simply order it online and pay the 5% non-member surcharge.
Or, if you have a friend that has an active Costco membership, you can simply ask them to buy you the television that you’re after.
6) Costco Matches Its Own Online And Offline Prices
Costco’s price matching policy is practically non-existent. The retailer doesn’t match any of its competitors including Walmart, BestBuy, and Target. And to be completely honest, they don’t need to since customers can hardly find better prices on products anywhere else than Costco.
Despite that, Costco do price match themselves. For example, if you find a TV on the Costco website for $350 and that same television costs $400 in-store, you can simply show your local Costco the price of the product on the website and the price in-store for you will be adjusted accordingly.
This is part of how they make sure that every single Costco customer is 100% satisfied with the service offered. So, if you’re on the lookout for a TV at Costco, do make sure to check the prices on the Costco website before you buy a TV from the store.
7) Costco Provides TV Tech Support
If you’re someone who isn’t particularly tech-savvy but would like to take advantage of the newer technologies offered on the market, then you don’t have anything to worry about.
Costco provides all of their customers with tech support for all electrical devices that can be bought from the Costco warehouse and the Costco website. And this includes TVs.
So, if you have any questions, reach out to Costco and they will provide you with all the tech help you may need.
8) TV Setup Is Not Included In The Price
Whether you buy the TV online or in-store, the price of TVs is solely for the product as you see it. It does not include delivery or the setting up of the TV in your home.
If you believe that you need help with setting up your TV, you can get in touch with your local Costco pre or post-purchase to discuss your options.
9) You Can Get Your TV Purchase Delivered To Your Home
If you bought your TV online, the best and easiest way to get your purchase is by having it delivered to your home. You can arrange that while purchasing your television from the Costco website.
In many cases, your delivery will be free, but in some – depending on the size of your order and your delivery address, you may be charged a fee.
On the flip side, if you happen to buy a TV in-store but don’t have a way of bringing the TV back home with you, you can arrange a delivery in-store. The fee policy is the same as buying and arranging a delivery over the internet.
10) Not All Credit Cards Are Accepted As Payment Methods
If you want to buy a TV from Costco over the internet, not all credit cards will be accepted as payment methods. This is because there is a Costco and VISA partnership between the two companies.
In other words, you can only shop at Costco if you have a VISA credit card. No other credit cards such as Amex or MasterCard are accepted.
Now, do note that this doesn’t apply to debit cards or any other type of payment method including Apple Pay or cash.
11) Best Time To Buy TV At Costco Is During The Festive Period
Costco, like all retailers in the United States discount a lot of their products during certain periods of the year – and that includes televisions.
From our research and personal experience, the best time to buy a TV from Costco is during Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the Christmas period. That is when people are willing to spend money, and retailers like Costco know that.
In some cases, however, if Costco weren’t able to sell out on everything, a lot of their sales will continue through to January. It happens nearly every year so if you missed out on the discounts, don’t worry – there are plenty to follow.
Conclusion – Buying A TV From Costco In 2023
Televisions are amongst the most expensive types of electronic devices, so, it is normal for people to want to make sure that they get the best deal for their buck.
And buying a TV from Costco will help you achieve just that – as long as you’re a member or else, you’ll have to pay the 5% surcharge on top of your purchase.
Generally speaking, TVs at Costco are of great quality and are backed up by warranty so you have nothing to worry about.
