Why California Costco Shoppers Can't Stand These Locations

As far as giant grocery chains go, Costco has one of the best reputations among customers. From its extremely popular Kirkland Signature products to those delicious free samples and Costco's hassle-free return policy, there's almost nothing that members don't love. However, with over 600 locations in the U.S., it's impossible for every single one to be perfect, and some Costcos — including several in the state of California — are downright disliked by shoppers, according to online comments and reviews.

California happens to be the U.S. state with three times the amount of Costco locations than any other, so it's no wonder why it's also home to more bad eggs than other areas of the country. While the best Costco locations in the U.S. are uplifted by their superior product selections, excellent customer service, and pristine appearance, the following five stores in the Golden State are plagued by the opposite: Chaotic and stressful atmospheres; subpar employee conduct; and products that fall below the level of quality members expect. 

We scoured the internet to find reviews, testimonies, and social media buzz from dozens of shoppers who say they can't stand these Costco stores. We're not telling you to absolutely never visit these warehouses — every customer experience is unique, even low-performance stores can have better days, and most Costco staff members are likely trying their best. Still, don't be surprised if you have a less-than-satisfying experience.

Easily one of the most infamous Costcos in California, the Alhambra location has hundreds of complaints and negative reviews about its unbelievably chaotic atmosphere and poor customer conduct. Crowding is a mildly annoying thing about shopping at any Costco, but one Reddit user called a visit to this location "the most claustrophobic Costco experience of my life," while another user said the store has "terrible drivers, unaware and entitled shoppers, poor and insufficient parking, and horrible gas line layouts ... I have seen several accidents in the parking lot".

As for customer etiquette, as one Yelp reviewer succinctly put it, "the crowded conditions bring out the worst in everyone". Alhambra shoppers often push and shove each other, cut in line, hog free sample kiosks, and abandon shopping carts to block aisles and parking spots. One Redditor begged the question "Do normal social rules not apply at the Alhambra Costco?!" after another shopper attempted to outright steal their cart.

Another Redditor said, "I gave up my Costco membership after one visit to this store. Insanity." In fact, multiple customers in the Alhambra area have done the same due to the unpleasantness of this warehouse. You know a store has to be pretty bad to make people pass up on the great deals at Costco. Arguably worse is that regulars at this location still aren't able to get used to it. "I'm an Alhambra Costco veteran, I still wince at the thought of going there," wrote one Reddit user. Yikes.

The Costco in Monterey Park, California, might have a worse parking lot than the Alhambra location, which is really saying something. This warehouse shares a fairly small shopping center with other popular businesses like an In-N-Out and Home Depot, with few entrances and exits and a poorly-planned layout that obstructs traffic flow. One Yelp reviewer called the lot "atrocious," adding that "If there is [a Costco] closer to you, I strongly suggest going to that one ... avoid the pandemonium of this place."

Even if you manage to get inside this Costco, shoppers say you shouldn't count yourself as lucky. A Yelp reviewer wrote, "I feel bad for the staff because a lot of customers here are messy, rude, lazy and inconsiderate". They added that the food court was littered with trash during their visit and much of the equipment was ill-maintained or broken, suggesting that the store is understaffed. More online reviews also complain of a dirty, disorganized interior, especially at the food court, as well as overly long wait times at checkout and the tire center. And while some shoppers commend staff members for offering great service, others complain of rude and unpleasant interactions with employees.

As a (moldy) cherry on top, multiple Monterey Park customers have seen rotten produce on display. "The fruits and veggies are constantly molded really badly, like the figs this weekend," wrote a Google reviewer who attached photos as proof. While the shopping center layout may not be this Costco's fault, the store itself clearly has some personal issues.

The seaside district of Marina del Rey in Los Angeles County is full of beautiful places to visit, but the local Costco is not one of them. Customers consistently find issues with the food there, and even Costco's fan-favorite rotisserie chicken isn't safe. "Mine always comes with the neck, all the organs and sometimes pin feathers still attached to the skin," wrote one Google reviewer. They added that the food court pizza they ordered seemed old, had toppings on only one half, and wasn't sliced. Another customer purchased salmon that turned out to be spoiled, then had to travel to a different Costco to return it due to difficulties with the Marina del Rey staff. A shopper on Yelp also bought mandarin oranges that were rotten inside.

Like other infamous California Costcos, this location also has a super chaotic parking lot and unbearable crowding. A Google reviewer called the warehouse "miserable," saying, "Even the line for the self-checkout will wrap around multiple aisles ... The line for gas seems to always be 10+ cars long. You'd be better off paying a bit more to get back an hour of your life." Another customer on Google claims to have waited for two hours at checkout.

Lastly, employees at the Marina del Rey Costco have been slammed over and over for being rude and condescending, barking orders at shoppers and dismissing questions or concerns. Working at such a busy Costco can't be easy, but these complaints are too numerous to be blamed on a few bad days.

Sunnyvale, California's local Costco isn't all sunshine and rainbows. The food court draws a lot of ire from members, who complain that their orders are constantly messed up, the food is cold and sodas are flat, and the service is either rushed and unpleasant or incredibly slow. Allegedly, the groceries aren't much better. "The food is always [picked] through and you're more likely to find rotted produce and meat than [at] any other location," one Yelp user said. "If you enjoy chaos, terrible drivers, and oblivious people, come here."

Sunnyvale also has the common California Costco issues of difficult parking and severe overcrowding, and customers apparently can't stand each other in general. One shopper on Yelp provided a description of the vibes: "it's chaos, particularly around the samples. I've never seen 'free food' turn otherwise normal adults into such a swarm. People stop dead in the middle of aisles, block carts, and generally act like common sense [isn't] in their vocabulary". Sample hoggers and aisle blockers are two of the worst types of Costco shoppers, and it seems like Sunnyvale has them in spades.

In a Reddit thread about the Sunnyvale Costco, one user said the store gets so crowded because it's a hub location for several towns, drawing in many shoppers who don't have other Costcos closer to them. Another claimed that the building wasn't originally a Costco, so its aisles are too small to begin with. Either way, some customers found this store so cramped that they gave up on shopping and left.

According to shopper testimonies, the Costco in Roseville, California might offer the worst service in the state. "I've been coming to this Costco for years and the customer service has really fallen off of a cliff," wrote one Yelp reviewer. "Cashiers are super rude and throw your items around ... The people behind the snack counter are the slowest moving humans I've ever seen". You might also encounter employees who act stubborn and unhelpful when processing returns or even scream at customers who try to use their family members' Costco cards. This practice indeed breaks Costco membership rules, but yelling about it is a bad look.

Even if you wind up speaking to nice employees at the Roseville Costco, you might find the inventory lacking. Reviews mention moldy fruit, spoiled hams, off-tasting rotisserie chickens, and pasta salad that was set to expire the next day, but was still up for sale. Some shoppers are also unhappy with sold-out stock, which isn't a surprise, considering how busy Roseville's store is. It's been named by customers and employees as one of the most active Costcos in the country.

Now, like any Costco store that sees millions of visitors, the Roseville location has positive reviews, too. Some customers have shopped there for years and never encountered any issues. But the total number of negative reviews eclipses the positive ones, so visiting is like playing a game of chance — except for the parking lot, which you can always count on to be overcrowded.