Costco gave its customers a trendy glass bottle for free. Here's why they didn't want it

Costco, one of America's favorite grocery store chains, is offering yet another freebie for its customers. The wholesale-style retail chain known for its many perks is giving away clear glass bottles as a reward for customers who opt for auto-renewal of their membership. In the past, Costco’s freebies have been cheered by its loyal customers. However, the recent giveaway has seemingly failed to impress people, according to Costco’s unofficial subreddit.

According to a report from Tasting Tables, auto-renewal of Costco’s membership will get customers a clear water bottle with blue silicone covering it. The sleeve is in the retailer's signature dark blue color. Further, the top has a light wooden cover and the Costco logo is etched all over the bottle. It also features a braided rope that is used as a handle.

Overall, the bottle looks like a decent item to get for free. Costco's promotion is coming on the back of the Stanley Tumbler craze, and it is not getting picked up similarly as customers had several complaints from it.

According to some Costco members in the unofficial subreddit, the bottle is not worth it. Customers widely reported that the bottle was of low quality and had several issues. One user, (@Alcynis) said that the bottle doesn’t insulate well and the cap shrinks when kept in the fridge which is a pain to open. To this, another customer (@cane_stanco) added, “I got a chuckle out of how low quality these looked yesterday.”

Another common issue that customers raised was the inconsistency of Costco in offering freebies. Last summer, Costco gave away insulated cooler bags that turned out to be a beloved item for customers to have. This was for members who signed up for the Costco Anywhere Visa card and it seems like they remain as a fan favorite. One customer (@Consistent_Internal5) said that freebies have gone downhill ever since Costco stopped giving away the insulated bags.

As per the report, even the past freebie liquid containers had exciting features like digital temperature indicators. The sleek glass bottle seems like a rather low-grade giveaway from the retail giant.

Furthermore, several customers seemed fed up with receiving liquid containers as freebies. Costco has been giving away numerous water containers as a gift for the auto-renewal of memberships throughout the years. The situation has got so bad that one user (@davper) said, “I need another water bottle like I need another hole in my head,” on the subreddit. 

Another user said that it was time to turn off auto-renewal for good, to which a customer (@Stewie_G_Griffin) said that they didn't receive a bottle as they already had auto-renewal on so they turned it off just out of pettiness. 

However, some customers disagreed with the common opinion and said the bottle was pretty solid. u/Banana_Havok expressed apprehension about liking the bottle after reading all the comments, saying, "Damn just came to say I copped one of these and I liked it but I guess I’ll quietly head back out lol." u/Whatsuptodaytomorrow assured u/Banana_Havok that they shouldn’t be ashamed of liking the bottle as they had earned it.

Editor's note: This article was originally published on April 4, 2024. It has since been updated.