Waking up early to beat the weekend rush at Costco sounds like a bulletproof strategy for a seamless errand run. But when Florida woman Natasha Figueroa (@natashafigueroa1021) arrived right as the doors unlocked, the staff sent her back saying the first hour is reserved for Executive Members only.
In a TikTok car debrief that has gathered nearly 95,000 views, Figueroa detailed a hilarious case of malicious compliance and social engineering. She arrived at Costco for milk, but was forced to turn it into a lesson in never taking no for an answer.
Figueroa left for an early morning grocery run, but was hit with a tier-system block
The situation developed right at 9:00 AM when Figueroa pulled into a local Costco. She was determined to avoid unnecessary browsing stops, and grab a single jug of milk.
However, when she approached the main entrance, a clipboard-wielding employee firmly blocked her path. The greeter informed Figueroa that her Gold Star Membership card was invalid for another hour. He explained to her that the first 60 minutes of the daily operation was strictly gated for premium tier shoppers. So, she’ll have to wait for another hour.
“She’s like, ‘Well, you have the Gold Star Membership. Would you want to upgrade for $21 so you can come in at 9:00 AM instead of 10:00?'” Figueroa recalled. She was left flabbergasted by the immediate, high-pressure upsell at the door.
Not giving in to the pressure, the creator declined to pay extra to enter a store she already paid an annual fee to access. However, she also refused to take the loss and turn her vehicle around to go to another grocer.
Figueroa deployed a classic celebrity manager tactic to bypass the Executive Members block
@natashafigueroa1021 @Costco Wholesale #costco #costcofinds #storytime #f #fyp
♬ original sound – Natasha Figueroa
Refusing to fold under the supervisor’s strict instructions, Figueroa scanned the incoming foot traffic. She then claimed she channeled the tactical brilliance of Hollywood’s ultimate administrative mastermind, Kris Jenner.
Spotting a solitary male shopper marching confidently toward the Costco entry, Figueroa intercepted him. “Hey, do you have an Executive Membership?” she asked the man. To this, he confirmed his premium credentials and playfully invited her to tag along. So, Figueroa executed the ultimate flank maneuver.
Walking parallel to her new companion past the security pod, she casually gestured to him, “I’m with him.”
Is Costco’s first hour really reserved for Executive Members
Big-box subscription models rely heavily on tiered memberships to segment their consumer data and drive high-margin recurring revenue. Costco also officially reserves its initial operating hour to offer a quiet, low-traffic environment for executive members (via Fox 13).
These members pay double the baseline subscription rate for premium perks like annual cashback rewards and early facility access. From Costco’s side, the gatekeeping is a reasonable incentive, executive members are paying more specifically for that early, quieter access, and letting standard members in undercuts the value of the upgrade they’re selling. At the same time, the policy can create friction for baseline shoppers who show up expecting to be let in and instead face an upsell pitch at the door.
Where there’s a will, there’s always a way inside the concrete lanes
Figueroa wrapped up her viral recap on her merry way home, successfully securing milk at 9 AM for her breakfast, without paying the Executive Membership fee. ‘The moral of the story is: where there’s a will, there’s a way,’ she laughed, crediting her quick thinking to the business playbook of Kris Jenner.
Worth noting, though: Figueroa’s workaround involved telling security she was ‘with’ a stranger she’d just approached seconds earlier, which is really just a polite way of misrepresenting her membership tier to get past an access checkpoint. It made for a funny story, but it’s not exactly a strategy Costco would endorse, and if you’re weighing whether milk is worth an hour’s wait, the simpler options are either paying the $21 upgrade or just coming back later.
(Featured Image: TikTok/@natashafigueroa1021)
