For some, grocery shopping is the modern equivalent of hunting and gathering. There’s something so satisfying about picking that perfectly ripened melon or exquisite cut of meat for your family.
A Costco customer recently thought he was in for a real treat when he bought beef short ribs from the members-only warehouse. Instead, he “got set up by Costco.”
TikTok creator Rory (@rory_dfg) bought a four-pound pack of beef short ribs for $46.76. Once home, he opened the package and started placing them on his cutting board to prep the meat.
“Look at that. They look delicious, right? Man, big fat pieces,” he says, showing off three large, meaty beef short ribs.
The bottom layer, on the other hand, contains six much smaller pieces.
“Bro, what? What is this? The top pieces are lovely, lovely looking,” he says.
Zooming in on the six small ribs, he continues, “That’s a setup. Those are scraps. Those are pieces.”
In the caption, he says he bought the beef short ribs at the Costco in San Leandro, California. “I am beyond disappointed in you all!” he writes.
Rory didn’t immediately reply to a direct message sent via TikTok.
Tricks of the trade
Packaging meat is as much about looks as it is about preserving freshness. Meat sellers, at times, present their products in ways that encourage people to buy, which some might view as less than entirely honest.
For example, the brown side of a cut gets flipped over. That hard bit of gristle might end up with the price sticker right on top of it. Meat advertised as 100% fresh may have nevertheless been injected with saltwater or another additive.
Even experienced grocery shoppers who know these tricks get duped sometimes.
There are some ways to avoid getting tricked, however. Press lightly on the price sticker to test the consistency of the meat underneath. Check the sell-by date and the ingredients. If all else fails, ask an employee.
‘Wow trust issues activated’
Most grocers allow returns, even of meat, within a certain amount of time. Costco has a reputation for accepting returns, even in extreme cases at times.
The overwhelming majority of people who commented on Rory’s post had one piece of advice: return the ribs.
“It’s Costco. Take it back,” wrote one.
Several suggested that he take the matter to a manager in the meat department.
Some felt let down by the company.
“I trusted Costco not to do this,” said one.
Rory isn’t overly perturbed by his Costco beef short rib letdown.
“Of course the customer service representatives were very lovely and gave me a swift refund,” he writes. “After we briefly joked about what had happened.”
Costco didn’t respond to an email sent to its investor relations department.
@rory_dfg Meat department at Costco in San Leandro California, I am beyond disappointed in you all! This is not the level of customer service anyone should ever expect. I feel as though I have been conned and scammed by you all. I'm also not sure if that was even close to 4 lb. of course the customer service representatives were very lovely and gave me a swift refund. after we briefly joked about what had happened. #costco #scammed #aintnoway #sanleandro #costcotiktok #costcofinds ♬ original sound – Dr.FeelGood
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