Big-box warehouse stores like Costco or Sam’s Club are well-known for offering customers bulk items at low prices.
For many, the appeal is obvious: you pay an annual fee, and can access items at a lower price all year long, which saves you money in the long run.
But not everyone walks away with a positive experience.
Sam’s Club customer’s mother gets charged for membership
TikTok creator Brittany Burgess (@bphils5) recently shared a story about what happened when her mom shopped at Sam’s Club.
In her clip, she explains how her mother ended up charged for a membership she never signed up for.
“Guys, I’m making this TikTok because I’m ticked off right now,” Brittany begins. “So if you’ve ever shopped at Sam’s Club, especially if you don’t have a membership, you need to go check your bank account.”
She explained that she had signed up for a membership in April 2024, which expired in April 2025.
During that time, she only used it twice—one of those times with her mom. “We had went in to buy things for like a family gathering. And like I said, she bought her things, I bought my things,” she said.
But when her mom later checked her bank statement, she found a surprise: “She had been charged the $50 membership fee.”
A frustrating back-and-forth
Brittany said her father first contacted the bank, and they advised him to call Sam’s Club directly. After explaining the situation to an employee, the response wasn’t straightforward.
According to her, the employee eventually agreed to cancel and refund the fee—but only as an exception. “He’s not supposed to like do this, but he would do it for him this one time,” she recalled.
Still, Brittany wanted more than just a refund. “I told him like I verified it, but I wanted an email explaining like what happened or like a paper trail because this is ridiculous,” she said.
After digging further, she found other TikToks where people had reported the same thing happening.
“Apparently, this had happened, a very similar situation had happened to her and her friend,” Brittany explained. “She found out that Sam’s Club is now charging the last card that was used on the account for the membership fee. How is that legal?”
She ended her video on a frustrated note: “I just don’t see how they can do that… Do better, Sam’s Club.”
What happened here?
Sam’s Club operates on a membership model.
You can’t shop at one of their stores without a membership. Members are allowed to bring up to two guests with them, but only the member can check out.
There are a few exceptions: non-members can shop at the pharmacy, café, and—depending on the state—alcohol section. But for general items, a membership is required.
As for unsolicited membership charges, there’s no information on Sam’s Club’s website about charging the “last card used” on an account.
Commenters share their thoughts
Many viewers said they had run into the same issue themselves.
“This happened to me and I couldn’t figure out for the life of me how it happened. But this explains it all,” one person wrote.
Another added, “Not to mention their new devices that scan your cart when leaving only detect if YOU didn’t pay for all items. If they scanned more items than you actually have, it doesn’t pick that up.”
A third commenter chimed in: “This happened to me last year. Our in-laws pay for our membership. Apparently because ours was the last card used they charged us.”
@bphils5 Do better Sam’s Club! #samsclub #unlawfulcharges #samsclubillegal @keeping up with Amanda J ♬ original sound – Brittany Burgess
The Mary Sue has reached out to Burgess and Sam’s Club for more information.
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