Flat repair – worth the hassle?

I’ve come away from a less-than-pleasant transaction at Costco. Yes, I know – hard to believe coming from me. But I gotta be real here. It was a learning experience, to be sure, but it left me aware of a few chinks in the armor. Allow me to explain.

My wife was stranded with a completely flat tire Thursday afternoon. I left work early to get the emergency spare on for her. I’m heroic like that. So I knew I’d have to cut into work today to get the tire fixed since my weekend is already booked. And who wants to wait in line at the tire center on a Saturday? Not me. What happened next is a study in expectations-management, patience, and perseverance.

Executive card & AmEx True Earnings card: The two shall become one

Okay, that’s my second biblical reference on this site. Can you spot the first? I’ve made it very easy for you.

But on to the topic at hand. I just got this odd little tear-off, pull-out ad in my mailbox announcing that my new AmEx True Earnings card will also be my Costco Executive membership card. Somehow the powers that be are going to fuse these cards into a single entity. The design is changing to make this duality more evident.

Here’s the thing, though: You can already get into the warehouse by flashing your AmEx card at the door guard. I’ve been doing it for years. You can also present your AmEx card to the cashier, and he/she will scan it and then hand it back to you so you can pay with it or put it away for another option. You can even have the customer service people print your mug on the back. Cool, eh?

So why the big deal about this “new” combined card? It seems to me Costco has not adequately communicated these facts until now. By sending out the new cards they’re making sure we Execs understand. All righty! I’m all for improved communication.

If you’ve ever considered signing up for one of these cards, go on over and check out the benefits. I will tell you that I like those rebate checks each year. I will also tell you I don’t like those interest payments when I choose not to live within my means. But that goes for any credit card. The AmEx card rate fluctuates with the economy. It’s lower now than it’s been in the recent past. The new 3% back on gas purchases (anywhere, not just Costco stations!) is nice.

It seems Costco might consider more benefits in the future. How about letting us “load” coupons onto our cards before we go shopping. My local grocery store does that. Any other ideas?