To PriceSmart Or Not To PriceSmart

[MariaRubia]

If you want to know what they have just look on their website and avoid even entering. You are welcome to enter with anyone who has a card.

As I previously mentioned, the crowds and parking have complicated PriceSmart. I will continue to shop for what I need but buy it online and just go pick it up at the store. No need to park and enter.

Their delivery service is super cheap, it's about 250 pesos for same day delivery.

Their bath towels are very nice, the MS ones.

I don't recommend their electrical items, as has been said there's a much better selection in other stores. For electricals I would definitely buy online, stores like Corripio and Plaza Lama often have online only prices which are much lower than the stores (for Corripio they always have much higher prices in the store and you always have to ask them for the discounted price, which they then give you).

 

[LindseyKaufman]

Their delivery service is super cheap, it's about 250 pesos for same day delivery.

Their bath towels are very nice, the MS ones.

I don't recommend their electrical items, as has been said there's a much better selection in other stores. For electricals I would definitely buy online, stores like Corripio and Plaza Lama often have online only prices which are much lower than the stores (for Corripio they always have much higher prices in the store and you always have to ask them for the discounted price, which they then give you).

Would love to use their delivery service but they do not deliver to our little Pueblo on the mountain.

But that is okay. There is nothing better than a Sunday morning drive over the mountain and through the pueblos,smelling the wood fires burning and cooking their Sunday meals and seeing families gather to play dominoes
And women sweeping the street in front
Of their house, and the cows lazily chewing grass. Absolutely nothing better!

 

[Glenn Burke]

Would love to use their delivery service but they do not deliver to our little Pueblo on the mountain.

But that is okay. There is nothing better than a Sunday morning drive over the mountain and through the pueblos,smelling the wood fires burning and cooking their Sunday meals and seeing families gather to play dominoes
And women sweeping the street in front
Of their house, and the cows lazily chewing grass. Absolutely nothing better!

You wanted to say "Sunday morning drive over the mountain and though the pueblos, smelling the burning trash from the nearest vertedero, seeing families gather to get drunk and blast music out of their speakers as loud as they can, while others are throwing trash in front of their houses and everywhere else, and the poor cows trying to find some clean grass to chew because everything is covered with trash", right?

 

[bob saunders]

You wanted to say "Sunday morning drive over the mountain and though the pueblos, smelling the burning trash from the nearest vertedero, seeing families gather to get drunk and blast music out of their speakers as loud as they can, while others are throwing trash in front of their houses and everywhere else, and the poor cows trying to find some clean grass to chew because everything is covered with trash", right?

You are kind of a negative guy. Lighten up.

 

[Glenn Burke]

You are kind of a negative guy. Lighten up.

I just wanted to make sure that we are talking about the same country, because what he described sounds more like Switzerland, and I was asking about PriceSmart in Dominican Republic.

 

[XTraveller]

You can not let others use your card.
You must be there for your wife /family to benefit AND you do the transaction.

They refused my wife as a separate transaction with me there once.

PS: She has her own card but did not have it with her.

I went once and forgot my card, they sent me to customer service and they check my member ship and gave me temporary pass (paper)

 

[bob saunders]

I just wanted to make sure that we are talking about the same country, because what he described sounds more like Switzerland, and I was asking about PriceSmart in Dominican Republic.

My wife and I often go for Sunday trip to the campo, going through lots of little Hamlets...etc. Some places have garbage, many don't. Many campesinos are busy working and actually rest on Sunday, maybe drinking a beer or a bit of rum. He is she by the way. Sounds like there are a lot of places you haven't been to.

 

[MariaRubia]

You wanted to say "Sunday morning drive over the mountain and though the pueblos, smelling the burning trash from the nearest vertedero, seeing families gather to get drunk and blast music out of their speakers as loud as they can, while others are throwing trash in front of their houses and everywhere else, and the poor cows trying to find some clean grass to chew because everything is covered with trash", right?

Some of this is true but those of us who like DR do enjoy some of the sights. I love driving by a river late afternoon on a Sunday, watching all the teens going completely crazy and being young and stupid. Music blasting out, lots of extremely drunk people. Makes me remember I'm alive.

 

[MariaRubia]

I went once and forgot my card, they sent me to customer service and they check my member ship and gave me temporary pass (paper)

And it only took 5 hours mi amor porque no tengo sistema I imagine. Take your card. I have the app on my phone and in DR it only allows you to see your card, but I presume they would accept that.

 

[Juan Bosch]

In Santiago's Pricesmart they are making a big deal about your id...A few months back they implemented the procedure of the member showing your cedula...without it you cannot do purchases...

 

[johne]

Pricesmart security: About 6-8 months ago we stopped for a slice of pizza in store after doing a big shop. Very unlike my wife, she left her cell phone on the table. We went to the car after about a 10 minute wait at check out and went immediately back to the table where we had eaten. A man at the next table said he gave it to security.
Back of store left there is a security section. She needed to show ID and then they play the video tapes to confirm her story. About a 15 minute episode. she said their were dozens of conitors back there.
I gave the man that turned it in a pizza that I was about to take home as a "reward" lol.

 

[JLSawmam]

Just wondering - would a photo on your phone of your membership card (front and back if that applies) suffice? If they scan a barcode or something like that, a photo usually works

 

[JD Jones]

When they built their first store many years ago, I went it, they said a membership card is needed. I said let me go in first so I can see if it's worth it to buy a membership. They let me in, I walked around every shelf and I did not find any item that I wanted to buy there and I did not see anything that was worth to buy a membership, so I said No Thanks and left.

When they built another store in Zona Universitaria a few years ago, I was passing by one day so I decided to park and go check it out. I went in, they said a membership card is needed. I said let me go in first so I can see if it's worth it to buy a membership. This time they said NO, so I said Ok F*ck You and left.

Their first store where? Which location?

 

[chicagoan14]

I would say the only things that would be worth to buy there for a single person are toilet paper, detergent, dish soap, bath soap. (I like certain brands and it's always cheaper and a per unit basis than buying from the store.)

Most importantly, they have a store brand of greek yogurt cups for 700 pesos. Can't find anything comparable anywhere else tat that price point.

I like having access to certain products the states. They beat out most stores on TV prices for a while, but as years have passed, TV's aren't so expensive here.

I got an air fryer there a month or two ago. I paid 3000 less than I would have at plaza lama for their cheapest airfryer.
I also buy my alcohol there. Juices and salmon burgers. Tide pods (which are drastically cheaper there) I'd say if you have on relatively close its worth it, I have one just two minutes away. I don't necessarily look at it as a place where I only buy bulk items.

 

[johne]

Most importantly, they have a store brand of greek yogurt cups for 700 pesos. Can't find anything comparable anywhere else tat that price point.

I like having access to certain products the states. They beat out most stores on TV prices for a while, but as years have passed, TV's aren't so expensive here.

I got an air fryer there a month or two ago. I paid 3000 less than I would have at plaza lama for their cheapest airfryer.
I also buy my alcohol there. Juices and salmon burgers. Tide pods (which are drastically cheaper there) I'd say if you have on relatively close its worth it, I have one just two minutes away. I don't necessarily look at it as a place where I only buy bulk items.

Salmon burgers, chunks, and slabs of salmon. Had them all and I gotta say... no finer around.

 

[bob saunders]

Most importantly, they have a store brand of greek yogurt cups for 700 pesos. Can't find anything comparable anywhere else tat that price point.

I like having access to certain products the states. They beat out most stores on TV prices for a while, but as years have passed, TV's aren't so expensive here.

I got an air fryer there a month or two ago. I paid 3000 less than I would have at plaza lama for their cheapest airfryer.
I also buy my alcohol there. Juices and salmon burgers. Tide pods (which are drastically cheaper there) I'd say if you have on relatively close its worth it, I have one just two minutes away. I don't necessarily look at it as a place where I only buy bulk items.

Their store brand has too much sugar for me, I buy Chobani Greek yogurt , whole milk plain for around 580 for 32 oz . Comes from New Berlin NY. cAN BUY LOCALLY.

 

[playacaribe2]

Unless you also buy big ticket items or they have food/products you cannot get elsewhere, most people likely break even at best, when you deduct the cost of membership and the time/gas to go to one of their clubs.

The hands down store membership model leader is their former parent, COSTCO.

If one ever shows up in the DR, that would be a game changer and well worth the $60 annual membership ($65.00 come September 1st)

There is no membership warehouse club that even comes remotely close to the perks/benefits/selections of COSTCO.


Respectfully,
Playacaribe2

 

[keepcoming]

I just wanted to make sure that we are talking about the same country, because what he described sounds more like Switzerland, and I was asking about PriceSmart in Dominican Republic.

Maybe not everyone looks for the negative. On our drives to my in-laws in the campo on the weekends, I can 100% agree with Lindsey. Maybe you're not driving in the right areas or do not know the country well enough.

 

[LindseyKaufman]

Their store brand has too much sugar for me, I buy Chobani Greek yogurt , whole milk plain for around 580 for 32 oz . Comes from New Berlin NY. cAN BUY LOCALLY.

Yep! That’s what I buy. Drove to Santiago today from Jamao (no short trip) to buy 7 more for my breakfasts next week.

 

[El Hijo de Manolo]

Salmon burgers, chunks, and slabs of salmon. Had them all and I gotta say... no finer around.

🤢