Costco customers scrambling to buy $1,949 gold bars as store confirms they’re real
Costco customers have been left fighting to get their hands on gold bars being sold by the company after shoppers spotted the deal online.
If you think of Costco, you probably think of free samples, clubcards and massive portions. Now, however, the wholesaler is throwing something a bit more extravagant into the mix.
The store has started selling two different kinds of 24-karat gold bars, both weighing 1 ounce and available at just short of $2,000.
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It seems like quite a random thing to stock at a store usually thought of for its toilet paper deals and huge pizzas, but after receiving some questions about the item, CFO Richard Galanti confirmed they're the real deal.
Speaking to investors at the company's fourth-quarter earnings call on Tuesday (26 September), the Insider reports he said: "I've gotten a couple of calls that people have seen online that we've been selling one-ounce gold bars.
"Yes, but when we load them on the site, they're typically gone within a few hours."
Customers are limited to buying just two of the bars to give everyone a fair shot, but that hasn't stopped the bars from flying off the shelves.
Some of those who have been lucky enough to get their hands on the shiny objects have taken to social media to share their thoughts, with TikToker @midlifecrisisgirl admitting the bars are 'heavier than [she] thought'.
The cheaper of the two bars comes from South Africa's Rand Refinery and is available for $1,949.99. The second comes from Swiss supplier PAMP Suisse, and sets customers back $1,979.99.
Purchase of the bars includes shipping via UPS which is insured and signed-for, though customers have to hope they'll be happy with the products because they can't be returned or refunded.
Luckily they seem to be going down well with buyers, with both products receiving an average 4.9 star rating.
"Happy with my purchase. I would have purchased a couple more, if Costco permitted," one customer wrote on the site, while another added: "Beautiful Piece of Gold. Brand New! Got What Expected."
Other Costco fans are still trying to get their hands on the gold, with many turning to the internet for advice on the best ways to find and buy them.
"Saw it for the first-time last night while in bed and missed it by the time I woke up in the morning," one frustrated customer wrote.
According to Gold.co.uk, the bars are up for sale at slightly higher than the current market price for the precious metal, which sits at $1,876.12 per ounce at the time of writing (28 September).
Emily Brown