Costco Firearms Policy Letter/email Writing Campaign

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I think that gun owners here in AZ (and everywhere) should write emails and letters to costco expressing their dissatisfaction with costco's arcane "no firearms" policy. I want to have at least a hundred letters/emails sent by the end of January. Maybe we can change their policy.

Write an email in your own words about why you think the policy should be changed to memberservice@costco.com. Please be as professional as possible. Post what you write here!


Here is what I wrote:
To Whom it May Concern,

I wanted to let your company know why I have stopped shopping at your stores and why I am not going to be renewing my membership next year. It is your posted policy that prohibits firearms in your store.

The nearest Costco to me (Spectrum mall in Phoenix, Arizona) is at a mall that I consider to be a dangerous place. It is notorious for car theft, car jacking and gang activity in and around the parking lots. I have a friend that was car jacked in the mall parking lot outside your store. Like thousands of people in Arizona I have a concealed weapons permit, which allows me to legally carry a concealed weapon in public. I choose to do so frequently when I go to the area around your store.

I understand that you DO NOT want firearms in the store, as a safety measure. However, I DO want my firearm in your store, also as a safety measure. As I walk at night across your poorly lit and obviously dangerous parking lot I would be given significant mental peace and be tangibly safer if I had my firearm. By banning firearms in your store you also ban them for the walk into and out of the store. In area in which your store is located I am not willing to take that risk.

I have stopped shopping at your stores, which is a shame because your prices (as compared to local stores) are attractive enough to warrant a longer drive. You prices are not attractive enough to warrant my walking unarmed around Spectrum mall. Your competitor, Sams Club, does not have a similar arcane firearms policy. Because of this issue I joined Sams Club and I enjoy shopping there because it is in a little better area and because they do not disarm law abiding citizens, like myself, in their parking lots and stores.

I am writing this because I like your stores more. I think the employees, product selection and, to a small extent, prices are better Costco than Sams Club. Thus, I eagerly await the day when I can feel comfortable shopping at your stores again. I will be back when you change your firearms policy to allow me to carry in your stores.

Sincerely,

bbvk05 (used real name)

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I wasn't aware the Costco had that policy. My letter wouldn't carry much weight because I'm not a member there, but maybe I could write one and say I'm looking at Costco and Sam's Club and my decision may come down to that issue.

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Concealed means concealed.

Therefore, shop on!

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do it! that might be just as effective.

I know concealed means concealed, but if you are aware of the anti-firearms signage it is still trespass in AZ. This is according to my CCW instructor. I want them to change their policy, but if i to ever have to go there 'I would rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6'.

mzbk2l wrote:

I wasn't aware the Costco had that policy. My letter wouldn't carry much weight because I'm not a member there, but maybe I could write one and say I'm looking at Costco and Sam's Club and my decision may come down to that issue.

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Others have written to Costco before. It doesn't hurt to write again, but they seem like they really do not want law abiding citizens that happen to carry guns to shop at their store. (see thread)

http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/view_topic.php?id=3658&forum_id=55&highlight=cosco

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If you really want to get that message across, run full page ads in the local newspapers comparing costco's gun free zones to the omaha mall, Virginia Tech, and then the colorado churchs. The last sentence of the ad should read 'criminals look for gun free zones, like this one'.

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Ask that Costco rep that says we're more safe by being disarmed how exactly the below took place in their "safe" parking lot? Must be due to their lack of a "no sex offender" policy. They should post one of those signs up right away to keep their sheep, I mean, shoppers, safe.

A level 3 sex offender snuck into a womans car in a Tukwila, WA Costco parking lot earlier this year while she was returning her shopping cart. Believe it or not, the Sex offender did unwittingly obey Costco's no gun policy because he "only" had a knife.

Doesn't it make you feel safe that Costco won't allow anyone to defend themself while shopping at the Costco store or walking through the Costco parking lot?

See full story here:

http://www.krem.com/topstories/stories/krem2_072007_NWsexoffscream.94239bd7.html


or video news story @:

http://www.nwcn.com/sharedcontent/VideoPlayer/showVideo.php?vidId=160485

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bbvk05 wrote:

do it! that might be just as effective.

I know concealed means concealed, but if you are aware of the anti-firearms signage it is still trespass in AZ.  This is according to my CCW instructor. 

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A 20 year Maricopa County Sheriff Deputy told me once, " I don't care what the gun laws for Indian reservations, national parks, bars, other places, etc are. I wouldn't be caught dead without my side arm. This is how it was before I became a police officer. If I were you I would carry open anytime you can and conceal when necessary, but don't let it leave your person."

I don't advocate breaking the law, just bending it to protect your self. I go into costco all the time armed. I go lots of places that have the no firearms signs. Just play cool and conceal it. It would take lots of effort to get these places to resend their policies. I carried in Illinois for years even-though it is illegal. How much do you value your life and wish to protect yourself.

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Here in NV, the law does not specifically cover carrying a firearm on private property. However, as private property, they have the right to ask you to leave, and if you do not, then you can be charged with trespassing. If I'm asked to leave a place, I leave.
But if you're concealed, unless they install a metal detector, search bags, and do pat-downs, they don't know, thus they don't ask you to leave.

For that reason, everywhere a sign is posted, I will carry concealed, except of course places like airports and court houses.

I do not know the law says in Arizona, but if confronted, never admit you ever saw a sign anywhere... Offer to leave, keep insisting you're happy to leave and don't want to make an issue of it.

But I am anxious to see what reply (if any) you get from them.

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dngreer wrote:

Others have written to Costco before. It doesn't hurt to write again, but they seem like they really do not want law abiding citizens that happen to carry guns to shop at their store. (see thread)

http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/view_topic.php?id=3658&forum_id=55&highlight=cosco

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Must be a regional or State-by-State issue. I've shopped for years in the Costcos here in Utah and never had anyone say one word about it. I generally OC or "casually conceal" a full sized 1911. No signs, no stated policies for customers of which I'm aware (doubtless they disarm employees under threat of job loss).

Of course, with the exception of "houses of worship" and private residences, signs carry no legal weight in Utah anyway, so we just don't tend to see very many of them. I've never been asked to leave anyplace because of my firearm.