5 Costco Electronics With Overwhelmingly Negative User Reviews – BGR

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Costco sells a wide variety of items, but over the years, it has also become known for its electronics offerings, such as TVs. That does not mean all Costco electronics are worth your money, though. Looking at the Costco online store, you can find dozens of electronics that have been poorly received by customers. This list compiles some of the most poorly received electronics on the site. 

Not all of the items on this list have a ton of reviews. At first glance, three negative reviews for a product might not seem like a lot, but when there are only six reviews in total, that translates to a 50% positive satisfaction level. On this list are a wide range of electronics with ratings lower than three out of five stars, including a camera, headphones, and an EV charger.

That said, a few of these products may be worth trying for yourself. Costco famously has a generous return policy that lets members return many items without question. Costco may have also resolved a problem discussed among customers of these products since the negative reviews were posted. Here’s what customers disliked about each product so you can see for yourself what all the fuss is about.

The Sony WH1000XM5/SA is an over-ear Bluetooth headphone powered by two 30 mm dynamic drivers with a frequency response of 4 to 40,000 Hz. A key selling point for this device is its noise-cancelling technology. With its eight microphones, the headphones’ Auto NC Optimizer takes in sound and filters out excess noise. You can also talk on the phone using the microphones with Precise Voice Pickup Technology to pick up your voice in noisy environments.

Sony claims the headphones can last around 40 hours of continuous music playback on a single charge, or 30 hours if noise-cancelling is being used. You can expect a charge time of 3.5 hours. Soft-fit leather is wrapped around the earcups and head strap for comfort. 

This $279.99 Sony headphones bundle includes a soft case. However, even with a case included, customers still didn’t like this product. The Sony WH1000XM5/SA is currently rated 2.4 stars out of 5 on the Costco store. A majority of the negative reviews complained about build quality, specifically that the headband strap would break after what was considered normal wear and tear. Additionally, one of the customers who left a less common moderate review on the product said that the sound quality is good, but it is painful to wear. They wrote that it lacks proper cushioning on the headband and that they returned the product due to this issue. Another user reported that the Bluetooth connection drops out randomly when moving their head to the left or right while it’s active.

This $379.99 bundle includes both a Nextbase iQ 2K Smart Dash Cam and a rear window camera. The dash cam can continuously record what is happening in front of you and in your car at 1440p. The rear camera records at the same resolution when paired with the dash cam. Included in the bundle is also a 64 GB microSD card for video storage.

The Nextbase cameras offer several notable features. For example, if you feel like you are in any danger, you can activate Witness Mode to share live footage of your current situation with a trusted contact. There is also Roadwatch AI, which approximates the speed of other vehicles in your recording automatically.

The biggest caveat to this bundle is that many of the camera’s features aren’t free. For features such as Witness mode, 4G data, and cloud storage, you must pay $9.99 per month. At $19.99, you get even more features with Emergency SOS, the ability to set up multiple user accounts, and Automated Incident Backup. With the free plan, you simply get voice control and real-time text notifications. Nextbase’s iQ 2K Camera Bundle has received six reviews on the Costco website, with nearly all falling within the 1- to 3-star range. Most of the negative reviews were from customers who were disappointed to find out that the most sought-after features available on these cameras are locked behind a subscription. The remainder of the negative reviews discussed the product being faulty.

Costco offers a $249.99 PlayStation Portal Remote Player Bundle that includes a PowerA Charging Station and a Protective Case alongside the device. This is not a handheld gaming system. Instead, this device streams gameplay from your console wirelessly, freeing you from the, albeit cozy, shackles of your living room couch. Performance will, however, depend on the speed and stability of your remote player and console’s connection. On a solid connection, you can expect 1080p resolution and 60fps, making it suitable enough for a wide range of games. Like the DualSense controllers, this device features haptic and vibration feedback for an enhanced immersive experience.

The bundle has a 2.6-star rating on the Costco website, with the majority of the seven reviews expressing dissatisfaction with the product. A majority of the one-star reviews were left because the customers received the wrong color device. Costco responded to all of these “wrong color reviews” with a statement explaining that the issue has been resolved and that future orders will be accurate. There was another one-star review, but this time it was about the hardware. One user found the quality outdated, and the LCD monitor difficult to look at due to its low display quality.

For amateur photographers, Costco sells the Minolta MN26Z for $199.99. This camera captures both 20-megapixel still images and records 1080p HD video. It features a 26x optical zoom and an additional 4x digital zoom. With its wide-angle lens, this camera is built for capturing wide scenes. 

When snapping pictures, you can choose between 13 pre-tuned scene modes, such as Landscape or Night Portrait, to have the camera automatically adjust its settings based on what you are shooting. Shots and videos can be reviewed on the camera’s 3-inch LCD monitor. With the free Minolta ProShot App, you can transfer photos and videos from your camera to your phone over Wi-Fi.  

Bundled with the camera is a carrying bag, a neck strap, all necessary cables, a 32GB memory card, rechargeable batteries, a lens cap, and an additional 128GB memory card. Despite shipping with a collection of goodies, this camera currently holds a flat 2-star rating on the Costco online store, making it the lowest-rated item on the list. Although there are only two reviews, both customers complained about the same thing: the camera’s focus. One of the customers said focusing the camera is slow and difficult, while the other owner stated that the camera simply didn’t focus well.

This may come as a surprise to some, but Costco also sells EV chargers. The Schumacher SEV1600P1450 offers level 2 charging at 240V, with a current rating of 40 amps via a NEMA 14-50 plug, or 50 amps when hardwired. The charger is housed in an IP66 weather-resistant case with an interchangeable dock that lets you hang the gun on either side of the charger. 

Its 25-foot charging cable features the non-Tesla standard plug, SAE J1772, allowing it to charge almost any electric vehicle. Tesla customers will need to buy an adapter to charge their vehicle with this charger. You can use the SchuPower app to schedule and monitor your charges with this device.

On its Costco product page, the charger has a 2.3-star rating out of 5, based on 15 reviews. The biggest complaint among customers was that the NEMA 14-50 plug cable is not long enough. One customer measured it at under 10 inches. This can be a problem if your plug is not directly under the charging device, as it is not possible or advised to use an extension cord for this kind of charging. A few customers also noted charging issues that prompted them to return the product. One customer reported that the device stopped working altogether, while another noted that the charging speed was slower than it should, even when hardwired.