If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is
This Is Why You Should Never Buy Costco’s Kirkland Products on Amazon
Published on Mar. 07, 2025
Costco fans are an opinionated bunch—mainly when it comes to their undying love for the warehouse store. From the consistently low prices on groceries to the eternal $1.50 hot dog and soda combo in the food court, members can’t get enough. And while most other retailers can’t say their private-label brand is truly a fan favorite, Costco can.
Shoppers rave about Kirkland diapers (which are budget-friendly and phenomenal quality), the affordable paper towels (Bounty hates to see them comin’) and so much more. But you might be tempted to see if you can skip the Costco membership or save yourself the hassle of schlepping to the store by shopping for Kirkland products on Amazon. Costco and Amazon? It sounds like a match made in heaven … but is it? Not quite.
While an Amazon search for Kirkland turns up seven pages of products (though, admittedly, not all actually from Kirkland—what gives, Bezos?), you may not want to jump on these purchases. Read on to find out why you should think twice before buying those Costco fan favorites on Amazon.
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Why shouldn’t you buy Kirkland products on Amazon?
While you will find legit Kirkland products purchased from Costco on Amazon, they aren’t coming directly from Costco, says Michelle Nguyen, the marketing manager at UpPromote, which works with brands to grow their e-commerce businesses. And that’s where the potential problems arise.
Here’s why buying Kirkland products on Amazon is such an iffy proposition:
You’ll pay more
The whole point of Costco is to save money, but if you buy Kirkland products on Amazon, there’s a good chance you’ll be negating those savings. In fact, there can be anywhere from a 12% to 75% markup on them!
Case in point: You can buy Kirkland Unsalted Extra Fancy Mixed Nuts on Amazon for $24.99. However, the exact same product at Costco is $18.52. That’s a markup of almost 26%. And those beloved Kirkland diapers? A box of 222 diapers costs $44.99 at Costco, which breaks down to $0.20 per diaper. Over on Amazon, though, a box of the same Kirkland diapers (but with 198 of them) will run you $70. That’s $0.35 per diaper—which is approximately a 74% markup!Â
“Buying Kirkland products on Amazon isn’t the same steal you get at Costco,” says Nguyen. “You’re paying for someone else’s hustle, not Costco’s savings promise, so stick to the warehouse if you can.”
They may not be reputable sellers
In this shopping situation, you’re putting a lot of faith in a third-party seller—someone who not only isn’t familiar to you but also isn’t beholden to Costco’s rules, including the warehouse club’s stellar return policy. If you end up buying from a bad actor, the item might not ship on time, may ship slowly or may not ship at all. Or you might not be able to get a refund if you’re dissatisfied with your purchase. This is an issue with third-party sellers across Amazon, not just those reselling Kirkland products.
There is a way to minimize the chances of this happening, though. “Pay attention to product descriptions, seller ratings and return policies,” says Brian Kroeker, the president of Little Rock Printing and an avid Costco member. “If the seller has vague descriptions, inconsistent reviews or doesn’t allow returns, that’s a major warning sign.”
There’s no quality control
When you’re dealing with a third-party seller on Amazon, you have no way of knowing whether a product has been tampered with or how long it’s been sitting there. For example, let’s say you order a pack of Kirkland protein bars on Amazon, Nguyen posits. They may have been stored by a reseller for months, which could lower their quality—something you won’t know until you try to eat one—or cause them to expire faster. Or maybe the package arrives at your doorstep already expired. Plus, if an item you purchased on Amazon is recalled by Costco for some reason, you won’t be able to get a refund because you didn’t purchase it through Costco.
“While the products may be genuine, there’s no guarantee of authenticity, condition or proper handling,” says Kroeker, “which is why it’s a riskier purchase than buying directly from Costco.”
Are these resellers allowed to buy and sell Kirkland items?
Although it’s not against the law to resell products you’ve purchased at Costco, it is murky ethical territory. Nguyen points to Costco’s terms of service, which consider it a violation of Costco membership.
“Costco’s membership model is meant to give members special discounts that they can only use for themselves and not to sell,” she says. “This model is harmed when resellers buy in bulk and charge more for the goods. This makes it harder for regular Costco members to get the same deals. In the end, this means that customers pay more, and Costco’s original value proposition is less clear.”
Is it ever a good idea to buy a Kirkland product on Amazon?
This really depends on how badly you need—or want—the product. If you’ve gotten hooked on a Kirkland item through a friend (looking at you, organic peanut butter) and don’t have a membership, ordering through a well-rated third-party seller on Amazon is one way to get your hands on it. So is it worth it? Only you can say.
Just know that you will generally pay more for the item on Amazon. And after a few purchases, that $65 Costco membership fee may look pretty tempting.
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