Terms and Privacy

Terms of Service

Last updated: September 1, 2026

Welcome to Costco97. These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your use of costco97.com, our email newsletters, and our community forum (together, the “Services”). The Services are owned and operated by Alta Ventures LLC (“Costco97,” “we,” “us,” or “our”).

By using the Services, you agree to these Terms and to our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Services.

1. Not Affiliated with Costco

Costco97 is an independent publication run by Costco fans. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or otherwise connected to Costco Wholesale Corporation. “Costco” and “Kirkland Signature” are trademarks of Costco Wholesale Corporation. We use them only to describe the products and stores we write about.

2. Deals Are Not Guaranteed

We publish deals, prices, and product sightings submitted by readers and gathered by our team. Costco prices vary by warehouse, change without notice, and clearance items sell out. We do our best to be accurate, but:

• We do not guarantee that any price, product, or quantity shown on the Services is available at your warehouse.
• Deals may be regional, limited to certain locations, or already sold out by the time you read about them.
• Always check the price tag in the warehouse or on Costco.com before you buy.

Recall notices are republished from public sources for convenience. Confirm any recall directly with Costco or the manufacturer.

3. Age Requirement

You must be at least 13 years old to use the Services. You must be at least 18 to create a forum account or submit content.

4. Your Account

If you create a forum account, you are responsible for keeping your login secure and for everything that happens under your account. Do not use a name that impersonates another person or company. Tell us right away at privacy@costco97.com if you think your account has been compromised.

5. Content You Submit

When you submit a deal, photo, comment, forum post, or other content (“User Content”), you agree that:

• You own it or have the right to share it.
• It is accurate to the best of your knowledge.
• It does not infringe anyone’s copyright, trademark, or privacy rights.
• It is not spam, advertising for another business, or a link scheme.
• It is not illegal, hateful, threatening, harassing, or obscene.
• It does not contain malware or harmful code.
• It does not include personal information about other people without their permission.

License. By submitting User Content, you give Costco97 a worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive, perpetual license to use, reproduce, edit, publish, distribute, and display that content on the Services, in our newsletters, on social media, and in promotional materials. You keep ownership of your content. We may edit submissions for clarity, length, or formatting.

Removal. We may remove or decline to publish any User Content for any reason. If you want content you submitted taken down, email us and we will make a reasonable effort to remove it, though copies may remain in caches, archives, or newsletters already sent.

6. Acceptable Use

Do not:

• Scrape, crawl, or copy the Services in bulk without our written permission.
• Use the Services to send spam or unsolicited messages.
• Attempt to break, overload, or gain unauthorized access to the Services.
• Republish our content as your own. You may share links and short excerpts with a link back to the original.
• Use the Services for any unlawful purpose.

7. Our Content and Trademarks

Articles, photos we take, graphics, the Costco97 name, and the Costco97 logo belong to Alta Ventures LLC or our licensors and are protected by copyright and trademark law. You may view and share our content for personal, non-commercial use. Any other use requires our written permission.

8. Advertising, Affiliate Links, and Sponsored Content

The Services are free because they are supported by advertising. We display third-party ads on the site and in our newsletters. We also use affiliate links, including through the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Sponsored content is labeled as such. Advertisers and affiliate partners are separate companies, and we are not responsible for their products, services, or websites.

9. Third-Party Links

The Services link to Costco.com, Amazon, manufacturer sites, social media, and other third-party websites. We do not control those sites and are not responsible for their content, accuracy, or practices. Use them at your own risk.

10. Copyright Complaints (DMCA)

We respect intellectual property rights. If you believe content on the Services infringes your copyright, send a notice to privacy@costco97.com with: (a) a description of the copyrighted work; (b) the URL of the material you believe is infringing; (c) your contact information; (d) a statement that you have a good-faith belief the use is not authorized; (e) a statement, under penalty of perjury, that the information in your notice is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or authorized to act for the owner; and (f) your physical or electronic signature. We will respond to valid notices, which may include removing the material. We may terminate accounts of repeat infringers.

11. Disclaimer of Warranties

The Services are provided “as is” and “as available.” To the fullest extent permitted by law, we disclaim all warranties, express or implied, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy, and non-infringement. We do not promise the Services will be error-free, uninterrupted, or free of harmful components.

12. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Alta Ventures LLC and its owners, employees, and contractors will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss of profits or data, arising from your use of or inability to use the Services, from any content on the Services, or from any purchase you make based on information found on the Services. Our total liability to you for any claim will not exceed $100. Some states do not allow these limitations, so they may not apply to you.

13. Indemnification

You agree to defend and hold harmless Alta Ventures LLC and its owners, employees, and contractors from any claims, damages, or expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, arising from your User Content, your use of the Services, or your violation of these Terms.

14. Termination

We may suspend or terminate your access to the Services at any time, with or without notice, for any reason, including violation of these Terms. You may stop using the Services at any time. Sections that by their nature should survive termination (content license, disclaimers, limitation of liability, indemnification, governing law) will survive.

15. Governing Law and Disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to its conflict of law rules. Any dispute arising from these Terms or the Services will be resolved in the state or federal courts located in Contra Costa County, California, and you consent to the jurisdiction of those courts. Before filing a claim, you agree to contact us at privacy@costco97.com and try to resolve the dispute informally for at least 30 days.

16. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we do, we will change the “Last updated” date at the top. If the change is significant, we will post a notice on the site or in the newsletter. Continued use of the Services after a change means you accept the new Terms.

17. General

These Terms and the Privacy Policy are the entire agreement between you and Costco97 about the Services. If any part of these Terms is found unenforceable, the rest remains in effect. Our failure to enforce any provision is not a waiver of it. You may not assign these Terms. We may assign them in connection with a sale or transfer of the Services.

18. Contact

• Email: privacy@costco97.com
• Mail: Alta Ventures LLC, 12647 Alcosta Blvd, Suite 435, San Ramon, CA 94583

Privacy Policy

Last updated: September 1, 2026

Costco97.com is owned and operated by Alta Ventures LLC (“Costco97,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and the choices you have. It applies to costco97.com, our email newsletters, and our community forum (together, the “Services”).

Costco97 is an independent publication. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Costco Wholesale Corporation. This policy covers only our Services, not Costco.com or any other site we link to.

Quick version: we collect your email if you subscribe, we use standard analytics and advertising cookies to keep the site free, and we work with an identity partner that may match your visit to an email address. You can opt out of all of it. Details are below.

1. Information We Collect

Information you give us

• Email address when you subscribe to our newsletter.
• Name, email, and message when you email us.
• Phone number, message, and photos when you text a deal tip to our SMS line.
• Username, email, and profile details if you create a forum account.
• Deal submissions: product details, prices, warehouse location, and photos you upload. You can submit deals anonymously. If you include your name or a photo that identifies you, that content may be published.
• Comments you post, along with the name and email you provide.
• Survey and poll responses if you choose to participate.

Information collected automatically

• Device and usage data: IP address, browser type, operating system, device identifiers, pages viewed, links clicked, referring URL, and time spent on pages.
• Warehouse you choose. If you pick a warehouse for “deals near you,” we store that choice in a cookie on your device. The site itself does not look up your location from your IP address, and we do not collect precise GPS location. Our advertising partners may use your IP address for approximate (city-level) ad targeting.
• Email engagement: whether you opened a newsletter or clicked a link. Our email platform records this.
• Cookies and similar technologies: see Section 4.

Information from third parties

• Identity resolution partner. We use Retention.com, a service that may identify your email address when you visit our site, even if you have not filled out a form, by matching cookies and device data against its own database. See Section 5.
• Social media. If you interact with us on Instagram, Facebook, or other platforms, we may receive the public information on your profile.

2. How We Use Information

• Deliver the newsletter and other emails you request.
• Publish deals, comments, and forum posts you submit.
• Respond to your questions and requests.
• Run, secure, and improve the Services, including fixing bugs and understanding which content readers like.
• Show advertising, including ads personalized to your interests, which keeps the Services free.
• Measure ad and email performance.
• Detect fraud, spam, and abuse.
• Comply with the law and enforce our Terms of Service.

3. Who We Share Information With

We do not sell your email address to third parties. We do share information with the companies below so the Services can work.

• Email platform (beehiiv). Stores our subscriber list and sends our newsletters. beehiiv also operates an ad network that may show ads inside our emails based on engagement data.
• Analytics (Google Analytics). Collects usage data so we can understand traffic and content performance.
• Advertising partners. Our display ads are managed by Publisher Desk and served through Google ad products and other ad networks. Some deal posts include a video player from TargetVideo that shows ads. These partners use cookies and device identifiers to show ads and measure results. Some ads are personalized based on your browsing on this and other sites.
• Identity resolution (Retention.com). See Section 5.
• Hosting and infrastructure providers that store our data and run our site.
• Content syndication partners (for example, MSN) that republish our articles. When you read our content on their platform, their privacy policy applies.
• Affiliate programs. See Section 6.
• Legal and safety. We may disclose information to comply with a subpoena, court order, or legal process, to enforce our Terms, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of Costco97, our readers, or others.
• Business transfers. If Costco97 is sold, merged, or acquired, subscriber and reader information may transfer as part of that transaction.

4. Cookies, Pixels, and Tracking

Cookies are small text files stored on your device. Pixels and web beacons are tiny pieces of code that record when a page or email is viewed. We and our partners use these for:

• Essential functions: keeping you logged in to the forum, remembering preferences.
• Analytics: understanding how visitors use the site.
• Advertising: delivering and measuring ads, including personalized ads.
• Identity resolution: matching your visit to an email address (see Section 5).

Your choices:

• Block or delete cookies in your browser settings. Some site features may stop working.
• Opt out of Google ad personalization at adssettings.google.com.
• Opt out of many ad networks at optout.aboutads.info or optout.networkadvertising.org.
• Use the “Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information” link in our site footer (see Section 8).

Our site does not respond to browser “Do Not Track” signals, but it does honor Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals as described in Section 8.

5. Identity Resolution and Email Enrollment

This section is important. Please read it.

We use Retention.com, an identity resolution service. When you visit costco97.com, open one of our emails, or interact with our Services, cookies, pixels, and similar technologies may be used by Retention.com to associate your activity with information it or its partners already hold about you, including your email address. This can happen even if you have never given us your email directly.

When your visit is matched to an email address in this way, and you view more than one page on our site, we treat that as a request to receive our newsletter. We may then send you our newsletter and marketing emails at that address.

You can stop this at any time:

• Click “unsubscribe” at the bottom of any email we send. We honor every unsubscribe request.
• Opt out of Retention.com’s identity matching entirely at app.retention.com/optout. This applies across all sites that use Retention.com.
• Use the “Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information” link in our footer, or the button in Section 8. Either one stops Retention.com’s identity script from loading in that browser.

Under California law, sharing your data with Retention.com may be considered a “sale” or “sharing” of personal information. You have the right to opt out. See Section 8.

6. Affiliate Links and Advertising Disclosure

Costco97 participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may join other affiliate programs in the future. When you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Affiliate partners may set cookies to track referrals.

Some posts may be sponsored or contain products provided to us for review. We disclose these relationships in the post. Our opinions are our own. We do not accept payment for positive reviews.

7. Email Communications

• Our newsletter is free. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link at the bottom of every email.
• Unsubscribe requests are processed promptly, and within 10 business days at most.
• We may still send you non-marketing emails, such as a reply to a question you sent us or a notice about a change to this policy.
• Our emails contain tracking pixels that tell us whether the email was opened and which links were clicked. Most email clients let you block remote images to prevent this.

8. California Privacy Rights (CCPA / CPRA)

If you are a California resident, you have the following rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act:

• Right to know what personal information we collect, use, disclose, and share, and to receive a copy of it.
• Right to delete personal information we hold about you, subject to legal exceptions.
• Right to correct inaccurate personal information.
• Right to opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information, including sharing for cross-context behavioral advertising.
• Right to limit use of sensitive personal information. We do not collect sensitive personal information as defined by the CPRA.
• Right to non-discrimination for exercising any of these rights.

Categories of personal information we collect

In the past 12 months we have collected these categories: identifiers (email, IP address, device ID); internet and network activity (browsing and email engagement); approximate geolocation; and, for forum users, account credentials. We collect them from you directly, from your device automatically, and from Retention.com.

Sale and sharing

We do not sell personal information for money. However, our use of advertising cookies and Retention.com may qualify as a “sale” or “sharing” of identifiers and internet activity under California law. We share these categories with advertising partners and Retention.com. We do not knowingly sell or share the personal information of anyone under 16.

How to exercise your rights

• Email privacy@costco97.com with the subject line “Privacy Request.” Tell us which right you want to exercise.
• Use the “Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information” link in our site footer, or the button just below. It sets a cookie in your browser that stops Retention.com’s identity script from loading on our site and tells Google’s ad tools to restrict data processing.
• Turn on Global Privacy Control (GPC) in your browser. When your browser sends the GPC signal, we treat it as an opt-out for that browser: Retention.com’s identity script does not load, and we pass the signal to our advertising partners where they support it.
• Mail a request to Alta Ventures LLC, 12647 Alcosta Blvd, Suite 435, San Ramon, CA 94583.

We will confirm your request within 10 business days and respond within 45 days. We may ask you to verify your identity, usually by confirming the email address on file. You may use an authorized agent to make a request on your behalf if you give the agent written permission.

9. Other State Privacy Rights

Residents of Colorado, Connecticut, Virginia, Utah, Texas, Oregon, Montana, and other states with consumer privacy laws may have similar rights to access, delete, correct, and opt out of targeted advertising and the sale of personal data. Email privacy@costco97.com to make a request. If we deny your request, you may appeal by replying to our decision.

10. International Visitors

Our Services are operated in the United States and are intended for U.S. readers. If you visit from outside the U.S., your information will be transferred to and processed in the U.S., where privacy laws may differ from your home country.

11. Children

The Services are not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, email privacy@costco97.com and we will delete it promptly.

12. Data Retention

• Subscriber email addresses are kept until you unsubscribe. After that, we keep a suppression record so we do not email you again.
• Analytics data is retained according to our Google Analytics settings, which use Google’s standard retention periods.
• Published content (deals, comments, forum posts) is kept as long as the site exists unless you ask us to remove it.
• Contact form messages are kept as long as needed to respond and for our records.

13. Security

We use reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your information, including HTTPS encryption, access controls, and reputable hosting and email providers. No system is perfectly secure. If we learn of a breach affecting your personal information, we will notify you as required by law.

14. Third-Party Links

Our Services link to Costco.com, Amazon, social media, and other sites. We do not control those sites and are not responsible for their privacy practices. Read their policies before sharing information with them.

15. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we will change the “Last updated” date at the top. If the change is significant, we will also announce it in the newsletter or on the site. Continued use of the Services after a change means you accept the updated policy.

16. Contact Us

Questions or requests about privacy:

• Email: privacy@costco97.com
• Mail: Alta Ventures LLC, 12647 Alcosta Blvd, Suite 435, San Ramon, CA 94583