I’m not sure. CostCo and Sam’s require that you become a member first, so there are ways to screen customers. I’m not sure how they could determine who is a pain in the ass without some sort of profiling, so private membership seems like the only way.
However, since they’ve decided to step over us dimes to pick up some nickels (the scumbag customers who are stealing shit), they have to put up with the customers who say screw you, you can’t check my bags.
American Express makes you pass a credit check before letting you become one of their customers. That would be fine with me, in fact I wish every good store would switch to that type of treatment. I have excellent credit and I’d have better choices and I wouldn’t have to pay the increased prices to compensate for assholes who return opened stuff the next day and make a scene when the store won’t give them their money back.
Anywhere I’m forced to become a member to become a customer, I get great treatment, including my cell phone company back when I had to pay for that myself.
Once again…capitalism wins.