VICTORVILLE, Calif. (VVNG.com) — Over 1800 employees were laid off at Wireless Advocate which operates the phone kiosks inside Costco Wholesale stores. A local Costco representative said staff is just becoming aware that all their phone kiosks abruptly ceased operations at all Costco Warehouses on December 5, 2022.

All in all, if you're in the market for a new smartphone, Costco might provide you with the best way to save money. Toss in the fact that you can also buy many phone accessories for cheap -- like headphones and headsets -- and you could keep even more in your savings account.

1. Exclusive deals for Costco members. Through its partnerships with AT&T and T-Mobile, Costco often gives its members discounts for enrolling in a new plan. For instance, right now, you can get up to $350 off an eligible smartphone when you switch to AT&T and purchase the phone on a 36-month 0% APR plan.

At the time, the kiosks were operated by a company called Wireless Advocates. “Unfortunately, the deal that Costco had negotiated was too good, and the vendor went bust. So those booths disappeared.