Costco Connection - February 2012

PAID ADVERTISEMENT IDENTITY PROTECTION

H YDRATION DELIVERED

“We offer superior water
coolers in the warehouse and
online,” says buyer Colin Wes.
“We knew members had the
coolers and were looking to us
for additional savings with a water-
delivery service.”
Drinking water may help maintain
a healthy lifestyle by hydrating
your body.

Our bodies are made up of two-thirds water, so it’s important to understand water’s role in the body, the benefits of replenishing fluids, such as water, and the problems that may occur when fluids are not replaced.

Water is linked to most of our biological functions, such as regulating body temperature, carrying nutrients and oxygen to all cells in the body, and helping our bodies to excrete waste.

Costco tasked itself with finding a service that was not only accessible to homeowners, but also could accommodate the quantity a business demands. It ultimately selected DS Waters®, the leader in providing quality water and excellent member service. Members get access to fresh bottled water from nine reputable brands based on location: Crystal Springs, Hinckley Springs, Sierra Springs, Belmont Springs, Deep Rock, Alhambra, Sparkletts, Kentwood Springs and Mount Olympus.

To order, schedule delivery and set up recurring billing, visit Costco.com and search: Water7.

Just how much water should a person drink? Numerous studies have tried to find a definitive answer, but conclusions are varied. The proper amount of water depends on many different factors, such as the individual’s general health and activity level.

Without replenishing fluids that are lost, our bodies could become moderately dehydrated. Moderate dehydration occurs when our bodies do not replenish the fluids we have lost through normal day-to-day activities. Moderate dehydration may cause headaches and dizziness. One of the best ways to hydrate our bodies is to drink fluids. Drinking fluids, such as water, may help our bodies to function more efficiently as a part of an overall healthy lifestyle.

You can schedule water delivery appointments every two weeks in most areas, and select from 3 to 50 five-gallon bottles as your delivered quantity. To order, schedule delivery and set up recurring billing, visit Costco.com and search Water7, or call 1-855- 757-8555. What’s more, plans start at $15.99 per four-week billing cycle.

That’s why Costco sought a water-delivery service that would provide not only pure, fresh-tasting water, but also the convenience of frequent deliveries and low costs to members.

Being able to save money when ordering quality bottled water for your home or business was key when developing the program for Costco.

From good old-fashioned pocketbook swiping and Dumpster diving to “phishing” (email messages from imposters posing as legitimate businesses that request personal information), there are a multitude of ways your identity can be stolen.

However, the good news is that there are also a multitude of ways you can protect against it: Shred financial documents and credit card offers; have checks delivered to your banking institution; keep important financial documents, Social Security card and passports in a locked safe or vault; and maintain awareness of your three credit reports.

The FTC recommends checking all three credit reports every three months. Credit-reporting agencies often monitor different activity, so it is necessary to check all three. However, gathering multiple credit reports on a regular basis can be costly, so Costco found a provider that could do all the heavy lifting for Costco members at a reasonable cost. Costco Services Manager Ed Murphy conducted an exhaustive search of all the options and services available from various identity monitoring providers and ultimately selected IDENTITY GUARD® — a leading provider of consumer and corporate risk-management services.

“In terms of offering a package, ours is the most feature-rich service on the market today,” he says.

IDENTITY GUARD provides not only credit score alerts and updates, but also up to $1 million of insurance coverage for certain expenses.

“When you become a member of IDENTITY GUARD Total Protectionsm and you become a victim of identity theft while you’re enrolled in this service, you can be reimbursed up to $1 million for certain expenses,” Murphy explains.

IDENTITY GUARD delivers reliable customer service in addition to a multitude of cutting-edge features that help provide peace of mind, including computer anti-spyware software, mobile phone secure-record storage, keystroke-logging password protection and technology that monitors chat rooms and newsgroups for all your account numbers.

Join the more than 9 million people who are protecting their identity through IDENTITY GUARD. Simply visit Costco.com and search Identity Guard4U. Costco members can choose from plans starting at $9.99 a month. It’s a small price to pay for peace of mind.