That has been my experience the last couple years. I have used a chain tire store for our business trucks. But it's out of the way...about 35-40 minutes. The Discount Tire is 5 minutes. I pulled in on a hot day when the TPMS system showed low tire. They have an outside station just for tire fills. I think I have used that 2x's and went in another time for something or other. I asked if they carry Nokian tires & they do. I will likely go over when my Nokians are due to change later this year
Costco Tire - Hard to do business with?
- Thread starter Out of Steam
- Start date
That has been my experience the last couple years. I have used a chain tire store for our business trucks. But it's out of the way...about 35-40 minutes. The Discount Tire is 5 minutes. I pulled in on a hot day when the TPMS system showed low tire. They have an outside station just for tire fills. I think I have used that 2x's and went in another time for something or other. I asked if they carry Nokian tires & they do. I will likely go over when my Nokians are due to change later this year
I only have good things to say about Discount Tire. They have a very good selection (but you have to order and wait a few days). They have a nice waiting room. And they'll match price and even work a deal with you if you ask nicely.
I had a good experiences buying tires at Costco. What you described about employees doing both sales and installing was true over a decade ago.
Wait times for installs and flat repair were never short at the SoFla store I frequented. I just planned around it, happy for the better price and no BS when the few issues came up. My experience with Discount out west earlier was similar. Based on those experiences (and more recently at Sam's), I wouldn't agonize over it and go with the best deal for the tires you need.
ERD50
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
I think I mentioned this in an earlier thread on the subject, but I've tried tirerack.com's "find a tire for me" Q & A, and I was skeptical, but it really does a fantastic job of narrowing down a selection of tires that best meets your priorities.
IIRC, you rank different things like cost, traction, wear, wet, snow, ice, noise, handling, etc on a 0~10 scale, and it filters the selections for you. Really narrows it down in no time.
-ERD50
latexman
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
I order my tires online at Costco.com and have them delivered to my Costco. When they arrive, they notify me, and I schedule an appointment. My experience is they take about 1 hour to replace and balance 4 tires.
?
?
pb4uski
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
I've used Costco almost exclusively for tires over the last few years, after having previously used Tire Rack.
Costco customer service is pretty good. I've had two instances where they replaced sets of tires under warranty that wore prematurely. The great thing about Costco is if they replace a set of tires under warranty then you don't have to necessarily get the same brand of tire, which I think is true at other retailers... at Costco you get a credit that can me used towards any tire that they sell. One of those replacement sets were done while we were visiting relatives and over 1500 miles from home.
I've also bought batteries from Costco. While it bugs me that they sell batteries but don't test or install batteries, their prices are very good. I usually bring the needed tools, buy the battery, change it out and test it in the parking lot and then return the core for credit. I have been told that the Costco version of Interstate batteries are not the same as what you would buy from a local garage and are not as well made.... my local garage was going to replace an Interstate battery that I installed that was weak as a warranty replacement and Interstate would not allow the replacement under warranty for that reason.
Costco customer service is pretty good. I've had two instances where they replaced sets of tires under warranty that wore prematurely. The great thing about Costco is if they replace a set of tires under warranty then you don't have to necessarily get the same brand of tire, which I think is true at other retailers... at Costco you get a credit that can me used towards any tire that they sell. One of those replacement sets were done while we were visiting relatives and over 1500 miles from home.
I've also bought batteries from Costco. While it bugs me that they sell batteries but don't test or install batteries, their prices are very good. I usually bring the needed tools, buy the battery, change it out and test it in the parking lot and then return the core for credit. I have been told that the Costco version of Interstate batteries are not the same as what you would buy from a local garage and are not as well made.... my local garage was going to replace an Interstate battery that I installed that was weak as a warranty replacement and Interstate would not allow the replacement under warranty for that reason.
Sunset
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
That is so bizarre, I'd rather fishtail than slide straight because the front tread is gone. ..
As a teenager, I would take advantage of the first snowfall to fishtail or drift around corners for fun (before drifting became a thing).
Mark1
Full time employment: Posting here.
This happened to me with my last set of Costco tires (maybe 5 years ago). I go to Sam's now and as a Plus membership I get the installation package, etc. at no charge, which is a great deal.
REWahoo
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give
I don't think any major tire installer will rotate your tires unless the tread on the rear tires ends up equal to or better than the front tires due to liability issues. At least that's what I've encountered at Sam's, Walmart and Discount Tire over the past several years.
Last edited:
Montecfo
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
This seems to be a good business practice, though not widespread in my experience.
And increasingly it seems that flats are "unfixable", which also lines up with higher tire sales.
OldShooter
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Yes, Discount Tire seems to be very generous especially with the smaller stuff, like installing new TP sensors for free.
A couple of months ago I went in with an issue on one snow tire of a set that I have had for a while/bought originally from them. The tech noticed that the date on tire was 10 years old and told me that their legal policy said they won't work on tires that old. He apologized and offered to sell me four new ones for the price of three, an offer I was happy to accept.
One thing I really like about that place is that the people in front and the people busting tires rotate, so everyone has customer contact. I don't think I've ever seen a more cheerful staff anywhere. That has to help with customer loyalty; it certainly has with me.
A couple of months ago I went in with an issue on one snow tire of a set that I have had for a while/bought originally from them. The tech noticed that the date on tire was 10 years old and told me that their legal policy said they won't work on tires that old. He apologized and offered to sell me four new ones for the price of three, an offer I was happy to accept.
One thing I really like about that place is that the people in front and the people busting tires rotate, so everyone has customer contact. I don't think I've ever seen a more cheerful staff anywhere. That has to help with customer loyalty; it certainly has with me.
38Chevy454
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
I agree with Oldshooter, the customer service, and more so the attitude of the people working there are what keep me coming back to Discount Tire. Plus the good prices of course.
Ian S
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
I've encountered both situations with Discount Tire: one where it was fixable and one where it wasn't. Most recently it wasn't fixable and although the tires had some life left, I opted to get a complete set rather than buy a single tire. The high performance Yokahamas I had on the car had given over 30,000 miles and I no longer try to squeeze the last one or two thirty-seconds of an inch of tread out of a set of tires. You need reasonably deep tread to drive safely at speed in the wet.
Music Lover
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
As a general rule the car is far less safe with poorer traction on the rear wheels. If they break free all sorts of bad things can happen. Don't think of a fun fishtail....think of less experienced driver with a van full of kids losing control of the back end of the vehicle. If the front loses traction it just plows straight ahead. But if the back loses traction it can start spinning out of control.
That being said, I also used to drift my car around corners for fun. In fact I still do sometimes
- Joined
- Nov 27, 2014
- Messages
- 9,318
. . . I also used to drift my car around corners for fun. In fact I still do sometimes
Oh heck yeah. When we get a snow, I take my truck out and tell the DW we’re going sledding. She’s not too excited but I enjoy it. You can have a little fun by hitting the gas a little harder and cranking the wheel around the turns. However, with today’s electronics, you really have to turn off traction control to have any real fun and donuts require putting it in 2WD for the most fun.
Like others, I'm a huge fan and have purchased tires many times from Costco. Great final service, but NOTHING happens quickly with their tire center. You will wait in line forever to get checked in, even with an on-line appoint, and expect several hour wait for install. Yes, they all perform free rotations and balance, with nitrogen fill, but get ready for another long wait. Plus, every time they remove a tire, they want you to come back for a torque check. I suggest you check out Discount Tire. They match Costco pricing and do all free rotations and balancing (no Nitrogen though) too. They are super fast with on-line scheduling. Last rotation & balance I was in and out in 20 minutes. DT will match Costco pricing, but they will also give an option for some high quality alternatives that will have good reviews and warranty for additional total savings. Don't buy their tire care/repair package as it's overpriced and not worth it. As you already considering Discount Tire, I would get them a chance to meet Costco pricing and give them an opportunity for your business.
Again, NOTHING HAPPENS QUICKLY AT COSTCO TIRE CENTER!
Again, NOTHING HAPPENS QUICKLY AT COSTCO TIRE CENTER!
That's a possibility.
I got new tires from Costco a few months ago. My first time dealing with them and it was great. Did it all online, and the price was slightly less than Discount Tire. I made an appointment to be the first one of the day, and it was quick and smooth.
I always check TireRack first, and have bought tires through them several times, but the installation place near me is a pain to deal with. So when the specific tires recommended by TireRack went on sale at Costco, I jumped at it.
kyzymurgist
Recycles dryer sheets
I'm a big fan of Costco and their tire prices are great. However, Sam's Club prices and availability are just as good or better. And I find the service better at Sam's.
My family buys tires and batteries exclusively at Sam's Club and we've done so for over two decades. Really hard to beat the out the door price on high quality tires. And they actually replace the battery for you while you're shopping unlike Costco.
We have also made great use of the lifetime free rotation, balancing, and flat repair. And never had any problems with them honoring the warranty. (Except that time my wife drove two miles on a flat tire without noticing and completely destroyed it. I was laughing at the black "trail of shame" running through my neighborhood as I came home from work....until I saw it turn into my driveway)
Some ***hole stuck a knife through the sidewall of a one year old Michelin on my son's car last fall. Sam's called it "road hazard" and replaced it for free! No need to shop anywhere else.
And yes, sometimes we have to order the tires and wait a few days. That's never been a problem for me but I can imagine scenarios where it would be annoying.
My family buys tires and batteries exclusively at Sam's Club and we've done so for over two decades. Really hard to beat the out the door price on high quality tires. And they actually replace the battery for you while you're shopping unlike Costco.
We have also made great use of the lifetime free rotation, balancing, and flat repair. And never had any problems with them honoring the warranty. (Except that time my wife drove two miles on a flat tire without noticing and completely destroyed it. I was laughing at the black "trail of shame" running through my neighborhood as I came home from work....until I saw it turn into my driveway)
Some ***hole stuck a knife through the sidewall of a one year old Michelin on my son's car last fall. Sam's called it "road hazard" and replaced it for free! No need to shop anywhere else.
And yes, sometimes we have to order the tires and wait a few days. That's never been a problem for me but I can imagine scenarios where it would be annoying.
wrigley
Full time employment: Posting here.
If you're only replacing tires every 7 years, go somewhere that is convenient for YOU!
Mike
Mike
retire202052
Recycles dryer sheets
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2017
- Messages
- 87
Always had great experiences with Costco tire.
ERD50
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Could be, but I still don't buy it.
I recall, people posted these videos about how the wear on the rear tires can cause a fishtail. OK, I accept that, but...
In all those videos, they make the point by taking the car on a prepared track (ice, snow, or just wet), and push the speed into a turn, and show that the driver had less control when the rear breaks free and fish tails. OK, but....
I'm not racing. When it's snowing and slick, I drive extra careful. Slower, leave more space between me and other cars, and slow way down going into a turn. It's very unlikely that I am going to get into a fish tail situation.
However, I do want to get moving after I've had to make a stop at an incline. I can experience many, many more stops/goes than fast turns. And as I said, if I can't get going, I can't even get into a fish-tail situation. I want to prioritize traction and braking (the fronts do most of the braking - I don't think those videos weigh the pros/cons of that), over fish-tailing). Without considering braking, it's a very poor analysis.
I think this is an area where the customer should get to choose, maybe sign a waiver or something.
-ERD50
Last edited:
REWahoo
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give
ERD50
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
So with the worse tread on the front, and my braking distance is increased, and I get in an accident because of it, I can sue for that as well?
Seems to me braking issues are far more common than fish-tail issues, but I have no data, just seems that way from my experience.
It's just not as one-sided as it is made out to be, at least IMO (yes, I know the law disagrees with me, but that doesn't necessarily make it right).
-ERD50
