Costco Tires. Terrible wait time

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP. If I have a morning appointment, how long should I expect it to take?

My Sunday morning appointment this past weekend took 2.5 hours. Scheduled for 11, got the car back at 1:30.

[Anonymous]

+1 for drop off. Never wait.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, the popularity of Costco kills my desire to ever get tires there again. It's like the gas lines. My time is worth more than sitting in a 20-car deep line just to get gas. Forget that.

F all of this. Just thinking about it makes me stressed.

You seem unnecessarily tense. Don’t you buy tires like...every 5-6 years? It’s not a regular occurance.

[Anonymous]

Buying tires at Costco is like buying a bicycle at Walmart.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, the popularity of Costco kills my desire to ever get tires there again. It's like the gas lines. My time is worth more than sitting in a 20-car deep line just to get gas. Forget that.

F all of this. Just thinking about it makes me stressed.

You seem unnecessarily tense. Don’t you buy tires like...every 5-6 years? It’s not a regular occurance.

We have six vehicles. I’m buying tires fro something at least twice a year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is the OP. Here is how my appointment went after I posted here.

I leave Costo in my newly-tired car. I get home. I park it in the driveway. It’s not road legal – the reason for the new tires is that it failed inspection on the tires. So I had a special paper in the car for when you fail for a reason, and you have two weeks to get it fixed. If you get pulled over on the way to get it fixed, you show the paper. But I don’t drive this car otherwise, until the new inspection sticker gets on it. This will be important later.

Phone rings.

Costco: your car is ready to be picked up
Me: my car is in my driveway
Costco: why do we have your key then?
Me: You don’t my key is here
Costco: Do you have two keys?
Me: Well, yes
Costco: and do you know where the second one is?
Me: Um, no not right now
Costco: You left your extra key here. Come back and pick up your key.
Me: OK.

I really don’t want to drive back across town on a Saturday to the circus that is Costo but, I go back. This time I drive my newer, road-legal car.

I walk around the Costco, nobody can help me, eventually find a technician in the tire bay who is really busy but, I tell him my name and I’m there for the key they called me about. He doesn’t know, but he gets another guy. Who doesn’t know, but he gets another guy. Who doesn’t know, but the manager is not here today. But they finally find the key and bring it out, and the guy says, “OK take me to your car so you can prove this is your key”.

!

Me: YOU called ME. YOU said you had my key and to come get it. How many spare cars do you have here today that you don’t know what key goes to them? I didn’t drive my illegal car back here – you didn’t tell me to. You just told me to come get this key!

Costco: Well we can’t give you the key if we don’t see first that it works in your car.

So I leave.

The Costco employee drives to my house. He takes this key, gets in my car. Car won’t start. It’s not my key. Costco guy leaves.

Next day, my phone rings. It’s Costco: Your car is here and ready to be picked up. !!!

I had to chuckle...sorry

[Anonymous]

Make an appointment! That’s what I always do. Easy peasy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, the popularity of Costco kills my desire to ever get tires there again. It's like the gas lines. My time is worth more than sitting in a 20-car deep line just to get gas. Forget that.

F all of this. Just thinking about it makes me stressed.

You seem unnecessarily tense. Don’t you buy tires like...every 5-6 years? It’s not a regular occurance.

We have six vehicles. I’m buying tires fro something at least twice a year.

With all that money you have you should buy newer cars that don’t all need tires.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Make an appointment! That’s what I always do. Easy peasy.

+1
I was in an out in an hour last week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:+1 for drop off. Never wait.

+2
Make an appointment, go shopping, or bring a book. Problem solving and patience are clearly not in your wheel-house, what do you do for a living?

[Anonymous]

OP, you have....issues. Why on earth wouldn't you check the keys before you leave?

[Anonymous]

If you want their prices, you have to be willing to wait/drop off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you want their prices, you have to be willing to wait/drop off.

No, America's Tire will match Costco price AND service your car at the appointed time. My last two visits to Costco Tire Center with appointments both had two hour wait, I asked them why, they said it's because they have to overbook; it didn't used to be like that. And, if anyone is wondering, it takes less than 30 minutes per car, to put it on the lift, replace all four tires (and balanced), off the lift.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the OP. Here is how my appointment went after I posted here.

I leave Costo in my newly-tired car. I get home. I park it in the driveway. It’s not road legal – the reason for the new tires is that it failed inspection on the tires. So I had a special paper in the car for when you fail for a reason, and you have two weeks to get it fixed. If you get pulled over on the way to get it fixed, you show the paper. But I don’t drive this car otherwise, until the new inspection sticker gets on it. This will be important later.

Phone rings.

Costco: your car is ready to be picked up
Me: my car is in my driveway
Costco: why do we have your key then?
Me: You don’t my key is here
Costco: Do you have two keys?
Me: Well, yes
Costco: and do you know where the second one is?
Me: Um, no not right now
Costco: You left your extra key here. Come back and pick up your key.
Me: OK.

I really don’t want to drive back across town on a Saturday to the circus that is Costo but, I go back. This time I drive my newer, road-legal car.

I walk around the Costco, nobody can help me, eventually find a technician in the tire bay who is really busy but, I tell him my name and I’m there for the key they called me about. He doesn’t know, but he gets another guy. Who doesn’t know, but he gets another guy. Who doesn’t know, but the manager is not here today. But they finally find the key and bring it out, and the guy says, “OK take me to your car so you can prove this is your key”.

!

Me: YOU called ME. YOU said you had my key and to come get it. How many spare cars do you have here today that you don’t know what key goes to them? I didn’t drive my illegal car back here – you didn’t tell me to. You just told me to come get this key!

Costco: Well we can’t give you the key if we don’t see first that it works in your car.

So I leave.

The Costco employee drives to my house. He takes this key, gets in my car. Car won’t start. It’s not my key. Costco guy leaves.

Next day, my phone rings. It’s Costco: Your car is here and ready to be picked up. !!!

I had to chuckle...sorry

I liked your story too. I kind of want you to have more bad adventures out in the world and then post about it here because the way you wrote all this is hilarious!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Buying tires at Costco is like buying a bicycle at Walmart.

Terrible analogy. You’re trading some convenience for brand name tire (some proprietary Kirkland Select branded stuff) cost savings at Costco. You typically can get $100 manufacturer rebate (rotates by month) paired with executive membership cash-back and branded credit card bonus. Plus 5 years of road hazard insurance. They will also rotate and fix flats for no charge. Plus free nitrogen fills for all.

Buy some stuff (and negate your savings) while you wait if you choose. Eat a hotdog or slice of crappy pizza and a sundae.

Tire Rack with its installation services sis another good option (or at least used to be as it was bought out).

Radial Tire is Silver Spring is excellent but definitely a drop off experience.