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

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 did have an appointment!

Why didn’t you make an appointment??? And why do you think you are more important than the people ahead of you. I am going tomorrow and I will be up at the store when they open so I don’t have to wait as long. Did you ask how long it would take for the service??

In my experience, Costco tire centers outside of NOVA are way more efficient & better at honoring appointments.

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.

I thought you could make an appointment for the tire center.

Costco Potomac Mills. Super easy to kill time there. IKEA alone soaked up most of the wait time.

If you really want a nasty wait, try getting your oil changed at the Walmart in Alexandria.

I love it. Chill out and eat a hot dog, dude.

Anonymous wrote:I always drop off. No way do I wait there for their tire service.

+1

Anonymous wrote:I always drop off. No way do I wait there for their tire service.

+1
Isn't that what most people do - dropoff and come back in a bit? Or if it's a shorter time, just do some shopping in the store. I can easily kill 90 min in there (especially pre-covid days when samples were plentiful, I'd sit on the display couches, read a magazine, etc.). I can think of worst places to be stuck at.

I went 2 weeks ago and waited 1.5 hours.

I always drop off. No way do I wait there for their tire service.

I just had my first experience with TireRack + ASAP Tire service. I ordered the tires from TireRack, they shipped it to ASAP Tire, and I booked a time slot with ASAP Tire, who came to my house and installed everything for $100. It was really smooth and easy. I believe COSTCO is still less expensive if you factor in the discount they give when you buy 4 tires, but in my case, the tires I bought were actually cheaper by $50 each at TireRack so I ended up paying less for stress-free at-home service.

Omg. Just a vent. Came here to save a few bucks. Not worth my time. Been here for three hours.