Sears vs Costco- Another tire thread

Yeah, that's the main reason I like costco for tires. I have always bought my tires there and they always repair my flats with good cheer, never trying to sell me anything extra. With other tire places you just don't know what the tires are going to cost until your credit card has been swiped.

 

I'll never go to Sears auto again, they tried to rip me off when I went there for a new battery in my old car. I was replacing the battery before it needed it so I wouldn't have to worry about it being parked in a lot for long periods not getting started in chilly Blacksburg. They told me "The reason your battery died is that your alternator is bad, you won't make it home on it." Funny, I sold it three years later with that same "bad" alternator without a single problem. (I had my mechanic check it the next day)

They saw the girly college stickers on it and thought they had someone they could manipulate. Too bad for them I know enough about cars to do ok, and I had my father along.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Bohous @ Jan 4 2007, 10:49 PM) [snapback]371088[/snapback]</div>

Good move on the tires. I think you'll love the TTs. Just based tread design, they're way better than the X-radial. In terms of tire dealer service quality, I think you have to look around. Not all Sears are bad or all Costco's good. I first went to Sam's club to get TTs, but I didn't like the look of the service bay. It was dirty and the workers didn't seem to care about their jobs. I next went to a local Sears where they matched the Sam's Club price and did a great job on the install. This Sears was clean and well run. I guess it depends on the local management.

 

Because I prefer to shop locally at mom and pop stores I paid the premium and bought at my local tire store. Since my last purchase there they have apparently reconsidered their policy which at one time included lifetime re-balancing and free flat fixes. I went there yesterday for a balancing and got stuck for $24 (2 tires) and found out there is no free flat fixing any more. Now, besides paying a premium for the tires I purchased I will end up paying for all the 'extras' as need arises. I still don't yet shop at mega stores to save a nickel, but it's getting harder to live by my principals when those principals are costing so very much more. It gets harder and harder each day to walk your talk.

[rant on] We all know how mega stores devastate local economies by providing less sales tax thru price cutting, running mom and pops out of business then threatening to pull out of the community unless localities reduce their property tax thereby creating underfunding of local schools, how they treat their employees, fight against providing health care and treating poorly those who make the products they sell. It seems like homogeneousness and mediocrity along with lowered expectations and the rise of the mega rich are all detracting from the quality of lives of the middle class. [rant off]

 

So they charged you for valve stems? Time to charge them. You have tire pressure monitors, right? They can't replace the valve stems, as they are part of the monitors!

 

Remember Costco also includes a full cash lifetime return policy on everything except computers (which is 6 months).

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(HokieHybrid @ Jan 5 2007, 03:05 PM) [snapback]371419[/snapback]</div>

I would not blame Sears for this - just the idiot you spoke with. Sears has always been pretty reasonable in my experience. They have always checked alternators for free and when I replacea battery about 99% of the time I go with their DieHard Gold. Never had a problem with a Die Hard-ever. However, I have ocassionally had problems with ignorant sales staff. The best defense is an educated buyer.

 

I just like Costco because its a progressive company. They treat their employees well and they contribute to good causes and blue candidates only.

If I can buy anything at Costco...I will....

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(cairo94507 @ Jan 9 2007, 03:35 PM) [snapback]373335[/snapback]</div>

I've had decent experiences with Sears too. Once I was at my vacation home and I could tell my battery was about to die. Took it to Sears and they saw that I had a DieHard and they looked up my warranty for me. They pro-rated the cost of a newer (and less expensive) battery and I practically got it for free. I didn't even know my battery was still in warranty.

On the other hand, DieHards aren't particularly great batteries. They're made by Johnson Controls, who also makes Costco's Kirkland batteries (among others). Optima has a pretty good reputation on most auto forums. They were acquired by Johnson Controls a few years back, but Optimas are still of entirely different construction (spiral wound) than traditional batteries.

 

Why compare the Goodyear Triple's to the X-Radial's?

Why not compare the better Michelin Hydroedge to the Triple thread? The Hydroedge is offered at Costco for 113.99

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(cairo94507 @ Jan 9 2007, 06:35 PM) [snapback]373335[/snapback]</div>

There's a business school case on Sears automotive repair policies that got them into trouble with the law. Management was setting quotas for repairs and surprise, surprise, it was soon discovered that their repair centers were doing many unnecessary and even fraudulent cases. Sears tried to argue that their incentives policy was unrelated to the fraud. Few were convinced. Hey, they've got to meet their quotas for alignments and alternators somehow. Just hope that you or enough others before you that week really needed them.

Consumers' Checkbook Magazine is like a localized Consumer's Report available in some markets. Their studies and surveys of automotive repair shops have consistently found that the best shops are usually independent, owner operated shops. Occasionally a dealer's service department is good. Chains like Sears, Midas, Pep Boys, Monroe, Firestone, ... are very rarely good and often horrible.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rest @ Jan 9 2007, 06:16 PM) [snapback]373328[/snapback]</div>

When our Costco tire center refused to perform the first tire rotation after 5,200 miles, telling me they would only do it after 7000 miles, I asked if I needed to return the tires if I was unhappy with their service. They said that refunds on tire returns are prorated by remaining tread depth (and did the first rotation).

 

sears? no way. DH worked there. the first store was great, he was happy there. the second one when he transfered, not so. they were asking him to do unethical things and suspended him for insubordination when he refused. he was essentially told that if he wanted a job, he'd do whatever they told him to do and screw his moral compass and the ethics in repair pledge he made...

he didn't want the job if it meant that.

the corporate office made no reply to any of it...

 

I got the TripleTreds about six months ago and love them. However, they seemed to accentuate a mis-alignment problem. After a wheel alignment I was much happier with them. Just one word of warning: they're heavy. In fact, 12 pounds heavier than the Integrities. I find this weight difference to be very noticeable, but not a problem with handling or accelleration.

I bought mine at DiscountTireDirect.com and had them installed at a local one-man shop (I had to wait for two tractors before he got to me!). With the rebate (at the time) I got them basically at dealer cost.

Enjoy your new tires!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(MarinJohn @ Jan 9 2007, 05:46 PM) [snapback]373317[/snapback]</div>

I thought you were posting about tires? Now I have to read inaccurate and highly prejudicial political statements that have no place on these boards.

 

granted they are both local companies and i buy local if possible, but for me, tires are bought at either Costco or Les Schwabs. other than them two, its been more than 25 years (was not living in the Pacific Northwest) since buying a tire from anyone else.

Les Schwabs provides LT free flat tire repair even if you didnt buy your current set of tires there. i had two flats on my 04 Prius with the stock integrities on on them (tires Les Schwab does not even sell) they fixed both without question. i had purchased 3 straight sets from them but my brother was the manager of the store in Bremerton, WA so i always went there. my free flat repair was done by the store in Lacey, WA

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DaveinOlyWA @ Jan 21 2007, 08:55 AM) [snapback]378667[/snapback]</div>

I usually do all my tire purchases at Les Schwabs as well. They're in Cheney. Costco is in Spokane. You've mentioned the other reasons. However, on the next set of snow tires, I'll ask if they can get ahold of something like the X-Ice tires. On wet ice, my current tires (which are siped) don't do well. OK for any colder ice or snow conditions though.

Dave M.