Costco won't sell me tires...
05-16-2007, 08:09 PM
#1
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Costco won't sell me tires...
235/35/19 BFG KDW2's... because the load rating doesn't match the OE tire. Apparently I'd need a supervisor to authorize the install.
Doesn't matter to me as TireRack suddenly dropped their price again lower than Costco's and I don't have to deal with some pimply-faced robot telling me my tire choice is unsafe when he himself probably drives a cut-spring lowered civic to work.
The irony to me is that Costco installs thousands of tires on SUV's rolling around on cheap-*** Chinese cast wheels and overtorques 9 out of 10 lugs to just under the fastener yeild...
Doesn't matter to me as TireRack suddenly dropped their price again lower than Costco's and I don't have to deal with some pimply-faced robot telling me my tire choice is unsafe when he himself probably drives a cut-spring lowered civic to work.
The irony to me is that Costco installs thousands of tires on SUV's rolling around on cheap-*** Chinese cast wheels and overtorques 9 out of 10 lugs to just under the fastener yeild...
05-16-2007, 08:19 PM
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I have had Costco refuse to do tires for me because they were not same speed rating as OEM.
Me. I want to put some all seasons on my car.
Costco. Sorry sir, they are not Y rated tires which are OEM rating, we cannot install them for you.
Me. They are M+S tires, but are still W (168 MPH) rated tires. The max speed limit here is 70.
Costco. Sorry, we cannot buy them or install them for you.
I went to Discount Tire and got the tires I wanted installed.
Bruce
Costco. Sorry sir, they are not Y rated tires which are OEM rating, we cannot install them for you.
Me. They are M+S tires, but are still W (168 MPH) rated tires. The max speed limit here is 70.
Costco. Sorry, we cannot buy them or install them for you.
I went to Discount Tire and got the tires I wanted installed.
Bruce
05-16-2007, 09:13 PM
#3
they are the same. RE040s were 94W, but the P6000s are 91Y which is the same as the BFG KDW2's
as per TireRack.
type in the S4, go to tires, click on OE tires<ul><li><a href="http://www.tirerack.com">http://www.tirerack.com</a</li></ul>
type in the S4, go to tires, click on OE tires<ul><li><a href="http://www.tirerack.com">http://www.tirerack.com</a</li></ul>
05-16-2007, 10:27 PM
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I work for Costco...
Take away your pre-conceived notions of the people you talked to, and think about the information that they are telling you.
They are telling you that your car, according to the car's manufacturer, should receive a specific load/speed rated tire. You are either trying to purchase a lower rated tire, or mix speed ratings. Either way, it is considered UNSAFE. Not by Costco, but by the manufacturer of the car.
Now, I'm not saying the every Costco Tire Center employee is a tire genius, or that they know more about your car than they do. But, chances are, they are giving you accurate information. Perhaps they are just not doing a good job explaining it to you.
Yes, you can shop elsewhere, and you can find cheaper tires. But, take them to a shop that understands all this information, and you should run into the same issue.
On a side note... keep in mind, that because you have quattro, you have an advantage at Costco!!! See, our road hazard warranty is included in the sale of the tire, and it gives you a pro-rated credit towards the purchase of the replacement tire, if one is to become damaged. However, given the all-wheel drive, all tread depths must be within 2/32 of each other, otherwise it is considered unsafe. So, in other words, get a blowout, buy one get 3 for free!!! Trust me, I've been workin for Costco for 8 years, and in the tire center for about 2 now. I've done been able to take advantage of our safety policy three times now, and it surpasses any competitor out there!
They are telling you that your car, according to the car's manufacturer, should receive a specific load/speed rated tire. You are either trying to purchase a lower rated tire, or mix speed ratings. Either way, it is considered UNSAFE. Not by Costco, but by the manufacturer of the car.
Now, I'm not saying the every Costco Tire Center employee is a tire genius, or that they know more about your car than they do. But, chances are, they are giving you accurate information. Perhaps they are just not doing a good job explaining it to you.
Yes, you can shop elsewhere, and you can find cheaper tires. But, take them to a shop that understands all this information, and you should run into the same issue.
On a side note... keep in mind, that because you have quattro, you have an advantage at Costco!!! See, our road hazard warranty is included in the sale of the tire, and it gives you a pro-rated credit towards the purchase of the replacement tire, if one is to become damaged. However, given the all-wheel drive, all tread depths must be within 2/32 of each other, otherwise it is considered unsafe. So, in other words, get a blowout, buy one get 3 for free!!! Trust me, I've been workin for Costco for 8 years, and in the tire center for about 2 now. I've done been able to take advantage of our safety policy three times now, and it surpasses any competitor out there!
05-16-2007, 10:43 PM
#7
I have seen more ambulance chasers than I care for in the ER....
Lawyers can advise and refuse to accept stupid lawsuits, aren't they not the "educated" ones here??!!
Bottom line is, it is all about money. Lawyers knows how much they can asked for in a lawsuit and they count on insurance companies to settle, because it is cheaper to settle and avoid the publicities involved, instead of going through with a trial and fight for what is true and what is right. If you regulate what a lawyer can and should charge for a particularly type of case, not according to the percentage of the "jack-pot", lawyers will suddenly become a lot smarter about accepting stupid-*** assignments and a lot of these lawsuits will just be dropped like magic.
Bottom line is, it is all about money. Lawyers knows how much they can asked for in a lawsuit and they count on insurance companies to settle, because it is cheaper to settle and avoid the publicities involved, instead of going through with a trial and fight for what is true and what is right. If you regulate what a lawyer can and should charge for a particularly type of case, not according to the percentage of the "jack-pot", lawyers will suddenly become a lot smarter about accepting stupid-*** assignments and a lot of these lawsuits will just be dropped like magic.
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05-16-2007, 10:49 PM
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I love Costco. Spend many $'s there, but...
You guys need to think about your tire policy. Normally, snow or M+S tires do not have the same ratings as OEM summer tires. Asking that M+S or snow tires have same rating as OEM summer tires is fvcking stupid IMHO.
Bruce
Bruce
05-16-2007, 10:58 PM
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Re: I love Costco. Spend many $'s there, but...
I think the person that mention layers kind of hit it on the head...
Costco is super cautious and super safety oriented. One of the main reasons they are one of the first nationwide companies to use Nitrogen to fill their tires.
And, every situation is different, and I'm not there to know the specifics. But, Costco's goal is to make sure everything is even, across the board. No load range mixing, no speed rating mixing, or even types of tires, with respect to touring vs snow, or whatever. They just won't do it.
Because, we all know, that one time, when car/tire/driver does something stupid, that the owner will want to sue somebody. And Costco does whatever they can to prevent ANY liability.
Costco is super cautious and super safety oriented. One of the main reasons they are one of the first nationwide companies to use Nitrogen to fill their tires.
And, every situation is different, and I'm not there to know the specifics. But, Costco's goal is to make sure everything is even, across the board. No load range mixing, no speed rating mixing, or even types of tires, with respect to touring vs snow, or whatever. They just won't do it.
Because, we all know, that one time, when car/tire/driver does something stupid, that the owner will want to sue somebody. And Costco does whatever they can to prevent ANY liability.
05-16-2007, 11:19 PM
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Please use the subject line to respond. Re:'s are for emails. Like I said, Costco will not get any
of my business for this car for the reasons I mentioned. I still buy tires from Costco for some of my other vehicles though.
Bruce
Bruce