Why You Should Call Your Local Costco Before You Buy Their Tires Online
Costco offers plenty of car-related perks to its members. From car repair discount packages to premium new tires that usually offer very competitive prices, Costco warehouses are a haven for car enthusiasts. Their tire offerings are quite enticing, particularly the tire installation package included in every purchase. The freebies cover the installation, valve stems, balancing, and nitrogen air, among others. Part of the package is a comprehensive road hazard warranty that fares pretty well against comparable warranties from Mavis and Discount Tire.
However, you might have noticed that Costco warehouses offer slightly lower prices on new tires than when shopping online, and there's nothing unusual about that. The company states that some of its products sold online may have different prices than what you'll find at physical stores, and the added cost accounts for shipping and handling fees. Moreover, some products in its online store may not be available at warehouses. The retail giant adds that it does not price-match warehouse prices for items purchased on Costco.com.
With that in mind, it's probably worth calling or visiting your local Costco before buying tires. Price-sensitive buyers might save a bit by checking prices at their local warehouse before buying online. However, while tires sold at Costco.com can often be costlier, for many buyers, the added convenience more than makes up for the price difference.
You can request a price match, but Costco does not match prices from other retailers, sellers, or businesses. Instead, purchases made on Costco.com may be eligible for a price adjustment if the price on the website drops within 30 days of purchase, and the same rule applies to products bought at Costco warehouses. Tires and wheels may qualify for a price adjustment, too, and you'll either need to submit a request online if they were bought at Costco.com or drop by the warehouse where you picked them up.
Knowing that tires purchased at Costco.com have slight markups for shipping and handling fees, the retailer compensates for it by offering limited discounts and special promotions every year. Most of the offers apply to tires purchased in sets of four, but the tires at Costco are the same quality as those sold at dealerships and big-name tire retailers.
The only potential drawback of buying tires at Costco, whether online or at one of its 643 retail warehouses, is the limited selection. Costco carries top-tier tires from Michelin, Bridgestone, BF Goodrich, and Pirelli, but there's no guarantee that you'll get your car's original factory-spec tires. Despite this, the retail giant's road hazard warranty adds some peace of mind for every tire purchase by covering non-repairable punctures, cuts, and impacts for 60 months or until the tire's tread reaches 2/32 of an inch or less in depth. That's a separate promise to the standard manufacturer's warranty. That, and the freebies included with each tire, apply to whether you buy tires online or from a Costco warehouse.
