Bocatrip

I brought my LS430 into Costco for my 5,000 mile free rotation and balance. I purchased my Michelin MXM4s there a few years ago. Although I was very specific on how I wanted the cross rotation (left a diagram), I did forget this one time to tell the counter guy to PLEASE have the tech depress the metal spring on the center cap (to avoid breaking the plastic tabs) before removing from the wheel, (instead of knocking it out with the end of a screwdriver, etc). Of course when I went to pick my car up, one of the center caps just fell off in my hands. Why the hell did the tech put it back on the car when he knew there was NOTHING HOLDING IT ON??? The counter guy was giving me some BS about the car being old and it's not the tech's fault...I made them order me a new cap and I'd be surprise if it will be close to OEM and not some chinese junk. This was not the first time this had happened while rotating tires, but I did forget to tell the counter guy and the tech and they can be sloppy. It's unusual for Costco, but you still need to tell them!!! Annoying.

Striker223

I feel ya, I take my vehicles to tire places with the caps already removed to avoid that issue. Outside of tires I do everything else anyway but don't have an alignment rack unfortunately.

weldthedif

If you want something done right, do it yourself.
I would never let anyone touch my car, even for a simple tire rotation. Those are usually the lowest paid persons, so don't expect a personal touch from a mega-tire sale place.

Johnhav430

I'm a huge Costco fan (more the store than the staff) however I've heard techs making fun of customers and it's on my dash cam recording. Not that I can defend them, but I wouldn't bring a nice car there for tires. With that being said no problem with my LS and my wife's SUV. And I've seen 3-4 y.o. BMWs there. Go there any given Sat. and they are slammed so not ideal work conditions either.

The funny thing is one can say well I'll just go to the better location where the clientele is not so unruly. Did you know prices are higher? 4-pack bacon is $14.99 at the good location, and $12.49 at the others.

Johnhav430

I can't say I disagree. That's why I will not let anybody change the oil on any of our cars. Costco has really good equipment, but as you say, how would you like to be a tech mounting tires and when the check out lanes are slammed now you have to go there? I am not saying that a person shouldn't go where needed, but the nature of their work isn't that challenging.

My mom would say they should care, but she's not acknowledging the human aspect. She'll say I don't care if you are earning $14/hour you represent Issaquah so you better care. On the flip side my brother has people making $45/hr. who don't care and do shoddy work. That's why I believe it's not the money, it's the challenge. Tire rotation doesn't offer any, nor does changing oil. Now a water pump job, it does.

k7q

iTrader: (37)

It happens. Plastic get weak and brittle. Today I broke an oem Toyota hub cap just by removing it work my hands.

Bocatrip

All my center caps were replaced by the Sear's tire shop 3 years ago when they did the same thing.3 years is not really old for plastic especially when you knock the plastic out with a wooden handle. I'm most likely going to just pay Lexus for a new cap as I'm quite **** and don't like driving around with a hole in the center of my rim. It is what it is. I'll just be $40 poorer.

Bocatrip

As the OP, I ended up purchasing a replacement center cap at Lexus for $38. If Costco does get me one, I'll use it as an extra for any new mishaps. I just couldn't stand looking at the gaping space on my rim. I'll certainly be prepared for my next balance and rotation with instructions for the tech.

bradland

With this much cause for concern I think I'd remove them myself, leave them at home in the garage, before driving to CostCo.

Bocatrip

I believe that the metal spring (inside the center cap) that pushes on the plastic tabs outwards needs to be squeezed together (to release the tension on the plastic tabs) before removing the cap. It's a stupid design but that's what we have. If I were to attempt to remove the center cap from the outside without squeezing the metal clip, there is a chance I'll be snapping off one or more of the plastic tabs, which is why the center cap broke to begin with.. Believe me, I'd love to remove the center caps if the rims didn't have to be removed.

Johnhav430

If this is known, then still, wouldn't it be a time saver to simply remove, regardless if they break all 4 and replace? Just a total hassle imho. Now, I don't even recall what happened when the tech resealed my bead leak at a indie tire shop, I think he removed the cap, and I still have it and it's not damaged. So it isn't rocket science either, a matter of integrity, which Costco just doesn't have. When I think about it, they're a 500 lb. gorilla that for whatever reason morons like myself like to patronize. Customer service is awful, both in person, and the 800# to Issaquah.

I never got my $300 rebate on the Verizon phone I bought there, and the cellular store is in fact authorized. They told me to pound sand. I said what if I cancel my membership? They said go ahead. So I wimped out. Maybe after 6 mos. I got the rebate, shoulda been 3. And, when I needed a warranty repair, Verizon said not covered by them, would have to go to Samsung. NEVER EVER GET A CELL PHONE FROM COSTCO. Just do yourself a favor. The Verizon store can match any price Costco has. Just that we wanted it to go to the 2% rebate.

Johnhav430

more subpar at Costco. Since due to the cold weather we are down 3 psi at 34 F, why not get some nitrogen while we're at Costco?

Too busy when we arrived, so waited until we were done shopping (milk is $1.50/gal cheaper so I grab 2 as well as those all natural beef sticks). There was a line of 5 cars, and the techs ignored them and walked around the shop. We sat in our car for about 7 min. in case something would change (my son got a new toy at Target so he was amused), they served nobody waiting.

Customer service is horrible, and these are the techs working on the vehicles. Hint, and this goes back to my first job working at a restaurant at age 14.

That car isn't gonna know if you stop working on it (for pete's sake these are tires), and help someone who is standing right there.

Costco is a super successful co. on the level of amazon in their own space. They even gave a special dividend to shareholders. But their customer service bl*** inside and out, to include tires.

Bocatrip

I believe like anything else, a bad experience might also be influenced by the individual shop or even more so, the tech that might be working on your car. For certain it won’t be consistent. I’ve been to Costco for nitrogen where the tech who was working on a car, saw me and within a minute was pumping in the nitrogen. It’s the luck of the draw! PS. As the OP of the thread, Costco did get me the proper center cap they broke! Now I have an extra as I already purchased the replacement. Alls well that ends well.

Johnhav430

This is 100% true. I can give more examples of Costco. They don't officially have a price match policy. But they do. One time I bought qty 4 of an item. Price dropped. So I brought my receipt back to get a credit--person said we used to do that, we don't do it anymore. So I ask, you want me to return the items, and buy them back? Was told yep.

There is a Costco in an affluent area where we live--that place is always polite and helpful. And, the bacon costs $14.99 instead of $12.49! That store told me, of course we adjust prices and all we need is the receipt. You don't need to return the items and buy them again--the *****n, NJ location told you that? Next time ask for a manager! That is total bull.

The other problematic thing is trying to redeem your certificates be them 2% exec or Citi Visa. Ours tends to be in the $300 range--say we're checking out and the cost is $180--no, I don't want to apply it to the purchase, because I am earning 2% if using the credit card. Why give up 2%? The cashier is trained to coach customers to spend the cert for the current purchase, rather than refund cash. So they will say they don't have enough cash and then you go off and a mgr. takes 15 min. to issue a check! lol

overall bad, but yes, not all locations, just most. And, a super successful co. In my life I have only gotten a special dividend one time, and that was VMW stock. It's highly unusual to check your account and there are thousands of dollars in there you had no clue was put in, bizarre and rare (I think it was $26.xx per share).

edit just checked VMW paid out $26.81 per share (taxable) at the end of last year, when I saw my balance I panicked thinking something was liquidated leaving the proceeds.

Also, Costco "is" my favorite place for car batteries. The one in the LS430 is now 37 mo. old and going strong. I threw one into my wife's GM as well. I have had new batteries last < 12 mos. before--who cares if there is a replacement warranty when the 2nd one does the same thing.....Costco/Interstate ftw!

edit 2 why does "batteries" keep turning blue in this post, no matter how many times I delete it and retype...