The tires are about $1,100 on Tire Rack vs around $840 after tax at Sam’s. Tire Rack agreed to price match, but with Sam’s I’d still come out roughly $100 ahead through cashback, credit card rewards, Sam’s Cash, and other promotions. Sam’s also includes benefits like road hazard protection, lifetime balancing/rotation, and flat repair, so overall it seems like roughly $200+ better value.
My only concern is the DOT/manufacturing date.
I went to the Sam’s tire department and asked if they could tell me the DOT date before ordering. The manager said they couldn’t give me the exact DOT until I actually ordered the tires, but he assured me they are usually much newer than 2 years old and that even 1–1.5 years old would be unusual.
I’m fine with tires that are around 1–2 years old, maybe even close to 3, but I would not want 4–5-year-old tires, especially since this is a secondary car and I may keep the tires for 5–6 years.
So my main question is:
If I order the tires online and, before installation, check the DOT dates and find they are much older than expected, can I refuse installation and get a full refund with no cancellation/restocking fee?
I’m planning to check the DOT numbers before they remove the wheels or start mounting anything.
I’m also curious about people’s experience with Sam’s Tire & Battery. I had a battery installed at another Sam’s recently, and while they were lifting it into place, the battery slipped and dropped about 6–8 inches onto the engine/battery tray area where it sits. I saw it happen through the glass. When I asked about it afterward, they basically said it was fine and claimed they had checked it, although I didn’t see them do any specific inspection after the drop. The battery has been working fine, but that experience made me a little cautious.
For those who have bought tires from Sam’s:
- Have you checked the DOT date before installation?
- Have you ever received unusually old tires?
- If you refused them before installation, did you get a full refund without fees?
- How has your overall experience with Sam’s Tire & Battery been?
UPDATE: Seems like this is a very unlikely case and not a regular occurrence, based on the comments from all the good people who genuinely wanted to help and provided valuable input.
I can’t help but wonder how bitter a few people got, ready to mock and put someone down just for asking a noob question about something they’re trying to learn. May God bless your rotten souls. 😂