Since you found this article you’re probably thinking of buying your next set of tires from Walmart. My grandpa used to tell me to NEVER scrimp on the things between you and the ground….namely shoes, mattresses, and TIRES. Seemed like decent advise at the time, but over the years I’ve learned first-hand just how great that advice was. So whenever my car needs the inevitable expense of 4 new tires, I tend to never go with the cheapest option and ALWAYS do my homework when it comes to tire warranties before I decide on the right set of wheels for my ride. With that said, I was pleasantly surprised with the Walmart tire center and all of their offerings, let me break it all down for you .

What Tire Brands Does Walmart Sell?

Some consumers have a preconceived notion that Walmart tires are cheap.

But when you stop and do the research you realize that the tire selection and brands at Walmart is actually fairly impressive and includes these popular tire producers:

– Cooper

– Goodyear

– Maxxis

– Firestone

– Michelin

– Toyo

– Hankook

– Bridgestone

– Pirelli

– Continental

– Yokohama

– General

Walmart sells these tire brands for not only passenger cars, but also for light trucks, trailers, motorcycles, golf carts, ATVs, tractors, and performance cars.

See Also: Are Costco Tires Cheaper? Here’s How Costco Prices Stack Up

How Do Their Prices Stack Up?

The prices at Walmart on most products are highly competitive and this is especially true when it comes to tires.

I compared the price for 4 new tires on a 2018 Honda Civic and the Walmart prices were 10-35% less than places like Costco, Les Schwab, and Big O Tires.

I did the same test on my 2004 Chevy Silverado and the Toyo tires that I really like were 20% less at Walmart compared to the local tire shop I’ve used in the past.

Can I Buy My Tires Online at Walmart.com?

Yes.

You can buy your tires at Walmart.com or walk into a store with a tire center and buy them there.

If you buy them online, you’ll need to call your local Walmart and setup an appointment to have them installed.

You can either have them delivered to the store OR to your house and just bring them with you.

I HIGHLY recommend starting your tire search on the Walmart site as you can enter the exact specifics of your car and see all of your buying options.

Walmart lets you filter your tire search by price, size, terrain type, and season to name a few.

How Do I Make an Appointment to Get New Tires?

When buying 4 tires online from the Walmart website you can make an installation appointment while checking out which is SUPER convenient.

You can also call your local store or walk-in and make an appointment in the Walmart Tire Center.

What Are The Walmart Installation Charges?

They currently have 2 different installation packages:

Basic Install Package ($15 per Tire)

Basic package includes the following:

• Tire Mounting
• Lifetime balance and rotation every 7,500 miles
• Valve stem service pack
• 50-mile lug nut re-torque

This package costs $25/tire if you don’t buy your tires from Walmart.

See Also: Employees Tell Me the Smart and Dumb Buys at Walmart

Value Install Package ($25 per Tire)

Includes everything in the Basic Package plus…

• Road Hazard Protection warranty.

Walmart’s Road Hazard Protection covers you if a tire fails due to an impact or non-reparable puncture.

They’ll also fix repairable punctures at NO charge to you.

Tires must be bought at Walmart to qualify.

Do Their Tires Come With a Warranty?

You’ll get whatever warranty comes with your tire which varies by manufacturer so be sure to ask EXACTLY what it is before you decide on the tire.

The in-house Walmart warranty, known as Road Hazard Protection, costs $10 per tire and covers unforeseen road hazards, flat repairs, and free tire replacement on non-fixable tires within the first 25% of tread life.

My frugal buddy Clark Howard says to forget the Walmart tire warranty as the manufacturer’s warranty is usually sufficient.

Do Walmart Tires Ever Go On Sale?

Yes.

When shopping for tires on the Walmart site look for the words “Reduced Price” and “Rollback” as that will point you towards the most savings.

From looking at the screenshot above, the “Reduced Price” will save you close to 20% and the “Rollback” price will save you over 20% off the original price.

Can I Return the Tires If I Don’t Like Them?

If you never put the tires on your vehicle and drove on them, you CAN return them within 90 days…otherwise NO.

Also, it’s worth noting that snow tires CANNOT be returned, regardless of whether they’ve been used or not.

See Also: The Walmart Return Policy: Time to Cut Through The CRAP and Explain It

A Few Hacks for the Walmart Tire Center…

1. Plan On Leaving Your Car for a Day – Depending on the location, you should be prepared to leave your car at Walmart for most of the day. Make sure you have a ride.

2. Walmart Doesn’t Do Tire Alignments – Keep in mind that if you want to get your car aligned you’ll have to take it somewhere else.

3. Check TireRack.com – I’ve found that TireRack often undercuts even the Walmart price on new tires. In most cases they’ll even mail the tires to your installer, including Walmart.

Ask the Reader: What has been your experience with buying tires from Walmart? Would you recommend their tire center or is the savings not worth the hassle? Let me know in the comments, thanks.

By Kyle James

Having donned the orange apron in my younger years, I’m quite familiar with whether or not The Home Depot offers an employee discount. But even more than that, I want to breakdown all of the job perks and benefits that The Home Depot offers so you can decide if applying at the home improvement giant is right for you. Let’s break it all down and hopefully I’ll answer most of your burning questions.

They Do NOT Offer a “Traditional” Employee Discount

When I say traditional, I mean Home Depot doesn’t offer a standard dollar-off or percentage-off employee discount like Lowe’s does.

But…they do have a website that lets employees purchase stuff like gym memberships, local restaurant gift cards, and cell phone services at a substantial discount.

PRO TIP: “SUCCESS SHARING” IS A REAL THING

Instead of an employee discount, Home Depot gives out a “Success Sharing” bonus typically twice a year in March and September. The amount depends on the store and if you’re part-time or full-time. When I worked at the Home Depot (part-time) the bonus would range from $75 up to $220 on occasion.

Home Depot Offer Employees a Solid Benefits Package

While you won’t get a standard employee discount, here are the MANY other Home Depot job benefits and perks.

– Health Care: Health insurance for both you and your family.

– Paid Parental Leave: Home Depot will pay you so you can stay home and bond with your new addition.

– 24/7 “Teladoc” Physician Support: Stay at home and do a video call with a physician if your feeling under the weather.

– Pet Care and Insurance: They’ll help with pet sitting and discounted pet insurance for your furry friends.

– Company Match on 401(k) Savings Plan: Home Depot will match $1.50 for every $1 you add to your 401(k) up to 5% off your total pay.

– Performance Bonuses: Financial recognition for when you exceed goals or go above and beyond in terms of outstanding customer service. 

– Stock Discount: They offer a 15% discount when buying Home Depot stock.

– Tuition Reimbursement: Home Depot will help pay some of your tuition if you go back to school.

See Also: 7 Highly Clever Ways to Save Money at The Home Depot

PRO TIP: 2nd DIBS ON CLEARANCE ITEMS

Another perk for Home Depot employees, albeit odd, is you get the chance to buy newly added clearance items AFTER 24 HOURS. So customers get first dibs, then you can swoop up these clearance deals after 24 hours has passed. Kind of a slap in the face to employees isn’t it? There’s a reason these items are on clearance, they probably aren’t big sellers. So why not let employees get first dibs on buying them? Am I missing something here, let me know in the comments. Side-note: When I worked at the Home Depot, I knew of employees hiding clearance items they wanted to buy for 24 hours. Not recommending this of course, but thought it might be news you can use.

Only Full-Timers Get Health Benefits

To qualify for health benefits, you’ll need to be a full-time employee working at least 40 hours per week.

Part-time employees are eligible for other benefits like short-term disability, vision, dental, and even life insurance.

See Also: Want a Home Depot Price Match? Here’s How to Make It Happen

Have to Work 90 Days to Qualify

To be eligible for health care benefits, full-time employees need to work for Home Depot for at least 90 days.

It’s my understanding that the 90 day window also applies to the other job benefits listed above.

First-Dibs on Open Box Deals

Simply by being a Home Depot employee, you’ll know about “scratch and dents” and “open box deals” before the majority of the public.

So you’ll definitely get first-dibs on these products and save significant money in the process.

HD Military Discount Is Available to Employees 

Just because you work for the Home Depot does NOT mean you can’t get their military discount.

At the time of this writing it’s a flat 10% discount on all in-store purchases.

Be prepared to show proof of your service.

Other Home Depot Discounts to Be Aware Of

Contractor Discount

Home Depot calls it ProXtra Benefits and it’s free to join and gives you exclusive perks, offers, volume pricing, and paint rewards.

If you’re a contractor and make a lot of purchases from The Home Depot it’s a no-brainer.

Quantity Discount

The Home Depot does have a quantity discount program called Volume Pricing Discounts.

Basically, you assemble your project list and if your total adds up to at least $2500, you’ll qualify for a volume discount.

See Also: Bulk Buying: All The Stores That Offer Quantity Discounts

Teacher Discount

The Home Depot does not currently offer a teacher discount.

Senior Discount

Similar to the teacher discount, there currently is NOT a senior discount.

Ask the Reader: Do the Home Depot employee discount, perks, and benefits sway you to apply for a job? Let me know if I’m missing any details and I’ll be sure to update this article.

By Kyle James

Having had three kids who’ve played different sports over the years, I’ve made many trips into my local Dick’s to buy cleats, baseball gloves, and basketball shoes to name a few. And guess what, I’ve also had to make many returns when the wrong size or item was purchased. So I’ve become quite accustomed to the Dick’s Sporting Goods return policy and the many “ins and outs” that come with it. So let’s break it all down so your next return is easy peasy.

Dick’s Sporting Goods Gives You 90 Days

Dick’s did have a 30-day return window, but extended it during COVID to give shoppers 60 more days to make returns and it has never gone back to 30 days.

The 90 days applies to both online and in-store purchases.

Dick’s will also take back clearance items within 90 days of purchase.

PRO TIP: HAVE LARGE FEET?

If you have large feet and find yourself having to order online because they never stock your size in-store, Dick’s is not a good option. This is especially true if you want to wear the shoes for a couple days to see if they’re comfortable. You’d be much better off ordering from Zappos or Amazon, who both have generous return polices when it comes to returning worn shoes. They’ll typically take them back no questions asked which makes for a much better shopping experience.

A Receipt Is Not Always Necessary

In many cases, you’re NOT out of luck if you lost your receipt.

For online purchases, you can use your email conformation as your receipt or you can VISIT HERE to start your online return.

For in-store purchases, call Dick’s at 1-877-846-9997 and they can locate your receipt for you by using your ScoreCard rewards account (if you have one), or in some cases they can use your credit card information to access your purchase history.

If all else fails, and your receipt can’t be located, you’ll be stuck with store credit for the lowest selling price of the item.

Be prepared to show a valid photo ID when making a “receipt-less” return.

See Also: 29 Clever Ways to Save on Sporting Goods at Dick’s

Sporting Equipment Can Be “Tested”

Dick’s realizes that in many cases athletes need to test out items before deciding if it’s right for them.

With this in mind, Dick’s will take back MOST sporting goods that have been tested out as long as they are in “clean and good condition”.

Some Things You Can’t Return to Dick’s

The following items can’t be returned:

– Ammunition

– Firearms

– Ammunition

– Hunting Bows

– Crossbows

– Black Powder

– Rifles/Muzzleloaders

– Gunpowder

– Primers

– Items Requiring Gasoline or Fuel

– Used Bikes

– Airbeds

– Custom and Special Order Items

– Autographed Collectibles & Memorabilia

– Topps Trading Cards

– Yeezy Shoes

– Gift Cards

See Also: Target Return Policy: Tips and Smart Hacks to Make It Work For You

Try To Bring Online Purchases To a Store

Just bring the item back to ANY Dick’s location with your invoice slip, or confirmation email, and get a full refund back to your original form of payment.

Can I Return Golf Clubs that I Played 18 Holes With?

I hit up a Dick’s live chat operator to ask this specific question, here’s what I was told…

Me: “Can I return golf clubs I played a round with that I don’t like?”

Chat Operator: “Yes, you can have this done. However, you may need to reach out to your local store to have this done.”

Me: “Why do I have to reach out to my local store?”

Chat Operator: “Due to this being used, the local store will need to examine this item as to if it’s acceptable to be returned.”

Me: “If they show some wear they reserve the right to refuse my return?”

Chat Operator: “They can. However, it’s most likely they would accept the return if it’s inside the 90 days return policy.”

Moral of the story: While your mileage may vary depending on the manager on-shift, just make sure you have your receipt and Dick’s should take your clubs back.

Can I Return a Pair of Running Shoes That I Tried?

Let’s face it, you’re only going to tell if you like a pair of running shoes after you take a jog in them.

But can you return them if they hurt your feet?

When researching this, I found that some runners had an issue with Dick’s when trying to make a return.

When I asked Dick’s directly, I was told, “In that case, it is at the manager’s discretion.”

PRO TIP: RETURNING USED/WORN SHOES

I hate this answer, but the correct answer is that your mileage will vary on this one. After talking to several Dick’s manager, it comes down to if they can resell the shoes. If the insoles do not look used, and they can clean the bottoms, they will take them back. Their “official” policy is that once they’ve been worn outside, they won’t take them back. But I was told they will work with you and they ask that you bring them back and let them take a look at them. This appears to be the only way to get a definitive answer on whether they’ll take the shoes back.

Curbside Returns Are Available

This started during COVID and is still an option at most Dick’s locations.

Once you get to the store, park in the curbside pickup spot and call the store and tell them you have arrived and give them your order number.

They’ll then come to you, take the item from your trunk, and send you an e-receipt as proof of your return.

It’s also worth noting that you can only make curbside returns for purchases made with a credit or debit card.

Original Packaging Missing?

Dick’s prefers that you have all originally packaging, but it does NOT appear to be a deal breaker.

See Also: Nike Return Policy: FINALLY Get ALL Your Questions Answered

Dick’s Will Pay Return Shipping Charges

Dick’s Sporting Goods will pay the shipping charges on almost all returns which is a nice feature.

But keep in mind that the original shipping charges will NOT be refunded.

What About Returning Something Bought With a Gift Card?

You’ll get a refund back to your gift card or eGift card.

If you don’t have your gift card anymore you’re asked to call Dick’s at 1-877-846-9997 or start a live chat session and they’ll send you a new gift card.

Ask the Reader: What’s been your experience with the return policy at Dick’s? Good, bad, or somewhere in-between?

By Kyle James

Photo credit to Mike Mozart.