Costco Wholesale is one of the most popular places to shop for major appliances. This is because they offer competitive prices both in store and online, and they also include the cost of delivery and installation for most items. You can easily shop for appliances on Costco.com anytime (just click here).
That said, Costco hasn’t earned itself the best reputation in recent years for having the most reliable delivery service in the world.
Here, we will go over how Costco’s appliance delivery service is supposed to work. And then we’ll dig into some not-so-pretty reviews from customers who show us what it’s really like to order a major appliance from Costco…
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How Does Costco Appliance Delivery Work?
The first thing to know about Costco’s appliance delivery service is that most major appliances are delivered by third-party logistics companies, not Costco Wholesale (this is commonly known as “drop shipping”). Deliveries can take anywhere from a couple of days to several months (as we’ll learn about below).
However, unless otherwise noted, Costco’s appliance delivery service is included in the price of your appliance, so you won’t be charged any additional delivery fees in most cases.
To break it all down, here are the main points to know about Costco appliance delivery…
- Appliance delivery is scheduled during checkout on Costco.com
- For most items, Costco claims that delivery is available within 2-5 days of purchase (however, this varies based on where you live, what kind of appliance you’re purchasing, and your product’s manufacturer, and many customers have shared about having to wait much longer to receive their appliances)
- The cost of appliance delivery is typically included in the price when you purchase a major appliance through Costco.com (unless otherwise noted)
- Costco uses a method called “drop shipping” to deliver their appliances to customers (meaning that a third-party delivery crew will pick up your appliance from a manufacturer, not from a Costco Warehouse location, and then deliver it to your home)
- Costco’s appliance delivery service typically includes the cost of installation and old appliance haul away as well, unless otherwise noted
- You must live within a “qualifying zip code” to receive free appliance delivery from Costco
It’s important to note that because most major appliances sold on Costco.com are members-only items, shoppers without a Costco membership do not qualify for appliance delivery.
Costco appliance deliveries are facilitated by several different third-party companies–Transform Holdco, J.B. Hunt, and XPO Logistics. Some of Costco’s deliveries are also handled by their in-house delivery service Costco Logistics (formerly Innovel Solutions), but many customers have expressed frustrations with this service as well despite it being operated by Costco.
When it comes to the specifics of your appliance delivery, it’s important to keep in mind that delivery and installation information will differ depending on which product you buy.
For example, when ordering a GE product from Costco.com, you will see the following delivery information on your item’s product page. This information refers to a GE dishwasher.
To learn about the delivery and installation specifics for your product, please see your appliance’s product page on Costco.com and scroll down to where it says “Warranty & Services.”
Installation & Haul Away
For most major appliances sold on Costco.com, Costco offers free basic installation services in addition to delivery. For basic installation, delivery crews are sometimes equipped to perform the necessary tasks. However, for some items, delivery and installation might have to happen in two separate appointments.
Here, you can view installation service details and descriptions for…
Your appliance delivery crew can also haul away your old appliance when your new appliance is delivered. When your old appliance is hauled away, it will most likely be taken to a recycling center equipped to recycle the metals and other materials in your appliance.
Tipping
Tipping Costco appliance delivery workers is optional but welcome. A standard tip amount is $10-$20 per delivery worker per appliance delivered. However, if you are not satisfied with your experience, tipping is not required.
Returns
If you end up needing to return your appliance after it’s been delivered, you will have 90 days from the date you receive your item to do so. Simply initiate your return online and Costco will arrange to have your appliance picked up from your home.
Delivery Options & Costs
When ordering an appliance from Costco.com, you can choose from three different delivery options–delivery only, delivery and installation, or delivery, installation, and haul away of your old appliance.
Regardless of which combination of services you choose, you will pay zero additional cost beyond the price of your appliance in most cases. However, select appliances sold on Costco.com may require an additional fee for installation. Please see the product description for your product on Costco.com to learn more.
For example, this is what you will see when you begin the process of ordering a GE dishwasher on Costco.com…
The above options can be checked or unchecked depending on your preferences.
Even if you choose to have your appliance delivered with no installation or haul away service, you will still have a few different delivery options to choose from.
Costco offers the following delivery options for appliance deliveries:
- Curbside delivery (a freight carrier leaves your boxed item in your driveway)
- Threshold delivery (a freight carrier leaves your boxed item in the first dry area on your property)
- Room-of-choice Delivery (a delivery crew will move your appliance into your home and leave it in the room where you plan to have it installed)
- In-home delivery with basic hookup and haul away (this is the appliance equivalent of Costco’s white glove delivery service)
Regardless of which delivery option you choose, the cost of appliance delivery from Costco should always be included in the listed price of your item. However, if you live outside of Costco’s deliverable area, you may have to pay an additional cost for delivery.
Tracking Your Appliance Delivery
Tracking your appliance delivery will work differently depending on which company is tasked with delivering your item. This is because Costco works with so many different delivery companies, most of which are not directly linked to Costco.
Unfortunately, Costco’s standard order tracking tool on their website won’t usually give you the most up-to-date information for an appliance delivery.
To receive updated information on the status of your Costco appliance delivery, call Costco’s Customer Service line directly at 1-800-955-2292.
You can also try tracking your appliance delivery through Costco Logistics here.
How To Prepare For Your Appliance Delivery
According to Costco, there are three basic things to remember when preparing for your appliance delivery…
- Make sure a responsible adult (18+) can be present during the entire delivery process
- Ensure that any prior building, installation, or renovation that needs to happen for your appliance to be installed correctly and to code is done prior to your delivery date (for example, some gas appliances must be raised up on a platform to prevent direct contact with the floor, so an adequate platform would need to be installed prior to delivery)
- Clear a path from the street to the front of your home (clear away any ice, snow, or debris)
- Clear a path through your home to the intended location of the appliance (remove any toys, furniture, or other obstructions that may interfere with the delivery workers’ movement)
If you need to reschedule your delivery date, contact Costco Customer Service directly at 1-877-483-6226 and they should be able to help you with this change.
Is Costco Appliance Delivery Reliable?
Now we’re going to dive into the real question… Is Costco’s appliance delivery service even any good?
It’s one thing to make a service sound reliable online, but it’s another to actually deliver on that process (no pun intended).
Unfortunately, many Costco customers have expressed intense dissatisfaction with the quality of Costco’s appliance delivery service in recent years.
Some of the major issues customers have cited about Costco’s delivery service include:
- Extreme delivery delays
- Appliances that never show up
- Unreliable and unskilled delivery crews
- Low-quality customer service
- Appliances arriving damaged
- Delivery or installation crews causing damage to appliances
- Delivery crews refusing to perform installation
Here’s one customer who definitely won’t be ordering another appliance from Costco anytime soon…
This Reddit user has a good point that the most reliable way to buy appliances from Costco might be to just buy them in person and drive them home yourself…
Some Costco customers have had to wait up to a month to receive their appliances, while others have struggled with ever having them delivered at all…
Unfortunately, these stories are all too common…
The headaches just never end…
That said, there are still some customers who have had good experiences ordering appliances from Costco…
But if I were you, I wouldn’t take the risk.
FAQs
Does Costco appliance delivery include installation?
Yes. Most large appliances sold on Costco.com include delivery and installation in their advertised price.
Does Costco appliance delivery include parts?
When your appliance is delivered, it will come with all of the parts included in your original product purchase, plus any additional parts necessary for a standard installation. For example, when you have a free-standing fridge installed by Costco, the installation includes a 7’ nylon braided water line.
However, there may be some situations in which your appliance needs additional supplies for installation that the Costco delivery team may not be able to provide. Check with Costco to find out what the installation kit includes prior to delivery so that you can source any other parts you might need ahead of time.
According to Costco.com, “it is the homeowner’s responsibility to ensure their home has the proper gas, electrical, or water supply lines and shut-off valves” prior to appliance delivery and installation. It’s also important to keep in mind that Costco delivery workers are not authorized to perform electrical or plumbing work. If the installation of your appliance requires the installation of new plumbing or electrical outlets, for example, the installation team will not be able to do this.
Do refrigerators get delivered with the doors off?
Not necessarily. If the doors of your fridge need to be removed to get it inside of your home, the delivery workers can do this for you. Most refrigerator doors are designed to be removed and replaced easily, so this process will not cause any damage to your fridge. However, if your fridge can fit into your home without having the doors removed, then this probably won’t happen.
Does Costco do delivery for large items?
Yes. But only if you purchase your large items online. When you shop at a Costco Warehouse location, you are responsible for arranging the transportation for your large purchases.
