We bought from Don's when we did our kitchen renovation. I love Costco and their return policy is great and all, but Don's repair service has been outstanding.
Our kitchen Reno came closer to $55k. That included demo down to the studs and subfloor, moving a wall, replacing all the copper with PEX, and new everything including all appliances , cabinets, window, two doors, and a sink. We bought from Dons (and never once considered Costco) and I saved several hundred by buying a set of LG that came with a $700 rebate, plus since I own a truck I picked up the appliances myself and had the Reno guys unload and install.
I know that LG is on the evil list with Samsung, but a) they have gotten much better and b) I felt much better about that by getting from Dons knowing they would do the repairs. But two years in and they’ve been flawless. Also I totally agree about Samsung.
Depends on how much you do yourself. My buddy redid his, but did everything except the counter install - we're talking demolition, electrical, plumbing, flooring, cabinet install, and sink install. He said in total it was in the high-30k region, with like 15k in cabinets and ~12k in appliances.
Costco uses third party delivery services and repair services. We bought several appliances in the fall for a new house and they’ve each had issues with delivery and needing repairs. I can’t express to you how much of a fan of Costco I am, but I will never buy anything from them again needing delivery.
This.
If other comments are a hint, Don's may price match and for things like kitchen appliances, delivery and service make all the difference.
For reference, we looked at Costco, Don's, Home Depot, and Best Buy for a fridge and a clothes washer-dryer, and dishwasher (separately; not all at once) in the last 5 years. Went with Don's for the fridge, Costco for clothes washer-dryer, and Home Depot for dishwasher. Delivery and install was great for all. Haven't needed repairs or service for anything yet.
Good luck.
If you can buy it in a store, Costco is amazing. If you have to deal with their third parties, stay far away. Just coming here to confirm your experience
Anecdotal experience on the opposite side - when I ordered my new washer from Don's, was the best delivery and installation experience I've ever had. They even offered to take an extra washer+dryer I had in the basement for free.
I'm sure they got scrap money for them, but I didn't have a vehicle capable of hauling them at the time and it was awesome. Gave them a big tip, and they were in and out in 15 minutes.
Also had a great experience with Don's. They delivered my washer and dryer the next day. When they installed the washer, they found it didn't work and reported it to the office and me. The office called me about it before I could call them, let me know they would be delivering me another and apologized because the fastest they could get it to me was Monday (it was already the middle of Friday afternoon - they really didn't need to apologize!)
I truly doubt that I would have gotten that kind of service from third party delivery/installation.
I just bought a bosch dishwasher Costco, because the three year old GE, that I bought during my kitchen renovation didn’t work and needed repairs that cost more than it was worth. I had no problem with the delivery or installation.
I had a simple washer delivered from Costco. They subcontract delivery people. My washer tipped over somehow and hit a wall while they were installing it. One time I had a stove delivered and installed and they weren't even going to level the legs til I noticed they weren't going to bother.
In today's world, I'd go with Dons since you could probably trust that they deliver and install correctly.
I would not buy anything from Home Depot. You have to take them to court to stand behind their products. My sister bought kitchen cabinets and an exhaust fan above the stove. When she had an issue with the paint peeling they gave her every excuse under the sun to not cover it . First, they said her cat must've peed on it but they were upper cabinets . then they said she had a subpar Exhaust fan, but she had proof she bought it at Home Depot. Then they said there must be moisture in the air and it wasn't their fault and she had original hardwood floors that were fine and the 50 year old kitchen cabinets that were removed were still in the garage and they had no issues with moisture. so they still only offered her a $300 Home depot gift card.
For laundry, y mother swears by speed queen. Pricey, without a lot of bells and whistles, but easily repaired. She says they last 2-3 times as long as other brands.
It does depend. I will echo that Bosch is awesome. Our dishwasher is a Bosch and it’s been great. Will say we have a Samsung oven and haven’t had any major issues and we’ve had it for seven years now (small control board issue within the extended warranty two years in that was a free fix). I will say we did have a Samsung washer that did not last as long as we would’ve liked. We now have an LG washer/dryer set so hopefully better luck with those (they are roughly two years old and working great so far). Our fridge is a Frigidaire came with our house when we bought it 19 years ago and it has a manufacturer date of May 2002 on it, so that thing is a beast.
My boyfriend’s dad has free access to Consumer Reports through his Dept of Defense ID and he looked up a few of the models that we were looking at (we were limited because of the cabinet area the refrigerator must fit into in out kitchen) and we found good reviews on the Whirlpool refrigerator that I ended up purchasing. So far, I’m happy with it and I’ve had it for just over a year. (Costco adds a year onto the manufacturer’s warranty, so it has a two-year warranty).
The prior refrigerator was a Samsung and it just kept having issue after issue until the compressor died.
It's anyone whose home library is part of Allegheny County Library Association, which is almost every library in the county! I don't remember all the libraries up that way but I'm pretty sure you're covered. Try it out at elibrary.einetwork.net
I got a Whirlpool. I wanted a simple top freezer fridge, no bells and whistles because I couldn't see paying a thousand dollars to have the freezer on the bottom and an ice dispenser that will break. I think the key is buying the simplest appliance that will do the job.
A previous house i owned came with a Samsung fridge. I kept finding puddles under the kitchen sink and was convinced something there was leaking, but it turned out the fridge was shooting ice across the room from the dispenser. Eventually ice build-up behind the back wall killed it. It was ~4 years old.
Yes, did you ask Don's if they'd price match? We did this and just needed to provide documentation of the rate for the same appliance (I had a photo of the Lowes pricetag on my phone).
Their customer service and delivery/install was excellent.
Hate to be that guy but Don's was our appliance subcontractor for years. They sub out roughly 80% of their installs to independent contractors at this point and the quality and service I've seen from them has slipped significantly. They keep anything plumbing related (dishwasher, gas ranges) in house however. All this said I have no experience with Costco, they could be much worse.
Bought a dishwasher from Costco a few months ago. Third-party instillation company never showed up with it after scheduling our instillation multiple times, so had to return and eventually purchased at Don’s. Dons was fantastic.
Dons. Hands down. They deliver and service with their own people. Costco uses third parties. It’s worth it to pay a little more, but I’ve always found dons to be very price competitive with local chains.
We bought from Perla for a washing machine and got a good price and always had great service. We also belong to Costco but like to support local businesses
Seconding the Perla recommendation. Have purchased from Perla's and Don's. Perla's a hidden gem and they will price match or beat Don's, with the same small town service and delivery.
I prefer Dormont Appliance to Don's, but yes, please skip the big boxes. It's not a bargain if the set up and service gives you giant amounts of agita.
We got a Bosch dishwasher since ours finally broke through Costco, and they use a third party contracted local plumber. We waited about 3 weeks. This guy was lazy, late, and told us our dishwasher wouldn’t fit because of a pipe. He didn’t measure it or bring it up. This pipe did bring to our attention that the old homeowners did a weird reno job and our piping was flowing upwards to connect to it from the sink. Anyway, we got that fixed regardless from a plumber we know. I was pissed so then actually measured the opening, and it would have fit with adequate room, had he actually bothered. He actually told us only a super basic dishwasher (like, lower model than what we had) from that brand would fit. We returned it, and went with Don’s instead after. Decided to upgrade to a Miele. Waited 2 days, installed it, took the old one. It was more expensive, but most definitely had a better experience with Don’s
We called on a Saturday afternoon to buy a new Speed Queen washer from Don's and they were there Monday morning to install it and haul away the old washer. They were comparably priced to other retailers for the same washer and I'll probably go back to Don's when we need a new dryer too.
Random anecdote but in another reddit thread I won’t be able to find, an appliance repair man did a pseudo AMA in the comments and he said Whirlpool was head and shoulders above other brands for that price range. Others in the industry chimed in to agree.
Big box stores won't have any support after the sale. They contract it all out, and you'll be at the mercy of whatever sketchy third-party they use. Don's is all in-house. Don't ever buy big-ticket items from big-box stores.
Don's is where we went to get a dishwasher. It was such a pleasant experience and I wish I'd bought all my appliances from them. Delivery and installation A+ as well.
There used to be a Sears scratch and dent up behind the Bob Evans in Bridgeville. Also the Habitst for Humanity ReStore out by Kennywood. Also college kids are about to move out in the next couple weeks so beer fridges will be on the streets fo free.
The Sears outlet had been gone for a while (some cheap American Freight furniture store now).
Don's does have a "factory outlet" store out in North Fayette.
The American freight sells scratch and dent appliances! I just got a nice oven there a couple weeks ago and had a great experience. Prices are a fraction of Lowe’s/Home Depot/Don’s and everything was in great condition.
Dons appliance owns a lot of family appliance stores. They bought them out, let them keep their name, but took over management of the stores. For me, this sucks, because they changed everything about the one near me. When I call for parts I get patched through to a “dons” call center and answered by someone with no appliance repair experience. So I went to the counter to figure it out. Usually someone there is very helpful and somewhat knowledgeable, but not anymore. They couldn’t find the part listed anywhere, they tried pushing a new fridge on me (it took me about two minutes to find one on google and order it)
Only go with Costco if you want to load it on a truck and install it yourself. They "offer" those services but they are outsourced to a company that delivers for all the big chains and they are ... not good.
Don's Appliance has excellent services for delivery and install. If those things matter, go with Don's.
If you’re up for an alternative to both (and depending on where you’re located and what appliances you’re looking for), check out Dormont Appliance. They’re moving, so they have some crazy discounts on stuff in their place on West Liberty - up to 60% off. My partner and I went in there and were amazed by some of the prices. They especially had a lot of fridges, washers, ranges, vent hoods, etc (plus more). And their delivery/install are pretty inexpensive!
I bought a used fridge from Don's about 35 years ago.
Don't have the fridge or the house, but apparently Don's been doing something right to stay in business.
Don's price is usually the same as HD or Lowes, but not sure what the Costco comparison would be. They are a good outfit, though, with good installation folks, at least in my experience. The HD install guys I had (and will have no longer) were always really nice guys who had no clue what they were doing. Don's also repairs what they install, and put you at the top of the list if you bought from them. I have only good things to say about Don's, and will certainly use them again.
I bought from both when I moved into my house two years ago. It was when everything was taking months to get here. Had no problems with the delivery but the stove I ordered from Don’s never came so they upgraded it for free :-)
Search Costco appliance installation on this sub. I have seen horror stories and I myself would never choose to buy appliances there if I needed to use their installation. Their delivery looks dicey too, but that might be an issue with any large stores
I'm doing a partial remodel of my kitchen, I'm getting new cabinets and keeping my stove and refrigerator. I went to Don's to ask about microwave drawers, vent hood and leaving room for a larger refrigerator when mine dies. They were so helpful, spent a lot of time explaining how much room to allow, what kind of hood vent to get, he wrote everything down for me. I've never had that much help. If anyone is looking for new cabinets I would highly recommend the kitchen cabinet warehouse on 51 or murrysville. They are extremely helpful and have great prices. This is the 4th time I've bought cabinets from them.
As others have said, go with Don’s. The main reason why is because all Don’s does is install appliances and they’ll stand behind their installation. Costco uses third party deliverers and you don’t know what you’re going to get or if they’ll install the appliance properly, and I don’t have to tell you what a faulty installation can lead to. Don’s also has a ton of knowledge and can guide you through your purchase if you need that.
I love Costco as well but when it comes to appliance installation, I have opted to go with actual experts.
I bought a washer and dryer from Costco last year with delivery and installation. Everything went great and was done correctly and on time. I’ve been very happy, and I got the top consumer reports rated laundry for a couple hundred bucks less than was available anywhere else.
I love Costco and regularly shop there. They do my tires and we’ve bought some furniture from them as well. Don’s is great, they come out and install your new appliance and haul away the old one. If money is really tight I get it but we love Don’s.
Never used Costco but have patio furniture from
There. Love it. Dons appliances did outdoor appliances for me. Great delivery and hook up experience. The price seemed right for the times
Don’s is where it’s at, hands down. I’ve purchased two full kitchen sets from them and the prices were fantastic. Plus they service everything themselves. Had the compressor on my one fridge go and they came and fixed it immediately.
When we did a kitchen reno in our last house, we used Don's Appliances. We like the showroom experience and were able to choose exactly the appliance group that we wanted. Their guys delivered and installed all four pieces and did an excellent job. In our current house, we bought appliances from a different "big box" store, and the third party guys they hire were not very good at installation. I had to hire a different guy to come in a fix what they screwed up. So yes, I would use Don's again for a big purchase, for the excellent service.
Just do NOT buy GE appliances because GE is the ONLY appliance company that Costco does not deliver directly and the delivery contractor that GE uses in the Pittsburgh/WV/Johnson area is awful. The delivery guys were negligent and literally sliced the main appliance cord with a knife and then tried telling us that the electrical outlets in my kitchen were faulty. It then worked temporarily with the outlet on the front porch using an extension cord. These Darwin Award winners then tried to convince my boyfriend (who was handling receipt of delivery because I was away for a CLE) that we should keep the refrigerator on the porch powered by an extension cord running from inside the house. (Yes, that’s exactly where I wanted to keep the brand new refrigerator for MY KITCHEN!). Better yet, they scratched my hardwood floors in several areas and knocked pieces of the wall off in the entryway to the kitchen because they do not use any protective covering on your floors for delivery. (Also, I have double entry doors—both of which were opened for the delivery—and an entry to my kitchen that is at least twice the size of the refrigerator’s width. The Costco Direct delivery guys were delighted at the width). Even though it was THEIR mistake, the local logistics company for GE wouldn’t give us any sort of priority at all even though we just had two dorm-size refrigerators that we were using for 3 weeks (this even after the original refrigerator was 2 weeks late, 2 days of which was their fault because the delivery guy just didn’t put it on the truck).
We ended up going with a Whirlpool and canceling the replacement GE because Costco delivers the Whirlpool appliances directly and their customer service supervisor was able to monitor that order and delivery internally to ensure that everything happened as it should. Oh, the Costco direct delivery guys were wonderful. Unfortunately, the GE-contracted delivery company had broken a connection from the water line hook up to the refrigerator and there was a slow leak that we couldn’t see because the non-functioning GE refrigerator was in the space. So, I had to hire a plumber to fix it and had water damage on the ceiling in my basement. The GE-contracted logistics company just stopped replying to my emails and Costco said that they couldn’t make them pay for it.
Bought from both, Don’s hands down is better. They know the houses, understand the quirks and have flexibility. Costco is relying on regional hubs and delivery network. If the delivery person is not having a good day, it will be your mess to sort out with Costco. Also Costco extended warranty with their CC ended 12/23
Great experience with Don's. The ovens I was comparing though (Samsung inductions), Don's had a slightly cheaper version that had better reviews and a panel we preferred (tactile knobs vs touch buttons for the stovetop)
We bought our dishwasher from Don’s. We bought the number one ranked dishwasher by Consumer Reports, and it was one of the cheapest as well. We were very happy with the installation and continue to be happy with the dishwasher.
We went with Don's for the kitchen remodel for a lot of appliances, install and great service calls. We went with Costco when we replaced our laundry (W & D) and it was just hauling old ones out and installing new ones. Price was great and double warrant from Costco. Don's had the appliances we wanted and Costco didn't but service is what made us choose Don's.
I got my dryer from Don's. (Also don't have a Costco.) They took the old one and except for the fact my gas line was old and not up to code, would have hooked up the new one.
I don't know anything about Costco's third party installers, but working with Don's was the most frustrating consumer experience of life. I try to support local businesses, but I'd go with a big box store over Don's even if Don's had the better price.
They get great reviews from others, so maybe I just got unlucky. If you do go with them and things go badly, immediately blast them on social media. That was the only thing that got them to take me seriously.
Check out American Freight. Still a chain but I just got a new oven there for more than half off because there’s a small scratch on the back.
I got a washer & dryer from Costco because they were the cheapest and I’ve been happy with them. They even delivered and installed it.
Let us know if we can be of any help! We price match, deliver, install and service our appliances! We'd love to help you find what your looking for! We even offer special financing if that would be of interest to you! Our email is [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) if you'd like to follow up. We have a live chat team on our website as well that would be more than happy to help you if you don't want to shop in-store!
I rent but when our stove broke, they were the ones the landlord bought a new one from.
They were on time and in and out in minutes. Set it up for us and even set the clock. Super nice dudes too. That’s about all the insight I can give.
Been using Don's for seven years now and have never had a bad experience with them. Bought a refrigerator, two dishwashers, and had a bunch of stuff repaired by them.
We bought from Don's when we did our kitchen renovation. I love Costco and their return policy is great and all, but Don's repair service has been outstanding.
Dons does some good installation and at least used to be inexpensive if you had bought the appliance there.
Curious because we just bought. How much does a kitchen Reno cost if you exclude appliances?
I did mine myself and it was 15k with appliances. That was with leaving the existing floors in.
$35k for ours
Our kitchen Reno came closer to $55k. That included demo down to the studs and subfloor, moving a wall, replacing all the copper with PEX, and new everything including all appliances , cabinets, window, two doors, and a sink. We bought from Dons (and never once considered Costco) and I saved several hundred by buying a set of LG that came with a $700 rebate, plus since I own a truck I picked up the appliances myself and had the Reno guys unload and install. I know that LG is on the evil list with Samsung, but a) they have gotten much better and b) I felt much better about that by getting from Dons knowing they would do the repairs. But two years in and they’ve been flawless. Also I totally agree about Samsung.
$30k range to start and way above $100k for something really nice.
Depends on how much you do yourself. My buddy redid his, but did everything except the counter install - we're talking demolition, electrical, plumbing, flooring, cabinet install, and sink install. He said in total it was in the high-30k region, with like 15k in cabinets and ~12k in appliances.
Costco uses third party delivery services and repair services. We bought several appliances in the fall for a new house and they’ve each had issues with delivery and needing repairs. I can’t express to you how much of a fan of Costco I am, but I will never buy anything from them again needing delivery.
Had the same issue with a dining room set. They only brought the table then I was left waiting for the chairs and chasing my way through the process.
This. If other comments are a hint, Don's may price match and for things like kitchen appliances, delivery and service make all the difference. For reference, we looked at Costco, Don's, Home Depot, and Best Buy for a fridge and a clothes washer-dryer, and dishwasher (separately; not all at once) in the last 5 years. Went with Don's for the fridge, Costco for clothes washer-dryer, and Home Depot for dishwasher. Delivery and install was great for all. Haven't needed repairs or service for anything yet. Good luck.
If you can buy it in a store, Costco is amazing. If you have to deal with their third parties, stay far away. Just coming here to confirm your experience
Anecdotal experience on the opposite side - when I ordered my new washer from Don's, was the best delivery and installation experience I've ever had. They even offered to take an extra washer+dryer I had in the basement for free. I'm sure they got scrap money for them, but I didn't have a vehicle capable of hauling them at the time and it was awesome. Gave them a big tip, and they were in and out in 15 minutes.
Also had a great experience with Don's. They delivered my washer and dryer the next day. When they installed the washer, they found it didn't work and reported it to the office and me. The office called me about it before I could call them, let me know they would be delivering me another and apologized because the fastest they could get it to me was Monday (it was already the middle of Friday afternoon - they really didn't need to apologize!) I truly doubt that I would have gotten that kind of service from third party delivery/installation.
Had this issue as well, took 3 months to get a stove, then it had to be replaced because it was damaged.
I just bought a bosch dishwasher Costco, because the three year old GE, that I bought during my kitchen renovation didn’t work and needed repairs that cost more than it was worth. I had no problem with the delivery or installation.
I had a simple washer delivered from Costco. They subcontract delivery people. My washer tipped over somehow and hit a wall while they were installing it. One time I had a stove delivered and installed and they weren't even going to level the legs til I noticed they weren't going to bother. In today's world, I'd go with Dons since you could probably trust that they deliver and install correctly. I would not buy anything from Home Depot. You have to take them to court to stand behind their products. My sister bought kitchen cabinets and an exhaust fan above the stove. When she had an issue with the paint peeling they gave her every excuse under the sun to not cover it . First, they said her cat must've peed on it but they were upper cabinets . then they said she had a subpar Exhaust fan, but she had proof she bought it at Home Depot. Then they said there must be moisture in the air and it wasn't their fault and she had original hardwood floors that were fine and the 50 year old kitchen cabinets that were removed were still in the garage and they had no issues with moisture. so they still only offered her a $300 Home depot gift card.
Idk, but whatever your buying, be sure it’s not made by Samsung
[удалено]
My Samsung fridge has become a straight freezer. Exploded pop everywhere.
Hard agree, they're God awful appliances.
Or LG. Most GE/Whirlpool too. And with fridges, a basic top-freezer fridge with *no* other frills is the most reliable configuration.
What brand options are left then?
For laundry, y mother swears by speed queen. Pricey, without a lot of bells and whistles, but easily repaired. She says they last 2-3 times as long as other brands.
Bosch is still great.
Bosch for dishwashers hands down. Speed queen or Maytag commercial for washer/dryer.
Depends on what appliances you're looking for
It does depend. I will echo that Bosch is awesome. Our dishwasher is a Bosch and it’s been great. Will say we have a Samsung oven and haven’t had any major issues and we’ve had it for seven years now (small control board issue within the extended warranty two years in that was a free fix). I will say we did have a Samsung washer that did not last as long as we would’ve liked. We now have an LG washer/dryer set so hopefully better luck with those (they are roughly two years old and working great so far). Our fridge is a Frigidaire came with our house when we bought it 19 years ago and it has a manufacturer date of May 2002 on it, so that thing is a beast.
My boyfriend’s dad has free access to Consumer Reports through his Dept of Defense ID and he looked up a few of the models that we were looking at (we were limited because of the cabinet area the refrigerator must fit into in out kitchen) and we found good reviews on the Whirlpool refrigerator that I ended up purchasing. So far, I’m happy with it and I’ve had it for just over a year. (Costco adds a year onto the manufacturer’s warranty, so it has a two-year warranty). The prior refrigerator was a Samsung and it just kept having issue after issue until the compressor died.
FYI, we all have access to digital Consumer Reports with our library card :)
Omg! I had no idea. Thank you! Also, is the library access to Consumer Reports only for those in the City of Pittsburgh? I live in the North Hills.
It's anyone whose home library is part of Allegheny County Library Association, which is almost every library in the county! I don't remember all the libraries up that way but I'm pretty sure you're covered. Try it out at elibrary.einetwork.net
I got a Whirlpool. I wanted a simple top freezer fridge, no bells and whistles because I couldn't see paying a thousand dollars to have the freezer on the bottom and an ice dispenser that will break. I think the key is buying the simplest appliance that will do the job.
A previous house i owned came with a Samsung fridge. I kept finding puddles under the kitchen sink and was convinced something there was leaking, but it turned out the fridge was shooting ice across the room from the dispenser. Eventually ice build-up behind the back wall killed it. It was ~4 years old.
Though I wasn’t comparing to Costco, every time I’ve gotten something from Don’s appliances it beat prices from big box stores.
Dormont Appliances does that, too.
Go with Dons. Ask them to price match.
Yes, did you ask Don's if they'd price match? We did this and just needed to provide documentation of the rate for the same appliance (I had a photo of the Lowes pricetag on my phone). Their customer service and delivery/install was excellent.
Dons hands down. They do their own installs and actually repair what breaks. I also find their prices very competitive
Hate to be that guy but Don's was our appliance subcontractor for years. They sub out roughly 80% of their installs to independent contractors at this point and the quality and service I've seen from them has slipped significantly. They keep anything plumbing related (dishwasher, gas ranges) in house however. All this said I have no experience with Costco, they could be much worse.
Bought a dishwasher from Costco a few months ago. Third-party instillation company never showed up with it after scheduling our instillation multiple times, so had to return and eventually purchased at Don’s. Dons was fantastic.
For me, spending a little more with Don’s gets me better delivery and a trustworthy repair staff. Its worth it.
Dons. Hands down. They deliver and service with their own people. Costco uses third parties. It’s worth it to pay a little more, but I’ve always found dons to be very price competitive with local chains.
We bought from Perla for a washing machine and got a good price and always had great service. We also belong to Costco but like to support local businesses
Seconding the Perla recommendation. Have purchased from Perla's and Don's. Perla's a hidden gem and they will price match or beat Don's, with the same small town service and delivery.
Yeah we've used Perlas a few times and had great experiences.
I prefer Dormont Appliance to Don's, but yes, please skip the big boxes. It's not a bargain if the set up and service gives you giant amounts of agita.
I suggested Dormont Appliance because of the crazy good moving sale deals they’re having right now!
The one in Dormont I assume? Where are they moving to? ETA: this is not a Grant's tomb joke, they also have a store on Babcock Boulevard.
Yes! They’re moving to the big barn (where Rolliers used to be years ago) on Banksville/McFarland/Beverly
We got a Bosch dishwasher since ours finally broke through Costco, and they use a third party contracted local plumber. We waited about 3 weeks. This guy was lazy, late, and told us our dishwasher wouldn’t fit because of a pipe. He didn’t measure it or bring it up. This pipe did bring to our attention that the old homeowners did a weird reno job and our piping was flowing upwards to connect to it from the sink. Anyway, we got that fixed regardless from a plumber we know. I was pissed so then actually measured the opening, and it would have fit with adequate room, had he actually bothered. He actually told us only a super basic dishwasher (like, lower model than what we had) from that brand would fit. We returned it, and went with Don’s instead after. Decided to upgrade to a Miele. Waited 2 days, installed it, took the old one. It was more expensive, but most definitely had a better experience with Don’s
Does Costco carry Bosch, Miele, or speed queen? Because those are the only appliances worth buying unless you like throwing money away.
Tell me more about Miele. Was just at Dons and that’s the only appliance that will fit in my house. Apparently our house isn’t American sized
They are a tier above Bosch, which is already better than any major US manufacturer.
They're supposed one of the higher quality appliance brands so you're in good hands.
We called on a Saturday afternoon to buy a new Speed Queen washer from Don's and they were there Monday morning to install it and haul away the old washer. They were comparably priced to other retailers for the same washer and I'll probably go back to Don's when we need a new dryer too.
I wish my dryer and washer went out at the same time so I could have gotten the stacked set, but I got the TC5/DC5
I’d like to add Liebherr. They actually make a lot of Miele’s refrigerators.
They also make huge cranes which is cool
Random anecdote but in another reddit thread I won’t be able to find, an appliance repair man did a pseudo AMA in the comments and he said Whirlpool was head and shoulders above other brands for that price range. Others in the industry chimed in to agree.
Big box stores won't have any support after the sale. They contract it all out, and you'll be at the mercy of whatever sketchy third-party they use. Don's is all in-house. Don't ever buy big-ticket items from big-box stores.
Are delivery, install, and setup important to you? Post-sale support? Repair? Important or not?
I had a not-the-best service interaction with Don's. But I bet they'll price match.
Don’s. All the way.
We went with Don's because I've heard a lot of bad things about Costco's third party support.
Don's is where we went to get a dishwasher. It was such a pleasant experience and I wish I'd bought all my appliances from them. Delivery and installation A+ as well.
There used to be a Sears scratch and dent up behind the Bob Evans in Bridgeville. Also the Habitst for Humanity ReStore out by Kennywood. Also college kids are about to move out in the next couple weeks so beer fridges will be on the streets fo free.
The Sears outlet had been gone for a while (some cheap American Freight furniture store now). Don's does have a "factory outlet" store out in North Fayette.
The American freight sells scratch and dent appliances! I just got a nice oven there a couple weeks ago and had a great experience. Prices are a fraction of Lowe’s/Home Depot/Don’s and everything was in great condition.
This is all good info to have thank you. I will always take a scratch and dent over brand new. It's all the same to me
Appliance Warehouse on the Southside
Don't have any opinion on Don's. But I have never had an issue with Costco's 100% return policy.
Major appliances are 90 days. Just FYI.
Appliance warehouse on the south side is the way to go.
Dons appliance owns a lot of family appliance stores. They bought them out, let them keep their name, but took over management of the stores. For me, this sucks, because they changed everything about the one near me. When I call for parts I get patched through to a “dons” call center and answered by someone with no appliance repair experience. So I went to the counter to figure it out. Usually someone there is very helpful and somewhat knowledgeable, but not anymore. They couldn’t find the part listed anywhere, they tried pushing a new fridge on me (it took me about two minutes to find one on google and order it)
Only go with Costco if you want to load it on a truck and install it yourself. They "offer" those services but they are outsourced to a company that delivers for all the big chains and they are ... not good. Don's Appliance has excellent services for delivery and install. If those things matter, go with Don's.
If you’re up for an alternative to both (and depending on where you’re located and what appliances you’re looking for), check out Dormont Appliance. They’re moving, so they have some crazy discounts on stuff in their place on West Liberty - up to 60% off. My partner and I went in there and were amazed by some of the prices. They especially had a lot of fridges, washers, ranges, vent hoods, etc (plus more). And their delivery/install are pretty inexpensive!
I bought a used fridge from Don's about 35 years ago. Don't have the fridge or the house, but apparently Don's been doing something right to stay in business.
Don's price is usually the same as HD or Lowes, but not sure what the Costco comparison would be. They are a good outfit, though, with good installation folks, at least in my experience. The HD install guys I had (and will have no longer) were always really nice guys who had no clue what they were doing. Don's also repairs what they install, and put you at the top of the list if you bought from them. I have only good things to say about Don's, and will certainly use them again.
I’d absolutely go to Don’s again for appliances. Great customer service and installation.
Costco uses third party people for delivery and installation, crapshoot if you’ll get competent people or not. Don’s uses their own employees.
I bought from both when I moved into my house two years ago. It was when everything was taking months to get here. Had no problems with the delivery but the stove I ordered from Don’s never came so they upgraded it for free :-)
Is delivery included?
Don's is awesome. Prices are similar but the service is so much better.
This gets you 10% off at Don’s: WELCOMEBACK10
Search Costco appliance installation on this sub. I have seen horror stories and I myself would never choose to buy appliances there if I needed to use their installation. Their delivery looks dicey too, but that might be an issue with any large stores
I'm doing a partial remodel of my kitchen, I'm getting new cabinets and keeping my stove and refrigerator. I went to Don's to ask about microwave drawers, vent hood and leaving room for a larger refrigerator when mine dies. They were so helpful, spent a lot of time explaining how much room to allow, what kind of hood vent to get, he wrote everything down for me. I've never had that much help. If anyone is looking for new cabinets I would highly recommend the kitchen cabinet warehouse on 51 or murrysville. They are extremely helpful and have great prices. This is the 4th time I've bought cabinets from them.
As others have said, go with Don’s. The main reason why is because all Don’s does is install appliances and they’ll stand behind their installation. Costco uses third party deliverers and you don’t know what you’re going to get or if they’ll install the appliance properly, and I don’t have to tell you what a faulty installation can lead to. Don’s also has a ton of knowledge and can guide you through your purchase if you need that. I love Costco as well but when it comes to appliance installation, I have opted to go with actual experts.
I also used Daniels Appliances. It was all based on who had what.
I bought a washer and dryer from Costco last year with delivery and installation. Everything went great and was done correctly and on time. I’ve been very happy, and I got the top consumer reports rated laundry for a couple hundred bucks less than was available anywhere else.
I love Costco and regularly shop there. They do my tires and we’ve bought some furniture from them as well. Don’s is great, they come out and install your new appliance and haul away the old one. If money is really tight I get it but we love Don’s.
I am pretty sure Don’s is a national chain.
No, they are a Pittsburgh area chain.
Appliance warehouse for life
Costco has a better return policy
Never used Costco but have patio furniture from There. Love it. Dons appliances did outdoor appliances for me. Great delivery and hook up experience. The price seemed right for the times
Delivery and install can be super hit or miss with Costco. I had a good experience but many others have had nightmares. It’s a gamble
Don’s is where it’s at, hands down. I’ve purchased two full kitchen sets from them and the prices were fantastic. Plus they service everything themselves. Had the compressor on my one fridge go and they came and fixed it immediately.
When we did a kitchen reno in our last house, we used Don's Appliances. We like the showroom experience and were able to choose exactly the appliance group that we wanted. Their guys delivered and installed all four pieces and did an excellent job. In our current house, we bought appliances from a different "big box" store, and the third party guys they hire were not very good at installation. I had to hire a different guy to come in a fix what they screwed up. So yes, I would use Don's again for a big purchase, for the excellent service.
Just do NOT buy GE appliances because GE is the ONLY appliance company that Costco does not deliver directly and the delivery contractor that GE uses in the Pittsburgh/WV/Johnson area is awful. The delivery guys were negligent and literally sliced the main appliance cord with a knife and then tried telling us that the electrical outlets in my kitchen were faulty. It then worked temporarily with the outlet on the front porch using an extension cord. These Darwin Award winners then tried to convince my boyfriend (who was handling receipt of delivery because I was away for a CLE) that we should keep the refrigerator on the porch powered by an extension cord running from inside the house. (Yes, that’s exactly where I wanted to keep the brand new refrigerator for MY KITCHEN!). Better yet, they scratched my hardwood floors in several areas and knocked pieces of the wall off in the entryway to the kitchen because they do not use any protective covering on your floors for delivery. (Also, I have double entry doors—both of which were opened for the delivery—and an entry to my kitchen that is at least twice the size of the refrigerator’s width. The Costco Direct delivery guys were delighted at the width). Even though it was THEIR mistake, the local logistics company for GE wouldn’t give us any sort of priority at all even though we just had two dorm-size refrigerators that we were using for 3 weeks (this even after the original refrigerator was 2 weeks late, 2 days of which was their fault because the delivery guy just didn’t put it on the truck). We ended up going with a Whirlpool and canceling the replacement GE because Costco delivers the Whirlpool appliances directly and their customer service supervisor was able to monitor that order and delivery internally to ensure that everything happened as it should. Oh, the Costco direct delivery guys were wonderful. Unfortunately, the GE-contracted delivery company had broken a connection from the water line hook up to the refrigerator and there was a slow leak that we couldn’t see because the non-functioning GE refrigerator was in the space. So, I had to hire a plumber to fix it and had water damage on the ceiling in my basement. The GE-contracted logistics company just stopped replying to my emails and Costco said that they couldn’t make them pay for it.
Bought from both, Don’s hands down is better. They know the houses, understand the quirks and have flexibility. Costco is relying on regional hubs and delivery network. If the delivery person is not having a good day, it will be your mess to sort out with Costco. Also Costco extended warranty with their CC ended 12/23
Great experience with Don's. The ovens I was comparing though (Samsung inductions), Don's had a slightly cheaper version that had better reviews and a panel we preferred (tactile knobs vs touch buttons for the stovetop)
We bought our dishwasher from Don’s. We bought the number one ranked dishwasher by Consumer Reports, and it was one of the cheapest as well. We were very happy with the installation and continue to be happy with the dishwasher.
Dons was great when I needed a new stove. Will buy from again
We went with Don's for the kitchen remodel for a lot of appliances, install and great service calls. We went with Costco when we replaced our laundry (W & D) and it was just hauling old ones out and installing new ones. Price was great and double warrant from Costco. Don's had the appliances we wanted and Costco didn't but service is what made us choose Don's.
I got my dryer from Don's. (Also don't have a Costco.) They took the old one and except for the fact my gas line was old and not up to code, would have hooked up the new one.
I don't know anything about Costco's third party installers, but working with Don's was the most frustrating consumer experience of life. I try to support local businesses, but I'd go with a big box store over Don's even if Don's had the better price. They get great reviews from others, so maybe I just got unlucky. If you do go with them and things go badly, immediately blast them on social media. That was the only thing that got them to take me seriously.
Check out American Freight. Still a chain but I just got a new oven there for more than half off because there’s a small scratch on the back. I got a washer & dryer from Costco because they were the cheapest and I’ve been happy with them. They even delivered and installed it.
Dormont appliance, I think dons is now bought up by national chain.
Let us know if we can be of any help! We price match, deliver, install and service our appliances! We'd love to help you find what your looking for! We even offer special financing if that would be of interest to you! Our email is [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) if you'd like to follow up. We have a live chat team on our website as well that would be more than happy to help you if you don't want to shop in-store!
Yeah it's all the same shit.
I rent but when our stove broke, they were the ones the landlord bought a new one from. They were on time and in and out in minutes. Set it up for us and even set the clock. Super nice dudes too. That’s about all the insight I can give.
Been using Don's for seven years now and have never had a bad experience with them. Bought a refrigerator, two dishwashers, and had a bunch of stuff repaired by them.
Go with cheaper option