My wife’s Highlander needs new tires. I deal with a family owned place here in Cola and have always been happy with them. I keep seeing folks talking about saving money buying tires online so I thought I’d look into it. My place wants right at $600/4 (total out the door) Uniroyal Laredo Cross Country 50,000 miles tires. I found 3 sites online that sold the same tire. After adding up the cost of the tire, taxes, shipping and then paying a local place to m/b, the savings is around $30-40. My usual place does free rotation/balance and flat repair so there goes any savings.
I don’t want to get into a discussion about specific tires (I like the Uniroyals, have them on my truck and they’ve been great)but, I’m just wondering, how many of you buy online and really see any savings?
Buy from a national retailer: Tire Kingdom, Discount Tire, Firestone, etc. Have an issue outside of the locality, you have support. It is sad, but true. Tires are not something to by local IMO.
Buy from a national retailer: Tire Kingdom, Discount Tire, Firestone, etc. Have an issue outside of the locality, you have support. It is sad, but true. Tires are not something to by local IMO.
RBF
Support? We are talking tires,not a flux capacitor.If you need support in buying a new tire,you have no business on the road.
Buy from a national retailer: Tire Kingdom, Discount Tire, Firestone, etc. Have an issue outside of the locality, you have support. It is sad, but true. Tires are not something to by local IMO.
RBF
Support? We are talking tires,not a flux capacitor.If you need support in buying a new tire,you have no business on the road.
Support meaning when you are out of town you can get service. They will plug, repair, and replace tires at no cost anywhere you are due to them being at a national presence.
You can go on-line, seek your tire size based on make and model, order, pay, and show up on an appointment and be out in 30 minutes. Local guys can’t touch this business model and charge 25% more at least. Local tire purchases are a mistake IMO.f you don’t ever leave your area and you have the same type of service, stick with it. I tend to travel and having a service support system nation wide is important.
No reason to get into a pissing match, just offering another perspective.
You don’t see very much savings at all. If you’re happy with your usual dealer, then stick with them. Rotations, plugs, normal wear and tear aren’t covered when buying online. I like to support local business whenever possible, unless I can save a whole lot of money.
Certain tires can be had at a much better deal online but with most of the average/normal car and truck tires you will not see any real savings.
Example: I wanted the brand new 34x10.50x17 BFG AT KO2 for my Tundra that was just released earlier this year. By purchasing through Tire Rack and having them mounted/balanced locally(with lifetime rotation/balance added in) I beat the closest price a local tire shop(both chain and independent) quoted me by over $300. That’s a decent savings even on a $1800 tire/mount/balance package.
My gripe about most nationwide retailers is that most of them scrape the bottom of the barrel for shop employees. The quality/knowledge that you will most likely receive at a local shop is very nice to have and can many time prevent future issues as opposed to some guy who only knows how mount your tires and nothing else.
When I state buying on-line, it is from a brick and mortar establishment. Discount Tire has done very well by me. Their guys do what they do best. In and out in less than 30 and will bend over backwards to make it right. This perspective is not from one location, but many. Same service, different location. Their business model and service is superb. If you have a local guy you trust, great, but I’ll stick with the folks I trust.
I should have been more specific. This is not some podunk family business but rather a fairly large, well established long time local business. The chains want more than this business does. Tire Kingdom usually quotes you a low price on the tire but, once you total up all the taxes, mounting/balancing, valve stems, tpms kit, etc. they are high. Firestone doesn’t sell what I want and I have never had a particularly good experience with them. Anyway, this was more about online buying and I appreciate the input.
Thanks.
“Apathy is the Glove into Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”, but really, who cares?
I go to guy close to my house that does all my car stuff that I can’t do. I’m sure he’s not the cheapest. but he’s honest. He looks me in the eye and tells me the truth. He has not once in 3 years tried to upsell me one single item. I’ve sent a half dozen or more people there. Every one of them has said the same thing.
That bicycle comment was uncalled for
“I am not involved in this thread, only helping Fred understand who he is dealing with.”
i order all my tires online. in non-standard sizes i save a heck of a lot. truck is 315/70/17 and jeep is 305/35/22. they gouge you for these tires. have them delivered to the house, then take the wheels off the vehicle and bring them in to change tire and balance. the lifetime rotation, balancing, and alignment is a huge ripoff. i rotate myself at the house when i change oil and bring them to get balanced when i feel vibration. also, the road hazard is a joke. most will prorate the tire if it is totally destroyed. when is the last time you had a name brand tire dissentigrate? if you get a flat on the road, most insurances have free roadside assistance. call a truck and they should be able to plug and refill. or at the worst, pull into any local shop and pay $20 for a plug.
i used to use the local shops when i lived elsewhere, but where i am now, i do not trust anyone.
In the realm of passenger car tires, a well-trained tire guy is someone that has been mounting and balancing tires for a week or more. I mounted, balanced, replaced valve stems, patched, rotated, etc. part-time in high school when I was a 16 year old stoner working at a gas station. It ain’t rocket surgery. If I had the equipment, I could still do it and I only have a two-year degree. From a community college in Alabama.
As for buying locally, even if it’s a national chain they employ local folks so a decent percentage of the money you spend will stay in the community. But if the savings isn’t that much I’d go with the local company over the national chain just because I like the idea of it.
If you’re lucky enough to be fishing, you’re lucky enough.