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I went to Discount Tire today and the guy discovered a nail in the sidewall of my tire. The folks there are very nice and knowledgeable about tires, however, I don't understand how they can quote me $X for a tire, then when I check out it's $X + the cost of my firstborn child. What's with all the add-ons? And is the $13.50 warranty for my $67.50 tire (which actually ends up being $100 when they include $16 installation/rotation, $8 TPMS rebuild kit and $2.50 disposal) really worth the money? Should I pay the $8 when they tear up my TPMS? And if they will patch my tire for free if it's fixable, is it worth it to pay the extra $13.50 for the warranty just for a possible replacement? Some people have told me they have this exceedingly complex formula for determining tire wear that favors the tire place and not the customer, so you don't really get your money's worth anyway. Opinions appreciated.
I buy the extended warranty thst covered the tire for its life not protrate. It's only a few bucks to swap to the premium coverage. Lots of tire stores cover road hazard free. Americas tire does. The reason I buy the extended coverage is because my tires run about $180 a piece for my truck and it's replaced for free.
If they were $65 bucks I wouldn't get anything more than I had to.
Why are you being charged for a TPMS they broke
Like any other extended warranty, it's a risk. Actually, it's more insurance than a warranty IIRC, or at least a combination of both. They cover you for basically ANYTHING that happens to the tire, right? That goes above and beyond what a warranty would cover.
Sure, they will patch your tire for free, but only if it's patch-able.
TPMS rebuild cost seems questionable (I would want to know the details of what they're doing EXACTLY), but all other costs you mentioned are normal, reasonable costs associated with a tire.
The reason they sell extended warranties for anything is because they make a lot of money on them. That should really be the only clue you need. Typically the warranty is well within the expected life of the item or the fine print gets you. Very few people collect on them.
The difference between the regular warranty and the extended warranty is that the regular warranty is prorated. In other words, if the tire has a warranty for 50,000 and something happens to it at 25,000, they will give you credit for a tire that has 25,000 miles on it. The extended warranty gives you credit as if the tire had 0 miles on it. Keep in mind that you can only use this once. So, if you blow out the tire at 25,000 and they give you a replacement tire, you will have to buy the extended warranty again if you want the new tire covered.
As for your other charges, you pretty much answered your own question. They charge to install/balance the tire. They charge to dispose of your old tire. They charge to rebuild and insert your TPMS sensor.
This is from Discount Tire's website.
Rebuilding the valve portion of the TPMS sensor insures an air tight seal and reduces the chance of early sensor replacement due to wear and corrosion of the components exposed to the environment. Our TPMS Rebuild Kits contain all the necessary components for replacement.
Also, keep in mind that Discount Tire will negotiate with you. When I bought my snow tires last year, They quoted me the MSRP and I said "I like the extended warranty, but it is too steep for me". He ended up lowering the cost of the tires enough so that the warranty was included with the price. A total that should have been around 600 came in right at 500 after taxes.
They cover you for basically ANYTHING that happens to the tire, right? Sure, they will patch your tire for free, but only if it's patch-able.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dkf747
Oh, how I wish that were true.
LOL. And this is why so many warranties are a waste of money. I'm thinking this $13.50 warranty isn't worth it. I mean, I got lucky with my 17" tires because they're only $67.50 base rate anyway. So the warranty tacks on an additional 20% to the cost of the tire. That seems like too much, especially since I can get a free patch when it's patchable, and if it isn't, I buy another tire for $67.50 (plus all the extra stuff). Or if I'm really in a pinch, I can get a used one for $50 without all the extra add-ons.
I buy the cheapest tires that will fit my car, and always have. I've never had a tire failure that would have been covered by any warranty. Probably talking about 50 tires, lowest grade of cheapest brand. Never a failure.
TPMS 'rebuild' had better include battery replacement.. I don't deal with tires that much.. Not sure if the majority of them, meaning TPMS sensors, have a replaceable battery now or not.. It started that they did.. Then there seemed to be a trend towards making them disposable.. Now, I think it's swinging back the other way again.
I think 5 years is the general rule of thumb on battery life of a TPMS sensor. Sound about right to everyone?
the only way it makes sense to buy the warranty is if you will use it a lot more than the average person. say for example for some reason you drive down abnormally awful roads filled with pot holes all the time.
not sure about some of those fees but im not paying 32 dollars to have my tires thrown in the garbage. for that give me my tires and i'll chuck them somewhere myself.
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