Tires online and install locally? (purchase, replacement, price, Kia)
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I have researched this several times. If you can get the tire locally in a metro area (they may need to order), and there is a price differential once all costs are considered, they will likely match the price. On top of that, I get to hold the local shop solely responsible - - vs, having several touch-points.
I can also recommend Tire Rack. You'll have much more tire options to choose from and they always come out cheaper, even with shipping. I've used them 4-5 times now.
By the time you buy them online, have them shipped and installed it is often not any cheaper. my local tire shop also has free alignment and free rotations when you buy tires from them.
The exception I find is when you buy wheels and tires, you save on mounting and balancing because it's free when you buy tire and wheel at the same time. Now with TPMS, I have to go to the tire shop to get them to program the TPMS on the second set of wheels, so I generally wouldn't bother with buying online.
We have Discount Tires in our area. If they don't have the tire I want, they will get it and will either beat or meet anybodys price. I buy all of the tire certs as well from them and it's pretty much a case of, If I have a tire problem, it's their problem. Kinda hard to beat a deal like that. Worked for me for the last 26 years. I see no reason to change. I can see where maybe the initial price price of an online tire can be attractive but by the time you get the tires, take them and have them mounted and hopefully the tires don't have an issue. You've spent the same money and a lot of your time. If you have a tire that is bad from the online dealer, expect it to take a long time to get it right. And you'll also have to fool with sending the bad tire back. Too many problems that you will possibly have to deal with. Discount Tire- drive in, an hour later drive out with the tires you want at the best possible price.
How do they handle warranty claims? Do you have to pay to have a shop remove the tire, pay to send it to them, pay for them to send the repaired or new one back and pay to have it put back on the wheel? Does you car sit the whole time during this process with no wheel?
I use tire rack a lot to select tires, but their prices have always been higher than local places all in. (tires, shipping, installation, disposal fees, etc.) so I do not remember using them (maybe once or twice). In any event, for some of our cars, we buy used tires. Not likely to put $500 or more worth of tires on a $1500 value car, especially given the tires are usually going to outlast the car. We put new tires only on the newer cars. I would not buy a used tire online. I want to see them.
I've done it using tire rack and it has worked out very well, but I have found that Discount Tire will beat their price and get anything they can offer.
I've done it using tire rack and it has worked out very well, but I have found that Discount Tire will beat their price and get anything they can offer.
yes! that's true & if you don't have a Discount Tire in your area look for America's Tire, it's the same company
I bought some tires on online, got a great deal. $66 shipped for Eagle F1 ASM 2's.
confirmed at a local tire shop that they would install tires I brought in. They said sure $10 a tire.
Funny thing, I never see the guy check the air pressure in the tires. He just attached a hose and took it of when he felt good.
I get home, TPMS light is on. Its ABS based so it doesn't tell you how bad it is only that there is a significant enough difference in tire pressure between tires.
dude had filled one tire to over 55 PSI.... maxed my gauge out. The tire was visibly bulged as compared to the others! The right pressure was supposed to be 36 PSI. And mind you, I didnt check the pressure till the next day when they were cold. So they would have been worse when hot.
All tires were over 44 PSI with that one maxing the gauge at 55+. Literally could have popped on me since it was well over the max pressure spec per manufacturer and I had gone 80+ mph on the way home.
I will NEVER trust another shop again with regards to my tires. I wish I could mount and balance tires myself but I simply dont have the equipment. Always always always double check the tire pressure!
I have bought tires from Tire Rack many times, yeah, decades for me as well, and have not had any problems. Generally they have "recommended installers" in most towns, once I did use this service and things were done at least OK.
Anymore as I have posted up before, I use a buddy's mount and balance machines, we work to +/- 4 grams, we don't bend the rims, and, interestingly enough, those little shimmies at certain speeds that you usually get when "Cheap Joe" mounts and balances, never show up.
I've bought tires from tirebuyer, great experience and they have affiliated shops to get the install done. They even show you the shops and mounting/balancing costs up front. I will say the shop we went to was about $2 more per tire, but I think it was the mom and pop shop we went to. With tirebuyer you can have them deliver to the shop where they are being installed...beneficial.
I bought tires and wheels from another site (not tirerack or disc tire online) had a great experience and save about 30% even with shipping/handling.
Last edited by trckn4life; 05-05-2017 at 04:02 PM..
Reason: Additional comment
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