Online Tire-Buying

Edmunds.com

Online Tire-Buying

Buying tires online can save you money and help avoid the pitch for pricy extras.

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carolinatire

Dear Mr. Reed,

I once again am going to disagree with you on your article. This one especially. There are a lot of things that I can buy easily on the internet and probably not have a problem with. A DVD or CD for example. However, when it comes to tires and especially Tire Rack, I have to be a myth breaker.

Myth # 1 is that buying tires online is cheaper. Simply stated, If I want to sell tires, I "have" to compete with Tire Rack and Discount Tire on price. Tire Rack sells the 205/55R16 Continental DW Extreme for $102.89 with shipping and I sell it everyday at $102.00.

Myth # 2 is that buyers avoid "aggressive" upselling online. I'm not sure what you can upsell on a tire sale, but we do offer the exact same road hazard program that Tire Rack does, although I have to explain it to you instead of you reading it online. We also can perform an expert 4-wheel alignment on your car to save on wear to your new tire investment, something Tire Rack and Discount Tire cannot perform.

Myth # 3 - Tire Rack performs "independent testing" on their tires. While it is true that they test tires, they test the tires that they are going to send you an email on to sell you. It teeters on aggressive marketing, only online.

When you go to tire rack for example and enter the very popular 205/55R16 tire size, you have 157 tire choices and 63 buttons to check off if you choose to. It's like Chinese stereo instructions.

At Carolina Tire & Auto in Charlotte, NC you are going to find a friendly face with an expert opinion on tire buying. We don't offer 1 or 2 tire brands or for that matter 157 choices. Our tire experts can offer you a tire choice made especially for your car, driving habits, wants in a tire and of course budget.

Want to know how to trust a repair shop? Go to Google Maps and type in auto repair or tires from your area. Read the reviews about the local shops and then call or visit them in person for sound advice on tire buying. If I make the wrong choice in a DVD buying it online, I just wasted an hour and a half of my time and $20 bucks. If I make the wrong choice in a tire, I just put my safety at risk and I am stuck with it for 30,000 to 80,000 miles and wasted hundreds of dollars, maybe thousands.

Lastly, do this quick experiment. Call Tire Rack and tell them that a tire you bought from them has a warranty issue and see what they tell you. I'll save you the trouble and tell you that they will tell you to go to your local tire dealer to get that handled. Better yet, ask them to rotate your tires or fix your flat tire.

You have a relationship with your hair stylist, your cleaning lady, your nanny, your local bartender at your favorite pub or waitress at your local eatery, or better yet your doctor. Why on Earth would you "not" want to have that same trusting relationship with your local independent auto repair and tire shop?

Sincerely,

Jim Seidel
President
Carolina Tire & Auto

livestrong

Great article!

In reply to Carolina Tire:

I always purchase from Tirerack.com. Retailers in my area generally will not match prices, and I find the reviews much better than most "experts" at a tire shop (who usually only carry a couple brands and only push those). Moreover, the CONSUMER REVIEWS are what I find most informative. Consumers are much more educated and informed these days to not listen and heed their experiences and reviews on a product.

The tire shop I use to install my tires has been nothing but professional when installing by online-bought tires. After all, I am paying them for a service! Why should I feel second-rate because I bought my tires elsewhere??

The fact that you (Carolina Tire) imply that you provide second/third rate service to customers that don't purchase tires from you says a lot about your business.

While I do believe it is important to have tires installed and balanced correctly, it also does not take 10 years of education and a residency to get a job at Commercial Tire to rotate/balance/install tires. Why on Earth do you compare a doctor to a tire salesman/tech?

By the way, the retailer that handles my installs has ALWAYS treated me professionally and Always does a professional job.