Walmart/Amazon selling lesser quality tires under same listing?

[jdr7]

Was shopping for some trailer tires and was talking to a fellow racer that is a tire retailer what he suggested as a good tire. I told him I was gonna buy from WalMart not for price, but if I did/when blow a tire I can go to nearest Walmart(their everywhere 24/7) and get it replaced while under warranty. He quickly followed with that walmart and amazon order tires made of a lesser quality to get at that price points. It will be same ratings, description, model listing, but they have the manufacture build it to the lower/cheaper standards, so its not the same tire. I won't name the manufacture but its one of the bigger tire companies. He has a car/truck tire made by the same company that he sells locally under a different name, and going thru that process he was told how walmart/amazon were getting those price points.

When I was researching tires before talking to him I had noticed at walmart you can find the same tire at different prices/listings, but I believe the serial number is different.

Was curious if anybody has run into this before?

 

[skyactiv]

It's called better buying power and lower profit margins. Mobil1 in 5 qt jugs is an example.

 

[supton]

I could buy that... sorta... when you buy a million of something, you can dictate what you want. Distributor specific sales isn't uncommon.

That said, I'm not sure how much a name brand is going to cheapen their tire. I'm pretty sure they'd rather sell a cheaper/inferior tire under a different name so as to prevent any image problems.

 

[ripcord]

That sounds like something I'd be tempted to tell a prospective sale if I was a small retailer trying to compete with Walmart. I might even be tempted to believe it.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Many of Walmart's items are of lower quality than the "same" thing bought elsewhere, but not automotive/tires because of the safety issues with inferior tires and auto parts, and everybody wants to sue Walmart.

Walmart does have exclusive tires such as Goodyear's Viva line and the General Exclaim, in addition to private label Douglas tires (made by Goodyear), but other than that, their name-brand tires are the same as the name-brand sold anywhere else. Also, Douglas tires are among the better cheap tires out there and mostly US-made.

 

[Trav]

I have bought Pirelli, General RT43's and Conti from them and had zero issues. I will 100% buy from them again ditto engine oil and filters if they carry them for what I need.

 

[Davejam]

There are certain brands that make a tire specifically for Walmart to a Walmart price point...no doubt to that...and those tires will not be fantastic.
Think Goodyear Viva.
But a Michelin Defender with same size and temperature rating will be the same everywhere.

 

[cb_13]

They have their exclusive tires but if you buy say a Michelin Defender 275/55r20 113/T it's the same tire at WalMart, Big O, Discount Tire or a dealership.

 

[CKN]

There are certain brands that make a tire specifically for Walmart to a Walmart price point...no doubt to that...and those tires will not be fantastic.
Think Goodyear Viva.
But a Michelin Defender with same size and temperature rating will be the same everywhere.

The tires will have a DOT number-so in that regards they are "safe". Plus as somebody stated-everybody wants to sue Walmart. They will not be counterfeit or copy cats. A lot of truck guys like their Wrangler line of A/T tires.

 

[cb_13]

There are certain brands that make a tire specifically for Walmart to a Walmart price point...no doubt to that...and those tires will not be fantastic.
Think Goodyear Viva.
But a Michelin Defender with same size and temperature rating will be the same everywhere.

By the time I had this typed you had put the same thing directly above my post.

 

[nomas]

I remember this same thing being said about their gun sales . Same brand , model number , etc. but built to a lower quality . Total nonsense . I ordered a rifle through Walmart two different times . Both of them came from the same distributor that the local gunshops use . Imagine that ...

 

[nitehawk]

I think their are laws that would prevent issues like this .

 

[dadto2]

Walmart will sell some items that are a little different from what you might find at other retailers. For example, Walmart might have a brand name TV model number 12345 that looks just like the more popular model 12347 (same brand) but it's missing some features. The manufacturer knows that Walmart will sell at a volume that makes a distinct model profitable for them to make. And you can be sure that the build quality will be the same, it's the manufacturer's reputation on the line.

For things like motor oil, you get the same product you would any parts store.

 

[CapriRacer]

Perhaps I can help sort some of this out.

Imagine there is a tire manufacturer, and he has several manufacturing facilities. Some of those plants have the latest and greatest processing equipment, but some are at the other end of the spectrum. The tire manufacturer I used to work for tracked certain manufacturing and quality parameters and it was clear that some plants do a better job than others.

Since molds could be used anywhere, there would be a difference between tires produced at different plants.

Further, even within a given plant it is possible to sort tires. Most tire manufacturers have visual inspectors. It is possible to have differing standards of appearance - and to segregate them based on that.

There are other ways to sort tires - Uniformity (think run out and you'll be close), bulges/indentations, balance, etc.

So it is possible to have the same identical tire with identical DOT numbers to be sorted in such a way that a group of tires is slightly better quality than another group - and it is possible to arrange to ship those to different customers.

Does this happen? Yes. Most tire manufacturers who ship to vehicle manufacturers (so called OE tires), will have to follow the quality standards stipulated by the vehicle manufacturer - BUT - some of the tires that get rejected for OE can be sold in the replacement market where the quality standards are dictated by the tire manufacturer.

Does this sort of thing happen between a chain like Discount Tire and another chain like Walmart? I don't know, but it's possible.

 

[stchman]

Was shopping for some trailer tires and was talking to a fellow racer that is a tire retailer what he suggested as a good tire. I told him I was gonna buy from WalMart not for price, but if I did/when blow a tire I can go to nearest Walmart(their everywhere 24/7) and get it replaced while under warranty. He quickly followed with that walmart and amazon order tires made of a lesser quality to get at that price points. It will be same ratings, description, model listing, but they have the manufacture build it to the lower/cheaper standards, so its not the same tire. I won't name the manufacture but its one of the bigger tire companies. He has a car/truck tire made by the same company that he sells locally under a different name, and going thru that process he was told how walmart/amazon were getting those price points.

When I was researching tires before talking to him I had noticed at walmart you can find the same tire at different prices/listings, but I believe the serial number is different.

Was curious if anybody has run into this before?

So he has proof of this?

 

[ryster]

If the tire manufacturers can make the same exact make and model of tire with different rubber compounds for the automakers, I do not think it is outside the realm of possibility that they could do the same for volume sellers such as Walmart and Amazon. The tire manufacturers aren't going to turn down business from accounts that size if all it takes is tweaking the compound, sourcing cheaper raw materials, or reducing the tread depth.

When Identical Tires Aren't The Same

Just because two tires look alike, it doesnt mean theyll perform alike. Thats because tire manufacturers make rubber that appears to be identical but is actually made with different specs for different carmakers. Tire buyers, beware.

www.popularmechanics.com

 

[Hall]

and was talking to a fellow racer that is a tire retailer... He quickly followed with that walmart and amazon order tires made of a lesser quality to get at that price points.

Everyone that competes with Walmart says this about "their" products, be it tires, engine oil, TVs, computers, etc. It's bovine excrement...

That said, I'm not sure how much a name brand is going to cheapen their tire. I'm pretty sure they'd rather sell a cheaper/inferior tire under a different name so as to prevent any image problems.

They don't. It's like an old wive's tale and just keeps getting repeated over and over.

 

[cb_13]

If the tire manufacturers can make the same exact make and model of tire with different rubber compounds for the automakers, I do not think it is outside the realm of possibility that they could do the same for volume sellers such as Walmart and Amazon. The tire manufacturers aren't going to turn down business from accounts that size if all it takes is tweaking the compound, sourcing cheaper raw materials, or reducing the tread depth.

When Identical Tires Aren't The Same

Just because two tires look alike, it doesnt mean theyll perform alike. Thats because tire manufacturers make rubber that appears to be identical but is actually made with different specs for different carmakers. Tire buyers, beware.

www.popularmechanics.com

But even in the example used in this article the tires have a different part number. So they are not the same tire, it's not a secret that the compounds are different as they are listed under different part numbers.

 

[Hall]

Imagine there is a tire manufacturer, and he has several manufacturing facilities. Some of those plants have the latest and greatest processing equipment, but some are at the other end of the spectrum. The tire manufacturer I used to work for tracked certain manufacturing and quality parameters and it was clear that some plants do a better job than others.

Since molds could be used anywhere, there would be a difference between tires produced at different plants.

So it is possible to have the same identical tire with identical DOT numbers

If the tire manufacturers can make the same exact make and model of tire with different rubber compounds

With both of those scenarios, I have to believe they would be in violation of their DOT approval. What value does the DOT approval have if the manufacturer can do whatever they want ?

 

[CKN]

Let's not forget that the Mobil One at Walmart is different than sold elsewhere.................