Originally Posted By: turtlevette
I really sick of getting ripped off on tire balance. 25 bucks is way too much for a 3 minute procedure. I was able to get a discount tire tech to do 4 mount only for 20. He just put the money in his pocket. In don't think modern tires need balance.
A rip off? What do you think pays to keep the lights on, the equipment bought/maintained, the employees payed and all the other fees associated with a business? And 3 minutes? Whatever. The time it takes to wheel you car in and hoist (or jack up and place on stands), the tire removed, balance and remount is not 3 minutes. Don't forget making a ticket out and dealing with the customer (answering all their questions, idle chit chat etc...) Multiply by 4 and you can see why costs are what they are. Remember- all time needs to be accounted for, not just the specific act of balancing. Paying the tire store employee does not support the business's infrastructure.
Small businesses are even more subject to these issues because of their lower volume and the fact that in many cases the person doing the work is not insulated from the customer. So they are also the one answering your questions, taking your phone calls and making your ticket out.
Want it cheaper? DO IT YOURSELF! I'm not going to **** around with some prima donna, spend extra time to properly pamper his/her tires/wheels (beyond normal, proper procedure), do an extra super duper special job just to appease their OCD tendencies and then cut my costs.
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Originally Posted By: AjsGarage
Why do I read about SO MANY people buying tires online from Amazon, tirerack, etc?...
Rant, over
I purchase online for a couple reasons. I like avoiding the sales tax, which adds up. I can also get the tires cheaper than I can locally, and I don't have to negotiate with ranting tire store clerks who may or may not know what they're talking about.
The nearest tire store to me is about 25 miles away. By ordering them online I can have them shipped here, call and make a simple appointment to have them installed, and make a single trip into town. I can get all 4 tires mounted and balanced for about $40; given the lower upfront costs, even with mounting and balancing it still makes sense to purchase them online.
Originally Posted By: AjsGarage
Do you consider the cost of rotating too? Rotations are free at most shops if you purchase tires there. Rotation is KEY to long tire life,
The last set of tires I purchased were for a Subaru Outback that had 92,000 miles on a set of Michelin Harmonys. The tires still had well over the minimum tread depth and the tread depth was pretty even across all 4, but they were replaced because of age. Guess what? They may have been rotated once during the 6 years they were on the car.
The rotation was free for me to do too, since I did it when I had it on the lift in my shop to replace the brakes.
Originally Posted By: AjsGarage
The old guy working up front was selling tires for many years, and knew all there was to know about tires. He could recommend a great tire for a car that you never thought about putting on it, and that was better then you were initially going for. Most independent tire shops have an old guy like this.
I'm perfectly capable of doing the research and making a decision on which tire is right for my needs and application. I don't need some "old guy" to tell me what I can find out on my own.
Originally Posted By: AjsGarage
How do you handle warranty issues?
I've personally never had a tire warranty issue. However, if you'd spend a minute or two on either Tire Rack's site or Discount Tire Direct's site and look for their warranty information, I bet you'd find the answer to your question.
Originally Posted By: turtlevette
In don't think modern tires need balance.
Yeah-you just keep right on thinking that.
Remember Pop_Rivit, not everybody inherently knows the answer to all of life's issues and/or has the resources to find the rest (and have the knowledge to decipher what they've found). Also, not everybody drives cars which inexplicably don't need tire rotations for 90+ thousand miles... For the rest of the world there are places that can take care of their needs.
I would have figured that you of all people would understand the merits of supporting brick and mortar stores. If I wanted a bottle of wine, but didn't know what I wanted, I could consult the Wine Lover's Companion. But what if I couldn't comprehend what I'd just read? There are all sorts of terms used that only someone familiar with the world of wine would know. Wouldn't it prudent of me to instead come to you and get your input on which wine type would suit purposes or tastes best? You could make a few recommendations, get your sales and I would go off happy knowing that there was someone there to help me out and give me a direction.