It is difficult to read the paper, watch an auto store’s TV commercial or drive by the auto store’s physical location without seeing advertisements for tire sales. As the economy continues to struggle, many consumers are paying closer attention to these tire sales in an effort to save money. The problem is that many customers are unaware that these tire sales may not really be deals at all instead they could actually cost you more!
4 Types of Deals
There are 4 basic types of “deals” that you will come across in the world of tires.
1) Discounted prices on tires for a “limited time only” – This type of tire sale often comes with other requirements such as purchasing road-hazard warranty, tire alignment etc. (items that are normally considered “optional”).
2) Buy x number of tires and get x free – - Such a tire sale is generally associated with “house brand” tires or non name-brand tires which are hard to find and compare. In most cases, the retailers mark up the per tire price to to cover the cost of the “free” one. C’mon, do you really think that a retailer will give away 2 free tires without a catch?
3) Buy x tires and get free or reduced price service – In this type of tire sale a retailer simply rolls up the cost of service (mounting + balancing etc.) into the price of tire so you rarely get a “deal”.
4) Every day low prices – This type of offer (even though it’s not a “sale”) is generally considered the best deal in the tire industry! The retailer’s offer in this case is not usually limited to certain brands or certain days of week and thus works out best for the consumer.
Tips on how to Avoid Unpleasant Surprises
Be sure to ask what brand and type of tires are included in the tire sale. If the offer is limited to tires made by an unknown manufacturer, or are a “house brand” (tires that are only available at that tire store), you are most likely not getting a deal. Be sure to do some research online before going into the store to purchase tires. The more you know about your driving style, your tire needs and how to read and understand the ratings of a tire, the better chance that you will actually wind up with a good deal and not get ripped off. Be wary of a tire store that tries to “upsell” you on items like alignments, brakets etc. These are high profit services for a tire store and in many cases tire stores make as much as 50% of their revenue from selling the customer something more than tires.
We feel that it is perfectly ok for a consumer to be skeptical of tire sales since many of them don’t turn out to be bargains afterall. However, we would like to emphasize that there are some good, genuine tire stores that offer valid, quality deals. So, we encourage consumers to do their research and and ask their tire dealers the right questions before making the purchase. As always, please feel free to call TireVan’s expert sales staff at 1.877.847.3826 or visit our website at www.TireVan.com for answers to your tire related questions.
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