Does anyone here buy tires off the internet then have their local mechanic install them?

I know exactly what tire I want (Pirelli P4 Four Seasons). The local tire shops where I live want around $30 more per tire than what I would pay over the internet (counting shipping costs).

 

I do this all the time. I typically order from Tire Rack (not trying to plug their site, just saying that I've had the best luck through them and their prices are typically the most competitive out there), and have the tires installed through my preferred local shop (Big Bear Tire).

I've got about 22 sets of wheels, and go through tires every year, so it's fairly standard practice for me now.

 

Great, thanks. Discounttires.com so far has the best price (taking into account shipping) for the Pirelli tires I want.

 

I've done it a lot of times. I've bought tires from the Tire Rack, Discount Tires Direct, and Talon Tires with no problems. (Not from discounttires.com though - and since they're in California, you probably pay sales tax there if you live in California, and shipping may be expensive if you're in the East.)

The only thing that gets tricky is getting them mounted and balanced. Many tire shops won't do it unless you buy them there. Some shops and mechanics charge exorbitant prices for doing so (as much as $25-30 per tire). Fair prices are more like $10-20 per tire. Walmart is usually around $10 and is happy to mount tires purchased elsewhere.

 

Agree with what nsxtasy stated.The only thing is that you have to be careful who is mounting them. Couple of years ago had a kid scratch my rsz-r's pretty bad when he was installing them

 

Thank you for the comments, nxtasy and DrZ. I see at discounttires.com's web site that it is based in Southern California but I thought, when I was ordering, the site said the tires would be shipped from Nevada. Which is a bit closer to me than California.

I do not know if I have to be concerned about scratching, since my Honda is a Civic LX coupe with the stock OEM rims and inexpensive plastic OEM wheel covers that go over the rims.

Pep Boys where I am said they would balance and mount, add a valve stem and dispose of the old tire for about $17 total (before tax). I will check my local Wal-Mart and also my favorite independent import mechanic, too. Mostly my choice will depend on where I am allowed to put my Civic on a jackstand while the staff mounts the new tire.

I called two tire shops for the installed price if I bought the two tires there. It seems I am saving over $60 going the internet purchase, then mount locally, route.

 

I find the best internet price, then their shipping, print all this out and get it matched at America's Tire Co. Local service and internet price.

 

Unless the local shop is losing money compared to the internet price, I don't see why they wouldn't pricematch the online price if you showed the. doesn't make any business sense to me

 

I asked a couple places if they would pricematch the internet price. They said they would only pricematch other local businesses. This is just in my town. Like here at honda-tech, at other sites I see people saying they can get price matches locally to internet prices.

 

i always get mine off ebay through discount tire direct but wal-mart does tire mounting for 5 a piece

 

At the multiple Walmarts I've visited in the past year or two, they've all charged $10 a tire for mounting and balancing.

 

I found this today for Wal-Mart tire service pricing: http://www.walmart.com/cp/Tires-Services/495845 , consistent with what is said above. Assuming $2.50 for tire disposal, I think I am looking at about $14.5 before tax per tire.

 

Wal-mart charges $2.00 to install (1) lug nut...that's $32-40 for a whole set!

 

i always get mine from tirerack.com. Prices are great and affordable and the shipping is not that bad too u get it in maybe 2-3 days.

 

I need to look at tire rack right now

 

i dont waste my time ordering tires online....i just simply find the best price possible for the tire i want online print it out and take it to Big O Tires here in town and they price match it...plus when you buy the tires from big O the tires get rotations and balancing free for the life of the tires (you also get a warranty).
my suggestion to the rest of you....find someone who does price matching and let them deal with it. if you buy the tires online and have them shipped to you and have a 3rd party install the tires you get NO warranty of any kind.

 

discouttiredirect.com is pretty sweet.

 

No, instead you waste time going to your local tire dealer. And most tire dealers don't have the really good tires in stock, but will try to sell you the crappy ones they have instead.

Absolutely NOT true. Seriously, I wonder where some of you guys come up with false information like this.

Whenever you buy tires from an authorized dealer - which includes almost all tire shops and internet dealers - they come with a warranty from the tire manufacturer against manufacturing defects, and many come with a treadlife warranty as well. Same warranty everywhere, no matter where it's installed. Some dealers (including internet dealers) sell add-on warranties for damage caused by road debris and other conditions not covered by the manufacturer warranty.

 

I know. Absolutely ridiculous. I didn't get the "extra warranty" but naturally the tires came with the manufacturer warranty, like all tires I've ever ordered.

 

good luck trying to send a tire back to a tire manufacturer directly (wont happen)....they will not take it....they will tell you to contact who you purchased the tire through...then you have to send the tire back to whoever you bought it from who in turn will send you another tire back (if they dont dispute the warranty)....had you purchased the tire locally you would not be paying for shipping to and from whoever you bought it from and would not be paying to have the tire removed and then mounted and balanced again.

ive dealt with tirerack before on a tire that had tread seperation and it was a nightmare....you guys have fun saving no time and saving no money over going to a local tire company and having them pricematch and install the tires and handle the warranty for you.

 

[QUOTE=2k.civic.si;44224744]i dont waste my time ordering tires online....i just simply find the best price possible for the tire i want online print it out and take it to Big O Tires here in town and they price match it...plus when you buy the tires from big O the tires get rotations and balancing free for the life of the tires (you also get a warranty).

I get this at America's Tire Co, aka Discount Tire. Best internet price + shipping price, printed and taken to store. Warranty is easier to deal with at a local level, and flats, balance, rotations. I have done this several times over a few years, as recently as one month ago. They do not advertise this much, but ask.

 

Absolutely NOT true. Regardless of where you bought the tire, you can take the tire back to any local authorized dealer that sells that company's tires.

I don't believe it. I've dealt with Tire Rack in similar situations and they simply tell you to take it to a local dealer.

Please stop posting false information here.

 

I actually work for a local tire company and we have tire rack customers come in all the time.. We've had a few issues with tires being out of round/high road force.. we'll turn it once, twice and try to fix it, but sometimes they're just as bad as an egg.

The last situation i recall was the customer going thru hell with tire-rack, but after a long drawn out process they did take care of them.

 

Discount tire locally has always matched their own internet prices for me.

 

Update:
I ordered and paid for two Pirelli tires from discounttire.com on Friday. They arrived by UPS on Thursday at 6:15 PM, in a terrible snowstorm. The fedex tracking info online was great.

I went to Wal-Mart this morning, still with snow and slush everywhere. One of the service technicians saw me lugging the tires and wheels in this mess and came out to help me. He was professional and polite, as was the cashier. They had me out of there in around 15 minutes with wheels and new tires mounted, balanced, new valve stems, and old tires discarded. I think they discounted the usual price, maybe because of the storm or because I hauled in my own tires, already off the car; not sure. I told the cashier I thought she had not charged me for xyz but she politely insisted they had. The car drives great. I am delighted.

My savings for two tires going the internet purchase/Wal-Mart install route is a little over $85 ( = over $42 per tire). Wow. Thanks all for the tips. :-)