Discount Tires Direct - Information On Finding Car Tires + Other Tips

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If your car needs new tires, one of the best ways to find inexpensive but reliable tires is to look for discount tires direct from the manufacturer. Most places that sell tires are a third—or sometimes fourth—party seller. That means that one company makes the tires, then another company buys those tires to put in their warehouse from where they are distributed, and then individual stores sell them. Each one of these middle men, as they are sometimes known, mark the price up a little bit more so they can each make a profit. By the time the tires get to you, the prices have been hiked up, and whether or not the seller is offering you a “discount,” you still are probably paying too much for your tires. Because of this, it is best to go directly to the manufacturer. The first thing you need to do is learn how to distinguish between a true manufacturer that is selling direct and another middle man. Secondly, you need to know some decent manufacturers you can contact to see about purchasing tires. Finally, there are a few tips for helping you find discount tires.

How do I know the difference between a true direct manufacture and a false one?

When looking for discount tires directfrom the manufacturer, it is important to distinguish between a retail store, a seller, a distributor, and a manufacturer. A retail store is usually a store that carries multiple types of products. For example, Auto Zone would be a retail store because it carries many different products pertaining to automobiles. A seller may be more specific, such as Firestone. These stores focus on selling, installing, and distributing tires. However, it does not make the tires there on site, so you are still going through several channels to get your tires. A distributor is usually a large warehouse that stores many types of tires and ships them out to retail stores as needed. The manufacturer is the company that actually makes the tires.

It can be difficult to find a tire manufacturer who also has a storefront. You may have to get the tires from one of the manufacturer's satellite stores. This is not the true definition of factory direct tires, but it is as close as you will usually get. Having said that about physical places to visit, keep in mind that, with the proliferation of the internet, it is easier for companies to contact their customers, and vice versa.

Online, you will find sites like the Discount Tire website. Here, as the name implies, you can find tires at a good price. However, Discount Tire still acts as a sort of middle man between you and the manufacturer. This site provides a wide variety of tires—almost any brand, type, and size you can think of—at discount prices. This is an alternative to buying direct from the manufacturer. It is more like buying direct from the warehouse, which, in the long run, can save you quite a bit of money.

When trying to tell which one of these roles the place you are buying from plays, it can be quite confusing. Take Firestone, for example. Firestone acts as a sort of storefront for its parent Bridgestone Tires. However, you can usually find several brands of tires at one of these stores, which would make it more of a retail store or a seller. Overall, it is best to get as close to the manufacturer as possible, even if you cannot get your tires directly from the factory that makes them.

Who can I contact if I need to find discount tires direct from the maker?

There are many different routes to take to find your tires. The top three are outlined here:

1. Go directly to the company's website. Here, you will find information on contacting the company directly, places that sell the company's tires, and you may be able to by discount tires directfrom the company right there on the site.

2. Look for a small, local place that both produces and sells its own tires. These tires are usually backed by a strong warranty because a smaller store needs loyal customers, so they will be more willing to go the extra mile to please their customers. There are many of these sorts of places scattered across the United States. Online directories list the stores, their locations, and their contact information.

3. Go through a warehouse type distributor. Even though the warehouse may have many types of tires, if you get your discount tires directfrom the warehouse, you will still save money. These warehouses usually get bulk discounts on their tire purchases, and the warehouse can pass those savings along to you. These warehouses are located across the United States, as well as online. At the Wheel Fire website, you can find a set of four tires for under $200, depending on what you're looking for. Although Wheel Fire does not make the tires themselves, they do act as a distributor, and if you buy directly from them, you can save some money.

What are some tips for finding the best deal on my tires?

When looking for discount tires direct, there are several questions you need to ask yourself and several things you can do to get exactly what you are looking for.

• Learn how to install your own tires. This might sound like a daunting task. However, if you have the right teacher, learning how to install your own tires can be a breeze. And, it can save you lots of money. Typically, no matter where you buy your tires—in a store, online, etc.—you will still have to find a way to have the tires put on the car, and this can wind up costing quite a bit. But, if you learn to put the tires on yourself, you can cut some costs.

• Learning how to do tire installation yourself can be difficult, so the next best thing is to find a local car shop you can trust. Ask around to family and friends about their recommendations, and choose a repair shop that will be reliable and trustworthy.

• Buy tires at off-season times. Every thrifty shopper knows the best time to buy a big coat is at the end of the winter season, and the best time to buy a swimsuit is just as fall is beginning. This is because the store is trying to clear out its old inventory from last season so it can stock up with things for the coming season, so they slash prices. Similarly, if you buy your tires at an off-season time of year, you can get in on clearance deals.

• Read reviews. It is easy to find reviews of companies online, so before you commit to buying your discount tires directfrom a place, check out the background of that place to make sure you will get a good deal that is backed by the store that sells it.

• Who actually makes the tires? It is both interesting and important to know how the tires get from the factory to you. If they exchange hands time and time again, you should be cautious and make sure you are not paying for the tires changing hands over and over rather than just the tires themselves. Find out how many other people they had to go through to get to you.

• Are these tires backed by a warranty, an exchange policy, and/or a guarantee? Any of these things tell you that the company selling the tires is confident in the tires, and they will be willing to stand up for their products. If the product is faulty in any way, you want to be able to rest assured that the seller will make it right.