Is it tire season?
04-14-2011, 04:58 PM
#1
1st Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Ohio
Posts: 111
Is it tire season?
Just curious as if this time of year is the "only" time of steep tire discounts. I really haven't paid attention to it before as this is my first time looking into buying a set. Firestone currently has the Wide Oval Indy 500s on sale (buy 3, get 1--which is about $160 in savings) and I'm really tempted to bite. There are a few problems with this though:
-I haven't painted the rims that I bought to mount these on yet. (Along with the side problem of them needing to sit for a good amount of time to dry properly)
-This month is extremely busy for me as I have many assignments due and the first week of may is when our finals are.
-My bank account hasn't quite charged up to the point where I would want it to be. But if I buy now, I save in the long run.
-The Pirellis on the wheels now possibly have a season left on them. I still would have to be careful when roads are very wet though.
I know the subtotal of $556.93 sounds much sexier from the Firestone store near campus than the $700+ total I got from a local shop. Sure the first one doesn't include taxes, but that sale is the difference maker in this case. So once again, are tire sales usual just a Spring event?
-I haven't painted the rims that I bought to mount these on yet. (Along with the side problem of them needing to sit for a good amount of time to dry properly)
-This month is extremely busy for me as I have many assignments due and the first week of may is when our finals are.
-My bank account hasn't quite charged up to the point where I would want it to be. But if I buy now, I save in the long run.
-The Pirellis on the wheels now possibly have a season left on them. I still would have to be careful when roads are very wet though.
I know the subtotal of $556.93 sounds much sexier from the Firestone store near campus than the $700+ total I got from a local shop. Sure the first one doesn't include taxes, but that sale is the difference maker in this case. So once again, are tire sales usual just a Spring event?
04-14-2011, 05:09 PM
#2
6th Gear Member
IMO, you can find tire sales 365 days a year. Winter tire sales tend to pop-up around fall but otherwise, I see all others on sale at one place or another all the time. Besides, you can haggle on tires just like you can haggle on most anything else, IF you have the *********.
04-14-2011, 05:14 PM
#3
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Arizona
Posts: 451
mmm...I would like to know as well since I believe the stock tires are on my 2008 (bought it used in aug of 2009 with only 7800 miles). Also since I have the 18" rims and the tires are $189 a price....get one free would be nice...
04-14-2011, 05:23 PM
#4
1st Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Ohio
Posts: 111
IMO, you can find tire sales 365 days a year. Winter tire sales tend to pop-up around fall but otherwise, I see all others on sale at one place or another all the time. Besides, you can haggle on tires just like you can haggle on most anything else, IF you have the *********.
And I see you mention the winter tire in fall that makes sense as well as it is the opposite of what they are pushing with summer tires at the moment. I guess I'll just do myself a favor and not rush myself into the offer since this is pretty much the busiest time of year for me. This also avoids the other headaches of worrying if my paint is completely dry as well.
04-14-2011, 05:48 PM
#5
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 284
A little insight into Firestone's way... There will almost always be a buy 3 get 1 free sale going on. Which tires are on sale will vary though. Right now Firestone doesn't have any SUV tires on Buy 3 get 1 free. If you have tread on the tires you have on there now, sure let 'em ride. When you get down to 4/32 of an inch or so, you better start shopping. Firehawk Wideoval Indy 500's are getting awesome ratings lately. Seem to be a great summer tire, smooth, quiet, and awesome grip especially for the price. Also, if you don't have the money immediately Firestone is also offering 6 months with no interest financing on any purchase over $249 with their credit card.
I don't speak on behalf of Firestone so make sure you clarify all this with your local store.
I don't speak on behalf of Firestone so make sure you clarify all this with your local store.
04-14-2011, 05:50 PM
#7
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Kansas City
Posts: 960
I'm not trying to make wars or bust any bubbles, but I want to just clarify what these so called deals actually are.
A buy 3 get one free deal, is pretty much one of those to good to be true things. Costs dont change throughout the year. In fact they continuously go up. The price of oil has an almost direct effect on the price of tires. All manufacturers have raised there prices 8-10% in the last 3 months. I guarantee, there will be at least one more 8-10% rise again by this fall.
To answer "is now a good sale time"? Yes. Most manufacturers have rebates out at this time of year until around the middle of October. More tires are sold before, and right after the snow flies than any other given time period. So rebates end accordingly to maximize tire company profits.
Back to 3 get 1 free thing. I'll bet ANYTHING, that whatever price they are giving those 3 tires away for, is the same as what 4 cost prior to the "sale". The per tire price is meaningless when they push the 4 for 3 deal. The free part is what everyone is focused on. So it MUST be a great deal, right? 4 tires at $120, or 3 tires for $160. Same thing
I sell tires at my shop. The wholesalers DO NOT give me any deals like that. NEVER! I use 4 different suppliers. I can get any brand because of that. Some suppliers have the same tires for a maximum of $2 difference between them. Just depends on their margin set-up. If Firestone shops are offering such deals, it is ONLY through them from Firestone themselves. Thats the only reason there would be a big disparity between retail sales locations.
NTB is offering "any Cooper tire, any size 79.99". Well, its not ANY Cooper tire. It is only on the Cooper Lifeliner GLS. Those are Coops mid range tire. They have no performance oriented tires, or big truck tires offered in that model. In other words, they wont lose anything on these at that price. My cost on most of them is below 79.99. So i can match it. What they dont advertise is what they charge to mount and balance those "awesomely cheap tires". Give them a call and find out what it runs for M&B. I beat'em all around. Same goes for the 3 get 1 free. What do they charge to M&B? The store makes up what they will potentially lose on the sale price through inflated labor charges.
A buy 3 get one free deal, is pretty much one of those to good to be true things. Costs dont change throughout the year. In fact they continuously go up. The price of oil has an almost direct effect on the price of tires. All manufacturers have raised there prices 8-10% in the last 3 months. I guarantee, there will be at least one more 8-10% rise again by this fall.
To answer "is now a good sale time"? Yes. Most manufacturers have rebates out at this time of year until around the middle of October. More tires are sold before, and right after the snow flies than any other given time period. So rebates end accordingly to maximize tire company profits.
Back to 3 get 1 free thing. I'll bet ANYTHING, that whatever price they are giving those 3 tires away for, is the same as what 4 cost prior to the "sale". The per tire price is meaningless when they push the 4 for 3 deal. The free part is what everyone is focused on. So it MUST be a great deal, right? 4 tires at $120, or 3 tires for $160. Same thing
I sell tires at my shop. The wholesalers DO NOT give me any deals like that. NEVER! I use 4 different suppliers. I can get any brand because of that. Some suppliers have the same tires for a maximum of $2 difference between them. Just depends on their margin set-up. If Firestone shops are offering such deals, it is ONLY through them from Firestone themselves. Thats the only reason there would be a big disparity between retail sales locations.
NTB is offering "any Cooper tire, any size 79.99". Well, its not ANY Cooper tire. It is only on the Cooper Lifeliner GLS. Those are Coops mid range tire. They have no performance oriented tires, or big truck tires offered in that model. In other words, they wont lose anything on these at that price. My cost on most of them is below 79.99. So i can match it. What they dont advertise is what they charge to mount and balance those "awesomely cheap tires". Give them a call and find out what it runs for M&B. I beat'em all around. Same goes for the 3 get 1 free. What do they charge to M&B? The store makes up what they will potentially lose on the sale price through inflated labor charges.
04-14-2011, 06:24 PM
#8
1st Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Ohio
Posts: 111
This makes much more sense. Tire Rack shows the price of the tires to normally be about $129 or so, so that seems like it is exactly what they did. It looks like the mount and balance was only $42 and the disposal fee was $16.
And do you think I can play up location for a discount (due to no shipping cost)? I am about 20 minutes away from Akron, Ohio which is where many tire companies are located. I know Goodyear is still here, and I'm assuming Firestone is as well since there is a high school that still bears its name.
And do you think I can play up location for a discount (due to no shipping cost)? I am about 20 minutes away from Akron, Ohio which is where many tire companies are located. I know Goodyear is still here, and I'm assuming Firestone is as well since there is a high school that still bears its name.
04-15-2011, 07:06 AM
#10
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 284
I can tell you for sure they do mark up tires for sales like these. However they are still good deals because they do not mark up the tires 25%. They're not willing to lose money to have a sale, but there's already a mark up in the tires of course.
I can also tell you that if you buy tires from Tirerack, you pay shipping, and you'll pay at least an additional $10 a tire to install it over the regular installation price if you bought the tires from the shop. The only time I've lost a sale to tirerack.com where the customer gave me a chance to match their pricing is when they're selling discontinued tires. Tirerack buys so many tires that when a line gets discontinued they get stuck with wayyyy too many of them.
I can also tell you that if you buy tires from Tirerack, you pay shipping, and you'll pay at least an additional $10 a tire to install it over the regular installation price if you bought the tires from the shop. The only time I've lost a sale to tirerack.com where the customer gave me a chance to match their pricing is when they're selling discontinued tires. Tirerack buys so many tires that when a line gets discontinued they get stuck with wayyyy too many of them.