Buying tires on the internet

[Lotus 7]

I'm sure there has been some discussion on this somewhere, but I haven't found it. So I'll ask it (likely) again.



What is the drawback to buying tires on the internet? I'm shopping both locally and on the internet and find that local dealers can't touch the internet prices. Priority Tire has Goodyears for $339/each compared to Les Schwab at $750 or so. Big Brand the best local shop price is at $490/each.


The only thing that comes to mind is that these tires have been sitting in a warehouse for at least a few years. How likely is that? I called Priority Tire to ask how old the date stamp might be on these tires at this $339 price. I got a "huh?" type response and when pressed, was told it would be no older than 2022. I said OK, but if older than that, I'd send them back. Les Schwab didn't have any input on the date code or other reasons why internet sales are so cheap.



I've considered all other factors, including shipping, taxes, mount/balance, disposal etc. and the cheapest internet deal (Priority Tire) is nearly $1000 cheaper than any other source for all 6 tires when driving away.


What am I missing? .Hopefully Tireman9 has a concise answer.

[202235f]

The first thing that comes to mind is what will you do if there is a warranty issue?

[creativepart]

I thought your Sunstar LX had 19.5” tires. And you’re saying Les Schwab’s price is $750??? That makes no sense. That sounds like a price for two.

Over on IRV2 there are plenty of threads about tire buying online and as expected some say it’s great and others say it’s not great.

Just about any truck tire shop nearby can give you a good price. Maybe it’s your insistence on Goodyear brand tires. Check other brands and see if that’s the issue.

[Lotus 7]

Originally Posted by 202235f

The first thing that comes to mind is what will you do if there is a warranty issue?

My experience has been that the manufacturer stands by the warranty, not the seller. I just had an odd issue last year with a Michelin tire on a car I had just bought. It ran fine for many miles then suddenly lost pressure. Then when aired up, it ran fine again for many miles til it happened again. This went on unpredictably for several days. 3 shops including 2 that were recognized by Michelin could find no reason for this problem. Michelin took their word for it that the tire was the problem as there was no evidence otherwise and replaced the tire. it has not lost a pound now for nearly a year.

[Lotus 7]

Originally Posted by creativepart

I thought your Sunstar LX had 19.5” tires. And you’re saying Les Schwab’s price is $750??? That makes no sense. That sounds like a price for two.

Over on IRV2 there are plenty of threads about tire buying online and as expected some say it’s great and others say it’s not great.

Just about any truck tire shop nearby can give you a good price. Maybe it’s your insistence on Goodyear brand tires. Check other brands and see if that’s the issue.

I agree; $750 blew my mind.


Yes I'm going with the 245/70R 19.5 size, the same size as the Goodyear G670's that came on the rig. Les Schwab offered a couple of several lesser brands but still could not get close to $339. The guys at Big Brand, here in little old Colfax/Auburn CA, are like a neighbor and drinking buddy, having bent over backwards for me for several years so I'm sure their $490 price is the best they are going to be able to do.


I've bought racing tires (treadware 100 and less) off the internet, and of course they don't come with a warranty and a date stamp is irrelevant, but I've not had any problems.


so my question about the date stamp or some other hidden shortcoming is still on the top of my mind.

[be happy]

Last year I was in a bind needing tires for the MH while at an RV park. There where no tire shops near by that could handle the install of 22.5 tires.

I had to go with online have them shipped to tire shop 1 hour away from RV park. I went with Simple Tires https://simpletire.com/ for my Toyo tires.
I found the pricing was ok, the shipping was great as I was in a time frame for having the work done. The tires were within the date time stamp 6 months +/-.

The tire shop did charge extra for install as I did not buy the tires from them. I felt comfortable with the warranty as any shop that carries Toyo would do the warranty if needed. With all said and done I probably paid more in total than needed by ordering online.

[Ray,IN]

Some tire shops will not install tires they did not sell, claiming insurance concerns. Many internet tire stores include installation, most have an extra charge for installation at one of their prearranged installation companies. Many of those perform the tire work at your house.
The only way to know what's true is to ask questions before buying from the internet.
FWIW, tire warranties begin on the date of retail sale_if you keep the receipt; otherwise without an receipt, the warranty begins with the date of manufacture on the tire.

[Lotus 7]

Originally Posted by Ray,IN

Some tire shops will not install tires they did not sell, claiming insurance concerns. Many internet tire stores include installation, most have an extra charge for installation at one of their prearranged installation companies. Many of those perform the tire work at your house.
The only way to know what's true is to ask questions before buying from the internet.
FWIW, tire warranties begin on the date of retail sale_if you keep the receipt; otherwise without an receipt, the warranty begins with the date of manufacture on the tire.

Agreed, my experience is that the mount and balance charge varies by store. Les schwab's charges are quite reasonable if you buy the $750 Goodyears from them, but not so much if you bring in tires from another source. My local Big Brands shop will charge me $50/tire with disposal, the same price if I bought from them.

Good point about a receipt vs. a date stamp on the tire. But would that be a practical concern for "fresh" tires put in service at the time of sale? Most shops won't touch a tire with a date stamp older than 8 or 10 years old. particularly if it obviously has been in service and exposed to the elements that whole time.

On a side note, I have a 5 year old never used spare tire wrapped in shrink wrap in an interior compartment of the rig. I would hope a road service guy wouldn't be quibbling about the date stamp 5 years from now when I'd bet it would look (and perform) as good as new at least as a spare. Am I missing something other than the "you never know/don't take a chance" comment?

[Christo]

2/22/2022 After some shopping, I went with motorhometires.com - had all 6 replaced, they outsource to local shops for the delivery and install and they came out to where my MH was stored and did it all there on the spot. My cost was $2,747. 70R19.5 VITour.

[Mikeknapp]

Went with Toyo from Les Schwab when my tires aged out (10+ years old), $2400 +/- for all 6 with internal bead balancers and stems. The $750 number for 1 tire just sounds wrong, no matter what manufacturer.

I went with them because they have stores in most cities and have some of the best service in the tire game.

Plus, I want to be able to drive up to a retail store and speak to a professional if I have a tire issue.

Looked online, Costco, Discount, and a couple other tire shops (some were a little cheaper). Not enough to try to save a buck. I have always been very happy with the guys at Schwab.

[Peterroy]

My experience is similar to that of "Be Happy". I contacted Simple Tire and they delivered the tires to a designated tire shop, and they put them on the rig. Can't recommend them enough.

[Tireman9]

Originally Posted by Lotus 7

I'm sure there has been some discussion on this somewhere, but I haven't found it. So I'll ask it (likely) again.



What is the drawback to buying tires on the internet? I'm shopping both locally and on the internet and find that local dealers can't touch the internet prices. Priority Tire has Goodyears for $339/each compared to Les Schwab at $750 or so. Big Brand the best local shop price is at $490/each.


The only thing that comes to mind is that these tires have been sitting in a warehouse for at least a few years. How likely is that? I called Priority Tire to ask how old the date stamp might be on these tires at this $339 price. I got a "huh?" type response and when pressed, was told it would be no older than 2022. I said OK, but if older than that, I'd send them back. Les Schwab didn't have any input on the date code or other reasons why internet sales are so cheap.



I've considered all other factors, including shipping, taxes, mount/balance, disposal etc. and the cheapest internet deal (Priority Tire) is nearly $1000 cheaper than any other source for all 6 tires when driving away.


What am I missing? .Hopefully Tireman9 has a concise answer.

You will need to get IN WRITING what will happen if the tires are older than an agreed age, What happens if there is shipping damage. The question of warranty was offered by others.
You get what you are paying for.



Not sure if i understand the desire for cheapest price on something that can have a major impact on your safety.


When looking for a Doctor or caretaker for your children to you also go with the lowest cost person?

[Lotus 7]

"Not sure if i understand the desire for cheapest price on something that can have a major impact on your safety".


I agree that price is not the first thing to be concerned with for tires. But I didn't start with price, I started with getting new Goodyears equivalent to what Winnebago put on the rig. The seller says they are new and the same as from any other source such as Les Schwab. Your assumption seems to be that they can't be. We shall see.

[Lotus 7]

To wrap this up, the tires have a 22 date stamp, pretty much as I expected. and that works for my usage and storage profile. I'll be ready for new tires in 6 years, so I'm happy with saving $1000 for OEM Goodyears.

[Skull]

I just bought a “new to me” 40’ diesel pusher with semi tires…not sure the actual size. Anyway, I priced tires from Amazon and they were pretty reasonable. They even had an option for installation at $16 each. I called the shop Amazon said could install and they confirmed it was REALLY only $16 each tire, to install.