Buying Online---how does warranty work?

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lukejo

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I've always bought from the local tire dealer. Regardless of the tire, we often receive some warranty/adjustment due to wearing out prematurely. We live in a rural area and drive a lot of oil/chip and some gravel.
I'm looking to take advantage of the good prices online, but need to know how I will go about making a warranty claim if needed. I can keep records of the rotations, but when the time comes, how will the tire company verify the mileage and tread depth that I am claiming?
Thanks.
 
Any authorized dealer for that brand tire adjust a tire if the
manufacture approves it. The dealer would simply be credited from the manufacturer. If you are ordering tires online, I would assume that you would take it to a local tire dealer to have them installed, which would document the mileage at install.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Johnny248
Any authorized dealer for that brand tire adjust a tire if the
manufacture approves it. The dealer would simply be credited from the manufacturer. If you are ordering tires online, I would assume that you would take it to a local tire dealer to have them installed, which would document the mileage at install.


Thanks! Yes, LTD will be installing. And rotations...even if I have them done where our car is serviced (not a tire dealer)...their written records should suffice?
 
I've only had one complaint in dozens of tires purchased from DTD.

When I called them they issues a UPS call tag for the bad tire and sent me a new one immediately. In less than 3 days I was at the tire store where they swapped them.

I was then sent a check for my expense! Couldn't have been much easier.
 
Good to know. Old habits die hard, but I guess it's time I get with the times and stop overpaying. Thanks--
 
Some tire dealers won't warranty a tire if you didn't buy it there. The tire shop I worked at in college was that way. Even though we were a certified dealer for most brands, we would only warranty tires bought from our tire chain.
 
I had a problem with a Hankook tire (bubble on the sidewalk). It was only covered by the manufacturer warranty (did not purchase extended warranty from Tirerack). The manufacturer directed me to a local shop (Discount Tire) where they inspected the tire for the defect and the tread depth. The tire was ordered and delivered to the installer who charged me for installation and balancing.

They tried their usual scare tactics to rebuild the TPMS or sell an extended coverage.
 
I was purchasing from treadepot.com, a division of Kauffman Tire. At that time we had Kauffman Tire here.

Kauffman Tire closed up shop in the Dallas/Ft Worth market some time ago.

treadepot.com is still a good site with good prices, but I feel like I'm rolling the dice with them now that an affiliated dealer is not local. No point in buying the roadhazard warranty. I'll probably have to have the tire dismounted and UPS it to Ohio or Georgia for warranty.

I don't like many of the tires or prices at Discount Tire Direct...but I like them better than NTB/Sears, Firestone, or Goodyear. And there are lots of Discount Tires here. I'll probably have to wait a few days to get a tire replaced that picks up a roofing nail near the sidewall, but I should be able to with the certificate purchase.
 
My experience with tires bought online are tire dealer are much less than helpful. Many times if I buy from them they prorate the tire better than if you just show up. Also they go much easier on the remounting costs etc.

Don't tell them you got the tires online unless they specifically ask.
 
You have to call DTD for any kind of deal..

for instance they went from 200$ more than tirerack
to beating tire racks AFTER rebate price.

thats including sales tax

(no sales tax at Tirerack)

They also carry different tire sizes than tirerack..
neither carry every tire in every size.

DTD is more hit or miss than tirerack on finding the exact tire you want.
 
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A lot of the tire wear warranties are flaky.....I thought I had a claim from a Tire Kingdom Nexxen that I got, but they voided the claim due to "irregular wear" - they said there were multiple areas on the tire with irregular wear, worn out along the outside edge, and then some irregular wear along the center line of the tread which they said was likely due to "faulty brakes" or a balance problem.....pfft.

So I usually take the mileage warranties with a grain of salt, it's still a good price comparison, etc.....to COMPARE prices of tires, but don't hold it as gospel, cause they will likely not follow through with the proration.....


Another thing I've heard, they only pro-rate down to 2/32" - a typical tire is 8 or 9/32"....I guess they consider the tire "dead" at 2/32" - which makes sense, since that IS considered "legally bald" or "spent" in most jurisdictions
wink.gif
 
We just bought 4 new tires for the Matrix from DT
We were going to cross border shop, so I contacted a DT shop close to the ferry in Washington State, to ask if I could get tires ordered from DTD delivered to their store for pick up and mounting. The manager offered to match the DTD price, but I mentioned that by ordering from DTD I would not have to pay sales tax.
The manager discounted the price (again) to an amount equal to the sales tax I would pay.
All in all, very good service from DT
 
Originally Posted By: expat
We just bought 4 new tires for the Matrix from DT
We were going to cross border shop, so I contacted a DT shop close to the ferry in Washington State, to ask if I could get tires ordered from DTD delivered to their store for pick up and mounting. The manager offered to match the DTD price, but I mentioned that by ordering from DTD I would not have to pay sales tax.
The manager discounted the price (again) to an amount equal to the sales tax I would pay.
All in all, very good service from DT

This is the way to buy tire for the lowest cost. Find the lowest possible price online includes shipping and tax if applicable, then ask Discount Tire/America's Tire to match the price plus mounting and balancing but without tax.
 
DTD does not charge shipping, but they may charge sale tax to some states that their warehouses/offices are located. Some other online places may charge sale tax and/or shipping.

The final price, before installation, is the one you want DT to match.

DTD charges a little higher price than Tirerack because they include shipping cost into the price.
 
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Interesting about tax, as I have yet to pay any on my DTD purchase.

No tax, no shipping. How do they do that?
HTSS_TR pretty well covered it. I'd just say the DTD price has the shipping charge built in. Just helps to compare with TR's price with shipping charge added, but generally DTD is less. As for tax, similar to Amazon I guess. As said, perhaps Ohio, Az, Tx, (warehouse states) might have tax.

My last tire purchase at DT (Yoko H/TS), I used the DTD price with no tax to get my best price. I added in some, ~$65-70 for installation, valves, LT balance and rotation.

If you like DTD, fairly certain you would like a b&m DT store too.

As for the OP's question, any reputable dealer that handles the brand should be able to get an adjustment. As mentioned, whether they will might depend on the dealer.
 
Originally Posted By: ahoier
A lot of the tire wear warranties are flaky.....I thought I had a claim from a Tire Kingdom Nexxen that I got, but they voided the claim due to "irregular wear" - they said there were multiple areas on the tire with irregular wear, worn out along the outside edge, and then some irregular wear along the center line of the tread which they said was likely due to "faulty brakes" or a balance problem.....pfft.

So I usually take the mileage warranties with a grain of salt, it's still a good price comparison, etc.....to COMPARE prices of tires, but don't hold it as gospel, cause they will likely not follow through with the proration.....


Another thing I've heard, they only pro-rate down to 2/32" - a typical tire is 8 or 9/32"....I guess they consider the tire "dead" at 2/32" - which makes sense, since that IS considered "legally bald" or "spent" in most jurisdictions
wink.gif

My local DT prorates my tires. I want the longest warranty in years and miles and I want the tires to wear out in 40,000 miles,get my pro rated credit,and a new set of tires every 5/6 years. Don't know how you get a pro rate if you buy online.
 
It is not unusual for dealers to have .... oh.... let's call it "less than stellar service" when dealing with tires they didn't sell. OE tires, tires bought over the intenet, tires bought through other dealers, whatever. Some dealers don't see these people as customers.

Besides, warranty work with tires takes a bit of effort and there is little reward for the dealer. It's a losing proposition from his perspective.

Looking at it from the on-line retailer's perspective: He is dealing with a commodity. He doesn't have to deal with the usual issues involved with selling new tires - out of round wheels, leaky rims, etc. So he can offer fantastic prices without having those added expenses. He passes those on to the guy who mounts the tire. It's little wonder some dealers won't deal with tires they haven't sold.

My advice would be to be a good shopper and do the homework on line. Know what you want and what the prices are. Then negotiate the best deal you can. Then frequent the local guy and establish a relationship with him. He will be able to cut deals that aren't in the book.
 
Originally Posted By: CapriRacer
My advice would be to be a good shopper and do the homework on line. Know what you want and what the prices are. Then negotiate the best deal you can. Then frequent the local guy and establish a relationship with him. He will be able to cut deals that aren't in the book.


+1 to this. I'm very grateful for establishments like Tire Rack and DTD for their research value. But when it comes to actually swiping the credit card, I always do it locally.

(But I'm also grateful for those who do shop online, or those online websites wouldn't be there!)
 
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