Tire Rack - I don't get it.

[lupinsea]

I haven't taken a close look at Tire Rack recently but a few years ago when I did look into it it didn't seem like a big deal / good deal. By the time you factor in shipping costs and the extra you have to pay to have a local tire store mount tires bought from some where else (tire rack) it pretty much came out a wash.

For example:

I'll be looking for 33x10.50 R15's within the year for the Jeep:

Tire Rack
$154/tire x 4 = $616
Shipping cost = $94
Local shop mounting/dismount/disposal $15x4 = $60

Total = $770

Is free lifetime balance / rotation included?
Warranty issues?


vs.


Discount Tire (local shop)
$179/tire x 4 = $716
Mounting stuff $15x4 = $60

Total = $776

Free balance / rotation for life of tire
Road hazard warranty stuff is easy to deal with*



In this case (my thinking went) why not avoid the whole hassle of on-line shopping / shipping / hauling tires down to a shop and/or coordination with drop shipping and just go to the local shop and buy your tires there?

What am I missing about Tire Rack. Y'all are not fools and you buy tires from there so you must know something I don't. If you wouldn't mind. . . edjumecate me, please.

• Is it that you can buy tires that might not normally be availiable locally?
  
• Do you really get better prices when everything is factored in?
  
• What happens if you have a "road hazard"? How do warranties work then?
  
• And do you get any goodies, such as free lifetime balances / rotation if you buy from Tire Rack?

(I like the free balance/rotation service from Discount Tire for my Jeep . . I constantly knock off weights on the trail and need my tires re-balanced every 3-4 months.)










* In my area Discount Tires are all over the place so I can go into any DT shop and get my tires fixed / replaced if needed. I once had a torn sidewall where the tire was a complete loss. . . it was replaced free of charge due to road hazard warranty.





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