In hard economic times, people look for the best bargain on anything they need. Car and truck tires are not exception. When money is tight, buying a new set of tires may be out of the question. Fortunately, just about every town of any size has at least a couple of discount tire locations where customers can get what they need at a price they can afford.
In small towns, one of the best places to begin your search for reputable discount tire locations is the local garage. Often, discount tire locations of this type will sell used tires that are still in good condition at a fraction of the cost for new tires. While used, they still have a decent amount of tread, which means they will be perfectly safe on the road. You could save as much as 75% off what you would pay for a new set of the same make and model of tires.
If the idea of retreads (also known as recaps in some areas) doesn’t bother you, there is likely several more discount tire locations you can consider. While retreads have a reputation for being cheap in quality, the fact is a good set of recapped tires will easily last a couple of years under normal wear. While usually a little pricier than used tires, they also have more tread. Check with three or four discount tire locations that sell retreads and compare prices. In some cases, you may be able to buy a full set of four for what two new tires would cost.
For people that live in a large city, there are probably more discount tire locations than you can reasonably visit in a few hours. When that is the case, use the local telephone directory to find discount tire locations around the wider metropolitan area. Look under yellow page classifications like “Tires – Used”, “Tires – Discount”, or “Tires – Retread”. Make a list of the potential discount tire locations you come across, then sit down and call each one. The idea is to find out which of these several discount tire locations offer the size and model of tires you want, and how much they cost per unit. Don’t forget to ask if each of the discount tire locations do free mounting, or if there is some sort of per-tire charge.
After you’ve narrowed down your list to only those discount tire locations that have what you need at a price you can reasonably afford, start making the rounds to each location. Here, you want to get a look at the general operation, and ask a few questions face to face. Depending on the type of tires you need, some of the discount tire locations may offer a free limited warranty. This is good news for you, since even a thirty-day warranty with a used tire or retread is a good thing.
Don’t be surprised if you find very few discount tire locations that offer some sort of warranty. Many choose to sell the items ”as is”. This is especially true if they purchase the retreads or used tires from a bulk seller, and received no type of quality guarantee yourself. If you do find one or two discount tire locations that offer you even a small amount of consumer protection, that is a strong indicator they want to keep your business beyond that first sale.