Are you overpaying at Discount Tire? A small local tire shop in Houston, Texas claims you are.
Consumers love supporting mom and pop shops in their communities. Larger companies are often able to offer lower prices, however. This can make it difficult for consumers to decide between buying from the local shop or the big corporate retailer.
One content creator is making the case that customers are overpaying at Discount Tire and should shop local instead.
TikTok creator MannyZmind (@manic_mindz) claims there’s a significant price difference between his tire shop, Surplus Tires, and Discount Tires. In the video, he shows the Falken Wildpeak A/TW4 tire listed for $346 each on Discount Tire. He says his shop sells them for $250 apiece.
MannyZmind says the total cost for four tires at Discount Tire is $1,900. His shop, he says, sells and installs four tires for $1,000.
At $346 apiece, four tires would cost $1,384. So how did MannyZmind get $1,900? He says the additional costs are for taxes and installation.
So am I overpaying at Discount Tire then?
It’s possible that, in spite of the name, Discount Tire is charging more for tires than its competitors. However, MannyZmind didn’t specify the dimensions of the tires and only provided the brand and model.
The price of the Falken Wildpeak A/TW4 varies depending on tire size, load index/speed rating, and load range. Discount Tire’s website says the Falken Wildpeak A/TW4 costs between $157.00 – $538.00 for each.
MannyZmind appears to have selected the Falken Wildpeak A/TW4 LT295 /70 R18 129R E1 BSW, which is $346 on Discount Tire. He said it’s “crazy” to spend that much when his shop sells the same tire for about half the price.
What are the benefits of buying from Discount Tire?
Discount Tire has over 1,000 locations across the country. Anytime any issues come up with your tires, there’s a good chance a Discount Tire is nearby.
In addition to multiple locations, Discount Tire offers free tire rotations, repairs, and air-checks. (While some do charge, many companies of all sizes offer the same services for free if you buy their tires.)
According to KBB, these are the national averages for these services.
- Tire Rotation Costs: $60-$72
- Tire Repair Costs: $54-$64
What the viewers thought
People had mixed reactions to MannyZmind’s TikTok.
A few people claimed the tires at MannyZmind’s store were “take offs,” aka used. MannyZmind said in the video that the tires were brand new.
“Hard to beat discounts warranty though. Free rotation, free repair and free replacement, just saying.” one added.
“Been saying this for years the smaller tire shops have better deals. No reason to spend all that extra money just cause the store is a big name store,” another commented.
@manic_mindz Texas Listen Up 😎 STOP OVERPAYING FOR TIRES #flattire ♬ original sound – ManicMindz
As of this writing, MannyZmind’s TikTok clip has more than 275,000 views and is closing in on 10,000 likes.
The Daily Dot reached out to Surplus Tires directly over phone and Instagram messenger. The Daily Dot has also reached out to Discount Tire over email.
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