buying tires from Amazon

[terracore]

I'd like to hear any amazon tire stories if anybody cares to share them.

I'm normally a Costco tire guy but when I called them for a quote today I got a rude awakening on how much tires cost now. I checked Lex Brodies and their prices were a little cheaper but for tires from Malaysia with brand names that sound like they treat erectile dysfunction.

So to Amazon I went. It was difficult to navigate the choices because they have tires from all over the world and I specifically didn't want anything from mainland China. The user reviews were relatively useless because nobody waits 4 years to leave a tire review so they were all glowing reviews from the honeymoon of having new tires or they were 1 star reviews from people who ordered the wrong size or something.

I'm not a fan of Sears but the options were to get the tires shipped to me and I find somebody to put them on, or they would ship them to Hilo Sears and they will put them on for $14.77 each (Costco is now $17 each).

During the checkout process they give you the earliest date and time the tires can be installed 9 days from today) and I could choose my top 3 dates/times to schedule the installation appointment. Apparently Sears is going to call me the day before and finalize the appointment.

So here I am in the unknown, buying my first set of 2 tires from Amazon installed by Sears. The price of getting the two tires this way is approximately the same as getting 1 from Costco, and without the 4 hour drive. BUT, these things generally never work out for me so I'm left to wonder what type of hell awaits.

ETA: installation fee

[bystander]

I ordered and received a set of four tires from Amazon about a year ago. I had the option of sending them to Sears and having them install but I chose to have them sent directly to me. They arrived completely unwrapped via FedEx one or two tires at a time over two days. The bad thing about this was I had Lex Brodie install them for over $100.

[leilanidude]

I have ordered several sets from Amazon. I have purchased Goodyear and Firestone and Kumho. Funny thing was when I used the Hilo Firestone store to install the new Firestone tires. They asked where I got them because they didn't sell them to me. I said Amazon because they were $125 cheaper for the set than the quote you gave me.

[terracore]

So far so good. The tires shipped today with a delivery date of Monday. After they shipped I was able to go to Amazon and when I looked at the order one of the options was that I was able to change the installation date to as early as Monday so I did move it up a few days.

"The bad thing about this was I had Lex Brodie install them for over $100."

Bob's (the shop in Orchidland) reportedly installs them for $10/each. There is small sign on the side of the road, I believe between Orchidland Drive and Auli'i for a $5.00 installation at the place that used to sell black market cigarettes and shave ice (something for the whole family). I thought about one of these options. Maybe next time. Curlees also installs tires. I don't remember how much it was, but at the time I was told I remember thinking it was way too much.

The do sell gizmos to change the tires yourself in the $75 range but they have to be bolted into concrete or equivalent. Not sure if you can balance with the same gizmo or if that's another purchase.

https://www.amazon.com/Goplus-Portable-Changer-Breaker-Mounting/dp/B017JXBWZ2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B017JXBWZ2&pd_rd_r=6a804ed5-7849-11e9-9308-7719d34db95a&pd_rd_w=q6NfM&pd_rd_wg=JfLtI&pf_rd_p=588939de-d3f8-42f1-a3d8-d556eae5797d&pf_rd_r=J90ADGZZ73BCJ3NWXGEN&psc=1&refRID=J90ADGZZ73BCJ3NWXGEN&linkCode=ll1&tag=pw016-20&linkId=0cc429f1a608ecd1883439b8f3025d28&language=en_US

[bystander]

I did inquire at Bob's. The guy there said they don't have a wheel balancing machine. They do an old style manual balance. I can only imagine what the people off the highway do for balancing.

[terracore]

I need to make a correction, the installation fee for Amazon tires shipped to Sears for installation is $14.77 per tire. The $19.99 fee was for getting ONE tire installed. Getting two or more installed the fee is $14.77 per tire.

ETA: info

[terracore]

It went perfectly. Sears didn't try to upsell me anything. I showed up for my appointment on time and left about 70 minutes later with newly installed tires. Sears did not collect anything from me and I even got a free alignment check. No disposal fees either.

[loffelkopffl]

I tried it and ordered two truck tires from them,thay shipped to sears, mounted and balanced price cheaper than any tire company in Hilo

[Wao nahele wahine]

Just ordered 4 new tires from Amazon for our car and having them delivered to Sears. The entire cost was cheaper than buying two new tires in Hilo at any of the tire stores.

Wahine

[bystander]

What happens when lots of people start buying their tires on Amazon? I wonder if they are making any money with free shipping to Hawaii and if not, will they pull the plug? I too got a great price on the tires I wanted which nobody sold here. I don't want it to end.