Tyre prices - online vs. local

[Will]

I've bought quite a few sets of tyres over the years.

Is it me or has the gap between online and local outfits widened?

I only ask this as I've never bought tyres off the 'net before (in this case, mytyres.co.uk)

Normally with a bit of ringing round the local outifts I've managed to achieve a price including fitting that I've been satisfied with - typically within about 10% of the online price + comparitive cost of fitting (eg £500 for 4 tyres locally sourced and fitted vs say £400 + say (£12.50 x 4 for fitting) around £450 or there abouts.

Normally justify local option for convenience factor (no tyres delivered to home address to lug to tyre fitters) and supporting local business

Anyway, front tyres on the Audi are low. Conti Sport Contact 2s, tyre size is 235/45/17.

I tried a few of the usual sources (locally) and no one can even get close to the mark for what I'd like to pay. As a guide, around £140/150/160(!) for the Continentals in this size and around £130/140ish for Goodyear F1 GSD-3. Best price I've seen is mytyres for £76.80 including VAT and delivery (Goodyear F1 GSD-3)

Surprised by this incredible price difference, I did mention this to one or two places, met by the comment that they 'can't compete' with such prices.

Why not I ask, if I as as private customer can pay virtually half price (delivered and inc VAT) why can't they and then charge me say a healthy £50/corner for fitting/profit? Still less than the best quoted price.

Doesn't make sense to me. Two tyres delivered for £153.60. Will probably cost me around £20 or so for fitting and balancing.

£180 as opposed to £280 for a few mouse clicks, made my decision for me anyway!

Will

 

[cedric]

A few years ago when I looked on the web and then asked at the local fitter I normally use they said no point quoting as they would never match a web price but would be happy to fit them - which they have done ever since.

 

[GrahamC230K]

I thought it had narrowed actually.

 

[Shude]

I've only bought 2 sets of tyres recently, from mytyres each time mainly because none of the regular places wants to sell winter tyres to me! I didn't even get a reply from blackcircles online so they were clearly not interested!

 

[ADY1983]

It does seem to be alot cheaper on line, but the last pair of tyres I bought on line, I had trouble getting them fitted, the first 2 places I tried said they wouldn't fit them..

 

[Shude]

It does seem to be alot cheaper on line, but the last pair of tyres I bought on line, I had trouble getting them fitted, the first 2 places I tried said they wouldn't fit them..

You know why? They want you to buy the tyres from them. The problem is that no-one wanted to sell me the effing winter tyres in the first place then they refused to fit the effing things!

mytyres allows you to choose a local fitter when buying

 

[Rory]

Hmmm MyTyres do look very cheap, even if you add on £10 or so to get them fitted.

Have you tried eTyres - their price includes fitting at home/work?

I shopped around for Michelin Primacy HP's (225/50/16) a few months ago and nobody could touch Costco, but then I was recommended to a local(ish) independant (Jeffreys in Warrington) who beat their price straight off (without me telling them the Costco price). However they slightly damaged both wheels even though they 'guarantee' not too

 

[Benzowner]

I had the opposite experience recently, admitedly on budget tyres. 265 35 18 Nangkang NS2 local tyre fitted, balanced etc etc £85.00 ea lowest web price just over £100 ea. Maybe I have a good local independant tyre dealer, they are always very busy.

 

[KLP 92]

I went to the local tyre shop on Saturday to get the rear tyre changed on the CLK. Tyre size is 255/40/18 and is a Pirelli Rosso. Online the cheapest price was £153.40 delivered or £159.87 fitted via mobile service.

Out of the 5 local tyre places i tried, the cheapest was £210 fitted. When i showed them the online prices they said they could 100% not match that price as they were buying the tyre for alot more!

My local tyre shop charges £10 to fit a tyre if i supply it, including stick on weights etc.

 

[Doodle]

I pay about £85-90 fitted for GSD-3's in 225/45, from Headley tyres.

Fairly sure 235 isn't much more, I asked when I had the fronts done on the C250

 

[jwarren]

I printed off my quote for my Michelin Primacy which were at £60 a pop, compared to KwikFits £90 odd and Kwik Fit did them for the same price when I showed them, plus free balancing and alignment.

 

[Rory]

I printed off my quote for my Michelin Primacy which were at £60 a pop, compared to KwikFits £90 odd and Kwik Fit did them for the same price when I showed them, plus free balancing and alignment.

Which MB (and what size tyres please) runs on Michelin Primacy's that can be bought for £60.

 

[Roger Jones]

If you are looking for cheap Michelins and can buy four, go to Costco.

However, from my experience, get them fitted elsewhere, even if it does cost you a bit extra. I paid £242.48 (incl. fitting, valves, balancing, disposal and VAT) for four 205/65R15V Pilot Primacy during a special-offer period before Xmas (min. four tyres per customer, max. eight); they have repeated the special offer recently (it's still on, I think) and it will surely come back again. They were significantly cheaper than my usual source -- Micheldever Tyres.

If you're not a member at Costco and don't know a member who can buy for you, it may be worth the £25 annual subscription fee, as they also do Mobil and Castrol oil at keen prices, and they have an excellent trolley jack as an example of good-quality auto tools and accessories (plus their huge range of other goods, of course). You have to be a trader or be employed in one of those privileged occupations that are regarded as secure and trustworthy -- lawyers, medics, civil servants, etc., and maybe some mega-corporation employees (not sure).

 

[richard]

I always print out the blackcircles.com price and take it down to my local tyre shop in the middle of Bagshot, and they normally match the price. Once they had trouble, but when I went back a couple of weeks later headoffice ahd got a bulk order in and they could match it then - Admitteldy these are expensive tyres (which I guess means quite a lot of margin in cash terms) as I normally get ML500 or SL55 tyres ..

Cheers

Richard

 

[Rory]

If you are looking for cheap Michelins and can buy four, go to Costco.

However, from my experience, get them fitted elsewhere, even if it does cost you a bit extra.

Thanks - I am a member of Costco (and I’ve got the stash of 229.5 oil to prove it!).

However I was intrigued by jwarren saying that he could get them for £60 – even yours with the 20% were only that price (the offer is on again until 18th Feb).

Sounds like you had a bad experience getting them fitted – care to elaborate? I took mine to a recommended specialist for 2 tyres and they noticeably marked both wheels, one with scuff / gouge across its face.

 

[Will]

I went to the local tyre shop on Saturday to get the rear tyre changed on the CLK. Tyre size is 255/40/18 and is a Pirelli Rosso. Online the cheapest price was £153.40 delivered or £159.87 fitted via mobile service.

Out of the 5 local tyre places i tried, the cheapest was £210 fitted. When i showed them the online prices they said they could 100% not match that price as they were buying the tyre for alot more!

My local tyre shop charges £10 to fit a tyre if i supply it, including stick on weights etc.

This is the same as I have found.

If you can buy the tyres at £153, and the cheapest 'fitted' price is £210, that's the equivelent of charging £57 a wheel for fitting/profit, or to put it another way, over £220 for changing four tyres.

If these prices really are cheaper than what the tyre dealers in the UK are paying, why don't they buy them from mytyres.com etc?

Will

 

[reflexboy]

Just for your info peeps-I used these guys this morning for a couple of replacement tyres- http://www.event-tyres.co.uk/index.php . If you need new car tyres, try these guys first. They seemed to be cheaper than most places and they will come out to your home or work at no extra charge. Get a quote online and it includes: tyre, fitting, valve, balancing and old tyre disposal. The online price is exactly what you pay the fitter. And the guy didn't damage my alloys and he balanced them correctly. You all know what a fussy sod I am, so for me to recommend them, they must be good!
And no, I don't work for them or know anyone who does. Just good honest service.

 

[Shude]

Just for your info peeps-I used these guys this morning for a couple of replacement tyres- http://www.event-tyres.co.uk/index.php . If you need new car tyres, try these guys first. They seemed to be cheaper than most places and they will come out to your home or work at no extra charge. Get a quote online and it includes: tyre, fitting, valve, balancing and old tyre disposal. The online price is exactly what you pay the fitter. And the guy didn't damage my alloys and he balanced them correctly. You all know what a fussy sod I am, so for me to recommend them, they must be good!
And no, I don't work for them or know anyone who does. Just good honest service.

I just took a look at their site and saw something that warmed the cockles:

http://www.event-tyres.co.uk/winter/

 

[Gollom]

Numpty question:

If winter tyres are harder wearing, why not use them all the year round?

 

[Rory]

Numpty question:

If winter tyres are harder wearing, why not use them all the year round?

Shude posted elsewhere that he got 45K out of his last winter tyres, which just seems incredible to me. My (summer tyres) do 20K or so, and that's all steady motorway driving.