A tire salesperson claims that he offers a brand of tires for considerably cheaper than Discount Tire. However, as some point out, there are distinct advantages to buying from the popular nationwide tire retailer.
The TikTok video in question comes from the surplustires account (@surplustireshtx). It has gotten more than 104,000 views as of this writing after being posted on Aug. 17.
Surplus Tires, which, according to Google’s online directory, is located at 3138 Reed Road in Houston’s Sunnyside neighborhood, uses its TikTok account to highlight tires for sale at favorable prices. This video starts with the creator pointing, with a gloved hand, at the Discount Tire website, showing the pricing on four Nitto Ridge Grapplers, costing $476 each.
However, when adding for installation and certificates, the creator shows that the total is more than $2,500. According to the Discount Tire website, “With Certificates, we’ll repair or replace your tires due to unforeseen damage–no questions asked.”
The creator makes his case regardless, saying, “Guys, you gotta stop overpaying for tires. As you can see, you can get four brand-new Nitto Ridge Grapplers for $1,500 from my shop. We do charge installation. It’s $25 per tire. So, if you’re just picking up, it’s $1,500. If you get it installed, it’s only $1600. That’s $1,000 less than Discount [Tire].”
So, why buy Discount?
A Reddit thread in 2021 covering life in Ann Arbor, Michigan, got on the topic of Discount Tire.
One happy customer shared, “I am a loyal Discount Tire customer because when I was 20, I thought I needed new tires on my car. When they went out to take a look, the guy said, ‘Your tires are perfectly fine. You won’t need new tires for a while.’ He also taught me how to check the tread. He had an opportunity to take advantage of a naive 20-year-old woman and instead sent her on her way. And for that, they got a loyal customer (and they have always been really nice and professional in all my dealings with them since).”
Another shared an anecdote about getting a slow leak in a tire, getting it patched there, and wondering what the repair would cost. “The guy said, ‘No charge, just think of us in the future for your tires.’ I was floored, and I’m happy to keep on shopping there.”
The ubiquitousness of Discount Tire is also a relief to customers when they’re traveling. If you, for instance, blow out a tire in Albuquerque, New Mexico, while picking up your kid from his first semester of college, as this reporter once did, it’s possible to replace the tire the next morning and have it completely covered by the certificate program.
@surplustireshtx Texas Car Owners, Lisen Up 🤠#texas #htx #tires ♬ original sound – surplustires
Sparking debate
The video created lively debate about Discount Tire.
“Discount pokes your eyes out!” one claimed. “They used to be the place to go but not anymore!”
Another, however, challenged the creator by saying, “But no warranty at all. I can take my tire to discount if it blows out or has a slow leak and I get a new one for nothing. can you do that?”
Someone else countered by claiming, “Tire warranties are bs from discount..you pay per tire for road hazard then 45 deductable to replace..by the time you pay those and maybe replace 1 tire you lose money.”
But another said, “I just replaced 2 tires and didn’t have to pay no deductible. so don’t know what y’all are talking about.”
And someone else chimed in, “If it’s unrepairable it’s only 45$. I travel a lot so you can do this at any of their stores nationwide.”
Discount itself notes on its site, “In a poll of 5,800 customers who redeemed Certificates for Repair, Refund or Replacement, 97.1% said they would purchase them again.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Surplus Tires via TikTok direct message and to Discount Tire via email.
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