Tire Rack: A Great Place for Tire Shopping, but Mediocre Selection on Other Goods
Written: Feb 15 '06 (Updated Oct 24 '06)
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When I’m looking for certain products or services, the first place I check is the internet. I have made probably more than two hundred on- line purchases since I first got to know the internet back in the 1990’s and it has served me well as an easy, convenient resource for purchasing everything from airline tickets to baby diapers.
But there are some products that many people hesitate to purchase on- line, and I am one of those people who is reluctant to buy certain types of merchandise via the internet. Clothing is one thing that comes to mind. Another example is furniture. A third example of merchandise that doesn’t seem wise to buy on- line is tires and yet there are some good web sites on- line for buying these types of products. One such site is Tire Rack, an on- line store for vehicle tires, wheels, and more.
What Does This Site Offer?:
Tire Rack sells Products in the following categories:
Tires
Wheels
Brakes
Suspension
Air Intake Sytems
Apparel
Automobile Models
Gift Certficates
Lighting
Vehicle Maintenance Products
Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems
Wiper Blades
The site also offers gift certificates for sale and it has a newsletter that consumers can register to receive via e-mail (you have to create a personal account to use this).
Customer Service:
Customer service can be reached by calling 888-353-5082, between 8am and 8pm Eastern time, Monday through Friday; or between 9am and 4pm Eastern time on Saturday. You can also contact customer service with a general question via e-mail. There is an e-mail form to use, within the site, for this purpose.
Final Thoughts:
Tire Rack is an on- line store whose primary product is tires for self- installation on vehicles. I have used web sites like Tire Rack in the past to shop for tires, even though I was reluctant to do so. The reason, I suppose, is because I didn’t like the idea of having to mount the tires myself, even though I knew I could save a bundle by making the purchase via the internet and performing the labor on my own time.
Since I enjoy automotive related web sites very much, I decided a few months ago that Tire Rack was a web site I needed to check out. I had no need to purchase tires, but I logged in anyway, hoping I could find some other useful products for sale. I have surfed on- line stores like this one in the past only to find that they sold nothing but tires and wheels. I was pleasantly surprised at what I found here at Tire Rack On- Line.
Let’s talk first about the tires. Tires are the main item of merchandise sold at this site and there are hundreds of sizes and styles to choose from. The brand names offered include Avon, BF Goodrich, Bridgestone, Continental, Dunlop, Firestone, Fusion, General, Goodyear, Hoosier, Kumho, Michelin, Pirelli, Sumitomo, Uniroyal, and Yokohama. Tires can be searched by brand name, by size, or by entering your make and model and waiting for Tire Rack to suggest some tires that are appropriate for your particular car or truck.
To help customers find the right tire, there is a helpful Tire decision guide. Customers enter the make, model, year, desired tire size, and then answer a few other questions about the intended use of the tires (like whether they will be driven on snow, how important tread life is, etc.). Tire Rack will then display a list of tires that fit one’s individual preferences. There is also some helpful buying information, such as reviews of tires, test results, and survey results. And for those who would rather pay someone else to do the installation, there is an on- line tool to find a professional installer in your area.
To help with finding the appropriate merchandise for your vehicle, you also have the option of saving the make, model, and year of your car in the Tire Rack site. With this information saved, Tire Rack will help steer you toward the best tires, wheels, and other items for your specific type of vehicle. In order to perform this function, you need to establish an account first. This is simple, and involves setting up a user name and password. This makes future shopping a breeze, because you can quickly select the saved vehicle from your “garage” and find the tires and other parts that fit your specific vehicle more quickly.
Tires, as I stated before, are the main reason people come to this site but Tire Rack sells other merchandise too. Consumers can buy brake pads, rotors, cleaning agents, wiper blades, wheel covers, even clothing. When I logged into this site for the first time, I skipped the tires and went directly to other merchandise. I needed some new wiper blades and some car washing fluid. Both are sold here, but the car wash fluid was too expensive and there were too few choices. Wiper blades were also scarce, with only about six different blades to select from. But the prices here were more competitive so I continued with my merchandise search.
Shipping prices in this site could spoil the party for many customers. Shipping is determined at check- out when you enter your zip code. The shipping methods offered include UPS Ground, Fed Ex 2- day, and Fed Ex 3- day. The shipping prices can make small purchases uneconomical. Say for example that you want to purchase some clothing and other small things that have a total price of $40. The least expansive shipping option- UPS Ground- will add about $10 to your total- a 25 percent increase over the base cost of your order. On more expensive orders, the percentage is much more tolerable. On a $400 tire purchase, for example, the same UPS Ground will add $40 to the total- a 10 percent increase over the base cost. Considering the convenience you get, this isn’t too bad. And there is no sales tax (unless you live in Indiana or some other state where the merchandise is shipped from), making Tire Rack a good choice for on- line purchasing in states with a high sales tax rate. Note that tire disposal fees and excise taxes could come into play, based in where you live. But since these taxes would have to be paid whether you buy on- line or not, they shouldn’t factor into your decision to purchase on- line.
With Tire Rack, merchandise did arrive in the promised amount of time. It took three days after ordering (the UPS promised time is two business days, so considering that I placed my order in the evening, this was acceptable), which was what I expected. I cannot comment on the speed of delivery with respect to tires but I can say that the other merchandise is delivered in the promised amount of time. There is an on- line tracking system to use within the site. It lets you see exactly where your merchandise is located so you can gauge when it will arrive at your home.
Overall, Tire Rack on- line store is a good place to shop for tires, wheels, brakes, and general automotive merchandise. The site offers good customer service and its only major strike is its lack of merchandise choices in some of the categories. There are plenty of tires to choose from, but options in areas like cleaning fluids, tools, and other areas are very limited.
I have shopped for tires on- line in the past and it was a good experience, even if I was a little hesitant to make a web- based purchase for something so big and bulky. Tire Rack On- line store has plenty to offer when it comes to tires and there is a fair amount of other merchandise for sale as well in most categories. It is a good on- line experience for those who take pride in their car and like to keep it in tip top condition with the best tires, wheels, and wheel covers available.
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Recommended:
Yes
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About the Author
Member: Bryan Carey
Location: Houston, TX
Reviews written: 3611
Trusted by: 1570 members
About Me: Beer Drinker and Libertarian Political Activist. Great Combination, eh?
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