How to Buy Car Tires Online [AN OC GUIDE]
It may seem strange to buy tires online. You might imagine a set of four large tires arriving by courier and then you have to pack them up and transport them to your local installer for fitting.
What’s the point? You may ask.
Why not just book your vehicle in at the local tire center and have it all done there?
Well as this guide will show, it doesn’t quite work like that. You can buy tires online and have the benefit of the wide selection available at often greatly discounted costs, and have them delivered directly to your installer of choice.
Once they arrive, you drive your car in and within an hour your new wheels are fitted.
So instead of being limited to the tires available at your local tire dealership, you will have the choice, time, and range to get the brand and type of tire you want.
With no one breathing down your neck trying to make the deal.
So with the why out of the way, let’s take a look at the how.
Steps to buying tires online
Find a retailer
There’s no shortage of tire sales retailers online. Here’s the top 4 when you type in ‘Buy Tires Online’ into Google:
You can also buy tires directly from some of the larger, well-known brands such as Michelin and Goodyear, (to name but a few).
Another great place to buy tires online is Amazon.com. As with all areas of e-commerce, the behemoth has a wide selection of tires available for all types of vehicles.
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Choose your tires
The next step is to choose the tires you want to buy. Many of these online retailers will have such a wide selection of options available that it can get a little confusing or even intimidating.
Reading reviews such as you might find here on OutdoorChief (See our latest tire review round-ups here), as well what customers have had to say previously is always a good idea.
That being said, if you are happy with the performance and life span of your current tires, you can opt for the same set again.
Know your tire size
Once you have done your research and found a tire that meets your needs and budget, you will need details of your current tire size to ensure that you buy the correct ones.
This is done on most retailer websites by allowing you to enter the year, make and model of your car.
The website will then tell you if your selected tire will fit or not, (or will point you in the direction of a sales page for a variation that will fit.
This saves you the trouble of trying to understand the long string of letters you will find in car manual or on the side of the tire that designate exactly the type and size of the tire.
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Take time to shop around
The beauty of buying tires online is that once you have found a model of tire you are interested in, and check that there is a version that fits your vehicle, you can then easily shop around to see where you can buy the tire for the best price.
Using the SKU of the item, (or other specific tire model data) you can compare the total amount you will need to pay (plus tax and shipping) across a range of retailers.
Whoever is providing the most cost-effective deal, should receive your money.
Choose an installer
Depending on where you live you may be spoilt for choice with installers or have very little locally.
Where possible select an installer with the best reviews and prices that is convenient for you to reach
After purchasing your tires online, you can set up an appointment with the installer after the product has arrived.
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Have your tires fitted
Finally, once the tires have been shipped and arrived (either at your home or at the installers) you can have them fitted, balanced and you’ll be ready to go.