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Don’t Let Snow Tire Deals Melt Away
Although it’s tempting to put off thoughts of shopping for winter gear until the first big freeze, that’s the worst time to buy winter tires. That’s because these seasonal items have a very short sales window, generally just October and November. (Based our experience, December might be too late, particularly if you need a common size tire.)
While all-season and even summer-only tires have customers in all 50 states, winter tires are far more region specific. And given the narrower window of time where you need these seasonal tires, it’s pretty easy to understand that manufacturers and retailers want to get them manufactured, shipped, and sold from inventory as quickly as possible. And that’s where snow tire deals enter the picture.
Act Fast for Hot Deals on Cold-Weather Tires
But just because there is a narrow buying window doesn’t mean you can’t get a deal. In fact, the two largest online retailers, Tire Rack and Discount Tire Direct, are offering rebates ranging from $50 to more than $100 on select winter and all-season tires. Other retailers might offer similar rebates or match these offers.
Most of these tire deals are for mainline tires in normal sizes. Some of the tires might be leftovers from last year, but retailers are also stocking up and including some rebates on this year’s latest models.
Of course, some restrictions apply. The Tire Rack offer is applicable only on tires purchased from the in-stock inventory until September 28, 2015. The rebate is in the form of a prepaid credit card, and it is valid only for up to six months; after that, the funds are forfeited.
In addition to those restrictions, Discount Tire Direct goes one step further for its tire deals, requiring you to use a Discount Tire-branded credit card to qualify for the rebate. Interestingly, Discount Tire’s purchase period is quite long, running through March 31, 2016.
In the end, whether you are buying online or in a brick-and-mortar store, buy the freshest tires that you can, no more than two-years old. The date appears on the tire side wall, starting with DOT and the last four number are the week and year of manufacture. And as with any tire purchase, buy four of the same type. Don’t replace just two tires at one time.
For more information, Check our tire buying guide and tire Ratings.
Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.
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