RE: Discount Tire Local

[audidudi@mindspring.com (Jeffrey J. Goggin)]

>I called one of the Discount Tire Stores in the local phone book and asked
>if they were affiliated with the company in the magazine ads ... and was
>told that they were not related.  Are there multiple Discount Tire chains?

Discount Tire is a privately owned (and very, very, VERY profitable)
corporation and its corporate offices are located here in Scottsdale, AZ.  

While Discount Tire Direct is a seperate legal entity, it's owned by the
same family and its offices are a few blocks down the street from those of
Discount Tire.  Here in Arizona, they'll mount your tires free if you can
bring your wheels to their warehouse and in practice, they'll also balance
them for free as well -- I've never been charged, anyway.

There are three Discount Tires within four miles of the Discount Tire Direct
warehouse and they'll reluctantly match DTD's prices if you push them but
they'll gouge you to the tune of $20 per for mounting and balancing on 17"
wheels, which works out to an $8 surcharge over smaller diameter wheels.

Frankly, I've given up on dealing with the local stores -- after damaging my
Ur-Q's rocker panels and scuffing up two of my pearl-white painted wheels, I
think they were equally happy to be rid of me -- and buy everything directly
from DTD's warehouse.  They're much friendlier, more professional and
cheaper to boot!  It's also the only place that I ever get to see 19" and
20" rims and tires up close... :^)

(BTW, Discount Tire's Executive President is a long-standing family friend
so I got my info from the top ... I can't get him to sponsor my racing, though.)
________________________________________________________________________
    _                _
   / |      _| o    | \       _| o  Jeffrey Goggin
  /__| | | / | | __ |  | | | / | |  audidudi@mindspring.com
 /   | |_| \_| |    |_/  |_| \_| |  http://www.mindspring.com/~audidudi/
________________________________________________________________________