Wanted to share this which may not be widely known (I didn't know it) but useful to someone here... apparently it is national policy for the Discount Tire chain to fix someone's flat for free if it's able to be safely fixed, when most places will probably quote you $25-30 or something alot of the time.

I've asked about this service twice so far at different places, once on a Saturn and once on an Accord. My Saturn tire was unfixable but would have been free if it had been, I just got newer tires there since they were old anyway. On the accord it was more of a slow leak they fixed anyway - i'd gotten new tires from walmart, who did a poor job mounting them (didnt polish the rims down so they had a chronic slow leak) and Discount Tire pulled the tire, polished the rim, remounted it, and balanced the tire for no charge.

They apparently do this because it creates goodwill, just asking to consider them when you next need tires, with no additional sales pitch or crap. The quoted prices for new tires when I got them werent the cheapest for my commuter cars, but they negotiated down to comparable to anybody and their flat repair policy was the best i've heard - if someone else fixes it, bring them the receipt and they'll reimburse you what it cost. (since there isnt a D.T. everywhere nationwide)


Just thought this might help someone traveling or just trying to get to work who like me runs out of paycheck before they run out of month like me. :- P

 

I'd say half of my flats in the last 15 years required a new tire. Puncture in the sidewall or the very edge of the tread. One even needed a new rim. Last summer i needed to put about 10 psi every month or two in the Corvair, I decided to pull the wheel off and get a closer look. There was a screw in the edge of the tread/sidewall. The scary part was I was putting up with this for several years.

While that's great they do the free repair, they no doubt make up for in in new tire sales if my history is average.

Thanks for the post.