Better online or through dealer?

[ohthreezee]

I can't decide if its better to order my wheels and tires online or just go through a dealer. What do you guys think? What are pros and cons of each?

[chevydeth]

Online is usually cheaper from what I've seen. (Especially if free shipping is involved). But with a dealer you can see the product in person.

[cancritter]

l like cheap but like to see what lm buying if l can..if l dont like l dont pay...no surprises..both have thier advantages

[Chevy Fireman]

big purchases i got through a dealer, lucky my boss is a dealer of car/truck parts so i only pay wholesale price. its usally the same or less than retail online after shipping cost.

[mikeharris]

I bought mine online and saved over a grand from shops around here. It was a tough decision but with saving all that money I had to do it.
I havent got them yet so we will see if it was a good or bad idea soon I guess

[SlowS10]

for cheap prices id say buy on line. but as far as warrenty wise you'll end up going in circles if something isn't right.

going to a local shop may be expensive but you have to ask yourself if the headache is really worth it to you. either way your still making a big purchase.

[Joe]

Buy them at a local dealer. Even if it costs a little more, this does two things:
1. Helps support local business
2. Makes any return MUCH easier and less hassle. Dealing with something as big as wheels or tires, this can save you a real headache if you need to return anything

[gotnitro]

Originally Posted by Joe

Buy them at a local dealer. Even if it costs a little more, this does two things:
1. Helps support local business
2. Makes any return MUCH easier and less hassle. Dealing with something as big as wheels or tires, this can save you a real headache if you need to return anything

But, if you just want to save them few extra dollars, i would go find the rims and tires at a local shop and give them a good look over to make sure they are what you want. Just because not all the time you can tell what your exactly getting, and returning them would be a pain.

[Helf8704]

That is biggest thing on big heavy items like wheels and tires and others. If you have any problems or warranty issues, good luck getting help without spending a ton to ship them back.

[mikeharris]

Alright so I orderes wheels and tires friday. I ordered them from eBay but from an ebay store, so I thought all would be good, especially considering the seller claimed he had like 20 packages available. All of the money was taken out of my account instantly, and now I get an email this morning from the seller saying that he is out of stock and has returned the money.
I'm thinkin why did you claim you had them in the first place then (and they are still available saying he has like 7 left or somethin WTF!!) then I wanna know why he did this without askin rather than give me a choice to refund it or hold it til he gets more wheels in.
Well the money is still not in my account and paypal telld me it could take up to 30 days! and the seller tells me he will have more available in about a week. So now I am waiting for a couple grand to be given back to me so I can order the wheels.
I gambled and as of now I have lost, needless to say I am f***in pissed!

I imagine if you go through an online dealer rather than ebay you will have better luck, now I remember why I have never been one to buy off ebay or any other online store.

Hope this helps a little bit

[Stonebreaker]

That sucks, I was just about to order some wheels off of Ebay to save $300. I think the difference is now worth the extra cash to have better customer service. Keep us posted on this.

[mikeharris]

Will do. For $300 def consider just goin local. Or ask the seller just to make sure if they have everything in stock, had I thought about it I wouldn't be in this situation myself. Just be careful I guess

[Sierra Stud]

Dealer.

[ohthreezee]

Originally Posted by snowman_audio

Online, it will be cheaper. I would suggest rimzoneonline.com

Great site! They have the wheels I want the cheapest I've been able to find online

[mikeharris]

Alright so I already got my money back, only like 3 days I think. I am surprised and am alot happier now. So I ordered wheels and tires again, I guess we'll just wait and see if thhis time comes out to be a good idea. But just depending on the price I would still suggest local dealer.