Will Discount Tire Buy Used Tires? What You Need To Know

If you are trying to decide where to buy your next set of tires, you may wonder if Discount Tire will buy your used tires. As with most things related to our cars, tires aren’t cheap.

Not only that, it’s pretty intimidating for most of us when it comes time to replace them. If getting a little money back in our pockets when replacing our old tires is possible, it would be great to know that before walking into the tire store. 

Does Discount Tire Buy Used Tires?

Unfortunately, Discount Tire does not buy used tires because they are oftentimes not safe, they are hard to resell, and the company has a strong reputation to uphold that could be tarnished if they began buying and selling used tires.

Trying to figure out if your tires are ready to be replaced and where you should go to do it is a bit overwhelming. You want to ensure you’ve gotten the most tire for your money, and it would be great to get a little cash back if your tires are still in reasonable shape.

But don’t be upset with the Discount Tire store. They have a rational and understandable reason for why it’s company policy not to buy used tires from their customers. 

As a car enthusiast, I love researching anything related to vehicles of all types. I also enjoy getting information out to people who may not like dealing with cars as much as I do.

Making sure there is solid information out there about tire replacement means you will walk into the next tire shop feeling empowered and informed.

What You Need To Know About Selling Used Tires 

Discount Tire was started in the early 60s and has always prided itself on being a high-quality tire retailer with a strong desire to provide excellent customer service and to treat people with equal fairness and respect when they walk in the door.

But some customers would suggest that it isn’t fair that Discount Tire won’t buy back used tires when they sell new ones.

Many would argue that tires are expensive, and it seems only right that Discount Tire would offer them some compensation for their used tires. 

But Discount Tire sees it differently. Read on to understand why they stand behind their policy not to buy used tires and only sell new ones. 

1. Used Tires are Oftentimes Not Safe

Perhaps the biggest reason that Discount Tire won’t buy back used tires is that used tires are often no longer safe to install on another vehicle. 

It makes sense. 

It’s rare that most of us head out to purchase new tires when we still have perfectly fine ones on our vehicles.

Sure, there are those who really enjoy customizing their vehicles and will go out and buy specialized tires for aesthetic reasons or for off-roading fun. But let’s be honest…most of us are going to stick with the same tires for as long as we can.

So, that being said, it would be difficult, and maybe even unethical, for Discount Tire to be in the business of selling used tires. 

A company like Discount Tire knows that as tires age, they wear in a way that’s specific to the vehicle they have been on and adapt to the weight of the car, the typical driving conditions, and speed and breaking habits of the main person who is driving on them. Tires get tears and punctures,

This means that the tires you want Discount Tire to buy from you have worn down in a way that’s specific to you, your driving tendencies, and your car. 

Tires are a bit like snowflakes…no two are exactly the same. 

(This is part of the reason why tire stores encourage you to rotate your tires every 6 months. By rotating the front to the back, you are getting a longer lifespan out of those tires.)

2. They Are Hard to Resell

Just like most of us don’t purchase new tires until our old ones are about to give up the ghost, most of us also don’t want to buy tires that are on their last legs. And be sure to get a set of four new tires when you buy new tires.

Suppose we are going to go through the hassle of taking our car to the shop, paying to have it assessed, and our old tires uninstalled.

In that case, it makes sense we probably don’t want to invest money (even if it’s less money) in something we will have to buy again soon.

We all know that a new set of tires will last us for probably 60,000 to 80,000 miles (which is usually around 6 to 8 years), so we know when we buy a new set of tires, there’s a good chance they will last until we are ready to sell the car. 

The other reason it’s hard for Discount Tire to resell used tires is for the same reason they don’t want to buy them – most consumers don’t know enough about tires to know if the used ones are safe or not.

Just like Discount Tire can’t guarantee a used set of tires is going to perform efficiently and effectively, a buyer of used tires can’t predict that either.

So, most people will wait until they have to buy tires and decide to buy new ones. (Even when it’s painful in the pocket!)

3. Discount Tire Has a Strong Reputation to Uphold

As I touched on earlier, Discount Tire is a well-established, independent company that’s been around for over 60 years. They believe strongly in their products and know their customers do, too.

If Discount Tire was to start selling used tires, especially used tires they hadn’t sold originally, their reputation could be in question if and when customers had any issues with the used tire. 

And, since used tires are unpredictable when installed on different cars, it would be extremely hard for Discount Tire to be able to stand behind or guarantee the used tires when they sold them to their customers.

You may be thinking: “But wait…lots of things get sold gently used all the time and it doesn’t affect other companies’ reputations!”

But remember this…tires wear differently on different vehicles, with different drivers, under different conditions.  

Discount Tire would have no way of knowing how a set of used tires are going to perform on a car that is different from the one they originally came from. 

Another thing to remember is that – even though many things get sold after being used, tires are one of the items that we rarely sell until we absolutely have to. 

Can you sell tires to Discount Tire?

The conclusion to all of this is – no. Discount Tire will not buy your used tires. If your tires aren’t very old or you bought them from Discount Tire and you are an established customer, they may trade them in for you and give you a small credit toward your purchase of new tires for the trade-in. 

But they are not going to buy old used tires from you.

How much does Discount Tire charge for tire disposal?

Discount Tire is very clear about its commitment to recycling old tires and promises to do the same with yours. 

You will have to pay a nominal fee ($5 – $10 per tire, depending on where you live) to help pay for disposal, but most consumers would agree this is worth it, as tires are one of the biggest waste products and can be recycled quite easily.