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Given today's economy,  it's no surprise that car owners are looking for any way they can to save money. They seek out coupons, deals and rebates more aggressively than they did just a few years ago. Tire dealers understand this therefore, in most tire stores and auto repair shops, deals are so frequent, that  you can't get near a tire store without being bombarded with number of "so called" deals. The question is, are they really that big of a bargain?

Here are some of the most common tire promotional practices as well as what you should watch out for so that you can ask the right questions and be sure you understand exactly what kind of deal you are getting before you say yes.

Typically speaking, there are at least five kinds of deals you will encounter when buying tires:

1. EVERYDAY LOW PRICE - Commitments normally with guarantees.
2. MANUFACTURERS REBATES
3. DISCOUNTED PRICE ON A TIRE - "for a limited time only"
4. BUY X number of tires get X tires FREE
5. BUY X number of tires and get a service FREE or at a discounted price.

Companies that offer EVERYDAY LOW PRICING usually provide a guarantee.  You don't have to worry about what day you buy them, how good of a negotiator you are or whether you know anything about tires.  These retailers are committed to selling you whichever tire you select. at the lowest price they can and still provide their guarantee.

MANUFACTURERS REBATES are very common and are offered on certain Brands and typically only on "qualifying tires" within that brand. In this promotion, you typically will purchase the tires from the retailer at the regular price and after filling out and mailing in the proper paperwork, you will get a rebate or prepaid credit card straight from the manufacturer.  It's hard to screw this up. A reputable tire retailer has no motivation to markup prices or play any games with this type of promotion.

Not surprisingly, almost all of the other types of deals always come with a catch. There truly is NO SUCH THING AS A FREE LUNCH just as there is NO SUCH THING AS A FREE TIRE!  Do you really think that a retailer will sell you 4 tires for the price of 3 or even more ridiculous, 4 tires for the price of 2? If so, we have a bridge we would like to sell you as well.

Here are a few of the WARNING SIGNS you should be looking for to avoid unpleasant surprises when buying new tires:

FIRST WARNING SIGN - Limited choice: What tires are included in the offer? Often the "deal" is limited to certain "no  name" tires or less popular brands.  Sometimes the offer is limited to only "house brand" tires that aren't available anywhere else. You may end up buying a tire that isn't really what you prefer or getting a "house brand" tire  which you can't comparison shop to determine if you are getting a good deal or not.  Retailers who use this approach may list several well known brands in their ads but they are seldom included in their promotions. Remember, when buying tires, choose the right tire for your needs rather than letting the promotion  decide the tire for you.

SECOND WARNING SIGN - Price giveaways that aren't actually giveaways: When a retailer advertises 4 major brand tires for the price of 3, often what they are not telling you is that their price for three tires is usually going to end up higher than what others would charge you for 4. Usually this promotion is for "SELECT TIRES" in other words you are often limited to certain tires that they have in stock.  When you get to the store, they often don't have the tire you wanted to buy.

THIRD WARNING SIGN - Price giveaways where you have to buy other things in order to qualify. In some "so called" deals, you have to buy a "Premium Installation Package along with a One Year Alignment" which is typically much more expensive than what you would be saving on the tires.

FOURTH WARNING SIGN - Unexpected Fees:  Unexpected charges like SHOP or PARTS fees which may be much higher than normal. Ideally, you should find a shop that provides all of this information transparently  and upfront without gimmicks.

Here is the bottom line, be a skeptic about promotions. There are credible tire dealers that offer honest deals. Remember, If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Ask lots of questions and be willing to walk away. It will likely save you money and will insure that you get the best tire for you.