[constipated]

When I was recently at the Tyreright shop ggetting my wheel alignment fixed, I decided I might as well get a quote for tyres just out of interest.

There has been quite a bit of praise for Continental Premium Contact 2 tyres in this forum so I asked about those. I usually get tyres from Tempe Tyres so I did have their price as a reference ($125)
 Continental 2055516 91V ContiPremiumContact 2

So I was a bit shocked when they quoted about $220 per tyre.

I now realise that this is probably because Tempe Tyres parallel imports their tyres. I have bought from them  many times with no issues but was just wondering if other people would have any reservations with parallel imported tyres. Of course if there is a warranty issue with the tyres you have to go back to them rather than contacting the manufacturer.

I have heard that all the tyres are constructed in the same factories whatever the market so it's all the same in the end.

Your thoughts?

[Dazzler]

That is interesting Con, wasn't aware that happened! 

[The Gonz]

I had to Wiki the term 
Parallel import - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[beerman]

I wouldn't have a problem with it, the percentage of failure is low, if they do fail you have the ACCC to go into bat for you with the bloke who sold them to you.

In reality your getting the same tyre without a stupid mark up.

[Shambles]

Wherever the source, whatever the cost, those Conti Premium Contact2 boots are awesome - my new GD came with them wrapped around the alloys, and they're whisper quiet.

[Phil №❶]

I wouldn't have a problem with it, the percentage of failure is low, if they do fail you have the ACCC to go into bat for you with the bloke who sold them to you.

In reality your getting the same tyre without a stupid mark up.

But are you getting the same tyre.

Surely, the recipe for the components in the rubber of the tyre are a trade secret. So altough it's branded with a popular name, it may be a very different tyre on the road.

Bit like an Asian Rolex IMO.

[beerman]

Same tyre, just brought from outside the approved importers network. It has to be, the names are a trademark.

If there is a spelling mistake in the name (like Palsonic) run a mile.

My Diswashing tablets have been parallel imports for years....

[The Gonz]

True parallel imports are non-counterfeit - so says the Wiki link above.

[Phil №❶]

OK, where do we get these parallel imports, Ruby needs tyres soon. 

[TheReaper]

The only thing I dont like, is most shops will charge you full price and put on imports....

[beerman]

OK, where do we get these parallel imports, Ruby needs tyres soon. 

Ebay, the link provided......

[constipated]

Tempe Tyres and a few similar businesses in Sydney do a roaring trade. In the past I couldn't understand why they were so much cheaper than other tyre shops but now have read they directly import the tyres thereby cutting distribution costs.

I'm sure up until I looked at their website today, some of the Continentals they advertised had a suffix CN on the end which made me think they might have come out of a Chinese factory. But a google search suggest that all Continental tyres may now come out of China.

Out of interest, I do have access to Choice Magazine (a consumer organisation magazine which does tests on products for our UK counterparts) and I also enquired about GT Radial Champiro BAX2 tyres (as Tyreright stocked them) which came 4th out of 15 different tyres, and turns out that these are considered a budget tyre and were only about $120 per tyre. They tried to direct me away from these ones. The Continentals, Premium Contact 2 came out 1st. (I've rechecked my original quote, their actual price was $240 per tyre, I guess from Standard distributors).

[constipated]

This is Bridgestone, trying to protect its standard distribution chain.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: PURCHASE OF TYRES FROM REPUTABLE OUTLETS
http://www.bridgestone.com.au/media/articles/p1527.aspx

[rustynutz]

Just a heads up, Con....

The Continental tyres that you've heard good things about aren't just those that you've posted up...

The ones I'm using are ContiComfortContact 5's....

Continental Tyres Australia & New Zealand -ContiComfortContact? 5

From memory I paid $153 per tyre..... 

[beerman]

So in short, you have a warranty, just with a different person.

Oh and they take the time to engineer their factory in China to make a few tyres for Australia (not).

[Dazzler]

That is interesting Con, wasn't aware that happened! 

Just to clarify, I knew about parallel imports (but I thought it was only for Dishwashing Tablets, toothpaste, coffee and stuff like that) which in some cases I have found to be different or inferior .. which makes me a little wary! 

[constipated]

Just a heads up, Con....

The Continental tyres that you've heard good things about aren't just those that you've posted up...

The ones I'm using are ContiComfortContact 5's....

Continental Tyres Australia & New Zealand -ContiComfortContact? 5

From memory I paid $153 per tyre..... 

Thanks,
given I'm hearing impaired and noise is an important factor, I may try these as Continental seem to emphasise the low noise.

What has been your experience noise-wise with this tyre.

At Tempe they are $5 cheaper at $120 per tyre than the Premium Contact 2. (205/55/R16)

Anyway this is all out of interest as I (cross my fingers) probably have another year/15,000km out of my tyres. Hoping to make 60,000km with the current Kumho Solus KH15 original tyres. They are quite noisy now that they are past 1/2 worn.

[rustynutz]

They are noticeably quieter, Con... 

Doggie 1 got to drive my car last year and he reckons they are quieter as well.

[Surferdude]

We've had this discussion before.
Parrallel Imports in tyres CAN be very different.
You need to realise that there are something like (the last time I saw a figure) 500+ tyre manufacturing plants in China.
Some of those plants make tyres for the local (Asian) markets where standards are not the same as those in other more developed countries.
So, a tyre of a certain brand name (pick one - any one) may be made in China (or India or Thailand or Malaysia or Taiwan and so on) for the Asian market with less or less expensive components in it and cheaper rubber compunds (without getting into a highly technical expalantion here - there can be dozens of individual components in a car tyre).
Unfortunately there are NO Federal Government safeguards in place to prevent someone in Australia going to a large tyre wholesaler in Asia (generally Singapore) and buying container loads of these tyres.

Please note, I am not saying Tempe or anyone else does this, just that it happens.

Buyer beware.

Having said all that, yes the larger tyre companies generally set bigger markups on their products. Some of that goes in their distribution infrastructure, some into ensuring satisfactory after sales service for any problems and maintaining a network of suppliers around the country so that if you are travelling you don't have to cart a loose tyre back to where you bought it for a claim.
And some goes into more profit.

[Dazzler]

Thanks Trev! 

[constipated]

You need to realise that there are somethibest ike (the last time I saw a figure) 500+ tyre manufacturing plants in China.
Some of those plants make tyres for the local (Asian) markets where standards are not the same as those in other more developed countries.
So, a tyre of a certain brand name (pick one - any one) may be made in China (or India or Thailand or Malaysia or Taiwan and so on) for the Asian market with less or less expensive components in it and cheaper rubber compunds (without getting into a highly technical expalantion here - there can be dozens of individual components in a car tyre).

Trev, is there anything to say that the factory that the official Australian distributor buys it from is necessarily the best factory compared to the others.

[Surferdude]

You need to realise that there are somethibest ike (the last time I saw a figure) 500+ tyre manufacturing plants in China.
Some of those plants make tyres for the local (Asian) markets where standards are not the same as those in other more developed countries.
So, a tyre of a certain brand name (pick one - any one) may be made in China (or India or Thailand or Malaysia or Taiwan and so on) for the Asian market with less or less expensive components in it and cheaper rubber compunds (without getting into a highly technical expalantion here - there can be dozens of individual components in a car tyre).

Trev, is there anything to say that the factory that the official Australian distributor buys it from is necessarily the best factory compared to the others.

Unfortunately no.
I probably should have pointed out that a lot of those factories are also capable of making the same tyre to different specs.

At the end of the day, if you've dealt with somewhere before and been happy with their service and product, you should stay with them.

[Phil №❶]

Thanks Trev, this was what I was trying to say, without the experience to back it up.

If I understand you correctly, it IS possible for Continental to allow different rubber compounds or steel components to be used under their brand name, to supply a particular market and that parallel importing is a method of getting cheaper "quality" tyres, into other markets to gain a significant price advantage.

So where is a top quality Continental tyre manufactured

[Surferdude]

Thanks Trev, this was what I was trying to say, without the experience to back it up.

If I understand you correctly, it IS possible for Continental to allow different rubber compounds or steel components to be used under their brand name, to supply a particular market and that parallel importing is a method of getting cheaper "quality" tyres, into other markets to gain a significant price advantage.

So where is a top quality Continental tyre manufactured

Unless they come out of Europe, I can't say unfortunately.

[Dazzler]

Trouble is some people don't give a continental about Quality!