Negotiator Tires

mynissan01

I went in for a front end alignment and the tire shop sold me four Negotiator Tires (made by Ohtsu)for $300.00. I drove away feeling like I had been ripped off and could have gotten a better brand for a few $ more. Can I drive back there and return them? And have you ever heard of this brand?

tecman4

Well if they ride fine I would just drive on them and forget about it.
300 is not too bad if that included mounting and balancing.
I looked up the brand, they are a Chinese company that makes tires for different brands.
Just because you never heard of them doesn't mean they are bad tires, sometimes you pay more money for because of a brand name, I've had good luck with Cooper tires

Triedaq

If you aren't experiencing any vibration or other tire problems, I guess I wouldn't worry about the brand. I don't know about the price you paid. I had never heard of the Sumotoma brand, but a friend of mine lost his job as a full time minister of music in a church when the church reduced its full time staff, so he took a job at National Tire and Battery. I needed tires and he depended on commission sales, so I decided to buy tires from him. They have worked well in over a year and a half of driving.
Back in 1951, my dad needed to replace the tires on his 1949 Dodge. The service station that took care of his car couldn't get the 7.10 X 15 tire in the Goodyear line that it handled. Tires were a little difficult to get because of the Korean conflict. My dad bought two Davis Deluxe tires at Western Auto (this was Western Auto house brand). A couple of months later he was able to buy 2 Goodyear tires. The Davis Deluxe tires cost less and surprisingly, outlasted the Goodyear tires. I purchased tires from a store now out of business called Quality Farm and Fleet. They sold a tire called Duralon which was made by Dayton tire. These tires were much better than the Firestone 721 radials that came on my car as original equipment.

I think you will be fine if you keep the tires inflated properly and rotate them according to your owner's manual. The shop that sold you the tires should handle any tire warranty problems that arise.

mynissan01

The grand total was $337.00 and that also included a front end alignment, so I guess it is a pretty good deal.

mynissan01

Actually this make is Ohtsu, a Chinese manufacturer. And they do ride fine, so I won't worry about the brand. My driving is mostly around town so they should last.

Triedaq

Just a side note about brand names--we received an expensive Sunbeam toaster for a wedding present. After 5 years, one heating element burned out. The four heating elements were wired so that each pair was in series. I took the toaster apart and the elements were riveted into the frame and made replacement impossible. I used the toaster by toasting the bread on one side then turning the bread over to toast it on the other side. I finally got tired of doing this and bought a cheap toaster at the drug store for under $10. It lasted 20 years and worked just fine.

UncleTurbo

If the total includes sales tax along with the alignment, you got good prices. If the tires are decent you should do fine.

Carveaholic

You should be fine. I Bought a set of uniroyals for my civic, and they lasted 100,000 miles I drove it to the junk yard with those very tires on it. I think with a front end alignment it cost me $350.00ish. You got a deal. If they don't last don't buy them again, for the time being enjoy the money you saved.

stanlegl

As for your concerns on the Negotiator tires you purchased, I don't think you have a thing to worry about. I bought a PT Cruiser used that had these tires on it and have had excellent wear and reliability. I don't know how many miles the tires had on them when I got the car, but my we have put better than 30K on them and they still have good tread left.

Whitey

Cheap tires are not necessarily bad tires. It isn't as though you drive something with a high center of gravity, like an SUV. Your car should be fine with these tires.

karl sieger

I agree that cheap tires are not necessarily bad. Ohtsu has been around for decades. When I used to change truck tires I'd come across them occasionally. Conversely, Firestone are a major brand name and I won't buy them.