DIYbanter - View Single Post - Outside edge of front tires stairstepping

Xeno

On 10/07/2017 11:57 AM, wrote:
On Sun, 9 Jul 2017 13:35:42 +0000 (UTC), Chaya Eve
wrote:

On Sun, 9 Jul 2017 20:02:58 +1000, Xeno wrote:

The logic is *you get what you pay for*.

If that were actually true, then you just threw 100 years of Marketing
research out the window.

They teach you in business school that you *never* get what you pay for
(and that the people you want to sell your stuff to are those who *think*
you get what you pay for).

They always tell us to have a "good/better/best" lineup, because people
*want* to pay more for "better" stuff, but at the same time they teach us
about 'economies of scale' where you slightly differentiate the product
(e.g., gold-plated trim) so that people will *think* that it's a better
product (even though it's the same product).

Seriously, if anyone truly thinks that you "get what you pay for", they
have never taken a single marketing class in their life because that
statement is never true.

The correct statement is "you only get what you pay for - if you are
lucky" or " you seldom get more than what you pay for"

Another - "If you want first quality oats you need to be willing to
pay first quality prices - If you are willing to settle for oats that
have already been through the horse, they DO come a little cheaper"

$100 tires that fit a Toyota 4 Runner definitely fall into the "been
through the horse" category

Love your analogy.

Marketing people can influence prices greatly, where all you get is a lot
of marketing when you pay more for something that you can easily get for
less.

Cheap tyres do not perform as well as good quality tyres.

I'm really sorry to have to be blunt with you, but the only people who say
that are people who compare objects by price are those who known nothing
about the object but they do know numbers so that's why they pick price.

The MARKET sets the price. Do you really think, for example, that a $50,000
Rolex Watch tells better time than a $50 Timex watch?

Sometimes they do - and that Timex will not be keeping time 45 years
from now, while the Rolex likely will. My Dad's old Rolex Tutor was
just cleaned and ovehauled - it is 65 years old

A Rolex is something that will be handed down for generations. A Timex
will be lucky to last for a single generation.

I never buy cheap tyres for my car(s).

What you care about in tires is measureable "stuff" such as size, traction,
temperature generation, load range, treadwear, noise, comfort, and
handling.

If you can get better "stuff" for less money, then you're paying more for
worse tires.

You do not know ANYTHING about tires.

I too have come to that conclusion.

The iron-clad logic of what I say is inescapable, although I'm never going
to convince anyone who thinks "you get what you pay for" that they are
falling for the oldest trick in the (marketing) book so I do not expect you
to believe a word I am saying.

I have used a LOT of different tires in the millions of miles I've
driven over the last 50 years, and I've sold and installed THOUSANDS
for hundreds - even thousands of customers over the years. There ARE
some reasonably decent quality low priced tires today - but for a
LITTLE more money you can buy significantly higher quality tires - and
for a LOT more money you can buy tires slightly better than that. It's
the rule of diminishing returns - - -

My rule is never buy the cheapest or the most expensive ANYTHING- you
are ultimately over-paying for both. The cheapest doesn't do the job,
so you don't get anywhere near your money's worth - and when you buy
more expensive or better than you need, you do not gain as much as the
difference in price would indicate - so you also do not get your
money's worth.

When the OEMs wear out, I usually fit
Michelins which I have found are not a great deal dearer than the OEM,
and in some cases cheaper, but they grip like baby**** on a blanket. To
me, grip on the road is a factor worth paying for. If you buy tyres on
price alone, you are doing yourself a disservice.

Where did I ever say I buy *anything* on price alone?
Price has a LARGE influence if you are buying $100 tires for your 4
Runner - even with the difference between pricing in Canada and the
USA.

Do I look like a person who doesn't use logic when making spending
decisions?

Your logic in approaching this problem leaves a LOT to be improved
------

I took too many marketing classes in school to fall for a price-only
comparison. The only things you buy on price alone are commodities.

And even then, you don't. Computers and electronics are "commodities"
today - and largely cars and tires today as well.

Depending on your perspective, anything (even tires) can be considered a
commodity - but you and I both do not consider tires to be a commodity.

Their price structure and marketing makes them "commodities"

Propane fuel is a commodity to many people but that doesn't stop marketing
organizations from trying to differentiate their product line (which is
what marketing organizations do). To me, propane from supplier X is the
same as propane from supplier Y even though supplier X might try to tell me
their trucks are prettier or faster or somehow better than supplier Y.

If tires were a commodity to you and to me, then buying on price would be
fine - but neither of us thinks that tires are a commodity.

This is basic marketing 101 so if I'm wrong, then the past thousand years
of business teaching is all wrong and you're right that "you get what you
pay for".

To a very significant extent, "marketing 101" has missed the mark and
misguided much of the last 2 generations.

--

Xeno