Tirerack experiences?

[walbjj]

Yes, received them, took 5 days. Ordered on a sat. Came in that friday

[yowie]

ok, this is to quell all the misinformation being thrown around, i contacted roger@tirerack, who ive bought from a few times and he sent me this

Thanks for your inquiry. Unfortunately, you are correct, we are no longer able to export the following tire brands due to a new export requirement when shipping tires to Australia.


B. F. Goodrich

Bridgestone

Continental

Firestone

Fuzion

General

Hankook

Michelin

Pirelli

Toyo

Uniroyal

Yokohama


The only tires we can currently ship would include Dunlop's, Goodyear's, Kumho's, and Sumitomo's, So, if you can work with one of the remaining brand's I would be more than happy to quote!

This doesn't make much sense. What is the new 'requirement' they speak of? And who has legal authority to impose such a thing?
It sounds and looks like re-seller pressure on manufacturers to maintain profits, which, if proved, would be collusion to overcome the objects of the US -Australia Free Trade Agreement.
I am very happy with my Conti DWs and with the price.
I couldn't be bothered complaining to ACCC by calling 1300 302502. Others may.
When needed, we will just engage a third-party purchaser.

[walbjj]

This doesn't make much sense. What is the new 'requirement' they speak of? And who has legal authority to impose such a thing?
It sounds and looks like re-seller pressure on manufacturers to maintain profits, which, if proved, would be collusion to overcome the objects of the US -Australia Free Trade Agreement.
I am very happy with my Conti DWs and with the price.
I couldn't be bothered complaining to ACCC by calling 1300 302502. Others may.
When needed, we will just engage a third-party purchaser.

in case u havent been following what goes on, say for example, michelin intl appoints a distributor in australia, michelin australia. they r given the licence to distribute and sell michelin tyres (at great expense i assume). so they r going along quite dandy until consumers catch wind that they can bu the exact same michelin tyres from overseas for much cheaper. michelin aust asks michelin intl what the deal is, seeing as they paid a lot of money for the distribution rights for aust. michelin intl will try to appease michelin aust by "restricting" sales of said tyres from say for example, north america to anywhere else in the world.
so all the nth american michelin resellers r told that they can have their allotment revoked if they r found to sell to australian or overseas customers. this fear of god is enough for them to stop.
thats it in a nutshell. happens with a lot of consumer goods. its just the way it is.

[yowie]

I agree, practically that is probably how it is.
The question is whether it would withstand legal scrutiny since the FTA came into effect in 2008.
The thrust of the Agremeent, below, is clearly to create a single market without regard to local considerations.
If however, the GST invades internet transactions as is being suggested, it may be our government has incentive enough to do something about it.

Australia-US Free Trade Agreement.

Article 10.1 : Scope and Coverage

1. This Chapter applies to measures adopted or maintained by a Party affecting cross-border trade in services by service suppliers of the other Party. Such measures include measures affecting:

(a) the production, distribution, marketing, sale, and delivery of a service;

(b) the purchase or use of, or payment for, a service;
...

Article 10.4 : Market Access

Neither Party may adopt or maintain, either on the basis of a regional subdivision or on the basis of its entire territory, measures that:

...

(b) restrict or require specific types of legal entity or joint venture through which a service supplier may supply a service.

[BottomScratcher]

I agree, practically that is probably how it is.
The question is whether it would withstand legal scrutiny since the FTA came into effect in 2008.

One of the four things the Australian constitution assures is free trade between the states, but try to take a truckload of cigarettes across the Qld/NSW border and see how you go at the heavy vehicle checking station.

Legal standings aside, and bearing in mind that the tyres most of us here would want to buy from the US are not US products anyhow, companies such as TireRack aren't going to bother spending a motza on legal fees against a foreign tyre corporation in order to test a case that would permit them to sell a relative handful of tyres to Australians.....and the tyre corporations know it.

Levi's jeans is another example. USD45 a pair retail in the USA, AUD109.95 here. US stores like Sears, and J.C Penney are told by Levi's not to ship them to Australia to protect the Australian distributor. A top of the range iPhone 5 in the US goes for USD399 and AUD999 here. When ordered online they both ship from the same place in China. So much for the US being the champion of capitalism in the free world. FTAs are a joke. Particularly with the USA, which I don't ever recall doing anything that wasn't in its own interests. Have a look at all of the self-serving protectionist measures that were immediately reapplied, and remain in place, as soon as the GFC started to bite. It's not just the US though. It's standard procedure all over. Despite all the talk of a global market place when it comes down to us at the retail consumer level (the bottom of the food chain) the realities are unfortunately quite different.

[walbjj]

Email from tirerack today

Thanks again for your inquiry and once again I apologize for the delay in getting back to you! Just last week some of the restrictions have been lifted and small orders (up to four tires) are starting to go out again. Each order must be reviewed for release, however, every order I have submitted has been approved so far. So if you would like to submit and order for either the Michelin or Pirelli tires, I will do my best to make it happen!


I'm starting to think that maybe it's a ploy by tirerack to push more profitable tire brands or to move over ordered stock. Who knows, as long as its cheap

[seppo]

Email from tirerack today

Thanks again for your inquiry and once again I apologize for the delay in getting back to you! Just last week some of the restrictions have been lifted and small orders (up to four tires) are starting to go out again. Each order must be reviewed for release, however, every order I have submitted has been approved so far. So if you would like to submit and order for either the Michelin or Pirelli tires, I will do my best to make it happen!


I'm starting to think that maybe it's a ploy by tirerack to push more profitable tire brands or to move over ordered stock. Who knows, as long as its cheap

I think you are exactly right and that's a breach of Australian Consumer law, not that any regulator will pursue the issue.

[Perun]

A top of the range iPhone 5 in the US goes for USD399 and AUD999 here. When ordered online they both ship from the same place in China.

Actually, it's US$849. It's $399 on contract.

[HaywireTig]

Email from tirerack today

Thanks again for your inquiry and once again I apologize for the delay in getting back to you! Just last week some of the restrictions have been lifted and small orders (up to four tires) are starting to go out again. Each order must be reviewed for release, however, every order I have submitted has been approved so far. So if you would like to submit and order for either the Michelin or Pirelli tires, I will do my best to make it happen!


I'm starting to think that maybe it's a ploy by tirerack to push more profitable tire brands or to move over ordered stock. Who knows, as long as its cheap

That's excellent update mate. Do you mind sharing your contact person?

[walbjj]

That's excellent update mate. Do you mind sharing your contact person?

roger laughlin.
roger@tirerack.com