I tried to get a Michelin dealership about twenty years ago. They came out and bluntly told me that I would be able to buy tires cheaper from others than through Michelin.

Whatever kickback you are talking about has to do with volume. I buy low speed sedan Michelins from a distributer over night for about the same price as I get wholesale from Tirerack (we are an authorized tirerack installer), but when it comes to Hi Speed tires my local distributer can't touch Tirerack. Has to do with volume.

I can tell you that with competative pricing one can only get about 15-20% mark-up on Michelins. Anybody else usually can be bought so cheap that 30-50% margins are the norm.

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Steve Brotherton
Continental Imports
Gainesville FL
Bosch Master, ASE Master, L1
33 years MB technician