MTFCA Forum

This may be a bit of a rant but I’m just curious about how many folks bought tires in the Coker Garage Sale that has been running for a little over a week. They listed some great deals for early car folks. I ordered 5 30x3.5 white smoothie Firestones & 2 more for a friend very early last week, paid up front over a week ago then yesterday received an email saying they could not fill my order and they would be refunding my money by Sept 2. Mind you I received another email yesterday as a reminder from Coker about the garage sales advertisement again showing the same tire they said they couldn’t send listed among others in the new ad. I called Coker and asked about all this because I was confused. I was told that the tires were “quarantined” because something was wrong with them. I asked them why are you sending emails out showing them for sale if they weren’t.
I also told them not to refund my money and when the stock arrived send me my order, The answer was no because they’re not garage sale tires then. The conversation just became circular and I ended the call in a courteous manner.
I find this whole situation ridiculous on Coker’s part.
I’ve bought dozens of tires from them over the years but this is a first for me. I hope none of you that ordered from them had a similar experience. Best John

Sorry to hear this John. I would think KEEPING your money WOULD maintain this so called "garage sale" status. Sheesh.
Frankly, I've never been a fan of Coker anyway. First and foremost, they seem to think all their tires are "gold". I'm not buying that they make their own...I'm willing to bet those tidy whities are coming from Vietnam just like the 4 Firestone's that I got from Universal in Hershey PA on a REAL DEAL, cause yes they screwed up my previous order last year when I ordered 4 white ribbed, the dude just put it on "estimate" rather than an actual backorder. So I got 4 Firestones at the ribbed price...lots cheaper, AND at 2024 price to boot. Trust me, they're a lot higher now. This may very well be my last set of whities for good ol Clara. I can't justify close to $2K for them the next time. Not worth it.

Just trying to clarify, isn’t Universal just another name for Coker? I think they brought Universal a few years ago.
Just asking. Dan

Yup. Coker and Universal are the same company.

After my brief white tire fling in 2017 I decided they aren't worth the hassle. I found Blockley tyres easy to order and mount, and I believe Blockley sets higher standards for the factory to meet than Coker and Lucas do for theirs.Time will tell about that. Unfortunately the Trump regime has decided to impose an import tax on Blockleys.

Coker is Coker by name only now. It was bought out a few years ago. You can expect changes from new owners. What I don't expect from any of these takeovers is better products, better service and better prices.

Allan from down under.

A few years ago: like 2018

I just ordered 2 tires from Blockley. I don’t see any import duty on my charges. Dan

You could be lucky Dan. Perhaps the administration is still working out how to apply/collect same. Or maybe they are trying to work out the country of origin so they can work out just which beautiful tariff to apply. Who knows?

Allan from down under.

When the United States of America was founded, there was no income tax. The limited and specific functions of the federal government were to be funded by IMPORT DUTIES, that is, by TARIFFS.

Buyouts have been the ruin of many specialty suppliers.

Hey TXGOAT, you are absolutely correct that Income Tax doesn't get applied until the Civil War by Lincoln, but we aren't protecting infant industries under Hamilton's Plan, and this isn't 1790. Did you go for your daily leeches today after your bloodletting?

Lincoln initiated the military draft. The income tax was imposed in 1913. Lincoln was quite dead by that time. Leeches are not an issue unless they get in to public office, which many of them do.