‘Costco charged me $14’: Auto shop worker shares why it really costs $80 to patch your Michelin tires

Alex the Tire Guy (@tiremania) received some flak from TikTokers for the amount he charged a customer to patch their tire.

Throngs of people don't think that $80 is a fair price for a job that many said they typically perform on their own tires for $15-$20.

So Alex decides to address their grievances in a follow-up video where he clearly delineated the repair process. However, upon seeing the amount of work that goes into it, it still didn't seem like folks were convinced.

The sense that people had was that the only reason Alex charged the patron $80 for the patch was due to the $500 original price of the Michelin tire in question.

Why Tire Guy charges $80 for a tire patch

"Why do you charge $80 for a PATCH?!!" a text overlay in the video reads. The message intones the frustration the TikToker's client felt regarding the cost to patch a tire. Alex narrates while physically assessing and showing the tire off in his clip.

His voice over explains the pricing for a procedure that typically costs anywhere from $20-$50, according to Lemonade Insurance. Some retail subscription programs, like Walmart+, package in free tire repairs for subscribers, too.

"But it had a nail in it so I had to repair the nail for him," the tech says, pointing out a rubbery popped pimple. This appears to be the puncture entry point of the nail and what Alex had to fix to make the tire safe for road use. "As you can see it's a really good tire, really expensive Michelin tire. So what I did is I charged him $80 to do the patch."

The mechanic then goes on to address the number of folks left scratching their heads at this price. "And a lot of people are asking why does it cost $80 for a patch. Let me show you why," Alex says.

An $80 patch or a new $500 tire?

Alex argues that the $80 patch job is a good value relative to the total cost of the Michelin tire. "OK, go purchase another tire and spend $500. It's your choice. You either spend $80 and save your beautiful Michelin tire, or you spend $500 for a brand new one."

The clip then transitions to the tech shaking a spray can, which they apply to the puncture area. The puncture area transmogrifies from its light, faded discoloring back to a deeper, black hue that matches the rest of the tire. From here, the repair worker lifts the tire up onto an apparatus.

"So anyway the process was really hard, as you can see we struggled to take the nail off. That's a lot of labor work," he says. As he talks, the tech begins working on the inside of the tire, filing down a marked-off area. "Then we have to sand the tire down to be able to get a nice smooth surface. And then you gotta clean it with that little wire brush," he says, explaining the work in the video.

From the looks of it, Alex engages in multiple stages of sanding down the area to ready it for the repair. "Wire brush to clear all the debris and contamination. The next step is you put glue and the best way to dry is with fire." The tech then takes a lighter to the area, which causes a quick puff of flame to emit from the area. He lets it linger for a bit before blowing it out. "You set it aflame and then you blow it out. Then you go ahead and apply the patch and give it a nice press with your thumbs." He affixes a circular patch to the area he just set fire to and then fine tunes this part of the repair process.

"After that you're gonna use the roller to roll it in. Make sure it's nice and in. After that you take the little film off and go ahead and seal it," he says.

According to Alex, it's this step of the process that is responsible for his business' premium pricing. "We use seal, that's why we charge so much. Most people charge less than us, but yeah, there you go." The tech applies the black, sticky substance to the interior patch area.

The clip then cuts to them dropping the tire to the ground with a sticker affixed to the outside. This is presumably an indicator that the work on the tire has been completed. "And that's how you save a $500 tire for only $80," Alex says. He then pans the camera up to the tech who fixed it who takes a little bow before the clip cuts out.

TikTokers don't buy it

The video has amassed more than 760,000 views. Throngs of people who saw Alex's video didn't think that the repair process he delineated in his clip justified the cost. "That's a $20 job hell no!" one person remarks.

In fact, one user on the application says that this repair process only takes a few minutes. "10 minute job, I do see my tire shop doing the exact same thing for 20 bucks."

There were several folks who say that the store Discount Tire actually performs patch jobs like that free of charge. "At discount we use a patch plug and sealant and we do it for FREE," one said.

Another reply references this as well: "Discount tire does it for free."

@tiremania “Why do tou Charge $80 for a patch?” ???????? #flattire #fyp ♬ original sound - Alex The Tire Guy ????

The Daily Dot has reached out to Alex via TikTok comment for further information.

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