An Arizona-based company is set to begin offering a tire subscription model that addresses affordability issues for consumers, and could also come to Canada.

TireSet, a non-profit organization based in Cave Creek, Arizona, says it is “rolling out a subscription-based service that promises to make new, safe tires accessible to everyone, regardless of credit score or income level.”

According to TireSet, “In the United States alone, millions of drivers face the perilous choice between safe mobility and other essential needs due to the high cost of tire replacements.”

It plans to start offering a subscription service starting as low as $19.99 a month (USD).

That’s the plan. However, it seems the organization looking for investors to “help us scale our operations, reach more people in need, and ultimately save lives by preventing accidents caused by unsafe tires.”

The upfront push is as an innovative model, but behind the “new model” is a family organization that has been in the tire business for some time.

Dan and Katie Marsh are owners of Dan the Tire Man, LLC, danthetireman.com, a Madawaska, Maine online tire and wheel business that works with several no credit needed lease-to-own programs.

Indie Garage reached out to Katie and Dan to see how the subscription plan differs from that “lease-to-own” model.

“The subscription is not based on any soft or hard credit pull. All are approved as long as they have an income over $1K/mo and a traditional checking account,” they write. “It is way more affordable than lease-to-own programs as far as monthly payments go and for the total cost of the tires. The subscription is always set at one price and most people will want to change their tires every 24 months. Most leasing companies charge 2.4x the cost of goods sold if the customer lets the payments go out for a full year vs paying them off in 3 months. It did not used to be this high when we started business.

“To pay the tires off in 3 months to get the best deal, customers need to take the initiative to make double payments on their paydays to get it done in time. The subscription program is more of a ‘set it and forget it’ low-cost model with monthly payments much lower than the leasing programs can offer.”

As noted, the subscriptoin program model is in pre-launch stage.

“We have not launched yet as we are looking for tax deductible donations from foundations or individuals and also strategic partnerships such as a large brick-and-mortar tire chain stores that would benefit from the additional services they could provide to our customers when they go in for tire installations. Most nationwide tire chains do not offer lease-to-own much less an affordable subscription service. They try to sell their prime credit cards or take traditional forms of payment vs helping credit challenged or cash-flow challenged consumers.”

And, says Katie, they are open to discussions with Canadian partners. “We’re a registered 501(c)(3) in the US but we’re not opposed to crossing the border if need be and registering there,” adding that she and Dan live just across the border from Edmunston, N.B. and regularly make the trip. “It’s a lot more interesting to go out there than in our home town!”

For more information, visit tireset.net or Email: info@tireset.net