Just bought my new Michelins with Monaco pricing

[Joel Weiss]

apparently Monaco has more pull with Michelin than the FMCA does, even though FMCA represents a lot more wheels.  

Don't forget that Monaco is owned by Navistar and Navistar represents a lot of truck tires per year.  Every new truck requires tires; there are a lot of RV's but they only buy tires every 5-10 years.  Furthermore, the story I had heard was that FMCA was taking a "kickback" out of the discount savings.  That wouldn't surprise me.

[LEAH DRAPER]

FMCA is probably getting a "scimm" off the the price (s).  A way for them to make money I suppose.

[Gil_Johnson]

Joel, FMCA may represent for members, but Monaco is a direct purchaser and is likely passing along their discout to the owner of their products.  If so, thanks Monaco!

[LEAH DRAPER]

Gil
If you just replace your G/Yr tires with Michelins, you must not have had many miles on them did you?  What was your mileage at change?  
Why did you change out so soon?

[Gil_Johnson]

Leah,

Sorry, I didn't relace mine, I just suggested why the Monaco discount may be better than FMCA's.  I would like to replace my factory tires with Michelins, but there's far too much tread left to justify that cost.

[Larry and Heidi Lee]

Anyone up for writing an outline on how to get my Michelins replaced under the discount program? Even after reading this entire thread I am lost more than ever. Do I just stroll into a Michelin dealer and give him my FMCA membership card or ?

[Joel Weiss]

You can use either the Monaco or FMCA programs by simply showing a Michelin dealer the "ship to" number he needs to link your purchase with a national account.  If you select a truck tire dealer using the Michelin website pick one that has "national accounts" in its writeup.  They all know how to do this since many truck tire purchases are made this way.

For the Monaco program the number is on the back of the membership card; I don't know where you get the FMCA number.  As has been said several times here, the difference between the FMCA and Monaco pricing will pay for your membership in Monaco International (the Monaco owners club).  You will NOT be discussing any price issues with the dealer.  According to Michelin he does not have access to the pricing under any national account agreement.

The dealer fills out a special form and forwards the purchase info along with your credit card info to Michelin.  A month or two later you will get charged for it at the price posted on the Monaco site.  (It is my understanding that FMCA posts an "estimated price"; I guess they don't know what you will be charged until they deduct their kickback.)  Some dealers will charge you directly for installation; others bill the entire transaction through the national account.  This is the better thing to do if your dealer is willing because you can only be charged in accordance with the national account negotiated labor rates and times.  In my case Michelin refused a charge for an extra hour's labor because it was difficult to remove one of my rear wheels.