hi kitty g- thank you for the high compliment on shystering. will give you 2 pieces of counsel. 1st and most important become a better negotiator by adopting my 3 point strategy: a.maintain walk away power when shystered b. know your prices and always make a counteroffer -dont be afraid, everything is for sale at the right price c. if the clip joints price is still malodorous refer to point a. on tire stores- sadly i have not found one which gives a good deal. not only is their deal too high but they almost always tryto back out when you make a warranty claim based on mileage- to wit- you did something wrong ie alignment, bad ball joint, paper work, incorrect rotation, etc. if this happens submit your claim directly to the manufacturer of the tire. have always obtained satisfaction from goodyear, goodrich, michelin and douglas when i go this route. lastly the best tire deal i have found after comp shopping tire stores is sams club. they gave me the best final price on sets of michelin defenders (90k treadwear warranty) and only charged $15 per tire for the extras you refer to(mounting, stem, balance, no charge rotation, flat repair, disposal). the only downside is ive had to give every tire vendor when i make a treadwear claim, a lesson in algebra 1 on how to figure the formula for pro rating the percentage coefficient with the mileage used vs. mileage warranted. that scared the hell out of me b/c one manager had a 4 year degree from U Miss. WTF? hope this helps a bit. regards oldduke