Tyre Centre Ripoff

Zascar

Last week I had a slow puncture. I went to tyre centre near where I live to get it repaired. There was a small nail in the tyre but the guy told me that the tyre was fooked and I'd need a new one. I asked why, he said you've obviously been driving on it - I hadn't really - it was only ever partially deflated and I topped it up every day, it was never really flat at all. Anyway, he refused to fix the puncture and said I need a new Tyre @ €220.

I knew that was a ripoff, so went off and bought two from Eiretyres for €115 each.

I went up to a garage owned by a guy I know, and he fitted and balanced my two new tyres for me. He took a really good look at the tyre that had the puncture, and said that there was nothing wrong with it and there was no reason for me to get a new tyre!

If you look closely inside you can see a very small crease line on the outside wall - the first guy told me that this was serious sidewall damage and it would be very dangerous for me to drive on it and he insisted I need a new one! My mate yesterday said this tiny crease line is nothing, and it would take a huge amount more abuse before it might affect the structural rigidity of the tyre - he said he would have absolutely no problem puttin them on his car. There is still several thousand miles left on them so I'm just annoyed I've spent €230 unnesessarily.:mad:

Anan1

I wouldn't continue using a tyre that's been driven on partly deflated to the point where there's a visible crease line on the sidewall.

RICARDO1982

If you got a blow out you would have regretted not getting the tyres. Better to be safe.
Anyway that dosnt mean you have to be ripped off by some cowboy. Fair play to ya for looking around. Some people are just lazy or dont have time, etc.. thats how yer man
is rubbing his hands together! 220 sounds a bit much for 1 tyre!!

Guy:Incognito

Zascar wrote: »

I knew that was a ripoff, so went off and bought two from Eiretyres for €115 each.
:

Were they the exact same brand, model etc that the guy was selling you?

Zascar

Yep, Toyo Troxes T1R's - same as I already had on the front.

Tyre places are known for making massive margins

Little-Devil

Zascar wrote: »

I went up to a garage owned by a guy I know, and he fitted and balanced my two new tyres for me. He took a really good look at the tyre that had the puncture, and said that there was nothing wrong with it and there was no reason for me to get a new tyre!

You only have yourself to blame here i'm afraid. You should have gone to your friend who was second choice before you bought the tyres and only decided after.

hebejebees

If there is a visible crease there, then it means that the tyre has been driven deflated, even when it looks pretty ok from the outside. The crease means that there is a ring of weakened rubber on the side wall and it pretty much means its unsafe to repair. I work in a tyre centre and i wouldn't attempt to repair a tyre that has any signs of being driven flat, the consequences of a blow out are far too high. Is your mate a tyre specialist or just a garage? amazing the amount of garage's that will just put on anything that looks black and holds air(Not saying your mate is like that).
As for the price, well it does seem like he had a nice mark up alright, maybe seen that you were stranded for it or something. Where i work we sell tyres fitted for very close to what eirtyres are selling at, just depending on brand

Zascar

Wow, where do you work? Most places are waaay off the eiretyres prices...

Trampas

Not to hijack the post but how do places check for punctures.

I had a puncture the other week and went to a place and they painted the tyre with some liquid. Couldn't find a puncture and told me to come back in a while. Which I did and then I came back he said I had 2 holes and I would need a new tyre. I was like :rolleyes: nothing earlier and now 2 holes.

So I left that place.

Went somewhere near the folks small little place and he said never ever let a place check for punctures that way as it wrecks your tyre. You should take the tyre back and go somewhere else who use the old water to find the puncture.

Any truth do this?

Zascar

Don't they just throw it un a big basin of water and watch for bubbles?

newmills

Got a puncture last week and when wife took wheel to garage the guy took the tyre and told her she needed a new one at 250 + vat!! I told her to go back and get the original tyre as my uncle owns a tyre dealership in northern ireland and that I would take it to him to hear his opinion. They said they couldn't find the tyre!! Rang the uncle and asked him the retail price for the tyre - £102 (sterling) vat inclusive. Some of these garages are holding on to perfectly decent tyres and selling them to people and pocketing the cash. I know the tyre was not destroyed as the warning light for the puncture came on less than a mile from the house and was not flat or punctured when leaving the house. Best to look around for tyre prices rather than going to the large chains.

niceirishfella

I think the moral of the stories on this thread is not to place to much trust in the large tyre retailers. The margins they are making are massive - and many now a refusing to fit tyres elsewhere than at their place .ie - of the net.
I simply dont trust them - the same way i dont trust the large car retailers.

I think there is a business idea in this -
Set up a tyre fitting service for tyres sourced on the net from eiretyres or whatever - buy a large high roof tranny, with a compressor and tyre fitting machine in the back and supply "of the net" and fit tyres at peoples homes and workplaces.
A good website, some good marketing - could make a decent living at it. Just a thought.

Redsoxfan

niceirishfella wrote: »

I think there is a business idea in this -
Set up a tyre fitting service for tyres sourced on the net from eiretyres or whatever - buy a large high roof tranny, with a compressor and tyre fitting machine in the back and supply "of the net" and fit tyres at peoples homes and workplaces.
A good website, some good marketing - could make a decent living at it. Just a thought.

I like it.

You would need a lot of word of mouth/goodwill though-the large tyre centres have a very visible presence and wide coverage.

But if someone arrived at my door with a tranny, I'd tell them to feck off!:D

Btw-I already asked if we could start compiling a list of places that would fit tyres bought online. No takers yet.

niceirishfella

Redsoxfan wrote: »

I like it.

You would need a lot of word of mouth/goodwill though-the large tyre centres have a very visible presence and wide coverage.

But if someone arrived at my door with a tranny, I'd tell them to feck off!:D

Btw-I already asked if we could start compiling a list of places that would fit tyres bought online. No takers yet.

agreed...........but you dont turn up unannounced to peoples doors cold calling- its done all online -
like you market your fitting service through a website -
www.eiretyresfittingservice.com or something to that effect....catch my drift?

Fey!

I really love the boards "internet is always cheaper" mentality that shines through over and over.

I find my guy to be within a few euros of the likes of eiretyres with the tyres fitted, and it there's a problem I can go back to him.

Then again, I don't subscribe to "if it's not off the net, it's no good".

From the examples above, some people here have gone to chancers. Also, they only go to their "friends" (another common boards thing" after they've gone to someone else; if I was the "friend" I'd be telling ye where to go due to your obvious distrust of the friend, seeing as you won't go to them first...

Redsoxfan

niceirishfella wrote: »

agreed...........but you dont turn up unannounced to peoples doors cold calling- its done all online -

I wasn't talking about cold calling, em, tranny has other meanings .

Redsoxfan

Fey! wrote: »

I find my guy to be within a few euros of the likes of eiretyres with the tyres fitted, and it there's a problem I can go back to him.

Who is he? Where is he?

I'm not hung up on buying tyres (or anything else) online, or getting anything at the lowest possible price, I just want value for money. If a local provider can offer that, then I am more than happy to use them.

JHMEG

Redsoxfan wrote: »

Who is he? Where is he?

+1

Fey!

Seeing as 2 of you have asked,, and as I've said before on motors, I use Ballybrit Exhaust and Tyres in Oldenway, Ballybrit, Galway, as do several other boards members I know. And the tyres I use are Falkens.

niceirishfella

Redsoxfan wrote: »

I wasn't talking about cold calling, em, tranny has other meanings .

That went right over me head........LOL....with you now Redsoxfan..........A fooking TRANNY:eek:


:D:D

JHMEG

Fey! wrote: »

Seeing as 2 of you have asked,, and as I've said before on motors, I use Ballybrit Exhaust and Tyres in Oldenway, Ballybrit, Galway, as do several other boards members I know. And the tyres I use are Falkens.

Thanks. Mind posting what size/model and how much you paid for them?

Fey!

JHMEG wrote: »

Thanks. Mind posting what size/model and how much you paid for them?

The fronts were 235/45/17, and the rears were 265/40/17 (9.5j wheels on the front, 10.5j on the back). IIRC, the tyre type is an FK451. I think it was somewhere around €500 to €550, all tracked, balanced, and fitted.

For the same in FK452's at the moment, www.falkentyres.co.uk are quoting me fronts £73.62 each and rears £89.95 each for the rears, plus around £44 postage, which totals £371.14, or circa €490 at todays rate (€530 at the rate I would have been buying at last year). Then add tracking at around €45, and fitting at around another €50 (both guesstimates). The same on www.eiretyres.com is €451.80 plus fitting and tracking.

Hope this helps.

Dan_B

Tires are cheaper than panels
Why risk it?