Tyre fitter made s*** of my alloy - venting / options?

Rowley Birkin QC

Hi all, half looking for advice, half venting here tbh.

Long story short, car failed NCT on a single tyre. I asked a local guy to quote me and then also if he would fit a tyre ordered from Openeo. He was happier to do the fitting rather than try to compete on price as I was going for higher end tyres than he was selling and for a size that he didn't have in stock.

Dropped the car to him early in the morning, paid the man,collected late in the evening in the lashing rain so didn't even look at the wheel. Drove to the NCT centre and passed the visual inspectio; everyone's happy.

Next morning I got a look at the alloy and in short; he had made a dogs dinner of it. All around the rim is gouged and scratched. I'm sickened over it but don't have any clear "before" pictures to compare with the after state of the wheel.

Anyone have any positive experiences with this kind of craic or is it just one of those things that you have to live with in a country of chape tax and new numberplate enthusiasts? /rant

Voodoomelon

There's probably 10 decent tyre fitters in the whole country. My general rule is to go to a tyre shop that sells new alloys or refurbs alloys, like East Coast Alloys or Wheel Wizards. They deal with fitting tyres to new/refurbed rims all day and will take extra care. No one else gives two hoots. I feel your pain, i've been through years of it, find a good fitter and stick with them for life.

Henry Ford III

Realistically if you can't prove the damage you can't hope to recover anything towards the repair.

You could talk to the tyre fitter, but if he's unwilling to help you're most likely stumped.

Tazium

Had similar issue myself and pursued it with the owner. It was denied all along with various 'facts' about how tyres are fitted etc. The fitter told me if it was his crew that damaged the wheel during fitting there'd be a a circular mark around the rim. I had to point out this exact marking and he grumbled for a while but did sort it out.

galvo_clare

Took the alloy from my boot after a puncture and one of the fitters rolled it across the road into the garage. I was walking away to go to work but I looked back and saw that he had let it overbalance and fall front first onto the road.
Sure enough there was damage and even though it was unmarked when I left it in could only get 50% of cost of repair.
I had noticed his experienced fitters were leaving in droves leaving only juniors. Never went back after that.

Hurrache

What do people do who have diamond cut alloys/alloys with black coating? I'm was even at the stage of thinking I'd go to a main dealer where the car came from to get the tyres replaced. I'm sure they outsource it but at least that way any issues as a result will be with the dealer. Hard to trust elsewhere with them.

Del2005

Hurrache wrote: »

What do people do who have diamond cut alloys/alloys with black coating? I'm was even at the stage of thinking I'd go to a main dealer where the car came from to get the tyres replaced. I'm sure they outsource it but at least that way an issues as a result will be with the dealer. Hard to trust elsewhere with them.

Take pictures before you leave it in. For added security have geo tag enabled and they won't be able to argue that it happened somewhere else.

Hurrache

Hurrache wrote: »

What do people do who have diamond cut alloys/alloys with black coating? I'm was even at the stage of thinking I'd go to a main dealer where the car came from to get the tyres replaced. I'm sure they outsource it but at least that way an issues as a result will be with the dealer. Hard to trust elsewhere with them.

as above,
wheel wizards or rim solutions etc.
or just ask.
Last time I went to a back alley place I said to the guy before
"can you do this without scratching it?"

MetzgerMeister

Given the fact that you didn't see the damage or bring it to this person's attention before leaving the premises, he could rightly argue that you caused it yourself between leaving him and going back to him I'm afraid.

I had a similar issue with my last car - an E92. Wheel Wizards did an absolutely superb job on refurbishing them and they replaced the tyres perfectly, no damage or anything. My next time getting tyres on the front and the clown used a pry bar like a gorilla which dug into the powder coating around the lip. It looked like he got a chisel and knocked off a chunk of the lovely finish. All that despite my telling him they were newly powder coated and asking him if he could do the job without damaging them (he said yes of course and gave me a look as if to say I was calling him a absolute gombeen).

Rave.ef

I'm afraid it'll be your word against his at this stage.

There are a few good lads out there but it's hard to come across them. They need the know how and the gear. Was in the job 10 years and took pride in it, any place that invests in the gear likes of hunter, beissbarth ect. Will have some cop on and know how to use it.

You can always try OP but I can't see him hold his hands up and take the blame.

DaveyDave

I feel your pain, I got a puncture a week after owning my car. Went to a puncture repair place beside work, noticed later in the day when I was going home there was a small scuff on the spoke. Something metal obviously hit it. It's pretty small but annoying none the less. It was a brand new car, I would have thought they'd have been a bit more careful.