Using Black Circles - screwing your local out of ££?

[EmilA]

I just fitted 2 new tyres to our XC40 via Asda tyres to make use of the Michelin cash back offer, cheapest way to buy tyres for it from the checks I did.
Also ordered my tyres for my project car using the same scheme, again the cheapest way to have done it.

I did think that am I screwing the local tyre fitters out, however at this moment the cheapest option wins for me.

[POIDH]

My local tyre place is cheaper than Black Circles regularly. And more importantly, is actually reliable.

Due to a special offer on Black Circles I tried to use them in December.

First appointment I arrived to be told they did not have the tyres in stock and could not fit, and Black Circles should have contacted me. Black Circles had indeed emailed me - as I drove to the appointment already - and of course it was buried in the 12 other emails they had sent me that week....I was then called as I left the garage to be told that there were no tyres and could they arrange another date and tyre brand?

Second appointment at Halfords, via Black Circles, I arrived to be told there was no appointment in my name or registration. Behind the desk was a pile of tyres, four of which had my surname written on tape across them. In addition the desk chap had a delivery note for those four tyres, with my surname as a reference, but they had not a booking for a time slot. This was 8:15 in the morning - at least 5 people in the workshop clearing up and prepping for the day, but no they could not squeeze me in, and would I like to re-book via black circles, but the earliest they could do was 10 days later midday on a weekend..

So I headed back to my reliable, local, independent, family run business the next week and was met with four new tyres which were fitted like a pitstop in a race by two of the employees. And it worked out £10 more than the Black Circles special offer...

I will never use Black Circles again. They could not organise a tyre fitting at a tyre fitters.

[simon_harris]

I use blackcircles and my local ETS, I generally call them first and give them a chance to beat the black circles price and so far they have never been able to do it.

Their fitting service has always been great though.

[Deep Thought]

The Wookie said:

Deep Thought said:

My local preferred fitter cant compete with Black Circles on stuff like Michelin tyres for my M2, previous 6 series, or my wifes Z4 running on 19s.

Last time he was around £200+ more expensive for a full set of Michelin on my 630i.

Hes really competitive on cooking variant stuff and i wouldnt pass him by for a few £s but i cant justify giving him £200+ more.

This matches my experience too with more specialist or marque specific tyres, furthermore my local fitters used to be cost effective if you supplied them the tyres from Camskill but they've increased their fitting charge as the online stuff has got cheaper and it just makes it too far apart.

Totally.

On cooking variant stuff / popular sizes i've no doubt my local guy would easily be "on the money". Moreso if i was happy to accept his recommended tyre brand (and he is very good at that). Phoning him and asking him for a specific tyre brand and size (and then adding the marque specific requirement) and hes going to be on the back foot and ringing round his suppliers and seeing how much he can get two in for.

He is actually a Blackcircles Premier fitter too, so if nothing else hes getting that amount of my purchase with Black Circles.

[garypotter]

Used both but due to BMW sizing and run flats recently used ATS as the cheapest as a multi buy and also 1 mile form where i live, friendly staff and a great service.

Local independent chap opposite is always cheaper for the average tyre size and non branded tyres. remember buying Viking Sport tyres for my old cortina - great tyres lasted about 8 years with al the sliding around roundabouts etc

[Fuzzarr]

Here's a useful tip.

BlackCircles have an eBay store that usually qualifies for their 20% off voucher codes (which are quite a regular thing these days).

You can add tyres to the basket, and £1 fitting per tyre, and hey presto, 20% off. The rest of the process works the same, booking fitting at your local BC-enabled establishment.

I've saved hundreds this way on recent tyre replacements for both cars.

[eliot]

I think the garages do the fitting as a loss leader, because no matter what they always tell me I need disks and pads and/or an alignment.

[Pica-Pica]

eliot said:

I think the garages do the fitting as a loss leader, because no matter what they always tell me I need disks and pads and/or an alignment.

I think if you walk in sounding knowledgable, but not cocky, you never get all that bullst. (Or maybe I have ‘tight wad’ stamped over my forehead).

[Deep Thought]

Pica-Pica said:

eliot said:

I think the garages do the fitting as a loss leader, because no matter what they always tell me I need disks and pads and/or an alignment.

I think if you walk in sounding knowledgable, but not cocky, you never get all that bullst. (Or maybe I have ‘tight wad’ stamped over my forehead).

My most recent experience was, i reversed my car in, they showed me to the nice warm waiting room and offered me a coffee or tea, 20 mins later they came back and said the car was ready.

And that was that. No hard sell. No "sure try us for a price direct next time and we'll see what we can do".

[Plymo]

Fuzzarr said:

Here's a useful tip.

BlackCircles have an eBay store that usually qualifies for their 20% off voucher codes (which are quite a regular thing these days).

You can add tyres to the basket, and £1 fitting per tyre, and hey presto, 20% off. The rest of the process works the same, booking fitting at your local BC-enabled establishment.

I've saved hundreds this way on recent tyre replacements for both cars.

Thanks, just done this and got just over £60 off!
I'm assuming the tyre place gets the same fitting charge as usual, not £1 per tyre...

Edited by Plymo on Wednesday 28th February 16:14

[RB Will]

Will never use Black Circles or their local fitting centre again. The fitters wrecked all 4 of my wheels, lied about it and BC backed them up, called me a liar despite the evidence and made up their own story to avoid paying out for a refurb.

[ric19]

used Black Circles this morning at the local Garage..dropped off at 8 and got a call at 9:15 saying it was ready..
brill really

[MC Bodge]

I have used Black circles various times and all was fine.

I recently used Halfords (as I had a Halfords voucher that almost paid for two tyres), who now own National Tyres and had the tyres fitted at the local National Tyres branch.

I took the car at the arranged time and went back a bit earlier than I was told to collect it.

I nipped over for a look at the brakes whilst the car was on the lift with the wheels off (plenty of life left in the brakes, as I had thought from looking with the wheels on)

-It may or may not have been related, as I don't know if they saw me looking at the car, but I was pleasantly surprised *not* to be told that it needed new brake pads or discs or any other recommendations at all.

All in all, a good experience.

[eliot]

Pica-Pica said:

eliot said:

I think the garages do the fitting as a loss leader, because no matter what they always tell me I need disks and pads and/or an alignment.

I think if you walk in sounding knowledgable, but not cocky, you never get all that bullst. (Or maybe I have ‘tight wad’ stamped over my forehead).

If i wait at the garage, then I usually get a d&p and I say, ok show me - then they do the homer meme of disappearing back into the hedge.

The last time I left it with them (only for tyres, not other work or requirements stated) they called me to say they had put it on the ramp for a free alignment check and it’s a bit out and requires alignment - I said no and he instantly says “it’s ready for collection” - so I suspect it never went anywhere near the alignment bay.

Next time I will say, send me a photo right now with it on the ramp and the readout from the screen.

[E-bmw]

ajap1979 said:

Anyone used Asda Tyres before? Planning on putting some all season tyres on my Polestar and they seem to be £40+ per tyre cheaper than anywhere else!

Many, many times, always been good for me.

[E-bmw]

dhutch said:

One thing I have yet to really bottom out, is the possibility of getting online tyres from the likes of Camskills delivered directly to a 3rd party tyre fitters.
Obviously if they can match the price then its a non-issue, but often I have found they can't if you want a specific brand/model etc.

What you suggest is what tyresguru do, they are online & associated with tyre shops & tell you what they charge when you chose where to get them delivered.

[E-bmw]

dhutch said:

vikingaero said:

It's much like using the Just Eat, Deliverpoo or Uber Eats app/sites to order your takeaway. They lose between 17-33% of the order value.

Crazy thing people don't realise that prices are higher on the delivery sites - so a chicken chow mein might be £6.00 in person, and £7.90 on the delivery sites. Or some food places have a smaller container size for delivery sites.

Yeah, its bonkers. Yet our local really nice Indian takeaway says that now about 80% of his trade comes through just eat!
We phone them and either collect in person or have them deliver, only downside to this is they are cash only.

Our local indian does this & doesn't insist on cash, but since covid they give 20% discount for cash.

[MC Bodge]

eliot said:

Pica-Pica said:

eliot said:

I think the garages do the fitting as a loss leader, because no matter what they always tell me I need disks and pads and/or an alignment.

I think if you walk in sounding knowledgable, but not cocky, you never get all that bullst. (Or maybe I have ‘tight wad’ stamped over my forehead).

If i wait at the garage, then I usually get a d&p and I say, ok show me - then they do the homer meme of disappearing back into the hedge.

The last time I left it with them (only for tyres, not other work or requirements stated) they called me to say they had put it on the ramp for a free alignment check and it’s a bit out and requires alignment - I said no and he instantly says “it’s ready for collection” - so I suspect it never went anywhere near the alignment bay.

Next time I will say, send me a photo right now with it on the ramp and the readout from the screen.

I had an ATS (four tyres through Black circles) tell me that I needed new rear brake discs and pads and that they could do it that day. The discs were scored when I got it 3 years earlier, but had not changed, had always passed the MOT and had plenty of thickness on discs and pads.

The fitter was a pleasant lad and he looked a bit sheepish when I said I knew that they didn't need doing and that I would do them myself when they did. He offered some advice about doing it DIY.

It passed its next MOT, 8 months later, on the same discs...