Wrong tyres fitted

[Rubber-Ducky]

I needed a new pair of tyres for the family runabout (1998 Golf GTI) so went online to Black Circles yesterday and found a pair of Goodyear Excellence for £120 fitted locally. This is the same as the tyres already fitted and I've been happy with their overall balance of comfort and performance. I decided to ring around a few local tyre places to see if I could do any better and F1 Autocentres said they'd do it for £119. They said they'd have to order them in specially and they'd be here for this afternoon.

They called me earlier this afternoon to confirm they had received the tyres and I dropped the car off before popping over the road to Asda for a few buts and bobs. When I returned, the tyres had been fitted and I was then informed that they couldn't get any Goodyear Excellence so they had fitted Goodyear EfficientGrip instead. I was reassured that they were a replacement for the now obsolete Excellence, and that £119 was a very good price for them.

I payed up, drove back home and looked on the Goodyear website which lists the EfficentGrip as a high mileage, low rolling resistance tyre - certainly not a replacement for the Excellence which still sits in their range. Furthermore, Black Circles quote £109 for a pair of EfficentGrip fitted locally so I'm £10 out of pocket to boot!

The guy at the store said he'd refit my old ones if I wanted, but I'm driving up to Scotland tomorrow (from Suffolk) to visit family and I don't really want at squeeze another 1000+ miles out of the old tyres. They weren't illegal, but certainly ready for replacement... As such, with it being 4:30 in the afternoon, I didn't really feel like I had any choice but to pay up and accept these tyres.

Does anyone have any experience with the EfficientGrip? I haven't even scrubbed them in yet so can't tell myself, but I imagine any high mileage, fuel efficient tyre is not going to be all that good in the handling stakes due to the harder rubber compound... Treadwear is quoted at 340 versus 240 for the Excellence.

I don't really know what to do next - I can't go back until I get back from Scotland in a week's time, by which time the tyres will have over 1000 miles under their belt.

Any thoughts?

[Zad]

Ask for your money back and phone around for a local place that has them in stock?

[Orb the Impaler]

I'd have had him put the originals back on; the weather forecast is good, it's summer, you've said they're still legal and Goodyear don't make rubbish so you would have been fine.

I've had this happen to myself in the past where tyre places have fitted another make than asked for (and often come up with the immortal "yes but they are Michelins with a different name) usually with some bks excuse. They get told to take them off.

I don't like the sound of your new tyres - low resistance.... er no thanks.

[robgee1964]

Orb the Impaler said:

I've had this happen to myself in the past where tyre places have fitted another make than asked for (and often come up with the immortal "yes but they are Michelins with a different name) usually with some bks excuse. They get told to take them off.

Yeah I got stitched up the same way once "Oh we've got you these ones sir which are made by the same firm (Dunlop)", when what they mean is "The ones you ordered are out of stock at the wholesaler so we got you these cheaper ones which we are selling to you for the same (higher) price"

Take them up on the offer to put the old ones back on. PS Try camskill for tyres, Ive found them to be cheaper than black circles on the tyres I wanted.

[Rubber-Ducky]

Zad said:

Ask for your money back and phone around for a local place that has them in stock?

No time for that, I'm afraid. Like I said earlier, I'm off up to Scotland tomorrow, leaving at sparrow's fart in the morning. By the time I get back they'll have covered over 1000 miles. Still, I guess I can then go back and say they certainly aren't a replacement for the Excellence and they handle like st (assuming they do, of course) - and I'd therefore like them to refit my old tyres and give me a refund. Unfortunately, I imagine they'll have disposed of my old tyres by then...

[Rubber-Ducky]

swerni said:

don't they sell tyres in Scotland?

Unfortunately not - their most northerly branch is in Doncaster.

[OnTheOverrun]

For this reason I never have tyres fitted unless I watch them being fitted and I don't use kwik-fit or ATS if they no longer let you stay in the fitting bay so you can check your alloys aren't being battered either. My local place lets me stand next to the fitter and growl at him while he's fitting them which keeps him on his toes!

[Spoons]

I don't see a problem!! you've spent an hour or two on the phone and saved yourself a £

[anonymous-user]

Just had a courtesy car with low rolling resistant tyres! bloody horid! the damn things are border line dangerous in the wet!

[bazking69]

The problem is that you accepted the alternative, paid and driven away.
Personally if I had specifically asked for a certain make and type of tyre I'd have rejected them and asked them to fit the correct ones at the quoted price or put the old ones back on.

This is a commonplace problem with most mainstream tyre centres TBH, pushing and selling the tyres with the biggest profit margins or particular brands that the places are in bed with and get a nice rebate on based on volume.

It works because most people don't question it. To most of the general public, tyres are tyres. Even to the more discerning motorist they can be smoothed over with a bit of spiel as long as it is a decent make.

[Rubber-Ducky]

bazking69 said:

The problem is that you accepted the alternative, paid and driven away.

The Sale of Goods act states that a product must be:

- As described
- Of satisfactory quality
- Fit for purpose

The fitter told me that the EfficientGrip was a replacement for the now obsolete Excellence so, on that basis, I accepted them. It was only after getting home and checking online that I discovered that not to be the case, by which time the fitter had shut. Thus, I believe that I have been sold a product which is not as described.

[Turkey]

I had the opposite with Camskill. "No Hankook K104's so would you like the K110 instead sir for the same price, very good tyre?" They are a very good tyre, better than the K104 were for sure.

[geof777]

What a nightmare!!
Once you have the tyres on your car, and have done enough miles to
know if you like 'em or not, you have to keep them or waste your money!!

I have just had these Efficient Grips recommended to me too - I didn't know
they were low rolling resistant tyres - so I now have serious doubts.

TBH I am totally baffled as to what tyres to get next. Grip, especially in the wet, is my top priority!!
If you ever have a kid jump out in front of you in the rain you will know where I am coming from!! ~ I managed to stop ....just!
If I had low rolling resistant tyres that kid would almost certainly have ended up in hospital!!!!

I started to consider Winter tyres - but I am sure the wet weather performance MUST be able to be matched by a good Summer or All Seasons.
My Scenic has reletively narrow tyres in this day and age at 195/60/15
Best grip to date was Pirreli P6 (no not the 6000!!!) but they felt bad - bumpy light and twitchy - but they gripped really well - esp in the wet.!

Nicest feel I have had, believe it or not, ~ were Kumho Solus 15's - loads of feed back - excellent straight line stability, comfortable and pretty good grip with only a touch of corner slewing on hot days under pressure.
Dunlop SP Sport Fast response is supposed to be pretty good - not sure about in the wet.
I will have to do some sad 'OCD' research into this!!

Would be interested if anyone has any further comments here....

Edited by geof777 on Tuesday 2nd February 16:07

[HellDiver]

Thanks for bumping a 6 month old thread. Hint: check the last post date, if it's more than a few weeks ago, then you know the rest.

[OnTheOverrun]

geof777 said:

I started to consider Winter tyres - but I am sure the wet weather performance MUST be able to be matched by a good Summer or All Seasons.

I've just fitted these to my Fiat Doblo - were excellent in the snow, great wet grip, quiet and soft-riding. Definitely worth a look and the best all-seasons I've tried.

http://camskill.co.uk/products.php?plid=m11b0s721p...

[geof777]

I have, in the past, removed some hardly worn tyres
Michelin MXV2 from a Hot Hatch - they were dangerous in the wet
no warning before total breakaway.
I don't think there are enough reviews etc to help people find the
best tyres for their cars.
I am wondering how a set of Winter tyres might be in the dry in the Summer
I suspect they might be bad in the same way Summer tyres are bad in the snow!
I would be interested, therefor, to know how those Quatrac3's fair on the Doblo
I would expect them to be great in the snow and pretty good too in the rain
How are they in the dry??

Edited by geof777 on Wednesday 3rd February 01:43

Edited by geof777 on Wednesday 3rd February 01:43

[Garett]

geof777 said:

TBH I am totally baffled as to what tyres to get next. Grip, especially in the wet, is my top priority!!
If you ever have a kid jump out in front of you in the rain you will know where I am coming from!! ~ I managed to stop ....just!
If I had low rolling resistant tyres that kid would almost certainly have ended up in hospital!!!!

The best tyres I have used are Vredestein Sportrac 3s their strength really lies in the wet, have a look at the Autoexpress and ADAC reviews (using google translate as its in German) they perform 99% as well as tyres that cost a lot more.

[bazking69]

geof777 said:

What a nightmare!!
Once you have the tyres on your car, and have done enough miles to
know if you like 'em or not, you have to keep them or waste your money!!

Yeh, I bought a pizza the other day from a new place. Paid alot of money for it too. I got half way through it and decided I didn't like it. I was amazed that the takeaway wouldn't take it back and offer me a refund...

What a waste of money. If only I had looked at the tens of thousands of reviews on the internet first eh...

[OnTheOverrun]

geof777 said:

I have, in the past, removed some hardly worn tyres
Michelin MXV2 from a Hot Hatch - they were dangerous in the wet
no warning before total breakaway.
I don't think there are enough reviews etc to help people find the
best tyres for their cars.
I am wondering how a set of Winter tyres might be in the dry in the Summer
I suspect they might be bad in the same way Summer tyres are bad in the snow!
I would be interested, therefor, to know how those Quatrac3's fair on the Doblo
I would expect them to be great in the snow and pretty good too in the rain
How are they in the dry??

Edited by geof777 on Wednesday 3rd February 01:43

Edited by geof777 on Wednesday 3rd February 01:43

Given that we've hardly had any dry roads since I fitted them and a Doblo is hardly a car you push hard round corners, I'd say dry grip is good! SHould think they would be great on an MPV, less good on a hot hatch.

[pacman1]

bazking69 said:

geof777 said:

What a nightmare!!
Once you have the tyres on your car, and have done enough miles to
know if you like 'em or not, you have to keep them or waste your money!!

Yeh, I bought a pizza the other day from a new place. Paid alot of money for it too. I got half way through it and decided I didn't like it. I was amazed that the takeaway wouldn't take it back and offer me a refund...

What a waste of money. If only I had looked at the tens of thousands of reviews on the internet first eh...

As thoughtful a post as ever then..