Tyres from Formula 1 Autocentre
Tyres from Formula 1 Autocentre
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ian_uk1975

Original Poster:

1,191 posts

219 months

Monday 7th March 2011
quotequote all
My girlfriend had 3 new cheapie tyres put on her 206 today at a local Formula 1 'quick fit'. When I saw her this evening, I checked them out and I've never seen anything like this before... each of the 3 tyres is a different make!

I'm pretty naffed-off that they've put on 3 odd tyres rather than 3 of the same make and tread pattern (which anyone would reasonably expect). I suppose there's nothing particularly wrong with it from a safety perspective and she didn't actually ask for a particular brand of tyre, but surely you'd expect them to supply matching tyres?!

What do you think?

sherman

14,543 posts

232 months

Monday 7th March 2011
quotequote all
If you dont specify brand they will just of used whatever was lying around in the right size.

Its her fault for using one of these companies.

ian_uk1975

Original Poster:

1,191 posts

219 months

Tuesday 8th March 2011
quotequote all
sherman said:
If you dont specify brand they will just of used whatever was lying around in the right size.

Its her fault for using one of these companies.
Stupid comment.

I've just never known new tyres to be fitted that don't match.

EDLT

15,421 posts

223 months

Tuesday 8th March 2011
quotequote all
So? If you want it done as cheaply as possible and while you wait, they just grab whatever is on the shelf.

No matter what happened she'd have an odd tyre anyway.

paulrhodes

1,819 posts

239 months

Tuesday 8th March 2011
quotequote all
I had an Accord type r a while back. F1 did a CV boot for me as I was on my was to castle combe. Without making the story too long..

They lowered the car off the ramp without reconnecting it all and bent the whole front wing in.

Then they put it back together for me to take away and get the insurance work sorted and the wheel fell off due to them using an old split nut.

It still annoys me that I didn't sue. The car got fixed but they should have paid up for my massive inconvenience.

ian_uk1975

Original Poster:

1,191 posts

219 months

Tuesday 8th March 2011
quotequote all
paulrhodes said:
I had an Accord type r a while back. F1 did a CV boot for me as I was on my was to castle combe. Without making the story too long..

They lowered the car off the ramp without reconnecting it all and bent the whole front wing in.

Then they put it back together for me to take away and get the insurance work sorted and the wheel fell off due to them using an old split nut.

It still annoys me that I didn't sue. The car got fixed but they should have paid up for my massive inconvenience.
You definitely should've sued! Coincidentally, the 206 needs 2 new CV joints... I'll be doing that little job!

dvance

605 posts

185 months

Tuesday 8th March 2011
quotequote all
paulrhodes said:
I had an Accord type r a while back. F1 did a CV boot for me as I was on my was to castle combe. Without making the story too long..

They lowered the car off the ramp without reconnecting it all and bent the whole front wing in.

Then they put it back together for me to take away and get the insurance work sorted and the wheel fell off due to them using an old split nut.

It still annoys me that I didn't sue. The car got fixed but they should have paid up for my massive inconvenience.
Forget sue -- I would be in front of their establishment with can of petrol and lighter... WTF!? How stupid can you be? Or they cannot be arsed to spend maybe 2 minutes thinking at work?

davepoth

29,395 posts

216 months

Tuesday 8th March 2011
quotequote all
ian_uk1975 said:
Stupid comment.

I've just never known new tyres to be fitted that don't match.
She only bought three, it's not going to be perfect anyway, is it?

paulrhodes

1,819 posts

239 months

Tuesday 8th March 2011
quotequote all
Interesting...

How far after the event can you sue? They admitted full liability and we entered a letter convo over compensation and after a while they simply stopped all correspondence.

This was 18 months ago. Do I still have a case?

Legal eagles???

GenePoolReject13

1,970 posts

206 months

Tuesday 8th March 2011
quotequote all
I've used these guys twice now, the first time because I needed 2 tyres short notice and they were the only ones local who had 2 in the right size. Cant complain, they did a good job and had it done quickly.

Used a different one last week, supplied my own tyre as I wanted to keep to the matching set I had. Got the job done quickly etc again but, whilst waiting I heard them reving the nuts off of the car. I dont undertsnad why they would need to do that while moving it onto a ramp to do the tracking. Complained and got a few quid knocked off.

I guess its a case of different branches, different results.

ian_uk1975

Original Poster:

1,191 posts

219 months

Tuesday 8th March 2011
quotequote all
davepoth said:
She only bought three, it's not going to be perfect anyway, is it?
Obviously, but at least if the 3 supplied were matching, the remaining tyre could be replaced with one to match the other 3 when the time comes.

ian_uk1975

Original Poster:

1,191 posts

219 months

Tuesday 8th March 2011
quotequote all
GenePoolReject13 said:
I guess its a case of different branches, different results.
It's a franchise and that statement definitely applies. First branch I called (there are 2 local to me) wanted £50 to do the tracking on their fancy laser alignment rig! Other place only charged £15 for the tracking.

GenePoolReject13

1,970 posts

206 months

Tuesday 8th March 2011
quotequote all
ian_uk1975 said:
It's a franchise and that statement definitely applies. First branch I called (there are 2 local to me) wanted £50 to do the tracking on their fancy laser alignment rig! Other place only charged £15 for the tracking.
The one I last went to charged me £27 for tracking but quoated the lady sat next to me while I was waiting £35! That was the price before I got some money knocked off.

ian_uk1975

Original Poster:

1,191 posts

219 months

Tuesday 8th March 2011
quotequote all
paulrhodes said:
Interesting...

How far after the event can you sue? They admitted full liability and we entered a letter convo over compensation and after a while they simply stopped all correspondence.

This was 18 months ago. Do I still have a case?

Legal eagles???
I think you could still persue this. It would be a case for the small claims court.

Easy to start proceedings online @ moneyclaim.gov.uk. Fee to start the ball rolling depends on the claim amount, but starts at £25.

If you have a written admission of liability, I'd say you have a cast-iron case.

ukzz4iroc

3,424 posts

191 months

Tuesday 8th March 2011
quotequote all
I recently used this chain. Have to say I did not like their front man at all. Rude as anything. Only wanted 2 tyres changed that I had brought with me. I was in a massive hurry and made them aware of this fact.

I then notice my car come off the ramp and onto another one. 15 mins later they tell me the tracking is out. I never asked them to check and this peed me off.

Monkeys with spanners.

Zippee

13,810 posts

251 months

Tuesday 8th March 2011
quotequote all
ukzz4iroc said:
I recently used this chain. Have to say I did not like their front man at all. Rude as anything. Only wanted 2 tyres changed that I had brought with me. I was in a massive hurry and made them aware of this fact.

I then notice my car come off the ramp and onto another one. 15 mins later they tell me the tracking is out. I never asked them to check and this peed me off.

Monkeys with spanners.
I used them last year for 2 new rears on my TVR. I annoyed the YTS monkey straight away by refusing to let him drive my car into the bay - especially having just witnessed him remove the previous car at silly revs.
A different and what I thought more competent chap fitted the tyres, they did a good job and were careful with the rims and listened to what I said the pressures should be. Happy at the time until 2 days later I noticed that neither rear wheel had any weights on it, god knows how they managed to balance them. He also tried the tracking routine on me until I mentioned I'd had a full and comprehensive geo set up done 2 weeks earlier.

T16OLE

2,960 posts

208 months

Tuesday 8th March 2011
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I would be furious at this, its legal but not good practice for sure

UncleRic

937 posts

185 months

Tuesday 8th March 2011
quotequote all
Op, were they three brand new tyres are are they 'part worns'? Perhaps the latter may explain the mis-match?

ian_uk1975

Original Poster:

1,191 posts

219 months

Tuesday 8th March 2011
quotequote all
UncleRic said:
Op, were they three brand new tyres are are they 'part worns'? Perhaps the latter may explain the mis-match?
Brand new.

T16OLE

2,960 posts

208 months

Tuesday 8th March 2011
quotequote all
UncleRic said:
Op, were they three brand new tyres are are they 'part worns'? Perhaps the latter may explain the mis-match?
Formula One is a big chain so doubt it