Refund for bold tyres?

Akom

Hi

My in-laws recently bought a 2nd hand car from a car dealer. They were so excited about the new car that they asked to take the car there and then. Of course the salesman was only to happy to oblige, however, as the salesman had said that the tread on the tyres were low they took it to a tyre garage as soon as they got home.

The tyre garage said that the two front tyres were below the legal limit. As this made the car Illegal to drive they ordered two budget tyres to be fitted the next day at a cost of £89 per tyre.

In the mean time they contacted the dealer who had sold them the car and advised them of the problem. The dealer asked them to drive the car back where they would fit new tyres. We advised the dealer that as the car was illegal to drive we were unable to return the car. They took another 3 days to come back to us. In this time my in-laws went ahead and had the two budget tyres fitted as without doing this they were unable to use the car.

The tyre garage were good enough to state on the receipt that the original tyres were below the legal limit and gave the old tyres back to them in case the dealer wanted to inspect them themselves.

The dealer eventually came back to them offering to A/ Have us return the car so they can fit new tyres themselves or B/ They would give them £60 towards the cost of the two new tyres as they said that's how much it would have cost them.

My belief, rightly or wrongly, is that the car was sold to them in an unroadworthy condition, which is in itself against the law, and that they should reimburse my in-laws for the monies spent in making the car legal and road worthy which the dealer disputes.

Is anyone of you lovely people here able to advise me if i'm correct?

Please note the dealer was 41 miles using a motorway and the local tyre garage was only about 400 yrds.

McKneff

They were warned the tyres were low, but drove it anyway. Personally, I would have checked then.


Presumably they took it to the tyre garage to get new tyres because they had been told they were low. They were replacing anyway.


I don't see the problem to be honest.


They weren't caught, no prosection, Nothing bad happened.
I would grab he sixty quid to be honest and get on with me life.


Mountains and molehills spring to mind.


B

gik

+1 for what McKneff said. If a salesman told me tyres were dodgy I'd be asking him to replace before buying and not arguing afterwards. It's a tyres place job to sell tyres BTW and £89/budget tyre could be a bit pricey

OlliesDad

As above really.. presumably the reason your parents went to the garage was because they were getting the tyres replaced. It sounds like the salesman is being reasonable by offering any money to them.

What car was it? £89 for budget tyres might be a bit pricey (depending on the size).

bod1467

Take the £60 - that'll be about right for cost price whereas your in-laws have paid retail. They were going to have to replace the tyres anyway.

PS - the word is bald not bold.

lincroft1710

The time to negotiate replacements/repairs on a car purchase is before you pay your money. Your parents should accept the £60.

Akom

Thank you all for your advice, especially regarding the BALD tyre :-D

Your points are of course valid and to a degree I agree, however, my in-laws are not mechanically minded and wouldn't know a legal tyre from a bald one. Had they not have gone straight to a tyre garage they were at risk of 6 points and a fine. The dealer had a legal responsibility to sell a legal and roadworthy car which it clearly failed to do. So with that in mind do we just take the £60 and say 'hey ho, you got me'?

These are big tyres for a 4 wheel drive so £89 is reasonable I think.

RichardD1970

Akom wrote: »

Thank you all for your advice, especially regarding the BALD tyre :-D

Your points are of course valid and to a degree I agree, however, my in-laws are not mechanically minded and wouldn't know a legal tyre from a bald one. Had they not have gone straight to a tyre garage they were at risk of 6 points and a fine. The dealer had a legal responsibility to sell a legal and roadworthy car which it clearly failed to do. So with that in mind do we just take the £60 and say 'hey ho, you got me'?

These are big tyres for a 4 wheel drive so £89 is reasonable I think.

Sorry, but anyone who drives a car has an obligation to know the difference between a legal tyre and a bald one. Ignorance (of the law) is no excuse.

bod1467

RichardD1970 wrote: »

Sorry, but anyone who drives a car has an obligation to know the difference between a legal tyre and a bald one. Ignorance (of the law) is no excuse.

Quoted for truth.

photome

Akom wrote: »

Thank you all for your advice, especially regarding the BALD tyre :-D

Your points are of course valid and to a degree I agree, however, my in-laws are not mechanically minded and wouldn't know a legal tyre from a bald one. Had they not have gone straight to a tyre garage they were at risk of 6 points and a fine. The dealer had a legal responsibility to sell a legal and roadworthy car which it clearly failed to do. So with that in mind do we just take the £60 and say 'hey ho, you got me'?

These are big tyres for a 4 wheel drive so £89 is reasonable I think.

That makes me cross (sorry)

You do not have to be mechanically minded to know a tyre is illegal. EVERYONE who drives a car should know the condition of their tyres.

take the £60 they didnt get caught, and then show them how to check their tyre condition and tread depth

EDIT i hadnt seen someone esle posted the same thing....still cross though

powerful_Rogue

Judging whether a tyre is legal or not is one of the simplest jobs there is.



See the notches in the groves? If they are level with the tyre either side, you are on the legal limit. If they are lower then your tyre is illegal.