Tyre fitter charging for services i do not require

DanDare999

diystarter7 said:

shiraz99 said:

I think you're biggest mistake is taking your shiny new alloys anywhere near a Kwikfit. Find a recommended, independent tyre fitter. 

Which/what indy fitter are you referring to?

I've used Kwift in the past and the last time was for Mrs Diy's little car - they checked the brakes, cleaned them, drove the car and reassured me the noise i heard was due to car standing around for weeks after the rain and a bit of driving and braking would remove the noise and it did. Not all places like KW/Halfords etc are poor just like Indys and not all are good but just to say to go to an "independent" place is not helpful.


Like most places, it is down to the fitter on the whole what and how they do it
I recall visiting a an indy that specialised in tracking would you believe it.
They adjusted a little tracking but  the next day i noted a slight clinck as i went over small speed humps in a long, quiet road and i opened the windows and noticed it more. This so-called indy was near my home and recommended by a mate but as I was closed to work I went to halfords that I had used many times for brakes and oil changes and told them re clink and had just had the tracking adjusted. Straight awat they indefinite a loose nut and the problem solved and no charge.

I was busy as working and a couple of days later as I went to their place and told them and got the response "ok" - no sorry etc and I turned around and wlaked out - this was about 12 years ago and the outfit is still around. What I should have done is left a negative review but as i was bust/worn out did not bother

Therefore, just saying visit an "indy" as opposed to a well-known place, I'd beg others to treat it with caution.

OP, check reviews and not jst any reviews but especially for tyre changing as many reviews are unrelated to the work you want to be done and often relate to general serving, quotes, enquiryies etc.

shiraz99 said recommended, independence tyre fitter. 

shiraz99

diystarter7 said:

shiraz99 said:

I think you're biggest mistake is taking your shiny new alloys anywhere near a Kwikfit. Find a recommended, independent tyre fitter. 

Which/what indy fitter are you referring to?

I've used Kwift in the past and the last time was for Mrs Diy's little car - they checked the brakes, cleaned them, drove the car and reassured me the noise i heard was due to car standing around for weeks after the rain and a bit of driving and braking would remove the noise and it did. Not all places like KW/Halfords etc are poor just like Indys and not all are good but just to say to go to an "independent" place is not helpful.


Like most places, it is down to the fitter on the whole what and how they do it
I recall visiting a an indy that specialised in tracking would you believe it.
They adjusted a little tracking but  the next day i noted a slight clinck as i went over small speed humps in a long, quiet road and i opened the windows and noticed it more. This so-called indy was near my home and recommended by a mate but as I was closed to work I went to halfords that I had used many times for brakes and oil changes and told them re clink and had just had the tracking adjusted. Straight awat they indefinite a loose nut and the problem solved and no charge.

I was busy as working and a couple of days later as I went to their place and told them and got the response "ok" - no sorry etc and I turned around and wlaked out - this was about 12 years ago and the outfit is still around. What I should have done is left a negative review but as i was bust/worn out did not bother

Therefore, just saying visit an "indy" as opposed to a well-known place, I'd beg others to treat it with caution.

OP, check reviews and not jst any reviews but especially for tyre changing as many reviews are unrelated to the work you want to be done and often relate to general serving, quotes, enquiryies etc.

I never said "just visit an indy", I said find a recommended independent fitter.

ThumbRemote

shiraz99 said:

diystarter7 said:

shiraz99 said:

I think you're biggest mistake is taking your shiny new alloys anywhere near a Kwikfit. Find a recommended, independent tyre fitter. 

Which/what indy fitter are you referring to?

I've used Kwift in the past and the last time was for Mrs Diy's little car - they checked the brakes, cleaned them, drove the car and reassured me the noise i heard was due to car standing around for weeks after the rain and a bit of driving and braking would remove the noise and it did. Not all places like KW/Halfords etc are poor just like Indys and not all are good but just to say to go to an "independent" place is not helpful.


Like most places, it is down to the fitter on the whole what and how they do it
I recall visiting a an indy that specialised in tracking would you believe it.
They adjusted a little tracking but  the next day i noted a slight clinck as i went over small speed humps in a long, quiet road and i opened the windows and noticed it more. This so-called indy was near my home and recommended by a mate but as I was closed to work I went to halfords that I had used many times for brakes and oil changes and told them re clink and had just had the tracking adjusted. Straight awat they indefinite a loose nut and the problem solved and no charge.

I was busy as working and a couple of days later as I went to their place and told them and got the response "ok" - no sorry etc and I turned around and wlaked out - this was about 12 years ago and the outfit is still around. What I should have done is left a negative review but as i was bust/worn out did not bother

Therefore, just saying visit an "indy" as opposed to a well-known place, I'd beg others to treat it with caution.

OP, check reviews and not jst any reviews but especially for tyre changing as many reviews are unrelated to the work you want to be done and often relate to general serving, quotes, enquiryies etc.

I never said "just visit an indy", I said find a recommended independent fitter.

How would you go about getting a recommendation? If you post on local Facebook groups you're more likely to get friends or family members posting recommendations than actual satisfied customers. And I don't know how many of my own friends I'd have to ask before I found someone who'd used an independent fitter rather than just taking their car into a chain. 

macman

The point about the chains is that all the staff are incentivised to upsell, unlike an independent.

TELLIT01

There will be good and bad independents and chains.  A few years ago I took my wife's car to a local Kwikfit for one new tyre.  When I went to collect it the manager came to speak to me.  He asked if I knew that the car would fail the next MOT despite all the other tyres having plenty of tread.  He claimed that it was illegal to use tyres over 5 years of age because they were dangerous.  That seemed unlikely to me so I checked and could find no such legislation, and the car passed the MOT without so much as an advisory.

There is advise to check tyres over 5 years of age.  Surprisingly perhaps, I have never been back.

diystarter7

macman said:

The point about the chains is that all the staff are incentivised to upsell, unlike an independent.

Surely that can be said for the indys as well.

The example I gave re my wifes car/brakes they are looked at, cleaned Foc by a young guy I think he may have been new but
I was thinking you doing all that FoC. One of the more senior guys drove the car up and down the road in front of me.

I've had 101% service from Halfords at my regular branch and put it don to their manager who has been there for a good 10 years if not more and when i first saw him he was a technician. Another Halfords I went to tried to get me new brakes and discs fitted without taking the wheels off and i did not need to change the brakes and discs even when i sold the car almost three years later.

Individuals can trash a good name in seconds.

The few times in the last 20 years I've used Kiwkfit and Halfords all good/ok.
Indys uked on the whole, not good bar one that specialised in the make of our main car at the time.

Even a main dealer can cause you trouble as I found out and again this is due to the person/individual working on your car being incompetent. It's the way the dealer handles your concern/s that counts. I'd happily pay a few quid for a full video of any major service or works to our cars but that is not an option

ThumbRemote

macman said:

The point about the chains is that all the staff are incentivised to upsell, unlike an independent.

      
If anything staff at a chain have less incentive to upsell because they make less money out of doing so. 

eskbanker

ThumbRemote said:

macman said:

The point about the chains is that all the staff are incentivised to upsell, unlike an independent.

      
If anything staff at a chain have less incentive to upsell because they make less money out of doing so. 

Staff at a chain will have layers of management above them, aggressively setting ambitious sales targets, whereas an independent will understand the value of word of mouth repeat business and maintaining a reputation....

born_again

diystarter7 said:

shiraz99 said:

I think you're biggest mistake is taking your shiny new alloys anywhere near a Kwikfit. Find a recommended, independent tyre fitter. 

Which/what indy fitter are you referring to?

I've used Kwift in the past and the last time was for Mrs Diy's little car - they checked the brakes, cleaned them, drove the car and reassured me the noise i heard was due to car standing around for weeks after the rain and a bit of driving and braking would remove the noise and it did. Not all places like KW/Halfords etc are poor just like Indys and not all are good but just to say to go to an "independent" place is not helpful.


Like most places, it is down to the fitter on the whole what and how they do it
I recall visiting a an indy that specialised in tracking would you believe it.
They adjusted a little tracking but  the next day i noted a slight clinck as i went over small speed humps in a long, quiet road and i opened the windows and noticed it more. This so-called indy was near my home and recommended by a mate but as I was closed to work I went to halfords that I had used many times for brakes and oil changes and told them re clink and had just had the tracking adjusted. Straight awat they indefinite a loose nut and the problem solved and no charge.

I was busy as working and a couple of days later as I went to their place and told them and got the response "ok" - no sorry etc and I turned around and wlaked out - this was about 12 years ago and the outfit is still around. What I should have done is left a negative review but as i was bust/worn out did not bother

Therefore, just saying visit an "indy" as opposed to a well-known place, I'd beg others to treat it with caution.

OP, check reviews and not jst any reviews but especially for tyre changing as many reviews are unrelated to the work you want to be done and often relate to general serving, quotes, enquiryies etc.

I've used the same one for years & thought the same.
Took daughters car for 4 new tyres, as required for MOT. 

They managed t o fit 2 the wrong way round.. Cost £32 to get it fixed for MOT. Only good thing was they refunded without much of a fight.. But started @ £16 till i said it's 2 wheels...

Just remember Cars registered after January 1, 2012, are legally required to have a fully functioning TPMS if one is fitted to gain their MOT certificate.
So they could refuse to fit tyres if your car is 2012> with no TPMS fitted. 👍