Absolutely SHOCKED! Had 2 tyres repaired and DID NOT GET CHARGED!

andy_spoo

I took two wheels / tyres to a branch of F1autocentres (Formula One Autocentres) in Malvern, both of which were flat because both of them had perished rubber on the valves (see p. hoto). I was expecting to have to pay for new tyres. I asked for prices for both tyres and to be honest the budget brands they had were cheaper than other placed I have been to recently.

They were really busy so I dropped both of them off there and arranged to pick them up the following day.

When I went back to pick them up and got my wallet out he said not to bother because all they had to do was replace the valves and check the pressure because the tyres were good. Well that's a first because I'm used to getting ripped off by tyre places! So for the first time ever I thought I'd have to give a good review / shout out to a company!!

I've previously taken a tyre/wheel to Hi-Q in Worcester that had they same fault and that tyre was almost new. They insisted I needed a new tyre after removing it from the wheel (they kept the tyre...I wonder if they sold it as a part used tyre to someone). There prices for a replacement seemed like a rip off to me. I took the wheel to Kwik-Fit after that and to be honest the prices were pretty similar to Hi-Q's. After no longer having the energy to go else where I got Kwik-Kit to add a new tyre to the wheel. It's only when I got home I realised that Kwik-Fit had charged me for 'Tyre Disposal' on a wheel that had no tyre!!!! Absolute rip off.

If you live in the Worcester / Malvern area then do yourself a favour and go to F1 autocentres in Malvern.

Car_54

When I had a company car I twice had punctures repaired at KwikFit. No charge on either occasion.

I assumed that was because the paperwork for a company repair would be more bother that it was worth, but I had the same experience later when I owned my own car.

EssexExile

National tyres promised to phone me when a repair was done, he forgot so didn't charge anything when I picked it up.

Dustyevsky

My son-in-law had a similar experience recently at an independent local garage. Not everyone is out to scam people; some are even smart enough to foster goodwill!

Mildly_Miffed

Did you drive on the tyres while flat, on either occasion?

If you did, then it's almost certainly the previous place that did you the favour, not this one.

Tyre sidewalls simply are not designed to bear the entire weight of that corner on two tiny, fairly sharp contact points - the rim edge. The inside of the sidewall wears very badly, very quickly. A tyre that's been driven on flat is positively dangerous, and must be replaced.

(A "runflat" tyre is simply designed to not come away from the rim while flat, as a normal one may do, and has heavier-duty sidewalls. It's not repairable or reusable after being driven on flat.)

Car_54

Mildly_Miffed said:

Did you drive on the tyres while flat, on either occasion?

If you did, then it's almost certainly the previous place that did you the favour, not this one.

Tyre sidewalls simply are not designed to bear the entire weight of that corner on two tiny, fairly sharp contact points - the rim edge. The inside of the sidewall wears very badly, very quickly. A tyre that's been driven on flat is positively dangerous, and must be replaced.

(A "runflat" tyre is simply designed to not come away from the rim while flat, as a normal one may do, and has heavier-duty sidewalls. It's not repairable or reusable after being driven on flat.)

So, was letting him drive away on a dangerous tyre "doing him a favour"?

Mildly_Miffed

The OP thinks so.

My suggestion is that the other lot, the ones who sold him a replacement, were the ones doing him the real favour.

Neil49

Mildly_Miffed said:

Did you drive on the tyres while flat, on either occasion?

If you did, then it's almost certainly the previous place that did you the favour, not this one.

Tyre sidewalls simply are not designed to bear the entire weight of that corner on two tiny, fairly sharp contact points - the rim edge. The inside of the sidewall wears very badly, very quickly. A tyre that's been driven on flat is positively dangerous, and must be replaced.

(A "runflat" tyre is simply designed to not come away from the rim while flat, as a normal one may do, and has heavier-duty sidewalls. It's not repairable or reusable after being driven on flat.)

He says he took the wheels / tyres there which implies that they weren't attached to a car.