Critical_Mass 10 Posted May 23, 2013 Hi all, Well i went over to stockport to get some cheap tyres fitted to some alloys id just bought, but realised i wasnt going to get their in time so i went to a kwik fit that i was passing to see what deal they could do. I was told they could provide me with 4 x Falken 914s for £398 fitted - this was with a discount (as they could do me a deal) working out at £85~ a tyre fitted. which i thought was a good deal, So i went ahead with it. So got home back to Leeds and fitted the wheels and thought nothing more about it. It wasnt until today that someone noticed the stretch was different on 2 of the tyres. Looking at the tyres they're ALL Falkens however 2 are 914s, the other 2 are 453s. Im rather annoyed about this as i was sold and paid for 4 x Falken 914s. Looking on the net and depending where i look the price between them vary. e.g. tesco tyres the 914s are £117.60 but the 453s are £117.59 (yes 1p difference) however, the ratings are different for performance wise. The 914s are slightly better. HOwever a general search on google with the ads on there the 453s are £90 each. So it seems im either been given 2 x cheaper tyres and worse performance for more expensive ones. Or same price but worst performance. Do you think there's anything i can do as ive been using them for just over a month - bought on 9th April. Its not my fault i have 2 different tyres, i have a receipt saying theyre the same. So could i make a fuss and get them changed or am i stuck with them. Also as the place i got them fitted was in stockport and im going to go to a Leeds branch will i get told to go back to where i bought them? Cheers Gaz Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rams 0 Posted May 23, 2013 First things first, I would call the branch that fitted them and explain to them what's happened, be cool with them and just say you have only noticed now and you don't feel confident having been sold different tyres per axel. If you have your receipt you could always go into your nearest branch and perhaps get them to call the other branch and see what they can offer? Or call their customer services department and make a complaint. Hope they sort it for you and good lesson learnt Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Critical_Mass 10 Posted May 23, 2013 I dont fancy going all the way back to Stockport from Leeds so will try a Leeds branch first and see if they can do anything. They're not franchised so i should be able to do this, right? Failing that i will contact the customer services. Cheers and yes a lesson learnt - never to go to Kwik fit again - i hope thats what you were referring to :lol: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mr lobitos 0 Posted May 24, 2013 ask for a full refund and buy them cheaper off me Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Critical_Mass 10 Posted May 24, 2013 i did consider you Mr L... but i was being impatient and wanted to get some boots on the new rims and get them fitted to the passat. As you work at a tyres place, what would you be able to do if a customer came to you with this problem. So your place did what kwik fit did - not suggesting your place would, just wondering what you could offer to the customer? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Supercharged 2 Posted May 24, 2013 Monkeys! ---------- Post added at 9:13 AM ---------- Previous post was at 9:12 AM ---------- You'd never usually buy 4 tyres and not have them all the same - f*cktards Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Critical_Mass 10 Posted May 24, 2013 Rang them up and they said in a nutshell "the ones you didnt want are better anyway.. speak to the manager but there's not much he'll be able to do now" this was the branch i bought them. However, i rang the headoffice before hand and spoke the manager he said, "problem is their stock wont match but if the stockport branch wont help you ring me back and ill get them swapped and they can take the hit. So do i keep them and not bother with the hassle, or get them swapped? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sankysvr6 0 Posted May 24, 2013 Are these wheels on the Corrado or Passat? I would just ring them up and tell them the situation, also explain that you have not been using either car much and you only noticed when you washed the car that 2 of the tyres are different. Don't say anything about how many miles you have done or anything, unless they ask. At the end of the day, if you pay for an item you should get that item only. They shouldn't give you anything else without your consent first. I'll give my mate a call who works at kwik-fit, and see what he has to say. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MarkR 11 Posted May 24, 2013 Kwik-Fit, they don't take care of alloy rims and the monkeys who work there can't even balance a wheel. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mr lobitos 0 Posted May 24, 2013 take up there offer to swop them to a matching set and ask for some compensation (fuel costs, loss of earnings, etc ) if they don't play ball, go to trading standards Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sean_Jaymo 0 Posted May 24, 2013 This happened to me over the weekend when I went to have 4 Goodyear Efficient Grips stuck on my Passat! I only realised when I got home that evening and checked the bolts and tyres pressures that the 2 rear tyres were Goodyear Excellence. A quick search online showed they were worse - A feeling I kind of had as the back didn't feel as planted. I called up the shop and spoke to the manager on the Mon morning and he was happy to have me go down there on the Tuesday to have the correct tyres fitted. He did say something wasn't right with his stock levels and now he knew why! The thing with this experience was the guy who actually fitted my tyres swore blind that I was told I had 2 different sets (due to a tyre damage issue and not enough spare tyres left to fit 4 for me) and that I had said I was happy with that! Cheeky lying git! The manager was spot on, the tyres were changed and I left 20 mins later happy but annoyed! I'm reluctant to use them again purely on the attitude of the fitter and the fact that I wasn't told anything about the substitution! It wasn't Kwik Fit BTW - Learned my lesson with those cowboys years ago! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rams 0 Posted May 24, 2013 Get them swapped buddy, I did wonder if customer services would be the ones to say yes. That's good news. I'm a firm believer of decent all matching tyres, it comes from a crash I had once in Corrado vr6 number 2, had one tyre rear nr side with a different profile as my girlfriend had crashed the car 3 weeks before and just had it all repaired, it was Ramg60 when I used to be on here. I was joining a dual carriage way from a sweeping slip road and flying round, the rear tyre blew out and caused me to spin and my rear end swung out all the way to the outside lane of the dual carriage way, luckily missed the oncoming traffic and ended up just a few inches away from the barrier that starts low and reaches a bridge to the left of the inside lane and if we had been a few more inches to the right, we would have driven up the sloped barrier and probably rolled back on the dual carriage way! Not a mark on us and I didn't have my seat belt on but my passenger, a big doorman at the time, used his arm to pin me back! Probably better than any seatbelt! No whip lash he just pinned me! The newspaper even got involved but said it was a Sirocco! Lol Anyway that's why I always think tyres are so important! It was me that was the fool in this case as the garage just put a tyre on that they had to get me on the ramp etc. totally forgot about it being different! The tyre shred all the way round the outside of the tyre wall. This is obviously dramatic but if your mind doesn't need to think about these little niggles when your driving then its nice to have a clear head. If they weren't going to offer the replacement then I was going to say it's no biggy as what you have means its safe but you may as well. At least you've used some rubber and maybe a few nice wheel spins on the way up there! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Critical_Mass 10 Posted May 24, 2013 Cheers for the advice guys. Just found out it wasnt customer services i spoke to it. I dialled the 0800 number on their site which puts you through to the nearest branch. But it was teh manager of that branch that im dealing with. Who has said he'll ring the stockport branch and ask what can be done, if nothing then he said he'd ring customer services for me and again see what can be done. Failing that i can ring customer services and see where i get... last resort trading standards. Ive swapped the wheels round today so the same tyres are on the same axle - its the Passat btw not the corrado. So there is hope yet. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Supercharged 2 Posted May 24, 2013 What they weren't even in pairs?? FFS!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Critical_Mass 10 Posted May 24, 2013 I fitted the wheels myself and assumed, as you would, that they were all the same i just happen to fit the 914s on the passenger side and 453s on the drivers. So swapped 2 so the 914s are on one axle and 453s on the other. Apparently i should get a call today from the manager. ---------- Post added at 2:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 2:33 PM ---------- Result! Had a call from the manager of the local Kwik Fit branch and they're happy for me to arrange to go down and get the tyres swapped. Spot on. The manager of the local branch was really helpful actually... contacted customer services for me and got it agreed that they'd swap the tyres. Happy with that :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites