New Tyres - Will they change them?

chops018 · 04-01-2022 6:18pm #1

I rang local tyre fitter today and said I want mid range tryes. They said they had mid range "general" tyres and it would be around €110 each including fit. Dropped the car to them around 4:30pm. Collected it just before 5:30pm before they were to close.

When I got the car back it was some crap brand called "Autogrip". Went to go back but they had closed up. The tyres are crap and actually slid a bit after leaving the place (traction light came on too). Now, I'm not sure it that was due to the colder weather or not.

Thread depth is a massive difference from my old ones to be fair but my old ones were on the way out, so I was thinking of giving them a chance. But to be honest I've googled them now and they do not get good reviews at all so I am thinking of asking them to change them tomorrow.

When I asked for mid range tyres I presumed I would get Hankook or something like that. I know, I know - I should have checked with them the brand when I dropped the car to them.

Main question is, if I go back first thing tomorrow will they change them for a better brand? I'll obviously pay the difference. I don't want to be paying more than €150 a tyre and fit. Surely that would get me Hankook or Continental etc.?

Tyre size is 225/50/r17 btw.

colm_mcm · 04-01-2022 8:58pm

If they sold you General (which is indeed a mid range tyre) and you got something else then then you were missold.

don’t take any nonsense such as:

”I have them on my own car”

“all the taxi men are buying them”

“They’re made in the same factory as Michelin, look at the tread pattern”

also it sounds like you were bent over on the price too.

not the same size, but I got 225/40R18 Good Years for €120 each. Your tyres are available retail on tyreleader for €80 (not inc fitting) so you were rightly done.

The low end Chinese brands are made from harder more plasticky compound than the tyres you’re used to. The traction control light is coming on because they’ve lost grip. Imagine how good they’ll be when you need to stop quickly.

Birka · 04-01-2022 9:26pm

Brand new tyres take a while to achieve maximum grip, potentially a few hundred kilometers so they'll probably improve a bit.

https://www.continental-tyres.co.uk/car/all-about-tyres/tyre-change-fitting/changing-tyres/braking-with-new-tyres

That said, they're not a mid-range tyre and so they were missold.

I think that Colm might be a little harsh in saying that you were 'bent over'. An online price of €80 plus fitting and balancing isn't a million miles away from a walk-in retail price of €110 including fitting, valves (and hopefully balancing).

colm_mcm · 04-01-2022 10:34pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118418600#Comment_118418600

Apologies, I read it as €150 each. You can be sure the tyre place is paying less than €80 too.

even so, you’d get branded tyres for that price. Kumho, Vredestein, Toyo, Hankook etc.

I guarantee you these tyres won’t become grippy with a few hundred km on them.

Flinty997 · 04-01-2022 10:43pm

Got caught out before with a set of cheap ditch finders, and the grip never improved. I replaced them in a few months with a decent branded tyre and the difference was night and day.

silver2020 · 04-01-2022 10:52pm

Surely the op did a little research and asked the tyre fitter for different options.?

I know my tyre place well as we get four company vehicles looked after and would never ever just say "stick some mid range tyres on" and head off.

Sorry op, but you have to take most of the blame here.

Btw, reviews seem to be ok and they are a giant manufacturer.

colm_mcm · 04-01-2022 10:54pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118419060#Comment_118419060

Unless I’m reading it wrong, the sold the OP General (the brand) tyres, as opposed to “general/generic/random” tyre?

Car99 · 04-01-2022 11:06pm

I got 225 50 17 Hankook Ventus S1 Evo 2 K117 last week for €120 a corner fitted last week and they feel and grip everybit as good as the continental Premium Contact 6 that I had on it before.

chops018 · 04-01-2022 11:11pm

Hi all. Thanks for the replies so far.

To add to the above - I did call a few places today for quotes. Anywhere I rang I asked for mid range tyres and the cheapest quote I got was €100 plus fittting but that place was further away than the place I went with. The place a bit further away offered Kenda brand tyres.

The others were all coming in at €110 too. Triangle brand was offered in one place for that price. Then also got offered I-Link. The place I got offered I-Link I queried why they cost was €110 as I knew they were a Chinese tyre and they said costs are up €20-30 across the board and a tyre like this u would have got fitted for €70-80 a year ago but it's different now.

As I said I then called a local tyre fitter and asked for Mid Range Tyres and the response was along the lines of oh yeah we have general mid range tyres in that size here, if you can drop it over to us by half 4 we can get it done today, €110 each plus fit. So I dropped it over to them and collected it just before they closed before half 5. My own fault for not checking there and then. But yes, the brand on the tyres says "Autogrip", which I am not happy with. Also as stated I did not feel comfortable driving on them. The grip doesn't seem great. I did read that tyres do need some wearing in. But I think I'd prefer to get a better brand.

Question is: will they change them? I have not driven far on them at all. Pretty much drove home after I got them done and that was it. Around 2-3kms of driving.

Also @colm_mcm - price wise on the receipt the tyres themselves came in at around €80 each, then it was €10 each for fitting and then they added the taxes (VAT etc.), So hopefully price wise I wasn't done.

HalfAndHalf · 04-01-2022 11:19pm

OP - Tyres are one thing you shouldn’t try and scrimp on. You might pay a bit more but you’ll get more safety and a lot more kms out of something a bit more expensive.

I’ve got Continental Contisport 5’s on my Kuga, 235/45/19 and other than the fronts I’ve had to replace, both times for a nail, they’ve still got about 10,000 kms on. And that’s after 30,000kms in 3 years.

Got the new front from best drive for €200 fitted. It was a Sport 6 so newer version.

It may seem more of an initial outlay but they’ll last twice as long and keep you safe!

chops018 · 04-01-2022 11:25pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118419180#Comment_118419180

I agree. That's why I asked for mid range. I thought this would be better than budget but a little cheaper than premium. I will happily pay €20-30 more per tyre in the morning if they changed them for something like Hankook or Continental. But surely it's not that simple changing tyres? I mean it's not like going back to change a t-shirt. The only thing is I got the job done by them just before they closed and I plan to go back to them first thing in the morning and I've only driven on them about 2-3kms. But I do take blame for not checking them there and then.

Do you think they'd agree to me changing them for a better brand?

colm_mcm · 04-01-2022 11:28pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118419199#Comment_118419199

What I mean is they said General and sold Autogrip. Could have just been a coincidence.

ive rang up for tyres lots of times looking for actual mid range tyres (as in not top tier Continental, Goodyear, Michelin etc) to be offered Wanlis, Triangles etc.

bazz26 · 04-01-2022 11:28pm

Your problem was that you didn't ask for a specific brand of tyre. You just asked them for any tyre from a generic range of tyres based on price which was a license to sell a no name brand with a very healthy mark up for the tyre centre. The majority of people coming through the door of a tyre centre are only focused on price rather than quality so you got treated that way imo.

It's like going into a pub and asking the barman for a mid range drink. They could pour ditch water into a glass and call it mid range.

chops018 · 04-01-2022 11:33pm

Thanks all for the comments. I do agree I am partly to blame for not checking the brand when the job was done and just assuming when they said mid range tyres they'd put on something decent.

My main question again: does anyone think they would change them for a better brand if I go back first thing in the morning? Also, how would you approach asking them - say you asked for mid range and that these clearly aren't and that when I drove home on them the grip did not seem good at all?

bazz26 · 04-01-2022 11:42pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118419243#Comment_118419243

If they are a decent place they should have no problem changing them as they have very little driving done on them. Tell them you would prefer a well known brand like Hankook which you expected to be a mid range brand. Don't mention anything about being happy to pay the difference until they mention it. Don't except another unknown brand even if they tell you they are made or owned by one of the well known tyre brands. Know what brand you want this time and stick to your guns around that.

chops018 · 04-01-2022 11:47pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118419278#Comment_118419278

Ok thanks. I'll try that. I will just say I drove home after the job and their place closed. Which is the truth. Hopefully they change them anyway.

wandererz · 05-01-2022 1:54am

Jaypers! This is difficult reading.

Here's Tyreleader's classification of tyre brands so you have an indication when speaking to the tyre company.

Also REMEMBER that you asked for GENERAL "the Brand" and got Autogrip instead.

General is good.

wandererz · 05-01-2022 2:02am

Here's a screenshot of my fronts or backs (I got 2 different sizes for front & rear).

Price was the same for each set plus fitting locally.

Overall it was €113 per tyre for Goodyear Eagle Asymmetric 5's times 4 (inclusive of the €15 per tyre for fitting), AND i was so chuffed with the price I included the €3 per tyre warranty/replacement. It was still €113 per tyre.

This forum is a great place for research.

Research must be done before, not after.

Anyway, do remember that you ordered the GENERAL tyre BRAND. Not Autogrip!

Esel · 05-01-2022 2:02am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118419516#Comment_118419516

OP didn't ask for General brand tyres - seller said they had mid range "general" tyres.

wandererz · 05-01-2022 2:13am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118419519#Comment_118419519

Yup. OP needs to ask for replacement of the Autogrip for what was promised:

"General" tyres

chops018 · 05-01-2022 2:20am

I'll go back in the morning anyway and ask for them to change them. My main point will be I asked for mid range tyres which these clearly are not and I don't feel comfortable with them. I don't know if I want to say I asked for "general" tyres as to be honest I didn't even know that they were a brand and when I rang they said they had "general mid range tyres" so I assumed they meant they had some general brands of mid range tyres there and thought I'd get Hankook or something like that. I didn't check them till I got back home but the reason for that was that I took the car keys back around half 5 when they were closing up so just took the keys and left. It was all in a hurry really when I collected it so I should have took my time and also I should have double confirmed the brand when I dropped the car off so I do agree with the comments saying I am part to blame. Also when I dropped in the keys a guy met me at reception and he then gave my keys to a tyre fitter and he said to him to put on "mid range tyres" so again I assumed I'd get something half decent. I wasn't expecting Bridgestone but also wasn't expecting what I got!

wandererz · 05-01-2022 2:25am

You asked for mid range tyres. They said they had "General mid range tyres".

These are not General, these are Autogrip, a cheap Chinese brand.

That's the way Judge Kaplan would read it.

silver2020 · 05-01-2022 6:40am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118419530#Comment_118419530

The word general does not have to mean the brand. Context is important and reading the op's posts the word "general" seems to be the literal meaning rather than a brand.

I'd be surprised if they changed them without some form of penalty for even small wear and also fitting.

As for price increases from last year - freight costs have skyrocketed. A 40' container costing €2500 to ship in 2019 is now costing €15,000-€18,000

chops018 · 05-01-2022 9:18am

Thanks all for the replies. Just finished dealing with them. They will change them for Hankook tyres. But they will have to charge €300 more for the tyres and fit. He said reason being is he cannot sell the others as new tyres now. He said he will sell them but they will take a hit of €20-30 a tyre. I pushed for him to take more off and he seemingly rang the owner and explained and was told they can't do any better.

So I suppose me not checking the brand there and then has cost me a few Bob more than I should have paid to get a mid range to premium tyre.

I'm a bit annoyed overall but as but I'm just gonna try to chalk it down and move on with the Hankooks.

chops018 · 05-01-2022 9:18am

XsApollo · 05-01-2022 9:36am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118419518#Comment_118419518

What car are those tyres for?

different sizes front and back I am presuming a Beamer?

ratracer · 05-01-2022 9:46am

Is it two or four tyres you are replacing?

Even if it’s four, you’ve paid €110 each for them, he takes €30 off each, so you’ve paid €80 and now he wants another €75 per tyre, so €155 per tyre which you didn’t want to pay in the first place anyway?

I think you’re getting rode a second time here, and that just after having a quick look at Advance pitstop prices.

RunningFlyer · 05-01-2022 9:47am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118419798#Comment_118419798

If I were you and they are charging full whack for new Hancooks I'd take my business elsewhere. A different garage might even give you more for the scrubbed tyres..

chops018 · 05-01-2022 9:55am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118419905#Comment_118419905

I'm after agreeing to it now and they are currently changing them. So I may just chalk it down and take the hit. I'm obviously raging but as I said I may just chalk it down.

But like, surely if I went to another tyre fitters and said to them oh I got these tyres a few days ago but I hate them would you take them as a trade in and give me a premium brand, they'd still he knocking 30-40 off per tyre and I'd still be in a similar situation?

chops018 · 05-01-2022 10:00am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118419901#Comment_118419901

Yes. €110 originally, per tyre, and I suppose you're right, paying about €150-160 a tyre now for the Hankooks. I agree I'm not coming out of this well but he was reluctant to take them back at all he kept saying he can't sell them on as new tyres now and they are losing about €30 a tyre on them so this is the best they can do. I know they will most likely resell them as new anyway.

Sure, I'm after agreeing to it now so I may just move on and chalk it down. I didn't know what to be saying either to be honest as they aren't faulty, I just kept saying the grip is terrible and they aren't mid range. He disagreed and said they were and they would get better if broken in etc.

Funnily enough, my partner's father used to run a tyre place years ago. Rang him this morning and told him all about it. He said he used to sell Autogrip but they were budget tyres. He also said he would have been reluctant to take them back too and reckons this was probably the best I'd get unless I tried to sell them on myself, which I don't really want to do ha.

TheW1zard · 05-01-2022 10:21am

110 x 4 for the Autogrip, and he wants 300 more = 740euro?

185 a tyre?

chops018 · 05-01-2022 10:30am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118420051#Comment_118420051

Correct. But, I did push back and he pushed back on me saying they would lose out €20-30 a tyre taking my old ones back and this is the best they can do to give me premium. I wasn't sure what to do as I don't want the ones they have given me originally and I'm not too versed in the area of tyres so I genuinely didn't know how to handle it. They didn't want to take them back at all tbh.

I'm just trying to chalk it down and not let this happen the next time. Made a balls of it overall obviously.

bazz26 · 05-01-2022 10:31am

I think you have been rode twice to be honest.

To me you have paid over the odds for the Hankooks and also taken a hit on the cheap tyres coming off. I'd be very surprised if those Autgrips that came off, won't be sold as new to some other unsuspecting joe.

And they whinge then why people don't support local businesses.

chops018 · 05-01-2022 10:34am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118420118#Comment_118420118

No I agree. But what can I do now as they are putting the Hankooks on and I'm going back to collect them shortly. Would you even say anything about it now or move on? My thinking was if I was to try go somewhere else I'd end up paying more for premium tyres so just go with what they offered.

Toyotafanboi · 05-01-2022 10:35am

My God.

chops018 · 05-01-2022 10:41am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118420143#Comment_118420143

Does anyone have anything I can say before I go back over?

05-01-2022 10:44am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118420136#Comment_118420136

It's up to you. I wouldn't be walking away in the situation you are in. Whether you'll get any satisfaction or not is another thing entirely.

I know you know this now but in future, when it comes to cars you have to have some kind of knowledge before you go near them. You'll hear "Oh 90% of the industry is fine, you only hear about the bad ones" yet any time I've gone to a "proper" mechanic, for tyres or anything else they've tried to do me. Why they thought they could get more money out of someone with a shitheap 10 year old car is beyond me but that's how brazen people will be.

Next time for tyres have a quick look online. Pick a couple of brands that you've heard of and check the prices, should only take a couple of minutes really. Have a list of a couple of brands you want/would be happy with and go from there.

Slight side note, have tyres gone way up in the last couple of years? ~18 months ago I was still getting 17 inch Toyos fitted for €67.50 a corner. Over 100 quid a corner seems high to my mind unless you're going for proper quality/particular characteristics. And 100+ a corner for a **** brand is really taking the piss.

fatbhoy · 05-01-2022 10:44am

Name and shame these fcuks.

ratracer · 05-01-2022 10:47am

I don’t t think you have any real comeback now as you have agreed ( rightly or wrongly) on the price for the Hankooks fitted!

As you said, it’s been an expensive lesson for you. Take the positives out of it: 1) You have decent, safe tyres on your car, and this really can be the difference of life and death in an accident, and 2) You know to never deal with those cowboys again!

dmc17 · 05-01-2022 10:49am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118420183#Comment_118420183

I wouldn't be taking the hit for them being chancers. If they were any way decent they'd take the hit as a business but they obviously are more worried about making a quick buck than having a good reputation.

silver2020 · 05-01-2022 10:57am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118420051#Comment_118420051

€110 x 4, less €30 x 4 for small use and fitting time yesterday which I think is quite fair.

Means the hankooks will be €155/tyre fitted and that seems about the correct price.

I think the tyre place is being fair. Autogrips do seem to be considered mid-range by many and get average ratings here and better than average ratings in the UK. Hence without specific agreement on specific brand, the OP got what they ordered yesterday and would have no right to any remedy.

3102derek · 05-01-2022 10:59am

Got Pirelli P-Zero Neros for 135 each fitted a few months ago.

235/45/18

110 for Autogrip, not a chance

silver2020 · 05-01-2022 10:59am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118420204#Comment_118420204

and have a defamation action at your door.

They did nothing wrong. If anything they were very fair. Margins in the tyre business are small.

TheW1zard · 05-01-2022 11:11am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118420266#Comment_118420266

I think he said the garage will lose 30 euro a tyre, not that they would give a discount.

He says he is being charged 300. (+440)

silver2020 · 05-01-2022 11:17am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118420340#Comment_118420340

Garage will have to sell the Autogrip tyres at a lower price as they are used. They also spent time fitting them yesterday. That's a €30 charge/tyre which is in the calculations. Effectively the error by the OP is costing the OP €100 - €120.

Garage is not profiteering in anyway and would have been well within their rights to say that they can't exchange them. I think its a fair deal as does the OP's father in law who was in the business.

Effects · 05-01-2022 11:22am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118420369#Comment_118420369

Maybe not profiteering, but definitely taking advantage of customers who don't know any better.

silver2020 · 05-01-2022 11:29am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118420400#Comment_118420400

How? - I can't see it. OP asked for mid range. Autogrip are considered midrange by many. Price agreed was 110 which is about right for the autogrips looking at websites and a midrange price too. OP did not ask any further questions nor requested any specific brand. Garage completed their side perfectly even if the op later decided that they did not like the tyres that were fitted.

Garage has agreed to swap out the tyres even though they have absolutely no obligation to do so and many would refuse such a request.

Garage has charge about €100-€120 for the work and small amount of wear that means another customer will get a discount.

Blazer · 05-01-2022 11:34am

740 euros is an expensive lesson.

Hell I get 4 pirelli runflats for my car (2 x245 , 2x275) for 700 including fitting and balancing.

I order the tyres online from eirtyres or oponeo and my local tyre place fits them for 40-50 euros.

Also autogrip are a budget tyre and certainly not a mid range tyre. While tyres have increased in price the price bands haven't thus more of the crap budget ones are falling within the mid range price bands.

Never ever skimp on tyres...they're the things keeping you on the road. The difference of a 100 quid for 4 tyres can be the difference between life and death.

Always get a good well known brand name, do your research before you ever set foot inside a tyre place if you can't buy online and have a place fit them.

Effects · 05-01-2022 11:39am

Customer asked for mid range tyre, but were given low range tyre at mid range price.

Customer didn't ask what tyre they were getting for what price. Customer didn't know any better. They were given cheap, low quality tyre at a high price.

If Autogrip are mid range, as you seem to think, I'd hate to see what low range tyres people are driving around on.

chops018 · 05-01-2022 11:43am

Just to update everyone, and also again thanks for all the comments. This a great site for help and guidance.

I asked to chat to the owner when I went back. Told him I feel like I'm being rode and asked him can he break it down for me.

He said I told them I wanted mid range tyres and that Autogrip is considered mid range by them and what they stock for that department.

He said costs have gone up across the board and a year ago I'd have probably gotten them for €20 or so less a tyre and fitting.

He said the tyres I got yesterday were the mid range they had in stock and they were €110 each including fitting. He said a few weeks ago they had Nexens and I'd have gotten them for that price if it was a few weeks back.

He said he's under no obligation to take them back as they are not faulty and have been driven and I didn't specify a certain brand etc.

He said that the Hankooks they now gave me are one of their premium brands in stock and if I'd have asked for premium yesterday he would have offered me these at around €185 per tyre plus fitting. Meaning the cost would have been €740 if I had of gotten Hankooks yesterday in the first place. The difference does match up - €440 for the Autogrips plus €300 for the Hankooks today = €740.

That all he is charging is the difference in cost per tyre.

He also said they had to do another 45 minute work taking the ones I didn't want off and putting the new ones on.

He was very nice to chat to and was calm etc., But I wasn't looking for a big row or confrontation anyway as I feel that gets you no where, I just said I wasn't happy and asked them to explain.

I don't know if he's lying or not about the figures so I suppose I'll have to trust them.

I doubt I'll be going there again.

Anyway the difference in driving and grip etc. on the Hankooks they put on are night and day compared to the Autogrip ones so I'm happy in that regard.

I'll chalk it up to a lesson learned. Nothing else I can do now anyway. Thanks again for all the comments.

User1998 · 05-01-2022 11:49am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118420183#Comment_118420183

You were told what to say and you let them walk all over you

New Tyres - Will they change them?

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