**Unofficial Tyre Thread**

[stoofa]

Pilot Sport 4 is not available in this size, only the ultra high performance Pilot Sport 4S is available. But that said, the first place I looked had those for £165 each.

OK - that was better than the price I was seeing (hadn't noticed it was bringing up PS4s and not just PS4). I could get somewhere near that price for "tyres only" - I'm yet to find anywhere happy to fit tyres they didn't supply.
I've got the AS6's all booked for Sunday now, so I'll leave them.

 

[V_R]

tyre-shopper.co.uk had them for £149.99 on Friday and they currently have a 5% off any 2 - so took them down to £142 each.
I see they are now selling them at £151.99 - so £144 each.
That's fitted at home prices.

That's better than what I saw on Black Circles.

 

[stoofa]

But alas I've spoken too soon.......
I ordered my tyres last weekend for a fitting date of this Sunday (30th). I get a text and an email this morning telling me "Fitter not available, have moved you to Monday 1st".
Company I work for doesn't allow any mobile fitters or anyone like that to do any work onsite, so no use to me - I can only do weekends.
Spent 40 minutes in a queue on the phone before I got through to anyone (my email and text back - which I was told was a valid way to get in touch) went unanswered.

Call picked up by an "overflow company" apparently Tyre Shopper's own staff extremely busy - refund will be back on my card in around 5 days (yer - didn't take you 5 days to take the money did it?).
Anyway, the price comparing starts again

 

[the wopster]

What could have caused this? both my daughters back tyres are like this, she hasn’t ever had them under inflated or ran them flat, it’s strange that both are like this

 

[tamzzy]

What could have caused this? both my daughters back tyres are like this, she hasn’t ever had them under inflated or ran them flat, it’s strange that both are like this

how old are the tyres. i'd hazard a guess they're >5 years?

 

[the wopster]

how old are the tyres. i'd hazard a guess they're >5 years?

Yeah I have just looked at the dot code and they are end of 2016, look it looks like I’m paying for new tyres tomorrow for her

 

[Greebo]

Yeah I have just looked at the dot code and they are end of 2016, look it looks like I’m paying for new tyres tomorrow for her

She must barely do any miles, like almost brand new from the tread depth!!!

Thats the problem with tyres. My Fiancée once bought an 8 year car with super low mileage, 14k and the car was still the original tyres with 5 or 6mm of tread. She had a blow out in the first month of driving so stuck a new set on the car.

 

[the wopster]

She must barely do any miles, like almost brand new from the tread depth!!!

Thats the problem with tyres. My Fiancée once bought an 8 year car with super low mileage, 14k and the car was still the original tyres with 5 or 6mm of tread. She had a blow out in the first month of driving so stuck a new set on the car.

She bought the car just over 2 years ago, and yeah she does about 6k a year

 

[stoofa]

Just seeking some advice - I'm probably in the wrong, not seeing things from the correct point of view - so before embarrassing myself further, I'll seek the wisdom of many.

At last got my tyres ordered - found them at ETyres for £20 more than I'd seen them before, however with £20 of Amazon vouchers - so happy enough.
I purchased two tyres, only my fronts needed replacing. However, as with the manufacturers advice from every major player - my intention was as always, turn up for the fitting, explain the two new tyres were replacing the ones at the front and then they should be swapped with the ones on the rear.
So I end up with 2x Brand New Goodyear AS6's on the back and 2x Half their life gone Pirelli P Zero's at the front.

I rock up and I'm told that the garage are only contracted to fit the two new tyres I have purchased and that any swapping of wheels is subject to additional cost. I tell them no, there must be some mistake, I've paid Etyres for a "fully fitted" service, which in my mind includes the safe fitting of my new tyres (so includes a swap around of wheel position). Garage hang firm. No, we are not swapping any tyres around unless you pay us accordingly.
It's late, I want the tyres done, I pay my £25+vat - I drive away.

I contact Etyres this morning and explain that my "fully fitted" service was anything but. Here is a copy of my invoice for £30, how would they like to refund me?
I am told that the garage are their own business, they have every right to charge for additional work, they will feedback the lack of anything indicating this on their website, they will not be refunding me, have a good day.

I've never seen this before in my life. I've been driving for.....mumble.....29yrs and OK, the wisdom & advice for new tyres going at the rear has only really been prevalent for the past, what...10yrs? But I've never had a garage, had I purchased directly from them or was just using them for fitting for an online retailer, expect me to pay additional to have wheels swapped.

 

[tamzzy]

@stoofa I'd take the side of the fitters. I've never heard of the swaps being included.
You paid for 2 tyres fully fitted.
Not for 2 tyres (and 4 fittings).

 

[ShiWarrior]

 

[Rroff]

@stoofa I'd take the side of the fitters. I've never heard of the swaps being included.
You paid for 2 tyres fully fitted.
Not for 2 tyres (and 4 fittings).

Where I've bought tyres (usually slightly more expensive) through a garage/dealer they've usually been happy to swap front<>back for the normal fitting fee for 2, when they've been contracted to fit tyres after buying online at places like Blackcircles they usually want to be paid per fitting i.e. 4 for a swap. That has been normal in my experience.

 

[tamzzy]

@Rroff yeah i buy my tyres online so that makes sense. they make their money on the tyres already if you buy from them so probably why they're happy to oblige

 

[stoofa]

Cheers guys - I paid my pennies and made no remarks to the fitting garage.
I've subsequently dropped ETyres a couple of emails - first suggesting they make things clear, then suggesting they might like to pay their partner garages a fairer amount of money so they can offer the full service and then finally, when it became quite obvious they were not going to refund my out of pockets, a rather flippant remark about how their "fully inclusive pricing only includes unsafe fitting and there is a premium to pay if we want things setting up safely" - to which I know there will be no response

I shall just remember to take online pricing with a pinch of salt when I need my next two in about six months time.

 

[Housey]

Just ordered 4 x MPS 4S tyres for the BMW.

Will sell the 3 x Bridgestone Potenza's.

Considered PS5's but can't get the sizes I wanted. Same for GY AS's so went with the known and trusted. Home fitting booked for 8am with Halfords....which was the only option I had for the time I needed (ATS were not going to work until after Monday next and that's too late).

 

[Gilbert89]

But alas I've spoken too soon.......
I ordered my tyres last weekend for a fitting date of this Sunday (30th). I get a text and an email this morning telling me "Fitter not available, have moved you to Monday 1st".
Company I work for doesn't allow any mobile fitters or anyone like that to do any work onsite, so no use to me - I can only do weekends.
Spent 40 minutes in a queue on the phone before I got through to anyone (my email and text back - which I was told was a valid way to get in touch) went unanswered.

Call picked up by an "overflow company" apparently Tyre Shopper's own staff extremely busy - refund will be back on my card in around 5 days (yer - didn't take you 5 days to take the money did it?).
Anyway, the price comparing starts again

Park the car up outside of your work?

But no, very annoying and I can sympathise as I had the exact same thing happen to me… Blackcircles mentioned they rely on the fitters to update the diary and more often than not this tends to happen when Saturday’s are involved… I did manage to get 20% off for my “inconvenience” and booked on for the following Saturday.

 

[NVP]

Fit some Turanza T005's to the Grand Voyager and it's increased my confidence in grip so much so that now I'm scared I'm gonna roll the ******* hahaha


Question, the R53 needs new run flats - Eagle F1 Asym 3s still the way to go, or are these Primacy 3's any good? And by good, I mean grippy/sporty etc.

Thanks

 

[Armageus]

Question, the R53 needs new run flats - Eagle F1 Asym 3s still the way to go, or are these Primacy 3's any good? And by good, I mean grippy/sporty etc.

Primacy 3 (ZP) is a more mid range tyre and will be worse that F1A3 - the Michelin equivalent would be Pilot Sport 4 (or now 5) but not sure these are available as Run flats/the appropriate size

 

[NVP]

Oh, ok . It was listed as super premium compared to the asym 3s and showed better wet grip which is why I was curious.

I'm after 205/45R17 run flats for B Road madness, so might just stick to the asym 3s because I know them, unless any better suggestions please

 

[Rroff]

Fit some Turanza T005's to the Grand Voyager and it's increased my confidence in grip so much so that now I'm scared I'm gonna roll the ******* hahaha

One of my problems with the Turanzas - they are so assured in conditions that normally would have a noticeable degradation to handling/braking it is far too easy to become complacent and if/when they did let go you'd have a much bigger problem to deal with :s though I've never had them give an inch on me so far in some of the worst wet conditions anyone is likely to encounter on UK roads.

EDIT: One thing I did find though - if you hit a big puddle at the side of the road, etc. they tend to pull into it more than average - which can be unnerving and potentially panic an inexperienced driver - but they still retain control so you can steer out of it fine.