Wheel damage by a national tyre company
Discussion
Hello.
I'm seeking opinions on how to best address the damaging of an alloy wheel which a tyre company damaged this week when removing a tyre.
I asked the staff at the garage to remove the tyres from the wheels that were on my car and to put on a new set of alloys (which I provided) with new tyres (bought from the tyre company) on to the car. The existing alloys were diamond cut and had corroded a bit but were in OK condition with no scrapes and just some white worm.
On arrival home, I checked the wheels that had been taken off and found this:
With 100% certainty that the wheel did not have these marks on it before being interfered with, I phoned up the tyrefitter. These look like tool marks to me.
The tyre fitter said:
"One of they guys mentioned that an alloy was already damaged" It wasn't...
"There's no way that we would have damaged it"
"Mistakes can happen"
Having used this company for 10 years, should I bother trying to get a contribution to the wheel refurb? Annoyingly, it was the only wheel without white worm because I replaced it four years ago.
Thanks.
I'm seeking opinions on how to best address the damaging of an alloy wheel which a tyre company damaged this week when removing a tyre.
I asked the staff at the garage to remove the tyres from the wheels that were on my car and to put on a new set of alloys (which I provided) with new tyres (bought from the tyre company) on to the car. The existing alloys were diamond cut and had corroded a bit but were in OK condition with no scrapes and just some white worm.
On arrival home, I checked the wheels that had been taken off and found this:
With 100% certainty that the wheel did not have these marks on it before being interfered with, I phoned up the tyrefitter. These look like tool marks to me.
The tyre fitter said:
"One of they guys mentioned that an alloy was already damaged" It wasn't...
"There's no way that we would have damaged it"
"Mistakes can happen"
Having used this company for 10 years, should I bother trying to get a contribution to the wheel refurb? Annoyingly, it was the only wheel without white worm because I replaced it four years ago.
Thanks.
IMHO they don't look like tool-marks to me, the machine's clamps & 'duckheads' and hand held levers are all smooth. Maybe he went out to the road and threw it against a kerbstone 
but no, not tool-marks. A scrape, arguably, but not those serrated gouges.
But regardless, you should have mentioned it at the time, whilst you were there. That ship has sailed.
but no, not tool-marks. A scrape, arguably, but not those serrated gouges.But regardless, you should have mentioned it at the time, whilst you were there. That ship has sailed.
Thanks folks for your opinions. I'll maybe need to take it on the chin!
I've kerbed two wheels in ten years, and when it had previously happened I knew it. Prior to going to the garage last week I'd washed the car. The wheels were not damaged. I just can't understand how a pothole or kerb could produce the semicircle mark.
Hopefully that damage won't mean that a refurb isn't possible.
I've kerbed two wheels in ten years, and when it had previously happened I knew it. Prior to going to the garage last week I'd washed the car. The wheels were not damaged. I just can't understand how a pothole or kerb could produce the semicircle mark.
Hopefully that damage won't mean that a refurb isn't possible.
Edited by PHZero on Monday 29th May 01:21
Edited by PHZero on Monday 29th May 01:22
996Keef said:
Just looks like kerb damage to me. Rough edge where the wheel has gone up kerb and dropped down off it again.
tyre fitting damage tends to be much less pronounced.
Sorry
Thinking about it, the wheel was 100% not damaged. There lies the frustration(s). The company responsible for changing the tyres have recently been taken over by another company. Everybody was fired from the original team except for one chap, I was told. And he was moved to different branch of the national tyre company. tyre fitting damage tends to be much less pronounced.
Sorry
The tyre fitters that I dealt with were a motley crew.
I just don't know why folks can't just change a tyre or four carefully......
Did they drive the car? Was it put on a lift?
As others have said it’s hard to think what in the removal process would do damage like that. There’s a picture in the MOT Question thread asking about a kerb damaged tyre and the wheel damage is similar to yours, though not as pronounced.
ETA: Here: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
.
I too suffered from a change of management last week at the indie tyre place I’ve used for years although the hurt was to my wallet - a wheel and tyre swap they’ve done for £20-£30 for four was this time charged at an hourly rate plus an astonishing £18 per wheel for balance. To add insult to injury it was only when I got home that I realised the £18 was plus VAT.
As others have said it’s hard to think what in the removal process would do damage like that. There’s a picture in the MOT Question thread asking about a kerb damaged tyre and the wheel damage is similar to yours, though not as pronounced.
ETA: Here: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
.
I too suffered from a change of management last week at the indie tyre place I’ve used for years although the hurt was to my wallet - a wheel and tyre swap they’ve done for £20-£30 for four was this time charged at an hourly rate plus an astonishing £18 per wheel for balance. To add insult to injury it was only when I got home that I realised the £18 was plus VAT.
Edited by Sheepshanks on Monday 29th May 10:13
This happened to me today as well 
I was properly pissed when I saw it.
It’s hard to describe how properly anal I am about this kind of stuff, and know it was them 100%, but they flat out denied it.
The rims are black and it stands out like a sore thumb!
Unfortunately you might have to suck it up, unless you have the time to fight it (I don’t). It’s your word against theres, but they might eventually pay for a repair if you’re annoying enough for long enough.
Best of luck.
I was properly pissed when I saw it.
It’s hard to describe how properly anal I am about this kind of stuff, and know it was them 100%, but they flat out denied it.
The rims are black and it stands out like a sore thumb!
Unfortunately you might have to suck it up, unless you have the time to fight it (I don’t). It’s your word against theres, but they might eventually pay for a repair if you’re annoying enough for long enough.
Best of luck.
EmailAddress said:
My local does a pre/post-inspection sheet signed by customer and company.
Saves the agro, if not the pain.
It’s vital to do that if you have wheels you care about. The truth is the vast majority of the public could not care less about the state of their wheels and this is reflected in the care shown by the average tyre fitting place. Saves the agro, if not the pain.
If you want to avoid damage (and at least be in the best possible position if it does occur) you have to present the wheels and tell them how you have looked after them and they are still perfect etc and please take extra care. Pics time dated outside their premises will help too in the event of damage. It’s all a pain of course but as most folk don’t give a fig about the condition of their car or wheels you have to raise the game
Sheepshanks said:
Did they drive the car? Was it put on a lift?
As others have said it’s hard to think what in the removal process would do damage like that. There’s a picture in the MOT Question thread asking about a kerb damaged tyre and the wheel damage is similar to yours, though not as pronounced.
ETA: Here: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
.
I too suffered from a change of management last week at the indie tyre place I’ve used for years although the hurt was to my wallet - a wheel and tyre swap they’ve done for £20-£30 for four was this time charged at an hourly rate plus an astonishing £18 per wheel for balance. To add insult to injury it was only when I got home that I realised the £18 was plus VAT.
It was jacked up. I witnessed staff using a screwdriver to get the tyre of another customer's wheel. So I can imagine that if the guys didn't know that I was keeping the old set of wheels that they wouldn't give two monkeys about wedging the tyre off with whatever tool was available. Never again will I not take the tyre fitter around the car and show him or her, or they, that there is no damage before they are let loose.As others have said it’s hard to think what in the removal process would do damage like that. There’s a picture in the MOT Question thread asking about a kerb damaged tyre and the wheel damage is similar to yours, though not as pronounced.
ETA: Here: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
.
I too suffered from a change of management last week at the indie tyre place I’ve used for years although the hurt was to my wallet - a wheel and tyre swap they’ve done for £20-£30 for four was this time charged at an hourly rate plus an astonishing £18 per wheel for balance. To add insult to injury it was only when I got home that I realised the £18 was plus VAT.
Edited by Sheepshanks on Monday 29th May 10:13
First world problems for me I guess as it was the spare wheel set that were being removed. Over to the refurb company. I hear Lepsoms are OK for diamond cut refurbs
Edited by PHZero on Monday 29th May 15:24
RD-1 said:
This happened to me today as well
I was properly pissed when I saw it.
It’s hard to describe how properly anal I am about this kind of stuff, and know it was them 100%, but they flat out denied it.
The rims are black and it stands out like a sore thumb!
Unfortunately you might have to suck it up, unless you have the time to fight it (I don’t). It’s your word against theres, but they might eventually pay for a repair if you’re annoying enough for long enough.
Best of luck.
Thank you.I was properly pissed when I saw it.
It’s hard to describe how properly anal I am about this kind of stuff, and know it was them 100%, but they flat out denied it.
The rims are black and it stands out like a sore thumb!
Unfortunately you might have to suck it up, unless you have the time to fight it (I don’t). It’s your word against theres, but they might eventually pay for a repair if you’re annoying enough for long enough.
Best of luck.
the-norseman said:
Thats kerb marks.
I just don't see how a kerb could do that. I keep my car in a garage, and don't generally park it on streets. I did not do any reverse parking last week, nor did I hit a kerb or a pothole. When I've previously kerbed a wheel I've known right away. And the damage on the rim looked nothing like that.TwinKam said:
IMHO they don't look like tool-marks to me, the machine's clamps & 'duckheads' and hand held levers are all smooth. Maybe he went out to the road and threw it against a kerbstone but no, not tool-marks. A scrape, arguably, but not those serrated gouges.
But regardless, you should have mentioned it at the time, whilst you were there. That ship has sailed.
If the ship is still afloat I will fight my corner. but no, not tool-marks. A scrape, arguably, but not those serrated gouges.But regardless, you should have mentioned it at the time, whilst you were there. That ship has sailed.
Like Castroses on his stairs.....
Love to know where you drive if you've not encountered a pothole recently!
That wheel has caught an edge of something containing stones eg a kerb made of concrete & aggregate, or an edge of a broken concrete surface, or the edge of a hole/depression in the road where the surface comprises stones embedded in tarmacadam/asphalt. There are no tools in a tyre shop that could cause that damage.
That wheel has caught an edge of something containing stones eg a kerb made of concrete & aggregate, or an edge of a broken concrete surface, or the edge of a hole/depression in the road where the surface comprises stones embedded in tarmacadam/asphalt. There are no tools in a tyre shop that could cause that damage.
TwinKam said:
Love to know where you drive if you've not encountered a pothole recently!
That wheel has caught an edge of something containing stones eg a kerb made of concrete & aggregate, or an edge of a broken concrete surface, or the edge of a hole/depression in the road where the surface comprises stones embedded in tarmacadam/asphalt. There are no tools in a tyre shop that could cause that damage.
OK, I'll take that on board. I just didn't drive over any such surface on the way to the garage! That wheel has caught an edge of something containing stones eg a kerb made of concrete & aggregate, or an edge of a broken concrete surface, or the edge of a hole/depression in the road where the surface comprises stones embedded in tarmacadam/asphalt. There are no tools in a tyre shop that could cause that damage.
I've just had a pretty awkward conversation with the manager of the branch who was fairly angry with me for lodging a query.
As he knows where I live I may well retract my raising of the issue.
That said, whilst sitting in the waiting room I witnessed a member of staff removing a tyre mainly using a screwdriver. Not one of mine though.
Never again will I not walk around the car and point out there being no damage to any wheels before tyre fitting and then check again afterwards.
Gassing Station | Bodywork & Detailing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff