Discussion
We all take tyre replacement as a bit of a necessary evil. I've just been quoted about £97.00 for P6000's for my Jag by Micheldever. My local Kwik-fit quoted - wait for it - £165.00.
Perhaps it's time for the media - or Pistonheads or someone to start a campaign to expose some of the rip offs which seem to be taking place on tyre prices!
What is the most excessive mark up anyone else has found - £68.00 per tyre must take some beating!
Perhaps it's time for the media - or Pistonheads or someone to start a campaign to expose some of the rip offs which seem to be taking place on tyre prices!
What is the most excessive mark up anyone else has found - £68.00 per tyre must take some beating!
Hi Jasper, Saw this on our "Businesses not to recommend" bulletin board at work - it' s dated March 2001 - but it sounds very similar to your experience:
"Last week I wanted a set of 4 new tyres for my very basic Vauxhall Corsa.
I rang Kwik-Fit (Hemel) and was told that they couldn't give a quote without knowing the exact type of tyre needed - it wasn't enough to know the car model! - so they suggested I take it down there for them to "have a look at it"! I declined their offer and said I'd ring back with the exact tyre details.
I rang Ogglesby's Harpenden (Vauxhall main dealer) and was quoted £26.87 per tyre (Michelin classic) fully inc of VAT, valves, balancing etc.
So I rang Kwik-Fit back with the exact tyre details and they quoted a staggering £45.99!!! per tyre (for the same Michelin classic). Needless to say I laughed and told them what they could do with their tyres!!
Ogglesby's Harpenden were extremely helpful and efficient and fitted my tyres for me within an hour of dropping the car off."
"Last week I wanted a set of 4 new tyres for my very basic Vauxhall Corsa.
I rang Kwik-Fit (Hemel) and was told that they couldn't give a quote without knowing the exact type of tyre needed - it wasn't enough to know the car model! - so they suggested I take it down there for them to "have a look at it"! I declined their offer and said I'd ring back with the exact tyre details.
I rang Ogglesby's Harpenden (Vauxhall main dealer) and was quoted £26.87 per tyre (Michelin classic) fully inc of VAT, valves, balancing etc.
So I rang Kwik-Fit back with the exact tyre details and they quoted a staggering £45.99!!! per tyre (for the same Michelin classic). Needless to say I laughed and told them what they could do with their tyres!!
Ogglesby's Harpenden were extremely helpful and efficient and fitted my tyres for me within an hour of dropping the car off."
quote:Micheldever have always been about the best and if you've been, you'll have seen why they can do the tyres at the price they do - simply the sheer volume of business they do and the speed with which they turn it around - I was truly amazed at the production line of 4 or 5 guys doing the tyres the first time I went.
We all take tyre replacement as a bit of a necessary evil. I've just been quoted about £97.00 for P6000's for my Jag by Micheldever. My local Kwik-fit quoted - wait for it - £165.00
But the queues there are quite long enough, without people daft enough to go to kwik-rip coming into the fold..
father wants some new tyres for his Z3, in light of this tyre pricing shocker does anyone know a good reliable tyre dealer that are chaep. i think he wants Michelin Pilots..............
where are micheldever and does anyone have a contact no.
"If I'm not looking out of the rear window, I think I can save it"
Edited by anonymous-user on Monday 21st January 16:50
where are micheldever and does anyone have a contact no.
"If I'm not looking out of the rear window, I think I can save it"
Edited by anonymous-user on Monday 21st January 16:50
www.micheldever.co.uk - they're in .... Micheldever
Between Basingstoke & Andover - given how much you can save on a set of 4/5 tyres, people go there from all over the country. Last time I was there, there was a guy from Leeds for tyres on his 911..
Edited by CarZee on Monday 21st January 16:54
Between Basingstoke & Andover - given how much you can save on a set of 4/5 tyres, people go there from all over the country. Last time I was there, there was a guy from Leeds for tyres on his 911..
Edited by CarZee on Monday 21st January 16:54
Micheldever are good on price, but watch out for the service.
They fitted my tyres very badly when I used them.
One of the balance weights fell off, then after rebalancing (all four!) they STILL weren't right.
Had them balanced properly by local tyre centre and no problems. Micheldever then admitted in a letter that one of their balancing machines had been out of calibration... (I wonder if they contacted all the people they served that day offering a full rebalance?). Cue Jim Royle...
To cap it off, I had my tracking done as well. Max toe in should be 0-1 mm. After getting through a set of front tyres (shoulder wear only) in a few thousand miles, I had the tracking done properly at a specialist. They informed me my car had 6mm toe out. Make of that what you will.
I haven't bothered to complain, as proof is difficult. They could just say I had put a wheel in a pothole or something.
So all in all, be careful. They are cheap, but have their 'off' moments. I'd recommend them for price, not service.
Rgds
Dom
PS I use Headley Tyres now, as cheap as Micheldever, but less of a 'pile em high' attitude.
PPS All the above is based on fact, and able to be substantiated, so Ted shouldn't have a sleepless night worrying about lawyers etc.
They fitted my tyres very badly when I used them.
One of the balance weights fell off, then after rebalancing (all four!) they STILL weren't right.
Had them balanced properly by local tyre centre and no problems. Micheldever then admitted in a letter that one of their balancing machines had been out of calibration... (I wonder if they contacted all the people they served that day offering a full rebalance?). Cue Jim Royle...
To cap it off, I had my tracking done as well. Max toe in should be 0-1 mm. After getting through a set of front tyres (shoulder wear only) in a few thousand miles, I had the tracking done properly at a specialist. They informed me my car had 6mm toe out. Make of that what you will.
I haven't bothered to complain, as proof is difficult. They could just say I had put a wheel in a pothole or something.
So all in all, be careful. They are cheap, but have their 'off' moments. I'd recommend them for price, not service.
Rgds
Dom
PS I use Headley Tyres now, as cheap as Micheldever, but less of a 'pile em high' attitude.
PPS All the above is based on fact, and able to be substantiated, so Ted shouldn't have a sleepless night worrying about lawyers etc.
The cheapest I found locally for 245/40 Z18 AVS Sports was £225 each.
Micheldever got me them for £105 each by mail order.
I had to get them mounted, balanced, etc., but that only cost £5 a tyre anyway at a local independent (he quotes £240 per tyre BTW).
Edited by M-Five on Monday 21st January 21:56
Micheldever got me them for £105 each by mail order.
I had to get them mounted, balanced, etc., but that only cost £5 a tyre anyway at a local independent (he quotes £240 per tyre BTW).
Edited by M-Five on Monday 21st January 21:56
Although Micheldever is only about 40 miles from my office, (Oxford), a local family firm has repeated quoted less than Micheldever for tyres. A collegue has also phoned around and come to the same conclusion. So, you could try Wheatley tyres 01865-874044, 5 miles east of Oxford on the A40. We have both fitted Bridgestone SO2's N3 spec, (2 x Porsches). The only down side is, they cant supply slicks.
CarZee,
This was about twelve months ago. They had the hi-tech bays, I think, but I made the mistake of going on a busy Saturday. I queued for about an hour and a half - no kidding - and then they rushed it through. Sloppy job.
The problem with laser alignment is that although it is brilliantly accurate, it is only as good as the person using it. Put a calculator in the hands of a monkey and ask it to differentiate an equation. See the problem?
If the laser equipment is placed 1mm out on a wheel rim to start with, then things go to pot.
My tracking chap insisted on doing the job properly, and said all thirty quid tracking jobs will be pants. He reckons you have to do the full castor/camber stuff and it takes a good hour or two to do properly.
Sorry for not including Headley Tyres details earlier - weren't to hand at the time.
Domster
This was about twelve months ago. They had the hi-tech bays, I think, but I made the mistake of going on a busy Saturday. I queued for about an hour and a half - no kidding - and then they rushed it through. Sloppy job.
The problem with laser alignment is that although it is brilliantly accurate, it is only as good as the person using it. Put a calculator in the hands of a monkey and ask it to differentiate an equation. See the problem?
If the laser equipment is placed 1mm out on a wheel rim to start with, then things go to pot.
My tracking chap insisted on doing the job properly, and said all thirty quid tracking jobs will be pants. He reckons you have to do the full castor/camber stuff and it takes a good hour or two to do properly.
Sorry for not including Headley Tyres details earlier - weren't to hand at the time.
Domster
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