All Torque

One day last week I hit a cattle grid that wasn`t exactly level with the road and hit it with such a thump my front drivers tyre punctured. By the time I realized it was going down I was near a forecourt so pulled in and pumped it back up. (Lucky it stayed up)

Took the wheel off the next day after work to see if I could see any damage but it all looked ok, goes to check the tyre pressures only to find the said tyre was loosing pressure. Couldn`t do anything in the nights after work so went out this morning to get it sorted.

I had to have the wheel alignment checked as I fitted a set of Eibachs last Saturday so asked them to check the tyre out, it lost 5lbs since yesterday afternoon by now, they couldn`t find any leaks and said I need a new tyre, I said i`ll see how it goes for a couple of days and got out of there.

The tyres which are on the car are Dunlop sp3000 215/45 17s which I paid £74 a corner just after Christmas from a one man back steet garage near me he`s a Black Circle autherized fitter btw, and I get all my tyres from him.

I had a spare alloy for the car unmarked so had this in the boot just in case I had buckled this alloy.
Called to see him and he said he could get me the same tyre for the same price on Tuesday, now this was 12.15 and he shuts at 1.00 and he had about 4 cars waiting for his services so knew he would not be able to look at my puncture.
On the way to his garage I noticed a wheel wobble at 70 mph mark so called into my local Kwik Fit center to get the fronts balanced, and see if they could find a puncture and no, still couldnt find one, the young fitter said he`d take the tyre off to check inside for me so I said carry on and asked if he could put it back on the new alloy and balance the fronts price would then be about £15 so let him carry on.
Anyway he got the tyre off and you should have seen the amount of rubber fileings inside just from driving a few yards with low pressure, I knew now I definately need a tyre ASAP. The bas***ds quoted me nearly £170 for the same Dunlop tyre which would include tracking, because it was a 17" and W rated, I didn`t tell them that I had just had the 4 wheels lazer aligned at another national tyre dealer I told him to put the tyre back on and I`d get the car home and change all of the wheels for a spare set I have at home, I didn`t argue with him when he said it would be dangerous to drive then I told him there would be no way I would pay that price for a single tyre and that I bought the 4 for £300 just 6 weeks ago, they asked where from and this guys backsteet garage is about 1 mile away from Kwik Fit, they then said they do pricematch but wouldn`t be able to beat thatI then pointed out the same tyre on Black Circles is around £90 and then as quick as a flash they droped it to £90 inc balance and valve.

So if your stuck and have to use Kwik Fit go prepared with some prices and haggle. Oh and on a final note the charged me for disposel of the old tyre which I had put back on the rim it went down on

SPEN555

Or better still just avoid them at all costs seen as they try to rip you off in the first instance.

JamieMacdonald

The local kwik fit have fixed two pucntures for me and even provided an olive gasket for my decat downpipe - all for free!

Wouldn't use them for anything else but they're alright.

SiDHEaD

My local kwikfit have just done 4 wheel geo and wheel balancing for free, oh and i got the tyres at cost too...

paulr

Recent quote for 4 tyres for my car.Kwick fit £370.Local garage (who i know are good) £230.

Nuff said.

pslewis

KwikFit-Up

These places are for the IT Geeks who know nothing about cars and carry out the **** Oil Procedure and likkle women, bless 'em

For those who know what they're on about they are a bunch of highwaymen!

Pete

MadGrip

I always get minor work done at my local quick fit, I've been in there with my last 3 cars for decats, exhaust fits,puncture repairs etc. nothing major, but the guys are great and dont mind doing the work for a few quid with no reciept... wouldn't trust them for anything major though.

All Torque

THE ******S look what they`ve done to my original rim


Now I havent paid anything to them for doing this and i`m pi$$ed right now and just noticed this i`m going to check on the new unmarked rim now.
what should I do about this rim in the pic. The damage is right around the rm btw.

All Torque

Right there`s no damage to my new rim on the car, should I put the damage down to experiance or play hell up tommorrow an push to get a new rim of them . I was watching them with eyes like a hawk with the new rim that I really didn`t notice the damage on old rim.

simo

call or go back & explain. They should offer to get it repaired from you. Biggest problem thou is that you did not notice it when you were there so they could argue that you did you.

Best of luck

Simon

StickyMicky

TBH it does not look like to me, that you look after your wheels anyway, there minging, you sure they did it???

its the old "i know the marks were not there before i went"

people always check AFTER some work has been done, they never check before.

kingofturds

iTrader: (1)

cant get ****ter than a kwik fit fitter

StickyMicky

i have a mate who is a supervisor for KW and he is the only person i can trust to not mark my wheels

i have had tyres fitted at numerous places and they are nearly always marked somewhere

the old anthracite 5 spokes i had on the classic had been refurbed by me and stored in the garage with cardboard and plastic covering them

had some tyres fitted at a local tyre place as they were cheapest, and got home to clean the white soapy crap off, and i found one that was chipped and ****en touched in

now i know for a fact they were unmarked before they went in, as i had refurbed them myself/unwrapped them myself after storage etc etc, but what can you do??!!??

complain?

you have to complain long and hard in this country to get anywhere, to many people trying to cheat the systems fecked it up for everybody else.

All Torque

Yes they are dirty I agree nothing a bit of soap and water wont sort out, but the rim is fooked now and I can assure you there was no marks on it when I took it in.

floatindolphin

I took my old Skyline to Kwik fit ages ago for a new valve.

the guy put the jack under the car and pumped away. The jack went up but the car didn't move. He bent all the underneath!!!!

SiDHEaD

They only put shyte cars on the jacks at my local one, all the decent ones go on a scissor lifter

SJ_Skyline

Was quoted £666 for 4 Pzeros from Kwik Fit before Christmas 2 bald and a nail in a 3rd

I've never got on with Pzeros anyway so got a quote on a set of T1-Rs from Blackcircles, more than £100 cheaper. Went back to pick up the car and explain that I'm not interested and the guy says he can match the price with the Pzeros... So in 20 minutes the price of tyres has dropped by £100? My mate wanted to punch the bloke

Edit: Forgot to add, the guy at KF reckond that the T1-Rs were "budget tyres" - Now even if they are not your personal taste I would not exactly call them budget tyres!

SiDHEaD

They ARE budget jap tyres!

JamieMacdonald

Eh? It's a free market - they can charge what they like! Only a fool would buy something without checking the price at other retailers!

So your mate wanted to punch him because he didn't like the price of their tyres - sounds like a nice bloke!

Like I said earlier, I though everyone knew that you just don't use kwik fit for anything like tyres/suspension/exhausts etc. Just use them for free puncture repairs and free gaskets/clamps/nuts and bolts etc.

J