f1 autocentre tyre balancing charges
Fred
I needed some new tyres on a Citroen C3 car. I got out the yellow
pages and called a couple of local garages and the big names: Kwik
Fit, National Tyres, ATS, F1 autocentres, etc.
F1 autocentres asked what car and what tyre size and their price
seemed the best. I had been to the garage a couple of years before -
for tyres for the same car - and I remembered their prices and service
had been good then.
Now I only have the factory fitted, manufacturer's wheels, but Citroen
wheels do not have a central hole to fit on the balancing machine.
They have to fit an adaptor to the machine and for this F1 have
charged me an additional nine pounds per wheel for a "precision
balance".
I was a captive audience at the garage and did not have a phone or
yellow pages with me to check what other garages charged. Once I got
home I called back the other tyre fitters and they all said that they
do not charge for using the adaptor. Kwik fit said that it is just a
matter of fitting two bolts to fit the adaptor.
I feel I have been ripped off and paid 4x9=�36 more than I should
have. I am disappointed that they did not mention this on the phone
when they asked about the car and tyres.
When I went to F1 two years ago they had to borrow an adaptor but I
was not charged for using it.
F1 allow you to print off vouchers from their web site. I printed off
�7 of vouchers (�5 off balance; �2 off tracking). The garage refused
to deduct these saying that they had already put the invoice through
the computer. What till does not allow you to cancel sales or issue
refunds?
I have written to the address on the invoice but they have refused to
refund the seven pounds of vouchers I was entitled to. they have
refused to answer why I was not charged for the adaptor in the past
but are charging now. They have refused to say why other garages do
not charge.
They have sent me fifteen pounds of vouchers. Notwithstanding that
after this I will never go to F1 again, unless I have a puncture, I
will not need new tyres for another two years. I don't want to wait
that long to get my money back. If I did get new tyres since F1 charge
�36 more than anyone else, deducting �15 will not save me money; it
will still cost �36-15=�21 more than going anywhere else.
F1 say the adaptor is expensive to buy. Does anyone know who makes
them and what they cost to buy?
Does anyone know the F1's CEO's name and address.
Other than never shopping there again, can I do anything to get my
money back? I did pay on a credit card.
Thanks in advance.
Mrcheerful
When will people realise that cheap is not best, there will always be hidden
costs when you get the cheapest price.
In the op case I would get onto the credit card and dispute the charge.
I think it was a mistake to pay it in the first place, they would have told
you the extra charge before balancing the wheels, that would have been the
time to walk/drive away, if they didn't tell you the extra charge then they
have acted fraudulently and trading standards might be persuaded to talk to
them.
What size of tyres did you get? and what was the final, per wheel fitted and
balanced price?
Aidy
news:kmgm355dem6hqp0bc...@4ax.com...
> Now I only have the factory fitted, manufacturer's wheels, but Citroen
> wheels do not have a central hole to fit on the balancing machine.
> They have to fit an adaptor to the machine and for this F1 have
> charged me an additional nine pounds per wheel for a "precision
> balance".
You don't make clear if they told you about this charge before doing the
work or not. If they told you before and you accepted there isn't much you
can do.
> F1 allow you to print off vouchers from their web site. I printed off
> �7 of vouchers (�5 off balance; �2 off tracking). The garage refused
> to deduct these saying that they had already put the invoice through
> the computer. What till does not allow you to cancel sales or issue
> refunds?
If you read the small print it might say that you have to present the
voucher *before* paying.
Doctor D
for using the special adaptor to balance the wheels at several different
tyre places.
At my usual place I used to go when it was quieter as changing the machine
over did take them about 5 minutes or so each way.
If they didn't tell you it would be extra beforehand they can't charge
extra. If they did, and you agreed IMO you've contracted with them under
those terms. Try speaking to Consumer Direct (Trading Standards) on 08454
040506.
R. Mark Clayton
"Fred" <fr...@no-email.here.invalid> wrote in message
news:kmgm355dem6hqp0bc...@4ax.com...
>
> I needed some new tyres on a Citroen C3 car. I got out the yellow
> pages and called a couple of local garages and the big names: Kwik
> Fit, National Tyres, ATS, F1 autocentres, etc.
>
> F1 autocentres asked what car and what tyre size and their price
> seemed the best. I had been to the garage a couple of years before -
> for tyres for the same car - and I remembered their prices and service
> had been good then.
>
> Now I only have the factory fitted, manufacturer's wheels, but Citroen
> wheels do not have a central hole to fit on the balancing machine.
> They have to fit an adaptor to the machine and for this F1 have
> charged me an additional nine pounds per wheel for a "precision
> balance".
Youv'e been had mate - many places can balance wheels on the car, although
IMO this is not as good as on a machine.
allan tracy
Fiat Pandas are currently being advertised on the telly for 5 grand
(through the Government's scrappage scheme).
Of course, as you would expect, that is the basic price, no extras.
The basic price includes a choice of colour from the basic colour
range.
The basic colour range consists of one colour - bright yellow.
Any other colour is from the extras colour range and is an extra three
hundred and fifty quid - minimum.
Ste
>
> When will people realise that cheap is not best, there will always be hidden
> costs when you get the cheapest price.
That is an absurd statement. On what basis is any person to judge the
best price, except on the price quoted?
Alf
newspapers etc
Duncan Wood
By considering whether they are comparing two identical things. NOrmally
when you find the cheapest you find it's not the same.
Ste
But I still ask, on what basis is a person to judge the difference?
The OP thought, quite reasonably in my view, that the price he had
been quoted was the full price for balancing. I mean he told them what
car it was, and the size of his tyre. In what way could the OP have
possibly been at fault in relying on the price he was told?
The real problem here is not the OP - as meek as he may be - it is the
swinders who are F1 Autocentre. Even in my own experience, there are
no places worse than major tyre garages for finding cowboys and
swindlers, who will lie outright to your face.
Colin Trunt
"Fred" <fr...@no-email.here.invalid> wrote in message
news:kmgm355dem6hqp0bc...@4ax.com...
They are just trying to balance their boks.
Mrcheerful
The actual best may not be the cheapest, particularly where a service is
involved. Recommendation is often needed particularly where car repairs or
building work and the like is involved. After care may also be a very
important consideration when buying something, the place that sells
something at a very low price may not be able to honour guarantees as easily
as somewhere that takes more profit out of their sales.
Ste
> Ste wrote:
> > On 19 June, 09:18, "Mrcheerful" <nbk...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> >> When will people realise that cheap is not best, there will always
> >> be hidden costs when you get the cheapest price.
>
> > That is an absurd statement. On what basis is any person to judge the
> > best price, except on the price quoted?
>
> The actual best may not be the cheapest, particularly where a service is
> involved.
No one has suggested the cheapest will necessarily be the best. But
one does expect the cheapest to be the cheapest!
> Recommendation is often needed particularly where car repairs or
> building work and the like is involved.
Indeed. The OP says he had used the garage before, and had been
satisfied with the service provided.
> After care may also be a very
> important consideration when buying something, the place that sells
> something at a very low price may not be able to honour guarantees as easily
> as somewhere that takes more profit out of their sales.
Indeed. Yet I find it hard to say that the OP can draw any lessons
from this experience. It seems to me the OP happened to come across
dishonest cowboys who were perhaps not the same staff as he had dealt
with on previous occasions, and who basically saw him coming! The OP
can only be faulted insofar as he did not simply walk out without
paying, or tell them to put the old tyres back on while he drove
elsewhere.
Mrcheerful
I am certain you are far more experienced than anyone else in the world and
are completely correct in everything you say.
Chris P Bacon
"Mrcheerful" <nbk...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:HRH_l.44508$OO7....@text.news.virginmedia.com...
>
> When will people realise that cheap is not best, there will always be
> hidden costs when you get the cheapest price.
>
And sharp practices aren't restricted to cheap outfits.
A franchised Ford dealer charged me �160 for a 12500 mile service which
included �15 for a "fuel system lubricant". Now I already use Millers with
every tankful so the charge was unnecessary and excessive (you can get 500ml
of Millers for �10 which treats 500 litres of fuel).
I imagine they put an eggcup full of some cheaper fuel additive in, put the
fuel cap back on and said "ker-ching, �15 on the bill".
And as I say, this is a fully fledged Ford dealership operating out of a
brand new business park with a great big shiny building.
Mrcheerful
Like my sister when she took her Merc in to the merc dealer for a service
(still under warranty) She was charged extra for environmental disposal of
the old oil, plus 35 pounds for fan belt grease, there is a special stuff
which is meant to be smeared onto the belts, but a 35 quid tub will do for
hundreds of vehicles.
I met someone with a Hyundai that complained about being charged several
quid for screen wash additive, it was completely full when it went in and
had additive in, they claimed they had sucked some out, in order to put
their stuff in !!
Conor
ef66f5...@o36g2000vbi.googlegroups.com>, Ste says...
> No one has suggested the cheapest will necessarily be the best. But
> one does expect the cheapest to be the cheapest!
Err, no. Ryanair is one such example. Although the headline ticket
price is the cheapest, once they've charged you for everything not
included (charging for using the toilet in flight is now on the cards)
plus the additional cost of travel to the end destination (James May
once joked that flights to New York would land in Dublin) then the
OVERALL COST is usually beaten by other airlines.
> Indeed. The OP says he had used the garage before, and had been
> satisfied with the service provided.
>
I bet it was a standard car.
> Indeed. Yet I find it hard to say that the OP can draw any lessons
> from this experience.
Look at the overall cost, not just the headline grabbing one.
--
Conor
I only please one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow isn't
looking good either. - Scott Adams
Mark W
>> F1 say the adaptor is expensive to buy. Does anyone know who makes
>> them and what they cost to buy?
>>
>> Does anyone know the F1's CEO's name and address.
>>
>> Other than never shopping there again, can I do anything to get my
>> money back? I did pay on a credit card.
>>
>> Thanks in advance.
>
> They are just trying to balance their boks.
>
Your opinion carries a lot of (clip-on lead) weight.
Ste
> In article <407d6dca-ec0c-4b93-882e-
> ef66f5b40...@o36g2000vbi.googlegroups.com>, Ste says...
>
> > No one has suggested the cheapest will necessarily be the best. But
> > one does expect the cheapest to be the cheapest!
>
> Err, no. Ryanair is one such example. Although the headline ticket
> price is the cheapest, once they've charged you for everything not
> included (charging for using the toilet in flight is now on the cards)
> plus the additional cost of travel to the end destination (James May
> once joked that flights to New York would land in Dublin) then the
> OVERALL COST is usually beaten by other airlines.
>
> > Indeed. The OP says he had used the garage before, and had been
> > satisfied with the service provided.
>
> I bet it was a standard car.
How was the OP to know that the manufacturer-fit wheels were not
"standard"?
> > Indeed. Yet I find it hard to say that the OP can draw any lessons
> > from this experience.
>
> Look at the overall cost, not just the headline grabbing one.
He rang them up for god's sake, and *spoke* to one of the staff! He
told them what make and model his car was, and he told them what tyres
he had. Why am I the only person here who thinks that the OP was
wholly blameless for relying on the quotation that he was given??
Indeed, why do I consistently seem to be in the minority here when I
suggest that it is the retailers who are dishonest who *intentionally
manipulate* consumer behaviour, whereas the majority opinion always
seems to be that the customer is a fool for not knowing the
intricacies of whatever service he is contracting for?
Adrian
saying:
>> > Indeed. The OP says he had used the garage before, and had been
>> > satisfied with the service provided.
>> I bet it was a standard car.
> How was the OP to know that the manufacturer-fit wheels were not
> "standard"?
> He rang them up for god's sake, and *spoke* to one of the staff! He told
> them what make and model his car was, and he told them what tyres he
> had. Why am I the only person here who thinks that the OP was wholly
> blameless for relying on the quotation that he was given??
SOME PSA alloys are centreless. Most have a centre hole, though, as do
steels - so saying "It's a C3" doesn't necessarily say "It's got no
centrehole".
On my XM, I had three different sets of wheels - all standard factory-fit
for various specs. One steel, two alloy. One set of alloys had no centre
hole.
If you look at BlackCircles.co.uk's website, they say this...
"If you are the owner of a Peugeot or a Citroen vehicle and have
centerless alloy wheels, please call our advice team on <phone> to locate
a fitter who can carry out this specific type of fitting."
So - a good tyre place should have thought "Mmm. I wonder." - but,
equally, it's not a common situation for them to be in. Many smaller tyre
places just don't have the adapters available.
Richard Bird
"Adrian" <tooma...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:7a4oghF...@mid.individual.net...
If they were experienced tyre supliers they should have known there "could"
possibly be a problem and should have warned the customer but, after quoting
the job they should have stuck to the quotation
steve robinson
>
> "Adrian" <tooma...@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:7a4oghF...@mid.individual.net... >Ste <ste_...@hotmail.com> gurgled
> happily, sounding much like they were
> > saying:
> >
> >>>> Indeed. The OP says he had used the garage before, and had been
> >>>> satisfied with the service provided.
> >
> > > > I bet it was a standard car.
> >
> > > How was the OP to know that the manufacturer-fit wheels were not
> > > "standard"?
> >
> > > He rang them up for god's sake, and spoke to one of the staff! He told
> > > them what make and model his car was, and he told them what tyres he
> > > had. Why am I the only person here who thinks that the OP was wholly
> > > blameless for relying on the quotation that he was given??
> >
> > SOME PSA alloys are centreless. Most have a centre hole, though, as do
> > steels - so saying "It's a C3" doesn't necessarily say "It's got no
> > centrehole".
> >
> > On my XM, I had three different sets of wheels - all standard factory-fit
> > for various specs. One steel, two alloy. One set of alloys had no centre
> > hole.
> >
> > If you look at BlackCircles.co.uk's website, they say this...
> >
> > "If you are the owner of a Peugeot or a Citroen vehicle and have
> >centerless alloy wheels, please call our advice team on <phone> to locate
> > a fitter who can carry out this specific type of fitting."
> >
> > So - a good tyre place should have thought "Mmm. I wonder." - but,
> > equally, it's not a common situation for them to be in. Many smaller tyre
> > places just don't have the adapters available.
>
> If they were experienced tyre supliers they should have known there "could"
> possibly be a problem and should have warned the customer but, after quoting the
> job they should have stuck to the quotation
Could be a problem applies to near everything we do in life , they quoted the
customer on the infomation provided , the customer on the other hand could have told
them that his wheels are centreless but he didnt
Ste
wrote:
>
> Could be a problem applies to near everything we do in life , they quoted the
> customer on the infomation provided , the customer on the other hand could have told
> them that his wheels are centreless but he didnt
Are most customers of tyre garages really in a position to know that
their wheels are centreless, and secondly know the signifiance of it
as regards the price? Are not the tyre garages in a better position to
know that information?
Duncan Wood
Not unless the cars there. It's phrased as if they told him before the job
was done, if it didn't seem worth double checking th eprice at the time
then it's difficult to see why it's an issue after the event.
Ste
Don't worry, I was of that opinion also. Me and Steve are just
continuing the long-running fued about customers-as-fools vs suppliers-
as-swindlers.
And broadly speaking, I'm of the view that prices should be simple,
transparent, and accessible, all with regard to the reality of
consumer behaviour; whereas Steve is of the opinion that there should
be no limit to how complex, opaque, and difficult to obtain a pricing
structure can be, and that any customer who fails to specify his exact
requirements in writing and in the minutest of detail prior to
engaging the service, and who fails to scrutinise the supplier's
standard-form contract as though he is contracting wtih the Devil and
his soul is at risk of eternal damnation, no matter whether that
contract is a million or two million words in length, well that
customer is a born fool who deserves to be robbed blind for his
abominable sins!
Fred
"Fred" <fr...@no-email.here.invalid> wrote in message
news:kmgm355dem6hqp0bc...@4ax.com...
>
> I needed some new tyres on a Citroen C3 car. I got out the yellow
> pages and called a couple of local garages and the big names: Kwik
> Fit, National Tyres, ATS, F1 autocentres, etc.
>
> F1 autocentres asked what car and what tyre size and their price
> seemed the best. I had been to the garage a couple of years before -
> for tyres for the same car - and I remembered their prices and service
> had been good then.
>
> Now I only have the factory fitted, manufacturer's wheels, but Citroen
> wheels do not have a central hole to fit on the balancing machine.
> They have to fit an adaptor to the machine and for this F1 have
> charged me an additional nine pounds per wheel for a "precision
> balance".
The closed center adaptor cost over �500
> I was a captive audience at the garage and did not have a phone or
> yellow pages with me to check what other garages charged. Once I got
> home I called back the other tyre fitters and they all said that they
> do not charge for using the adaptor. Kwik fit said that it is just a
> matter of fitting two bolts to fit the adaptor.
Unless you have a dedicated closed center only machine, you have to
calibrate the balancer after you have fitted the adaptor and again when you
revert to normal wheels. If the adaptor needs to be changed from it's last
use then that can take 5 minutes to set it up right.
>
> I feel I have been ripped off and paid 4x9=�36 more than I should
> have. I am disappointed that they did not mention this on the phone
> when they asked about the car and tyres.
>
> When I went to F1 two years ago they had to borrow an adaptor but I
> was not charged for using it.
>
> F1 allow you to print off vouchers from their web site. I printed off
> �7 of vouchers (�5 off balance; �2 off tracking). The garage refused
> to deduct these saying that they had already put the invoice through
> the computer. What till does not allow you to cancel sales or issue
> refunds?
>
> I have written to the address on the invoice but they have refused to
> refund the seven pounds of vouchers I was entitled to. they have
> refused to answer why I was not charged for the adaptor in the past
> but are charging now. They have refused to say why other garages do
> not charge.
>
> They have sent me fifteen pounds of vouchers. Notwithstanding that
> after this I will never go to F1 again, unless I have a puncture, I
> will not need new tyres for another two years. I don't want to wait
> that long to get my money back. If I did get new tyres since F1 charge
> �36 more than anyone else, deducting �15 will not save me money; it
> will still cost �36-15=�21 more than going anywhere else.
>
> F1 say the adaptor is expensive to buy. Does anyone know who makes
> them and what they cost to buy?
They are generaly sold as part of a kit, my Hofmann gold kit cost �1000.
From memmory the adaptor alone was around �500
http://www.tyrebaydirect.com/79-Wheel_Balancing_Accessories.html
>
> Does anyone know the F1's CEO's name and address.
>
> Other than never shopping there again, can I do anything to get my
> money back? I did pay on a credit card.
>
> Thanks in advance.
A lot of places charge for using the closed center adaptor and a lot of
smaller places don't even have one, most of the ones that have it don't use
it correctly. As you have not complained about wheel wobble I guess they
did use it correctly?
I don't charge extra for closed centers, but every time I do one I think I
should.
Clint Sharp
<Don't-...@hidden.co.us> writes
>Unless you have a dedicated closed center only machine, you have to
>calibrate the balancer after you have fitted the adaptor and again when
>you revert to normal wheels. If the adaptor needs to be changed from
>it's last use then that can take 5 minutes to set it up right.
machine at all? I used to sell and repair them (the main business was
MOT emissions analysers and diagnostic equipment), despite training
'fitters' and their managers on how to use, calibrate and check the
machines we regularly got service calls because they hadn't bothered or
didn't even remember that they had to and couldn't work out why they
were getting customer complaints.
Almost all the service calls we got for wheel alignment or balancing
equipment were because the monkey using the kit was trying to cut
corners or had destroyed something.
--
Clint Sharp