Alloy scratched with tyre change

Caporegime
Joined
11 Mar 2005
Posts
32,197
Location
Leafy Cheshire
Hopefully you can turn around to the fitter and say well BC don't agree with your conclusion and have agreed that you caused the damage, hopefully you can tell him in person and see if he manages to squirm his way out of it.
 

FTM

FTM

Soldato
Joined
10 Dec 2003
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6,173
Location
South Shields
only place that has never damaged my wheels is my local kwik fit


last time I used black circles the fitters gouged both front wheels

luck of the draw innit
 
Soldato
Joined
9 Apr 2007
Posts
13,571
Good service by black circles, I always use them.

The Wheel Specialist are very good, BMW won't have some magic place they use.
 
Associate
Joined
7 Mar 2011
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1,367
Location
Edinburgh
You can't really go wrong with the wheel specialist, they're very good. Used them a few times. They are very expensive, however, but as you aren't paying... :p
 
Soldato
Joined
30 Sep 2003
Posts
15,947
Location
Norwich
That is a great response! I'm going back to Blackcircles next time I need tyres. I tried shopping around and going direct last time and ended up at Halfords Autocentre due to price. I had;
  1. A nearly 2 hour wait because "we haven't got the thing to balance your wheels here." To be fair they are that super rare 4x100 fitment :rolleyes:
  2. A centre cap put on wonky which ended up bending it slightly
  3. Poor balancing with a slight shake at 60
 
Soldato
Joined
20 Jun 2004
Posts
5,903
Location
Essex
The garage that have damaged mine are claiming that it must have been old damage (despite my partner explaining to them that I’m crazy and filmed the wheel before taking the car in that morning).

Quite frustrating that nobody takes pride in their work anymore and simply lies when pulled up on it.
 
Caporegime
Joined
19 Apr 2008
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26,272
Location
Essex
Blackcircles just told me to speak to the garage when they butchered my wheels and they offered a repair... even though the bloke said the damage was partially caused because of a previous repair which was nonsense.

I've seen the machines and how they do it, it just requires some patience but the usual tyre centre monkey doesn't seem to be capable of that.
 
Soldato
Joined
5 Mar 2010
Posts
12,348
That is a great response! I'm going back to Blackcircles next time I need tyres. I tried shopping around and going direct last time and ended up at Halfords Autocentre due to price. I had;
  1. A nearly 2 hour wait because "we haven't got the thing to balance your wheels here." To be fair they are that super rare 4x100 fitment :rolleyes:
  2. A centre cap put on wonky which ended up bending it slightly
  3. Poor balancing with a slight shake at 60

BC are only a supplier, you've still got to find a decent fitter on their site.

Frankly I don't see how the garage can argue their way out of it, if it was a small mark then they could argue possible kerb damage etc. But a perfect circular scratch most of the way round the wheel is not going to happen from a kerb.
 
Associate
Joined
19 May 2009
Posts
1,509
Location
Nottingham
To continue the tale...

Emailed BC last night with photos and this morning they replied "Looking at the pictures you have forwarded I agree that this damage has been caused during the fitting process." no argument about prior photos, just instant admittance. They've asked me to get a quote at my desired refurb place and to forward to them for approval - they recommended https://www.thewheelspecialist.co.uk/

I've emailed back to say I'll ask BMW for an approved place, in the hope I can retain any paint/alloy warranty and be in touch.

I've used the wheel specialist twice as well, once on a Toyota Yaris and again on an MX-5. Both times they did a superb job and I would be surprised if you get anywhere better.
 
Soldato
Joined
30 Sep 2003
Posts
15,947
Location
Norwich
BC are only a supplier, you've still got to find a decent fitter on their site.

Frankly I don't see how the garage can argue their way out of it, if it was a small mark then they could argue possible kerb damage etc. But a perfect circular scratch most of the way round the wheel is not going to happen from a kerb.
Yeah but it means that I can select the best local fitter (of those offered) irrespective of what they normally charge for tyres and fitting. It is also reassuring to see that they will back the customer when things go wrong.
 
Soldato
Joined
12 Jul 2007
Posts
16,316
Location
South East
Blackcircles just told me to speak to the garage when they butchered my wheels and they offered a repair... even though the bloke said the damage was partially caused because of a previous repair which was nonsense.

I've seen the machines and how they do it, it just requires some patience but the usual tyre centre monkey doesn't seem to be capable of that.


This is why, IMHO, it's worth finding a nice local place that you trust, and just sticking with them. I've been using a little "out of a shed" place for years and years, as have many of my friends and family. It's Martin's Tyres in Woking, if anyone knows it. Their reputation on forums and review sites is pretty much unmarked, as are my wheels every time I use them. Sure, they're a half-hour drive from where I live, and it may cost a few quid more than some race-to-the-bottom Black Circles offering, but I'm absolutely fine with this.

I went elsewhere a couple of times in recent years for convenience sake and had issues (only with wheel balancing, fortunately, and not physical damage), and I regret doing so!
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
9,160
I used blackcircles and could choose which garage I used based on reviews. It might be worth leaving a review for the garage once everything is concluded?

If I remember rightly a lot of the documentation I signed when the wheels were fitted was blackcircles branded rather than the garage itself. Was that the case with this garage? I'm wondering if they need to have a signed document before blackcircles release their payment or something which might explain why they were so eager to get it done.
 
Soldato
Joined
6 May 2004
Posts
5,998
Location
Fareham
This is why, IMHO, it's worth finding a nice local place that you trust, and just sticking with them.

I went elsewhere a couple of times in recent years for convenience sake and had issues (only with wheel balancing, fortunately, and not physical damage), and I regret doing so!

Absolutely. I usually always use the same place to get my tyres done but a couple of years back I was up in Basingstoke and decided to get all 4 of my tyres done at F1. After a while they came out to inform me that they managed to crack one of my alloys. Wish I'd got a picture of it but it was completely destroyed, no idea how they managed it. Car didn't have a spare wheel either but I did have one in my garage at home (Portsmouth) so had to get a lift back home to grab it then get back up. Ballache.

When I'd got back home with my spare fitted I noticed that they'd also managed to fit the wheels the wrong way. That car had directional wheels so the left and right sides were different - they'd got it all wrong. Idiots, but at least they admitted fault and ordered a brand new alloy from BMW without question.
 
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