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Tyre wear - is it a scam?


Gordon R
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My eldest has had a number of Mercedes in recent years - all new - GLE, E-Class and currently a CLS 350. He took the GLE for a service and was told that he needed two new tyres, due to wear. He told them that they had fitted the tyres one month earlier. He eventually ended up with the Manager, who said that the problem was the technician, who had just started work there, having previously being with BMW. My son asked if they had differently calibrated tyre depth gauges at BMW. He got an apology and put it down to experience.

Just been on the phone about something unrelated and mentioned he had the CLS serviced at the Mercedes main agents yesterday. He was slightly surprised to be told that three tyres - fitted by them 3 weeks earlier (having travelled one hundred miles) had worn by 2mm. He again expressed his dissatisfaction with what was going on.

Many years ago I grew weary of exhaust / tyre fitting garages telling me I had a leaky shock absorber or all my brakes needed doing, but couldn't show me where exactly the problems were.

I thought this practice stopped years ago and would have been more prevalent in fast fit establishments.

Is this still commonplace?

Edited by Gordon R
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I use Frank Bather & Son, an independent tyre fitter almost on my way to Liverpool. They are great and know me and the dogs by name, but my wife has the opposite problem to your Mercedes place. If she wants a tyre changing they always send her away and say to her “oh you’ll get another few weeks out of that”, they almost don’t want to take your money. They will also repair any tyre, even sidewall punctures (sent to a specialist) rather than charge you for a replacement. Really decent people and very straight. 

 

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I would say that if we all kept our eyes on our tyres as we should, they wouldn’t be able to rip anyone off.

1 minute ago, Fisheruk said:

I buy my tyres online and have them fitted by my local tyre depot, £15 fitted and balanced. Top brand tyres delivered by courier, usually within three days. Normally coming from Germany.

Edited by Fisheruk
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I can remember one of these tyre fitting garages started doing safety checks and told an old chap living near me he needed front discs and pads,telling him they are dangerous he came to me to ask advice because I worked in local garage ,I had a look and told him they are ok for 12 months the milage he did . I fitted new ones 2 years later. And they had not worn out even then

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I remember the Kwik Fit episode. My experiences were with National Tyres and International Auto Safety Centre (rather inappropriately named). I was surprised it extended to main agents and still going on. They make mega profits from servicing, without resorting to this.

Mike - wasn't Will Poon's problem a lack of tread in deep mud?😀

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2 minutes ago, Gordon R said:

I remember the Kwik Fit episode. My experiences were with National Tyres and International Auto Safety Centre (rather inappropriately named). I was surprised it extended to main agents and still going on. They make mega profits from servicing, without resorting to this.

Mike - wasn't Will Poon's problem a lack of tread in deep mud?😀

😂😂😂

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1 hour ago, Gordon R said:

My eldest has had a number of Mercedes in recent years - all new - GLE, E-Class and currently a CLS 350. He took the GLE for a service and was told that he needed two new tyres, due to wear. He told them that they had fitted the tyres one month earlier. He eventually ended up with the Manager, who said that the problem was the technician, who had just started work there, having previously being with BMW. My son asked if they had differently calibrated tyre depth gauges at BMW. He got an apology and put it down to experience.

Just been on the phone about something unrelated and mentioned he had the CLS serviced at the Mercedes main agents yesterday. He was slightly surprised to be told that three tyres - fitted by them 3 weeks earlier (having travelled one hundred miles) had worn by 2mm. He again expressed his dissatisfaction with what was going on.

Many years ago I grew weary of exhaust / tyre fitting garages telling me I had a leaky shock absorber or all my brakes needed doing, but couldn't show me where exactly the problems were.

I thought this practice stopped years ago and would have been more prevalent in fast fit establishments.

Is this still commonplace?

Gordon it is still commonplace, find a reputable independent Mercedes specialist. Most new Mercs going through the main agents are company cars on lease and they just try it on. They have a very bad reputation these days 

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Ironically, a friend of Mark Swanick (who shoots with me) is a Mercedes specialist, but is 7 miles away as opposed to 2 and doesn't have a fleet of courtesy cars. I have told my son that I will chauffeur him from and back to the garage, but he says it's too much hassle. He isn't interested in saving a few hundred pounds on the service either. When he then complains about the Mercedes main agents, I get irritated.

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 got fed up with a tyre charger ******* on my back and tell me i was sweating         i have bought a static balancer (back in the day )       walk around tyre changer    back in the day         mrs and i  +  4 kids all dramas           no dramas  no balancing or tracking issues  from a 4x4 b 2500   205 80  16   to citerom c 3      series 1 beamer       adudi   a1       eco 1.6 golf     amaroack       all tracked and balanced by me teaching my kids boys and  girls they all know how to service their vehicles        minimal tyre wear         i have scrubed three sets of tyres rotating  in 15k by tyre suppliers  over the years    pulling badly tracking out despite £60.00 dogys danglies tracking system numtie 14deg in instead of out as rwd                       now tracked and balanced by me  on 32k still not rotated    looking good in the summer next year i  will rotate           mrs and kids   when they look  like rotating  they will do         sorry i do all servicing and rebuilds myself  now   b2500 diesel on 25000.00  miles  no dramas          kids boys or girls know how to rotate tyres  change brakes inc discs   / bearings  / shoes   and service / change all fluids    when an engine or gearbox blows up i will show them how to rebuild         put a smile on my face when my daughter pulled up to three blokes confused    / google   / jacked their car and changed their wheel  while watching her     got them on their way          a ******* puncture thick ****s             i cant express  her delight or my  pride   

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3 hours ago, Rupert said:

Is it rears? some mercedes set up with a lot of toe in at back for stability, lots of threads on MBClubUK. Particularly performance models. 

Mercs are usually heavy cars, RWD and many are high performance so they get through rear tyres fairly quick but not that quick! Maybe a C63 AMG might

there are a couple of owner club websites that are incredibly useful I found

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12 hours ago, Gordon R said:

Many years ago I grew weary of exhaust / tyre fitting garages telling me I had a leaky shock absorber or all my brakes needed doing, but couldn't show me where exactly the problems were.

I thought this practice stopped years ago and would have been more prevalent in fast fit establishments.

Is this still commonplace?

Usually known as the Kwikfit Business Plan!

Edited by TIGHTCHOKE
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Took my Rover 75 into quick fit for tracking Sorry sir cant track front offside, all out of alignment, has it been in an accident? We will have to have it in and jig everything up. Oh and your exhaust system wont pass the MOT shall we order you one? Have to be hand made you know.

My greatest concern was that I looked that stupid.

Took it in to another garage "recommended" they said no charge tracking was spot on. Asked about an exhaust system. Yes sir but we dont keep in stock how about tomorrow but actually you have a couple of years left in yours yet.

 

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If it is the Mercedes dealer in sunny Bolton then they are certainly not trusted in my family. 

Both my parents have Mercedes. 

Every time they go there they need new tyres. 

My mum fell for the you need an alloy wheel straightening on her C class I told her it was a sharp practice but she proceeded anyway. Two months later it is in for warranty work and the same wheel needed straightening again and you can guess what needed straightening again at the next service. Needless to say I got the money credited back to her. 

Same garage my dad was told he needed new brake discs for his E class, the car was still on it’s first set of pads and they had plenty left on them. When the manager was questioned about why Mercedes brake discs are made out of a softer material than the pads he made up some indefensible drivel that the new type of pads wear the discs quicker than the pads. 

Needless to say my mum uses my friends garage as the car is now out of warranty my dad is booked in  there next week for warranty work. It will be interesting to to see what the vehicle checklist throws up seeing as he has had new tyres fitted at Costco. 

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Its like my step daughter who is a midwife got a job that needed a reliable car so she leased a Mazda. First service at 7000 miles they said it needed new front brakes and pads. Being a lease car she had no choice or leeway, and they really charged her a lot.. 

This I think is part of the culture with Mercedes,  For the past few years they have been heavily promoting lease deals to shift their cars to business users. And with these customers they feel able to do and say what they like.  Its not my car syndrome.

People just put the bills back into the company accounts dept to be paid.-

If you look on the Mercedes Approved Used website you will see there are hundreds of cars on there, all three years old and all 30,000 miles. These are all the ex lease cars that have come back at the end of the agreement. The trouble is the list is getting longer because I don't think they are moving them.

Edited by Vince Green
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18 hours ago, Gordon R said:

Many years ago I grew weary of exhaust / tyre fitting garages telling me I had a leaky shock absorber or all my brakes needed doing, but couldn't show me where exactly the problems were.

 

The trouble was those cowboys used to introduce a squirt of oil onto the side of the shock absorber to simulate a leak so when you took the car in for its MOT a few months later it failed anyway

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Many years ago, my father in law was told one of his shockers was dangerous. They said he could drive home, but they were obliged to warn him. He paid.

I knew there was nothing wrong with it - I had been over the suspension a couple of days earlier. I went back and asked for the faulty shocker. They couldn't locate it and then said it had been taken away. As they had a fair few parts lying in a heap, I pointed out that they parts remover only appeared to have removed the one part. It's a long time ago and I can't remember if he got all or some of his money back. Nowadays it would be a full refund and compensation.

It is fraud - should be locked up.

Lad in my local spares shop (the late Bob Hazeldean) had a mate who was manager of a Kwikfit branch. He packed in because he alleged that it was policy to squirt oil on shock absorbers of cars brought in by women. That was thirty years ago though.

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the right bloke does the job for the right reasons in all trades      the scum rip your wallet open      inc 1k to put one ridge tile back on after a storm       find the right family business  

have set up track cars with friends a string line and a measuring tape takes a bit more time and check and check again  and tyres lasted  despite power        loads of vids on you tube now  weren't around in my day     all tyres should run parallel despite axle width  less drag more speed less wear 

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