DIY Tyre Changes vs Tyre Shops

Any monkey can fit tyres.....

infact most fast fit places employ monkey for fitting tyres!

A lot of places in Cardiff won't fit tyres supplied elsewhere. Especially on expensive alloys. I'm told it's because If they balls it up and mark a wheel there hardly any profit in it to make it worthwhile as well as fact that it's a little cheeky. The only one willing seem to be the big chains on the fiddle which then brings in the question what happens when they take a chunk out a £400 alloy.

Perfectly understandable when you consider the following:

Me: How much to fit 4 tyres supplied by me?

Fitter: £10 each including balancing

Me: Can you guarantee not to mark my mint alloys as I am OCD about them?

Fitter:  YES, our fitter is the best around.

So I give them a try with a puncture and sure enough the puncture is repaired with no damage to the wheel.. result.

Fast forward now 6 months to the same tyre fitters in Cheriton (Folkestone)

Me: Hi I asked you a few months ago about fitting a set new of tyres supplied by me to my immaculate wheels and you said your guy would not mark them.

Fitter: Yes mate, he is the best there is.

Me: OK I have them in the car can you fit them for me, no rush as I am still on my winter wheels so I can leave them to do at your convenience. 

Fitter: No problem them will be done in a few hours.

Me: No rush whatsoever TAKE YOUR TIME, they are MINT.

Fitter: OK I will call you when they are done.

2hrs later I get the call to say they are done, I arrive and inspect the wheel, I wipe the excess gunk from off the tyre to find a fekkin CHUNK missing out of the wheel! 

Onto wheel 2, yep thats chipped as well!

Wheel 3 another scratch

Wheel 4... well you know whats coming by now!! 

But not so bad as they agree to repair 2 of the wheels!!

WTF, no you have damaged all 4 so they all need refurbishing now, we get no joy so off to court we go, this episode ending up costing them north of 4 figures (and thats without a decimal point!) by the time all the fees have been included (court costs, bailiff costs, appeal costs and my loss of earnings)

I guess they will no longer fit tyres that have been supplied by the customer, but then again when they are going to butcher your wheels thats no loss.