Jotun Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Well I've had an unpleasant experience with kwik-fit today! Went to get two new front tyres which I ordered online, I went for the RE50As as that is what I have on the rear. I thought I'd also have an alignment done as I thought it was a bit out. Anyway, I thought everything was fine until I drove off and the steering wheel was pointing to the right when I was going straight. I took the car back and got them to check it, they had four goes at getting it right but in the end I was left with it off centre and told to contact customer services for a refund. To make matters worse, when I got home and had a look at my tyres I noticed they weren't RE50As they were RE40!! By this time it was too late to ring them up.... I'm quite angry as I clearly ordered RE050A online and I even saw some in the right size in the garage near the customer area. The cynic in me thinks they had some 40s lying around they needed to get rid of!! Oh and to add icing to the cake they gave me back my car with the check engine light on and tried to tell me it was on when I gave it to them I dont know wether to start shouting at the branch or go straight to customer services - the trouble is that I didnt use a branch close to me. Oh and if anyone knows a good tyre and alignment place in Nottingham let me know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricey Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 I'd give the branch manager a chance first then take it to someone senior at customer services (dont be conned into speaking to a drone). Bad news bears that is though mate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtbiscuit Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 should have used a good independent kwik fit couldnt fit a shoe on a child without screwing it up. go straight to customer services, on the phone then go straight back to the shop and get the tyres you paid for fitted. what does your receipt say? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATTAK Z Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Go back and tell them you're not happy then set fire to the place using a can of petrol and a match ......... let the car burn with the premise and claim on your insurance ......SIMPLES Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
varley16 Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 if you have the proof of the tyres you ordered, like an email or something, then that part should be easy. the alignment issue, well the ****ed that up, they should correct that, contact there customer services on that one i think. the EML being on, only thing i can suggest is get it diagnosed, if its something they have done you should be able to prove that, i.e. they did that as they worked on that are of the car. But i would get onto customer services straight away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jotun Posted January 25, 2011 Author Share Posted January 25, 2011 should have used a good independent kwik fit couldnt fit a shoe on a child without screwing it up. go straight to customer services, on the phone then go straight back to the shop and get the tyres you paid for fitted. what does your receipt say? The online receipt says Bridgestone RE050A 225/45Y18..... the print out says BR225/45W18S040 The funny thing is that the price has come out 2p more but that 2p wasnt paid. I regret not checking more thoroughly before I left, foolish me for expecting someone to do their job Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtbiscuit Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 get the alignment done at somewhere like DMS who have a hawkeye alignment system and then send the bill to kwikfit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricey Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Actually I'm beginning to err on the side of agreeing with setting fire to the place..........possibly as an alternative to marching into the managers office dropping your strides and laying a cable on his desk. I never quite get the whole thing about running a company that literally has 1 speciality and being utterly, utterly gash at it! I mean why?!?! Crapping little independants seem to get by so why can't a multimillion pound company manage! Problem without not setting fire/pooing on the place is that you'll end up bogged down in the endless soul sapping paperchain of being fobbed off or at the very best 3 months just to get to the position that you SHOULD be in now.......this could make you give up on humanity. Bloody cretins! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bounty78 Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 There is a place in mansfield that has Hawk eye alignment system. Was going to have my wheels aligned before i decided to sell my Zed. http://www.hawkeyealign.co.uk/index-2.html Not had any personal experience with them though but i was quoted £80 to do all 4 wheels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spursmaddave Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 get the alignment done at somewhere like DMS who have a hawkeye alignment system and then send the bill to kwikfit. Which quikfit would promptly refuse to pay as you did not give them the chance to put it right, or as stated they offered a refund, not agreeing for you to go elsewhere and charge them... I would get the tyres changed to the correct ones and then put it down to experience and go elsewhere for the alignment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jotun Posted January 25, 2011 Author Share Posted January 25, 2011 I'd just like to add that the check engine light I forced them to diagnose and it was lean fuel mixture, he rest the code and the light went away and said it might have appeared because he stalled it I'm annoyed he tried to tell me they got it with the light on! I think he probably had a thrash in it, but saying that I've never treated it too gently and never had an error. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyvvc Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Give Notts laser alignment a call - based near the County Ground cattle market. I've used them twice - nice setup, computer-controlled rig for getting correct alignment from manufacturer then setting it all up etc. They also do tyres... Dont ever go to Kwik Fit again. Utterly useless at everything they do - no one has a good word to say about them, not even their own staff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu350z Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 Go back and tell them you're not happy then set fire to the place using a can of petrol and a match ......... let the car burn with the premise and claim on your insurance ......SIMPLES +1 Even this might be too good for the Kwik Fit monkeys though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glrnet Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 +1 and:- Go back to Kwik Fit, see the Manager, no one else, mention Trading Standards "standard of workmanship is not fit for purpose" if they refuse in anyway to rectify the problem. I'm pretty sure you won't have a leg to stand on if you don't allow them the chance to put it right. They clearly have at least one complete plonker working there and if it were me I'd think about doing the following:- Take it back, get the right tyres put on and the wheels rebalanced at no charge, calmly explain that you are not confident in their skill levels, ask for a refund for the alignment and take it elsewhere on the basis "if they can't get a steering wheel on straight there actually isn't a lot of hope" Just my 2 penny worth. Hope you get it sorted buddy get the alignment done at somewhere like DMS who have a hawkeye alignment system and then send the bill to kwikfit. Which quikfit would promptly refuse to pay as you did not give them the chance to put it right, or as stated they offered a refund, not agreeing for you to go elsewhere and charge them... I would get the tyres changed to the correct ones and then put it down to experience and go elsewhere for the alignment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilMH Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 +1 and:- Go back to Kwik Fit, see the Manager, no one else, mention Trading Standards "standard of workmanship is not fit for purpose" if they refuse in anyway to rectify the problem. I'm pretty sure you won't have a leg to stand on if you don't allow them the chance to put it right. They clearly have at least one complete plonker working there and if it were me I'd think about doing the following:- Take it back, get the right tyres put on and the wheels rebalanced at no charge, calmly explain that you are not confident in their skill levels, ask for a refund for the alignment and take it elsewhere on the basis "if they can't get a steering wheel on straight there actually isn't a lot of hope" Just my 2 penny worth. Hope you get it sorted buddy get the alignment done at somewhere like DMS who have a hawkeye alignment system and then send the bill to kwikfit. I agree with the above who say get the tyres changed but get the alignment done elsewhere by a competent specialist. The same thing happened to me re the off centre steering wheel which may be because they don't follow the correct procedure regarding cars with power steering (ie. to prevent it moving). Also the manufacturer made later revisions to the toe-in setting, whereas I find that the likes of Kwik Fit just set the alignment to 0. Which quikfit would promptly refuse to pay as you did not give them the chance to put it right, or as stated they offered a refund, not agreeing for you to go elsewhere and charge them... I would get the tyres changed to the correct ones and then put it down to experience and go elsewhere for the alignment I agree with the above who say get the tyres changed by Kwik Fit but get the alignment done elsewhere by a competent specialist. The same thing happened to me re the off centre steering wheel (on a QX) which may be because they don't follow the correct procedure regarding cars with power steering (ie. to prevent it moving). Also the manufacturer made later revisions to the toe-in setting, whereas I find that the likes of Kwik Fit just set the alignment to 0. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jotun Posted January 26, 2011 Author Share Posted January 26, 2011 Well I have contacted the manager and he just told me their system told him RE040s were delivered and fitted on the order, he sounded very sheepish. The fact I spotted the right size RE050As in the garage makes me suspicious. He told me to ring customer services. I gave them a call and they contacted the manager for me and came back saying that the order had been changed by someone at some point and told me that the garage would fit the right tyres tomorrow. However, it isnt my local Kwik-fit so I cannot afford to make the journey so I told them to just credit the difference in price. TO be honest I don't want this garage touching my car again, especially after trying to tell me I gave them the car with check engine light on. I think a written complaint is in order as I feel someone has tried to dupe me somewhere along the line here and I dont want the garage to get away with it if it is them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisS Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 50 on the back,40 on the front could spell trouble. But those who know more will comment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neilp Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 Get them transferred to your local dealer. Re040's terrible on the road. Get the re050's. Having 40's on front is a recipe for understeer in corners. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M13KYF Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 Get them transferred to your local dealer. Re040's terrible on the road. Get the re050's. Having 40's on front is a recipe for understeer in corners. +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demolition49 Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 Good luck, i hate kwik fit! Had my tracking done on my old car... bushes were knackered but they couldnt spot that and i had to get it tracked 4 times(because i had a go at them) and go to another mechanic before he told me, why are those idiots trying to track knacered bushes... anyway he did it for me and heypresto not a prob. Kwik fit is run by 16 y/o apprentices who dont know diddily squat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricey Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 Having driven an RX8 with nearly 100bhp less and RE040's on I would urge you to get them off and if possible burn them to ensure no one can put them on their car. They are fecking DEADLY..........picking yourself out of a twisted tangle of metal will ensue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neilp Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 the 40's are great for track work but hard to get upto a decent temp in the wet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veilside z Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 kwik fit are cowboys... always have been and always will be. They were exposed years ago with secret filming.. Halfords advisors and fitters are not any better either. sorry bud and hope you get it all sorted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerry3167 Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 Sorry to hear about this. Ive never really trusted the space cadets at KWIK FIT no matter what the ads on TV say!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ebized Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 As others have said, the 040 and 050 are completely different tyres, although they are both Bridgestone. That is likely to lead to handling issues and potential dramas in the wet. Notwithstanding the ballsache you have had and the garage is not local do go back and get the 050s fitted - at least it seems they can change tyres Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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