These days, there really isn’t a single industry area left where dodgy dealers are not looking to make quick profits at the expense of others. Unsurprisingly, the tyre retail and fitting industry is no exception to the rule. From impressively convincing counterfeits to genuinely dangerous part-worn tyres and so-called repairs that simply hide problems rather than addressing them, it’s pretty safe to say that tyre safety is something no motorist can afford to take for granted.
The good news however is that for those who would prefer to avoid troublesome tyres altogether, it is to a large extent pretty easy to make it happen. Whether shopping for mobile tyre fitting in Oxford or simply looking to pick up a part-worn spare tyre to keep on hand in case of emergencies, there are ways and means by which the dodgy dealers can be avoided altogether.
Here’s a quick overview of five important rules to follow when it comes to deciding which sellers and indeed products you should be putting your trust in:
1 – Beware Bargains
First of all, any motorist with so much as a month’s experience out in the wild will be painfully aware of the fact that quality tyres do not come cheap. Quite to the contrary in fact, quality rubber can cost an absolute fortune, but when you consider the fact that premium tyres are built to deliver outstanding safety and performance often for several years at least, there’s really no disputing the kind of value for money on offer.
Nevertheless, there will always be bargain hunters out there who are willing to allow common sense to take a backseat when and where low prices are on the cards. In the case of tyres, if you ever find yourself presented with a deal that to one extent or another seems too good to be true, common sense should tell you that it probably is. Tyres of the highest quality have something of an average price you can expect to pay for them and anything that comes in suspiciously below this mark should be treated with suspicion. There will always be good deals to be found, but in terms of outright bargains and giveaways, not so much.
2 – Part-Worn Perils
Of course it should come as little surprise to most to learn that the majority of dodgy tyre deals on the market come under the bracket of part-worn tyres. The problem here being that if you were to buy any number of tyres from some random vendor with only their word to go on with regard to the products’ safety, you’ve only yourself to blame when things go wrong. In truth, part-worn tyres can be incredibly economical and wonderfully safe to boot, but you cannot take things for granted and just assume that ALL part-worn tyres are the same.
3 – Botched Balancing
Another sure-fire sign that you are staring down the barrel of a dodgy deal is when you find yourself having a new or part-worn tyre fitted without the vendor bothering with the balancing. Whichever way you look at it, to fit a tyre of any kind without properly balancing it treads that very fine line between irresponsible and downright dangerous. Even if an unbalanced wheel doesn’t lead to a rather catastrophic incident on the roads, it will still lead to premature wear of everything from your car’s suspension to vital steering components and so on. So if a vendor ever tries to tell you that wheel balancing is of no real importance, this is not a vendor you probably want to be doing business with.
4 – Online Sellers
The subject of buying and selling car tyres online is one of much debate as while there are thousands of outstanding tyres up for grabs online for fantastic prices, the web is also littered with examples of seriously dodgy deals. When it comes to buying tyres safely online, the key rule to follow is that of a only ever doing so via a vendor that has established a reputation for quality and reliability. It’s usually pretty easy to work out exactly what any given online tyre seller stands for – just have a quick look into their feedback and recommendations.
5 – Where’s the Warranty?
Last but not least, if you ever find yourself in a position where you are being offered tyres for what appear to be bargain prices but are supplied with absolutely no warranty or quality guarantees, common sense should tell you that something is not quite right. And indeed it probably isn’t, as if those selling and fitting the tyres are 100% convinced that they are safe and in sound condition, there is absolutely no reason whatsoever why they shouldn’t be able to offer at least some kind of remedial warranty.
