# Tyre fitter damage



## rhopkins (Feb 23, 2016)

I'm so angery right now. I had my front tyres changed last week at work by the leasing companies approved mobile fitters. Time wasn't a luxury that day and when the fitter was done there was so much white sealent all over the wheels I didn't spot the damage. Only after cleaning them yesterday did I spot the damage.

There's identical damage to both wheels, one scuffed up point on the front edge and 4 teeth mark points on the back edge of the barrel. Where do I stand on this and what out come should I except if I complain? As you can see I really look after these wheels and it's painful to see what this fitting idiot has done to them, to be honest I don't think I'll be happy until I get two new alloys!

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5qzbzcNpQGUdGlYcl9nYUxhOEE


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## Disco Smudge (Aug 27, 2013)

Looks pretty bad. Maybe send those pics to the lease company and the mobile tyre fitter and see what can be done! Don't go in shouting and being a willy or you will have nowhere to go to show your unhappy. 

Hope you can get it sorted but can guarantee it will not be 2 new alloys

You would be better off pushing to have them refurbed at a place of your choosing and they foot the bill


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## MagpieRH (May 27, 2014)

I don't know how you'll get on, worth asking the question, but if you signed anything after the job was done then they may well say you've accepted the job was done satisfactorily and they're within their rights to shrug their shoulders and say "oh well"

As above, approach them politely and you may get something as a goodwill gesture. If you go in shouting the odds, you'll get nada.


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## rhopkins (Feb 23, 2016)

Thanks for the reply Disco.

I don't see how the fitter can do that to wheels and actually still consider him self to be a fitter and be employed as one. I then don't see how it's fair that they can damage your wheels and you have to except a refurbished job. 

As you can tell I'm so cross about it.


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## TripleD (Jan 24, 2012)

If you have wheels refurbed, you need all 4 done as the paint match is never the same.


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## Disco Smudge (Aug 27, 2013)

It can depend on the tools tbh as those teeth marks are there to hold the wheel so you can get the tyre off. I have seen it spin when trying to take of large tyres with a low profile tyre. I would suggest not using a mobile fitter and find a decent tyre fitter you trust


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## rhopkins (Feb 23, 2016)

Hi TripleD 

That will just be my luck, and I suppose I'll just have to except that to. Accountability seems to be lost these days. I really didn't think I would need to clean and check a wheel before signing the sheet waiving all my rights there after. Seriously the wheel was totally covered in white sealent and I'm in a suit in between meetings.


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## rhopkins (Feb 23, 2016)

Disco Smudge said:


> It can depend on the tools tbh as those teeth marks are there to hold the wheel so you can get the tyre off. I have seen it spin when trying to take of large tyres with a low profile tyre. I would suggest not using a mobile fitter and find a decent tyre fitter you trust


So this is normal? And why the single scuffed up part on the face edge?


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## Tyrefitter (Feb 13, 2010)

The fitter has clamped them from the inside instead of the outside,,I have a tyre fitting company & we never clamp alloys from the inside as they can lift off the jaws if their isn't enough air in the compressor.

Andy.


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## Tim662 (Aug 19, 2014)

TripleD said:


> If you have wheels refurbed, you need all 4 done as the paint match is never the same.


Not at all, any good wheel refurb shop will match the paint no problem.


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## rhopkins (Feb 23, 2016)

Update!! 

After weeks of waiting for a response to my complaint to the leasing company, I finally got one yesterday. Their approved tyre fitter wouldn't except that they had been negligent and considered it fair wear and tear and none cosmetic due to the face of the alloy not been marked. The leasing company reviewed the damage and deemed it to be acceptable from a safety point of view and noted that no charge should be made to my company for repairing it on return at the end of the lease. 

However, the leasing company wasn't happy with their response, the fact that this is their approved fitter and appreciated my care for the car and view of how it's been spoilt for me by reasons which are out of my control. So they have booked it in to the main dealer for either a refurbishment or new alloys, whichever the dealer deems best. 

Very happy about this!


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## Franzpan (Mar 2, 2009)

I hate how some tyre fitters/shop deem damage to the rear of the alloy as acceptable. Some sound as if its normal and unavoidable to have a few marks added to the rear.


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## LloydyST (Feb 21, 2011)

This happened to mine at a fitting station but not with clamps. They used what looked to be a screwdriver to remove the weights on the rear of the alloys and made marks and grooves on the rear of the alloy whilst leaving behind other pieces of weight adhesive. Went back three or four times and they denied any wrong doing and it's at my expense to sort. They did how ever accept they lost one of the metal theft dust caps and replaced it with a OEM
normal one :wall: Fortunately it's behind a spoke and you have to be close to see it so for the time being it can wait. Some may polish out but the odd one is finger nail deep so definitely won't remove. Glad your company is sorting it. But still terrible on the company who did your tyres.


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## Nidge76 (Sep 16, 2016)

I feel your pain. This also happened to me recently.

Luckily the tyre fitting company has admitted liability and are willing to discuss compensation.

Unfortunately I found what I thought to be a good company to do the wheels but after nearly 2 weeks and some chasing I'm still waiting for a written quote so may have to find another wheel place.

It's such a hassle because some idiot can't do their job properly in the first place.


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## rhopkins (Feb 23, 2016)

This has been a real eye opener for me. Not that fitters can sometimes mark alloys, but the fact that their industry find it an acceptable practise and that we the vechicle owners should expect and accept it! 
I'm sure they wouldn't do it to their own cars.


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## LloydyST (Feb 21, 2011)

rhopkins said:


> This has been a real eye opener for me. Not that fitters can sometimes mark alloys, but the fact that their industry find it an acceptable practise and that we the vechicle owners should expect and accept it!
> I'm sure they wouldn't do it to their own cars.


I just put it down them rushing and cutting corners and then they make a mistake (like we all do) but instead of owning up they just carry on fit the tyres and alloys back on car and think well they'll drive off before looking at. Cause how many people in a fitting station get their keys and go checking closely at your newly fitted tyres. (safe to say in future I'll be this guy now tho) by time you notice it's a week or couple of month later when you come to wash and clean the car properly.


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## Asim (Mar 25, 2017)

Great this has worked out in your favour mate. 

The leasing company also deserves credit for appreciating how you have looked after the car and arranging for refurbs or new alloys. It would have been all too easy for them to have just accepted the fitter's assessment and ending it there.


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## mechrepairs (Aug 11, 2008)

The thing is most people these days especially with lease cars use them as a tool and once done with them hand them back and get a new one, most people don't wash these cars or if they do they go to a car wash and the inside of the wheel is never cleaned anyway.

I am a garage owner and take as much pride in other people's cars as I do my own, I love it when a car comes in for tyres and has nice inner wheels, makes me sticking the weights on easy and simple, always use the outer clamps to hold the wheels on the tyre bead end, leaves no marks.

The amount of nice cars that we see with all the old wheel weight stickers is unreal.

Glad you got a happy ending so to speak

Carl


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## c87reed (Dec 9, 2015)

This is why I often dread having any sort of routine work done. 

You only need to have one idiot working on your car at an otherwise reputable establishment and you're stuffed. Many would take even less care if they knew it was a lease as in their eyes 'it doesn't matter, you just give it back, they won't care'. Apart from the fact that you want to look after your car.

I took my car for an MOT after spending ages cleaning it and the inspector has his clipboard on my bonnet and there were filthy handprints just about everywhere afterwards.


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## Tim662 (Aug 19, 2014)

c87reed said:


> This is why I often dread having any sort of routine work done.
> 
> You only need to have one idiot working on your car at an otherwise reputable establishment and you're stuffed. Many would take even less care if they knew it was a lease as in their eyes 'it doesn't matter, you just give it back, they won't care'. Apart from the fact that you want to look after your car.
> 
> I took my car for an MOT after spending ages cleaning it and the inspector has his clipboard on my bonnet and there were filthy handprints just about everywhere afterwards.


I spent a couple of years just putting a little sign in the car saying "please do not wash" when taking it in for anything. Recently I've stopped caring so much about what people might think though, and just tell them not to mess with the paint in any way shape or form.

Thankfully my local main dealer was spot on when the car went in for it's MOT. Didn't even clean up the over spray from testing the screen washers or wipe up the few fingerprints. :thumb:


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## 16 sport (Nov 17, 2016)

Great your lease company is going to repair/replace the alloys.

As a few have mentioned and being a previous employee of a tyre fitting company no wheel should be clamped on the inside of the rim, should always clamp on the outside, saying that i have seen guys leaving the old chap on weights on the wheels and when it comes to removing the tyre seeing the weight get caught and gouge the alloy.

Some people just dont take pride in their work.


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## rhopkins (Feb 23, 2016)

Another update!

VW dealership inspected the damage and advised the leasing company that they couldn't be reburished by any approved supplier they use and therefore would require a specialist which couldn't be done through them. So they quoted them for two new alloys which the leasing company approved. So one fitters poor workmanship cost someone £1120 + labour!


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## Ads_ClioV6 (Apr 27, 2014)

Good result
Hope they sacked the fitter


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