Car tyres again

[dave21478]

A while back I bought a 4x4 and it needs tyres. Not a simple business here in France, especially not for this car....its seems that it uses an outdated tyre size that few manufactuers support. In UK, the obvious solution would be to fit a different size, but it would not pass a CT here without its original size. This got me thinking about buying a different size and refitting the old ones for the test but that seemed too much faff for my liking, so ended up just plumping for the factory size.

Normally, I buy part-worn tyres from a local breaker, but there is very little chance of finding this size there as seemingly they were only used on my car (Early Frontera 3dr) and a few variants of Jeep Cherokee.

Everywhere local quoted prices around the 600€ - 650€ mark for 4, which seemed a tad.......excessive? no, fucking outrageous more like, especially as this was generally for Kumho, Nexen or other even less known brands.

Im heading back to UK in a couple of weeks so had a rummage around but found that prices from UK online suppliers were no better and sometimes a bit worse than the French variants. I settled on www.allopneus.com here in France, where I got Toyo branded All Terrain tyres for €90 each with free delivery. They were delivered next day too, which is a miracle to this hillbilly location.

I will be fitting them myself, but even if I were to pay a garage for fitting, the savings would still be huge over the local tyre dealers.

www.allopneus.com - fast and cheap. What more could you want?

[:)]

[trastu]

We used allopneus when our landrover discovery needed new tyres. I can thoroughly echo what Dave21478 said "fast and cheap" and the tyres were brilliant.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them.

[dave21478]

FFS.

[:@]

You couldnt make this shit up.

Typically, it was only after driving round to the farm, jacking the car up, removing a wheel and taking the old tyre off that I noticed that Allopneus have sent the 16" version of the tyres instead of the 15".

So now we enter the murky realms of French customer service. I wonder if my recomendation of this company will stand?

[Chezstevens]

I have had absolutely no problems with Allopneus. Used 4 times - prompt service and very good price ... certainly better than British prices being offered on other forums!!

[LEO]

Ive recently  purchased  set of four  Hankook Ventus Prime K105 225/55 R16  tyres  from  www.123pneus.com

108 euro each inc tax and free delivery .

The site can be French  or  English.

I was able to do all my searching and comparing on the English site, narrowing my selection then, flick to the French site and place the order for delivery in France.

[Chancer]

[quote user="dave21478"]FFS.
[:@]
You couldnt make this shit up.
Typically, it was only after driving round to the farm, jacking the car up, removing a wheel and taking the old tyre off that I noticed that Allopneus have sent the 16" version of the tyres instead of the 15".

So now we enter the murky realms of French customer service. I wonder if my recomendation of this company will stand?


[/quote]

"Ben ouais monsieur, we sent you those because we didnt have any of the 15" ones, we were sure that you would prefer the 16" ones as the others were only fitted to a couple of vehicles n'est ce pas?"

Good luck Dave [:)]

It grinds you down after a while doesnt it? I recently did a second 160km round trip to return a carroteuse that didnt have a soft start (which I could have lived with) nor a clutch, it nearly tore my arm off when I tested for the (non) presence of the latter, I took it back the next day with my elbow splinted and got my money back without too much of a dispute.

The crazy thing was I got home after wasting two 1/2 days and half a tank of diesel and congratulated myself on how well I had done [:-))]

It would be really nice to think that the tyre company, which appears to know whats what in this E-commerce age will understand the importance of putting matters right in a timely manner and how that makes for loyal customers and recommendations, it will have to happen one day.

[AnOther]

[quote user="LEO"]Ive recently  purchased  set of four  Hankook Ventus Prime K105 225/55 R16  tyres  from  www.123pneus.com

108 euro each inc tax and free delivery .

The site can be French  or  English.

I was able to do all my searching and comparing on the English site, narrowing my selection then, flick to the French site and place the order for delivery in France.

[/quote]Ditto, and Hankook tyres too. Out of stock in UK in the size I wanted but the price differential in France was minimal anyway. No complaints about 123.pneus but the dick who fitted them at my chosen local garage was a monkey and took about 3 tries to get them balanced properly and would have got away with it if I hadn't been watching and insisted he got them right. Anything under 10g seemsd good enough for him, I shan't be usung the garage in Catus again you can be sure !

[PaulT]

[quote user="dave21478"]FFS.
[:@]
You couldnt make this shit up.
Typically, it was only after driving round to the farm, jacking the car up, removing a wheel and taking the old tyre off that I noticed that Allopneus have sent the 16" version of the tyres instead of the 15".

So now we enter the murky realms of French customer service. I wonder if my recomendation of this company will stand?


[/quote]

Sir, I am sure your car will grow in to them

[dave21478]

Well, they never replied or acknowledged my email, so I called them this morning. They are happy to take them back and send the correct size, however this is all going to take time. A courier will be here Monday to collect the 16"s and once they are returned to the depot, they will re-send hopefully the correct tyres.

My suggestion of sending the right ones and collecting the others at the same time is seemingly just not possible. The chap was sympathetic to the problem but could do no more.

Just as well I am not in a hurry, I suppose. The order was on the 28th and I might get them by next Friday....Thats about right for French mail order [:@]

[LEO]

I hope you don't get tired waiting

[dave21478]

The courier came to collect the tyres for return this afternoon.

"wrong size?"

"erm, yes, they are"

"mmmmph, happens really often. I take loads back all the time. When the replacements come, check them while the driver is still here - if they are wrong again, refuse to sign for them and they will go straight back....saves you some time."

"err, ok, thanks for the advice"

Not exactly confidence inspiring.

[dave21478]

Do you know what I noticed today?

I noticed that my fecking tyres still have not arrived.

[dave21478]

I take back every positive word I said about this shower of incompetants.

Where were we? oh yes, they had uplifted the wrong sized tyres and promised to send out the right ones as soon as possible. 5 days later I called them to be told they had NOT been sent for reasons unknown. She was very apologetic and promised to send them that day. I was leaving for UK the next day so gave them an alternate delivery address, which she assured me was no problem.

Back from my trip, I went to pick up the tyres........tyre. Singular. They sent one.

Called them up yesterday to get the telephone equivelant of the Gallic Shrug. They would "look into it" and call me back. Quite obviously, they never called back. I am back to waiting in their phone queue system at 30c per minute or whatever the tariff is.

So, no. I wouldnt give them the steam off my shite, never mind a positive recommendation.

[dave21478]

Almost seven weeks after the initial order, following countless phonecalls to the 34c per minute number, several completely ignored emails, four broken promises to be called back and now  three faxes, I still only have1 tyre. They have just emailed  an "Avoir" (credit note) for the full amount I paid. - Unbelievable. really? do they honestly think I would order from them again? besides, since they seem to be completely incapable of supplying the tyres I want, there is nothing else they have that interests me.

So tomorrow will be spent trying to get actual money back rather than some bloody useless credit.

[Clair]

On a more positive note, on Nov.2nd I ordered 4 mounted winter tyres from 123pneus.com in Germany and and they arrived on Nov. 5th.

[Chancer]

The sad thing is it doesnt even shock me these days.

I enter most financial transactions in France with a feeling of foreboding and expecting the worst, sometimes things go better than I expect!

What annoys me seems to be the almost universal lack of wanting to improve or do things better the next time, you get the impression that you are the one out of step, it really doesnt matter, so what, and of course the great "eh alors?"

Did you pay by a UK credit or debit card by and chance Dave?

[dave21478]

Clair, from what I gather from others and from the speed the initial (wrong) tyres arrived in, when things go well, then this company are great. The problem is when things don't go well. Customer service is completely, utterly non existent.

I don't make snap judgments about places that make errors - "shit happens" as the phrase says. However it's how the company rectify their error that sways my opinion of them. In the case of allopneus, it has been one uninterrupted string of screw-ups. Every single one has been their fault and they really, really could not give a damn. I am the one who has wasted all this time for nothing. I am the one who is out of pocket on their ridiculous premium-rate telephone number, and I am the one who STILL does not have what he ordered and paid for six weeks ago. A little digging on their website turns up a little gem about them always delivering within 48 hours, and in the rare cases where they may be out of stock then they will supposedly offer an equivelant or better tyre at no extra cost. I think not.

Chancer, no it was a French Carte Bancaire which offers sod-all in the way of buyer protection, despite the monthly banking fees I pay.[:@]

[dave21478]

Another fax, some more waiting and now, seven weeks after placing the order, I finally have a full refund.

FARCE.

I also still have the one tyre they did manage to deliver. As far as I am concerned, if I hear nothing from them about returning it in the next two weeks, its mine.

[Chancer]

I am pleased that you can now put it behind you Dave, I know how these things can drag one down with frustration.

I still laugh at some of the times I have had to fight hard and often be very devious just to get treated in not even a reasonable manner, things which I would take for granted in most other countries but somehow over here it seems like a right result and a cause for celebration [B]