Kwikfit .. still at it.......... (1 Viewer)

Jaws

LIFE MEMBER
Sep 26, 2008
23,836
72,558
Thetford Norfolk
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4,189
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since 2006 ( I think ! )
With 2020 still trying its hardest to shit on one and all I got a puncture this morning
Usual place shut, so the next closest was Kwikfit
They had a look , saw it was a nail about 50mm from the edge
I noticed the manager came out looked at the tyre and then went in the office and on his computer
Fitter took the wheel off took the tyre off and then the manager wandered over, pointed at it and said the puncture was too close to the edge, but they did have the size in stock
I said I wanted it repaired,, nope.. Well put it back on then.. He walked off in a huff
Fitter refitted the tyre, then manager came out and said that will be £15
I think you can work out what happened from there !!
Lets just say words were exchanged, but money was not...............

Went over the other side of town and got it fixed no problem
It is about time Kwikfit learnt that trying to rip people off will eventually come back and bite them VERY hard
( Local one has had lord knows how many mot testers lose their ticket because of complaints to VOSA about sharp practice )
 
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Nov 6, 2016
1,288
7,022
Bury St Edmunds
Funster No
45,949
MH
Auto Trail Chieftain
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Since 2015
Always use our local independent guy, in Bury St Edmunds, never charges more than necessary and will always repair rather than replace anything, and is always totally honest and up front about everything.
Joe
 
Jan 22, 2013
1,255
60,517
London SE
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24,385
MH
A class Adria vision I707
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since 1971
Totally agree, had dealing with them for many years when running my garage,
The main reason are the Fitters are on minimum wage and they add to there pay packets on stuff sold, so it’s in their interest to replace stuff that’s not worn out,
I have seen then squirt releasing fluid on to shock absorbers then tell the customer that they are leaking so need replacing,
Many similar stories over fifty years in the trade, but I’m sure there are some conscientious fitters out there :mad:

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Jun 25, 2013
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Old wild camper in transit
With 2020 still trying its hardest to shit on one and all I got a puncture this morning
Usual place shut, so the next closest was Kwikfit
They had a look , saw it was a nail about 50mm from the edge
I noticed the manager came out looked at the tyre and then went in the office and on his computer
Fitter took the wheel off took the tyre off and then the manager wandered over, pointed at it and said the puncture was too close to the edge, but they did have the size in stock
I said I wanted it repaired,, nope.. Well put it back on then.. He walked off in a huff
Fitter refitted the tyre, then manager came out and said that will be £15
I think you can work out what happened from there !!
Lets just say words were exchanged, but money was not...............

Went over the other side of town and got it fixed no problem
It is about time Kwikfit learnt that trying to rip people off will eventually come back and bite them VERY hard
( Local one has had lord knows how many mot testers lose their ticket because of complaints to VOSA about sharp practice )
Disgraceful company
 

TheBig1

LIFE MEMBER
Nov 27, 2011
17,637
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Dorset
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many many years! since I was a kid
awful business and cheating customers is company policy. My friend was a manager for a while and got in trouble for not selling more to customers than they required, especially women and the vulnerable

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Jun 12, 2016
1,621
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Scottish Borders
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43,560
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Globecar Revolution
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Since 2006
Doesn't matter
As soon as folk see they can save a £5 they will go to them despite what you tell them
I had the misfortune to have to take leased cars to them over a number of years
 
Apr 9, 2018
8,647
44,737
Worcestershire
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Bailey Adamo 75-4t
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March 2018
To be fair. I once had two new tyres fitted to the front of a company car. Drove three miles to a retail park and accidentally ran over one of the kerbstones putting a hole in the sidewall of one tyre.
Three miles!!!!!!
Fitted the spare and sheepishly presented myself to the Kwikfit depot expecting a bill from my company when the manager said it was very rare to get a faulty tyre like that (wink wink) and fitted a new one foc :smiley:

Other than that I usually use our local tyre place as I know they only survive by reputation in a small town like ours.
 
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denisejoe

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Aug 6, 2014
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Once went there for MOT on my car. They said the brakes were seized on one of the back wheels but they couldn't get the wheel off! So they failed it. Took it to the main dealer straight from there; had MOT and it passed no problem. Told them what had happened at Kwikfit and told never to bother with them again 'cos they're rip off merchants (funny I've always thought of main dealer in those terms!).

Denise

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Jan 28, 2016
2,499
2,934
Stockport, Cheshire
Funster No
41,498
MH
Bravaria i740 AClass
Not just kwikfit had my car mot at volvo because it came with mot insurance. Got a video saying nail in tyre needs replacing but not a fail. Wife rang me panicking saying get it done whilst its there. No was the reply took it too local tyre place it was a screw out of a kids toy battery compartment approx 2mm long and in the meat of the tread . They just flicked it out. Saved £240 robbers!

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Jaws

Jaws

LIFE MEMBER
Sep 26, 2008
23,836
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Thetford Norfolk
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since 2006 ( I think ! )
Doesn't matter
As soon as folk see they can save a £5 they will go to them despite what you tell them
I had the misfortune to have to take leased cars to them over a number of years
They are the dearest for miles around here !! Thetford is not exactly the biggest place around yet we have 5 tyre fitting places, and KF are head and shoulders above them price wise
They seem to rely on contract work as very few 'ordinary' people use them
 
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Jaws

Jaws

LIFE MEMBER
Sep 26, 2008
23,836
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Thetford Norfolk
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since 2006 ( I think ! )
They once sold my secretary that her company car needed new discs at a cost of over £200 because they were .......... Rusty!!!
Mate of mine ( a prison officer ) up north asked his wife to MOT their car,, first MOT of their Skoda
Failed it on rear brake drums..
When he got home he took it, along with the failure back to them...
Manager said yes, the drums were oval and causing a slight pulsing
He walked the bloke over to the car and asked him to point out the faulty drums..
Right ther......................... oh..
Yup.. disk brakes
Yet another complaint to VOSA
 
Feb 14, 2009
1,373
3,325
Chandlers Ford, Hampshire
Funster No
5,630
MH
Burstner TD700 H L
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Since 2008
Not just kwikfit had my car mot at volvo because it came with mot insurance. Got a video saying nail in tyre needs replacing but not a fail. Wife rang me panicking saying get it done whilst its there. No was the reply took it too local tyre place it was a screw out of a kids toy battery compartment approx 2mm long and in the meat of the tread . They just flicked it out. Saved £240 robbers!
Years ago I went to Kwikfit to check a shock absorber, they spotted something sticking out of the tyre tread, they were not allowed to remove it as they could be accused of causing a puncture. So I pulled it out....... you don't get punctures from a piece of hay , do you ? :xrofl: :xThumb:

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jumar

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Nov 6, 2012
3,780
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Spain
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Send the boys round....only way to deal with crooks...
Kwik fit messed up on 4 motorhome tyres I had ordered....gave me an upgrade.FOC..very pleased with them.... didn't give a tip...quite common with me....but they did ask if I could fill in a questionnaire.....I was happy to do so...last question was...
Promise not to send the boys round... haven't done so....well not yet....🥴🤕
 

wasp

Free Member
Dec 21, 2008
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None gone caravannin
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15
Never used them, for years I have used a local independent tyre garage, they have always given cracking service.
 
Jun 24, 2019
302
403
Shrewsbury
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61,884
MH
Hymer 504i A Class
Exp
Since 2016 & 20+ shed dragger
I agree that many/some qwikfit "garages" need to be avoided. However, I have used the qwikfit in Newtown, Powys for some 14 years and have had excellent service which has included tyres, breaks and repairs. The manager and staff display a very old fashioned service attitude (good that is). My oldish X trail was having turbo problems and all the garages I spoke to just wanted to replace it, the mechanic at Qwikfit said he had come across this type of problem before and an hour later when I returned had fixed it with air, flush and magic. £20 ! Car still in the family 5 years later and going strong. I would suggest that qwikfits in smaller towns can be a good bet but those in larger towns need checking. Be aware that tyres are often cheaper on their web site than in the garage and if you can quote the website price they will match it!

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Feb 20, 2017
852
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Kent
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47,422
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Bailey 75-2
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Tugger now Motorhome
Kwik Fit cross threaded the hub on the front of my AUDI. Only found out months later when I was changing wheels front to back. No way of proving it was them. Incompetent idiots. Giving them MOT stations is a license for them to print money.
 
Jan 11, 2010
2,749
9,583
Chester
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9,901
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Auto-trail
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Well that`s our 13th year & still loving it.
Personally I wouldn't take a wheel barrow into Kwik fit.
 
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Jaws

Jaws

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Sep 26, 2008
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I thought I would update this
I checked what is legal to repair and what is not..
On my width tyre it cannot be repaired legally if the puncture is within 72mm of the edge.. Thinking I had wronged the firm I went out and actually measured where the puncture occured.. Close on to 85mm from the edge, so all I said stands !

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Scotsblood

LIFE MEMBER
Aug 2, 2017
269
12,991
Lincolnshire
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49,774
MH
Elddis 194
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Since 2017
Tried to tell me the two rear tyres were illegal when I presented my last lease car for two new front tyres. He hadn’t bargained for the service done the previous day by franchised dealer having produced nice report showing tread depths and sent to the lease company. Having done less than 50miles since service the lease company were less than helpful when the KF guy rang for an authorisation! Sat and sniggered as the guy had to rush to the workshop and stop the rears being touched.
Latest lease company use ATS and all much easier but still prefer our local tyre company for our personal vehicles.
 
Aug 9, 2011
308
1,875
Broadway
Funster No
17,684
MH
Aclass
Exp
since 2009
Years ago they told me the discs on my van were at the end of their life. When I asked how many miles of life left in them the lying scrote said “200 miles “. Strange to relate the same discs were still in use 4 years later.
 
Apr 12, 2010
4,815
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Bury St Edmunds, West Suffolk
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11,027
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Weinsberg Cara
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since 2007
Always use our local independent guy, in Bury St Edmunds, never charges more than necessary and will always repair rather than replace anything, and is always totally honest and up front about everything.
Joe
Who is your local independent guy ? We live in Bury too. I always use Aptec up Eastgate st.
Happy Christmas Phil

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Jaws

Jaws

LIFE MEMBER
Sep 26, 2008
23,836
72,558
Thetford Norfolk
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4,189
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since 2006 ( I think ! )
Just walking the mutt it got me thinking... If the powers that be were that interested in safety with tyre repairs how come that crap Puncture Seal and its ilk are legal to sell ?
Is it magic ? How does it know if a puncture is too close the edge or not ?
This 'rule' really does stink of the tyre trade money boys trying to flog more tyres
 

Mr D Allen

Free Member
Oct 5, 2018
2
6
Carlisle
Funster No
56,573
MH
coach build
Exp
on & off 20 year
With 2020 still trying its hardest to shit on one and all I got a puncture this morning
Usual place shut, so the next closest was Kwikfit
They had a look , saw it was a nail about 50mm from the edge
I noticed the manager came out looked at the tyre and then went in the office and on his computer
Fitter took the wheel off took the tyre off and then the manager wandered over, pointed at it and said the puncture was too close to the edge, but they did have the size in stock
I said I wanted it repaired,, nope.. Well put it back on then.. He walked off in a huff
Fitter refitted the tyre, then manager came out and said that will be £15
I think you can work out what happened from there !!
Lets just say words were exchanged, but money was not...............

Went over the other side of town and got it fixed no problem
It is about time Kwikfit learnt that trying to rip people off will eventually come back and bite them VERY hard
( Local one has had lord knows how many mot testers lose their ticket because of complaints to VOSA about sharp practice )
that was a close shave you could have ended with a new clutch
 
Nov 27, 2016
820
2,109
Notts
Funster No
46,260
MH
A Class
Exp
since 2000
My wife called into a kwik fit branch a few years ago with a puncture in the car. Fitter told her the shocks were knacked and needed replacing urgently. She phoned me and I said I'd get a mate to sort it. Turned out nothing wrong with them and were still same ones when we sold the car 5 years later. Would not touch them with someone else's barge pole, robbing B'stards.

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Apr 11, 2015
5,422
55,348
hull
Funster No
35,812
MH
Laika Ecovip 300
Exp
since 1988 with breaks until 2009
Many years ago I worked part time in a garage which did all my and my family's work.. Son got a puncture and went to quick fit as he lived a bit away, they gave the car a 'free check over' and a list of stuff that needed doing, he was only
a young lad, first car. Told them it had just been mot'd was told it must be a dodgy MOT told them he would get his mum to have a look at the faults. He said he will never forget the look on the blokes face, this was wasover 30 years ago. Garage was successfully prosecuted by trading standards. (Blackburn)
 
Jan 31, 2016
1,902
3,381
Alness, Cromarty Firth
Funster No
41,524
MH
Hymer B544 (2012)
Exp
newbie
Even main dealers are just as bad.

Took my BMW R1200RT in for 24,000 mile/24 month service to local BMW bike dealers..

You need new front discs they are worn past minimum thickness.

The bike had done about 20,000 miles, still on first set of pads, so I asked if discs are worn but pads not, they must be faulty.

Told them to leave them alone, the following year, no mention of worn discs.
 
Apr 26, 2012
96
177
lancs
Funster No
20,741
MH
Hi Top
Exp
since 2006
Took my car in for a new tyre, that was ok, a week later got a letter from KF telling me that they had found a problem with my brakes, went to my local dealer who did a health check on the car no problem, make your own judgment!!!!

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