A friend has recently been refused purchase of a single tyre (puncture damged) when he took the 'spare' tyre to a tyre outlet. They were insistent that he could only buy a 'pair' for a single axle. His french is adequate, and no amount of discussion would allow the purchase!
This is similar to a recent thread of an exeprience of somebody in Eire, but I dont think it was ever fully resolve as to whether this is a legal requirement or a marketing sales opportunity.
Interesting situation if you are in the habit of swapping tyres around, and have a car with a 4 good legal and matched tyres and the spare is requiring replacemnet for whatever reason.
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If I've had a puncture (had only one) and the other tyre on the axle is fairly worn I'd want it replacing. If not worn but a totally tread pattern then I'd want it replacing - and the example of the only puncture I had the car had directional tyres too and were part worn.
If it was my car I'd have sorted it easily. As a company car it took more effort until I asked about safety, guaranteeing safety.... the lease company soon backed down.
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I once went into a motor factor in Paris to get some plug leads for a Skoda. The carphound who served me said they didn't have any Skoda plug leads. I said that didn't matter, I just needed some with the right end fittings. He said that would be quite incorrect and they couldn't possibly sell me plug leads not specifically intended for a Skoda because it would be incorrect. Then he turned away. I called him back and explained that money is money, plug leads are plug leads and it was my responsibility. The idiot still wanted to refuse to sell me the plug leads. I too can speak decent French. As my voice rose and the polemic flooded out, someone slightly more intelligent sidled up and sold me the plug leads.
Something to do with the French, or as in this case Algerian, or both, national character. And far from its best feature.
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This cannot be correct, not even for the lunatic fringe in the European Gravytrain. Who on earth is going to but two tyres when only one is needed? For instance 4 good tyres on the vehicle and 1 replacement needed for the spare. Crackers. I can understand not wanting to mix tyre makes and types on the same axle. I had a problem with a lease car that needed 1 new tyre. The spare was a skinny so could not be used as a replacement. The lease company told the tyre supplier to fit the cheapest replacement available. When I asked them for a letter to accept responsibility in respect of any incident or accident affected by the different tyre makes on the same axle they backed off and I got the same tyre make and type as original equipment. Just goes to show it always pays to challenge the jobsworths.
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"The spare was a skinny so could not be used as a replacement."
Which is why I stayed in a skinny spare on the Mondeo - I know the lease company game. if my car I'd not want a space saver.
"When I asked them for a letter to accept responsibility in respect of any incident or accident affected by the different tyre makes on the same axle.."
Exactly what I did and they backed down almost immediately.
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