Has anyone tried them, does it work? I am in Surrey. >>

Edited by jbif on 01/07/2009 at 13:04

Blackcircles use unskilled garages to fit tyres.

I've ordered tyres through blackcircles for more than 10 years and for a broad cross-section of our family's cars. Mostly, they've been efficient and cheap. But twice now, I've had damage to the wheels of my Porsche. Once by a general garage in Leeds and again recently by a mickey mouse, country garage in Somerset more noted for its restoration of old Sunbeam cars than tyre fitting. And therein lies the problem. When Blackcircles uses experienced tyre fitters they are very good, but unfortunately, the quality of workmanship can be very different with some of their less able fitting partners. You have been warned

I've used them several times, but last year they finally removed Owners Clubs discounts, which had been slowly getting smaller - 10%, 5%, £5 per tyre, £5 off the total.... So prices are not as good as they used to be.

I found both mobile fitters and local fitting shops to be fine.

One local wrokshop said they liked it because they could minimise their tyre stock and at the same time get less popular tyres/sizes delivered in time for fitting, so keeping the customer happy.

But it's like all things nowadays, service deteriorates as the costs get squeezed, so shop around is the best advice. Just avoid Chinese Ditchfinders.

I used Blackcircles for an MOT and new tyres. 1 week after this took place my car was taken for a full service. The garage doing the service contacted me to inform me that both my wheel balancing and tracking was drastically out and needed doing. I informed the garage that this cant be the case as I has had 3 new tyres fitted a week before and paid for balancing and tracking. I went to the garage and was shown the computer printouts relating to the tracking and balancing. They were both way out and clearly the approved Blackcircles garage that had carried out the work had not bothered to do so. I had to pay the garage that was doing my service to do the tracking and balancing as the next day I was due to go on a business trip for a week where I would be doing some 600-800 miles. When I contacted Blackcirlces for a refund they could not have been less caring. Despite me emailing then the computer readouts showing the misalignment of the wheels they said I had no proof and washed their hands of the matter and no refund was offered. This is a useless company with no consideration for customer satisfaction. Do no us them.

I used Blackcircles for an MOT and new tyres. 1 week after this took place my car was taken for a full service. The garage doing the service contacted me to inform me that both my wheel balancing and tracking was drastically out and needed doing. I informed the garage that this cant be the case as I has had 3 new tyres fitted a week before and paid for balancing and tracking. I went to the garage and was shown the computer printouts relating to the tracking and balancing. They were both way out and clearly the approved Blackcircles garage that had carried out the work had not bothered to do so. I had to pay the garage that was doing my service to do the tracking and balancing as the next day I was due to go on a business trip for a week where I would be doing some 600-800 miles. When I contacted Blackcirlces for a refund they could not have been less caring. Despite me emailing then the computer readouts showing the misalignment of the wheels they said I had no proof and washed their hands of the matter and no refund was offered. This is a useless company with no consideration for customer satisfaction. Do no us them.

I've used Black Circles many times and have refered many friends.

We are lucky to have an excellent tyre dealer locally who is affiliated. He's dischuffed with me for using BC, but that's his fault for being so expensive.

I've never been able to beat their prices locally (Leicester and Rugby), though one Rugby centre got to within £5 a tyre for my Saab when I wanted four recently (Goodyear Eagle F1 Ass2 in 235/45/17 94W) so I went with them, but shalln't again because 1) I lost out on the Tesco Clubcard points and 2) they tried to BS me that Saab specified 97Ys for my Aero (the manual clearly states 94W) and 3) they used clip on weights on the rear side after I'd asked for stick ons because I was having the wheels refurbed. Back to BlackCircles and my local centre next time.

I joined this forum specifically to let folks know about the totally appaling service i've had from Black Circles.

I used them to get 2 new front tyres (Yokohama) for my Nissan Micra. Less than a month later & under 500 miles they were showing excessive wear all over the surface of both tyres. My car had recently been mot'd & as soon as I saw the wear I went to my usual garage who checked my car & confirmed there were no problems with it + the checked the tracking & gave me a print out showing it was spot on.

Black Circles have refused to replace or refund the tyres, insisting that the tyres had been in use already for 'some time' ! Some 10 or more emails later they have still refused stating that my only option is to have the tyres returned to the manufacturer for testing - if they say there's nothing wrong with the tyres i'd have to pay for them to be returned to me + the cost of the tyres fitted to replace these ones while they're being tested will be due. Despite the fact that this is against the Sales of Goods act as it involves a third party, its worth saying that why they expect a customer to trust the word of a manufacturer who has clearly supplied substandard products is beyond me. I've also pointed out that it could well have been the fitting of the tyres that was at fault & therefore removing the tyres to be sent for testing means I would have no come back there. My car has been tested & i've provided them with the proof that it was in good condition - its therefore obvious that its the tyres or the fitting that was ta fault.

I'm nearly 50 years old & this is the worst customer service i've ever come across. Whatever you do don't buy from them - you might save some money but if something goes wrong you've had it. They're a company who think a month & less than 500 miles isn't something they should do much about.

shockingly bad customer service - trading standards & citizens advice have advised me all along that I am in the right & that aspects of the Sales of Goods act are at issue here.