Blackcircles : on-line tyre purchases

[JohnD]

I just checked the tyres on my older car (Michelins from Blackcircles)

Two of them were made in week 2921 (July) and fitted in the September

The rear ones were fitted earlier but I can't find the date. Made in 4819 (November). I have an idea it was just before Christmas.

I see the previous rear ones were cracked after 8 years (Advisories) and I think they were shipped in from France in July 2011 as none in stock. The cars are parked in a sunny position and the sunny side consistently cracks first.

So an 8-year life for mine now I don't do much mileage and I change them when Advisory.

 

[mointainwalker]

I believe they have a world-leading gasmask business.

I hope those don't crack.

The tyre business was sold to Cooper Tire some time back.

 

[mointainwalker]

I'd be complaining about the cracking, regardless of the date of the tyre. The average customer would not know about age of tyres. But can know about and recognise cracking. A "fault" that shouldn't happen so soon after supply.

What sort of mileage have the tyres done ?

3 500 miles or so.

 

[carmanmemoranda]

3 500 miles or so.

Personally then i would pursue the tyre "fault" of cracking. The date of the tyre, whilst annoying, is not necessarily bad enough for them to have to act on

 

[chainsaw_masochist]

It would appear, then, that it is quite legal for the tyre retailers to have their produce sitting on their shelves for up to five years and still be able to sell as 'new'. Perhaps the wiser choice might be to go for a recently released model of tyre, albeit of renowned brand. It would largely get round the problem of being sold older stock but no doubt there would be an increased price for the very fact that it is the latest bit of kit.

 

[mointainwalker]

It would appear, then, that it is quite legal for the tyre retailers to have their produce sitting on their shelves for up to five years and still be able to sell as 'new'. Perhaps the wiser choice might be to go for a recently released model of tyre, albeit of renowned brand. It would largely get round the problem of being sold older stock but no doubt there would be an increased price for the very fact that it is the latest bit of kit.

What do you base your five-year stock and still new comment on ?

The tyre I chose ( Nokian WR ) is one of the best two winter-tyres - regularly top of comparative tests with a Continental Contact - so I would expect it to be one of the most available as it is also reasonably priced. Obviously I have no way of knowing how strong a motivator buying-in price for BlackCircles may be: after this experience I now think probably rather a lot.

 

[mointainwalker]

Personally then i would pursue the tyre "fault" of cracking. The date of the tyre, whilst annoying, is not necessarily bad enough for them to have to act on

I've mentioned both, but obviously the age is not subjective, whereas the cracking is and I'm not going to be commissioning any experts reports for deterioration. I have asked for 30% rebate - approx £ 60 - so will await their response.

 

[chainsaw_masochist]

What do you base your five-year stock and still new comment on ?

Well this comment covers the same ground - pardon the pun.

Tyres are, when suitably stored, considered to be "new" for up to 5 years from the manufactured date, but if they're perished after 3 years then clearly there's an issue - maybe they're been sat in the Sun on a dock somewhere during Covid.

I became aware of this a couple of years ago when helping a friend buy new tyres for her old 190e. I am unable to recall the make of tyre but they were about as 'premium' as you could obtain for a thirty-year old vehicle. It was only some days later when looking more closely at the tyre that I noticed the date-stamp showed the tyres to be three years old. Feeling we had been landed with old stock I thought I would ring the suppliers. Their response was that they were legally able to sell such produce up to 5 years old. This surprised me greatly but was corroborated by the MOT inspector a day or two later. Given that these sized tyres were difficult to source in the first place I do not think there was much we could have done in terms of an alternative choice of purchase, but I did regret not making a closer inspection of the tyre prior to fitting to the car.

 

[carmanmemoranda]

I've mentioned both, but obviously the age is not subjective, whereas the cracking is and I'm not going to be commissioning any experts reports for deterioration. I have asked for 30% rebate - approx £ 60 - so will await their response.

I understand, but I disagree. The simple answer with age is they are likely to say it's within the timescales allowed and therefore not be prepared to do anything. The cracking is a fault developing and shouldn't happen on low mileage and/or "new" tyres.

I wouldn't be so keen on a refund/rebate, I would want tyres that will last as they should.

But I'm not saying you are wrong, just a different opinion

 

[mointainwalker]

I understand, but I disagree. The simple answer with age is they are likely to say it's within the timescales allowed and therefore not be prepared to do anything. The cracking is a fault developing and shouldn't happen on low mileage and/or "new" tyres.

I wouldn't be so keen on a refund/rebate, I would want tyres that will last as they should.

But I'm not saying you are wrong, just a different opinion

I'm unsure how you mean that, but I am now back in France and they are in UK and can you see anybody paying for shipping four tyres back to the UK and then another four tyres to France as well as paying for demounting and re-fitting four tyres ? That would also mean my car being off the road in a garage for an indeterminate period which would suit neither the garage owner nor myself. I am trying to deal with the possible, not the perfect.

 

[carmanmemoranda]

I'm unsure how you mean that, but I am now back in France and they are in UK and can you see anybody paying for shipping four tyres back to the UK and then another four tyres to France as well as paying for demounting and re-fitting four tyres ? That would also mean my car being off the road in a garage for an indeterminate period which would suit neither the garage owner nor myself. I am trying to deal with the possible, not the perfect.

That does complicate it, but.

I won't be surprised that if you pursue the age factor they will just say they were of an acceptable age to be sold and not prepared to do anything.

The cracking is the issue to me, and if the tyres are not fit for the purpose intended then they will have to do something. That might involve a partial refund or they might insist you pay for any overseas carriage which will defeat the refund anyway.

Good luck and I would like to know the outcome.

 

[JohnD]

I suppose there is a chance that, if they have had a lot of complaints about that batch, they might be more inclined to settle.

AIUI, tyres resist ozone attack better if they are in use, because flexing of the rubber releases a protective agent

And sunlight is very bad for aging the rubber. In my case perishing and cracking appears first on the outside wall, facing the sun. I have seen vehicles in storage with some kind of cloth cover over the tyres.

 

[carmanmemoranda]

I suppose there is a chance that, if they have had a lot of complaints about that batch, they might be more inclined to settle.

AIUI, tyres resist ozone attack better if they are in use, because flexing of the rubber releases a protective agent

And sunlight is very bad for aging the rubber. In my case perishing and cracking appears first on the outside wall, facing the sun. I have seen vehicles in storage with some kind of cloth cover over the tyres.

I agree with all that.

But then I go back to these tyres being Avon. Notorious for cracking.

 

[mointainwalker]

Good luck and I would like to know the outcome.

I sent a second mail after a week as no response and this has now been acknowledged. I'll be sure to update with the outcome.

Just for interest, I was surprised that the take-over by Cooper Tire was as far back as 1997, and then Cooper was bought by Goodyear in 2021.

I suppose there is a chance that, if they have had a lot of complaints about that batch, they might be more inclined to settle.

I doubt that BlackCircles sell a large number of winter-tyres and so just pick up whatever is available when they do make a sale.

 

[Avocet]

BlackCircles have usually been more expensive when I've been shopping around, so I haven't used them before. There are loads of other online tyre retailers to choose from. My current favourite is Camskill in Whitehaven.

https://www.camskill.co.uk/brands/whitehaven_tyres.php

Very high turnover of tyres, so generally pretty recent date codes.