Blackcircles : on-line tyre purchases

[mointainwalker]

Hi All

Just asking if you have ever dealt with this company and what your experiences were ?

I did this winter and things were not great. A short resumé of my experiences.

1) Ordered some unusual winter tyres - Nokian brand - computer said in stock and I ordered
2) Next day someone calls me and says mistake, not in stock, but they can supply Avon winter-tyres. I accepted
3) Three days later another phone call saying tyres will not be delivered as agreed, but two days later. The person making this call spoke such appalling English that it was very difficult to understand him. I would never have let him have any contact with a customer because of the terrible impression about placing no value on customer relations.

When changing wheels for summer ones a week ago, I noticed that the tyres are far from new: produced in October 2019. tyres also seemed to have been badly stored as there is slight cracking around the inner circumference.

I have mailed a complaint and am now awaiting a response. I have never ordered tyres on-line before, but with hindsight I see that this is likely to be the old bait-and-switch selling method.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

I've not used them for about 15 years so no idea what they're like personally, however a lot of people on the VW forums seem to recommend them.

 

[JohnD]

I hear Black Circles is owned by Michelin.

I've been using Michelin tyres for years, i find Pilot Supersport outlast and outperform comparable brands, I find the same with the cheaper Energy Savers on smaller cars.

My local Indie fits them and reckons he earns better from Black Circles orders than if he tried to price-match.

Never had any probs with them.

Sounds rather unsatisfactory that somebody fitted old stock. I've never checked the date code in new tyres, you should be able to trust the supplier. Old stock ought to be discounted. I wonder how they came by them? Could they be somebody's unused winter wheels? I keep mine in a dark garage and they don't seem to age. Did you speak to the local agent about the substitution? Or the central order handling office? Who isdued the invoice for the Avons?

Maybe in your country the organisation is different.

I can think of a way "somebody" could make a quick buck, selling old tyres for the price of new.

 

[mointainwalker]

I hear Black Circles is owned by Michelin.



Never had any probs with them.

Sounds rather unsatisfactory that somebody fitted old stock. I've never checked the date code in new tyres, you should be able to trust the supplier. Old stock ought to be discounted. I wonder how they came by them? Could they be somebody's unused winter wheels? I keep mine in a dark garage and they don't seem to age. Did you speak to the local agent about the substitution? Or the central order handling office? Who isdued the invoice for the Avons?

Maybe in your country the organisation is different.

I can think of a way "somebody" could make a quick buck, selling old tyres for the price of new.

Presumably by checking any possible suppliers for stock.
Unsure what you mean. They were certainly unused.
I didn't notice until changing them after the winter as I said above, so my first contact was with BC. I was in England when I bought them and they were delivered to a garage ( not tyre-depot ) that was doing a fair bit of work on the car.

 

[JohnD]

I mean, some people buy a set of winter tyres and wheels, and store them until they expect to drive in snow and ice.

I have never used mine.

But they are now several years old.

 

[cdbe]

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.

 

[Mottie]

Can’t remember what site it was now but when I’ve been looking online before niw, the same brand/size of tyre was showing at different prices. When I looked closer, it was all down to the date code. The older the code, the cheaper the tyre.

 

[mointainwalker]

Can’t remember what site it was now but when I’ve been looking online before niw, the same brand/size of tyre was showing at different prices. When I looked closer, it was all down to the date code. The older the code, the cheaper the tyre.

That's interesting. I may have a look at a few more sites to see if that crops up.

 

[Old Salt]

That’s why BC are cheaper they are generally supplying older stock IME.

 

[carmanmemoranda]

Did you end up with Avon tyres?

They are terrible for cracking ime. I used to like them as a tyre but avoid like the plague now.

Must be something to do with the compound , not just sunlight

 

[mointainwalker]

Yes, they did deliver Avons.

 

[carmanmemoranda]

Yes, they did deliver Avons.

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 ?

 

[johnny2007]

I don't think age matters if within a couple of years.
I had 2 pirelli winter tyres in the garden for 3 years and there was no cracking.
They were covered though.

 

[norseman]

+ 1 with the Avon's cracking, according to a number of reports I've read over the past couple of years.

It's a shame because the Avon name used to be a leading brand that was bought with confidence, but it's the same story with so many consumer products today.

 

[JohnD]

I believe they have a world-leading gasmask business.

I hope those don't crack.