service

I always avoid big chains and go to independant's, also don't believe their advice on the condition of your vehicle - will cost new brakes & suspension as they're on commision

Rich.

 

My neighbour is a Kwik Fit mobile fitter. I'll ask him what gives.

Meanwhile I went to the local dealer for some new winters and they fitted 99 rated tyres to a T32... for about 5 minutes... they swapped them back stright away and now I have some regular 103 rated tyres... 17" winters are hard to get

 

While having a puncture fixed at my local kwik fit ( over 15 years ago) was told my brake pads on the front where down to the metal!
I said to the fitter that i thought this was a bit odd seen as i had replaced the front pads and discs the weekend before last ????
At which point e changed his mind to my rear pads
Again i said that i found this hard to understand as the rear was a drum brake and i wasn't aware that you could see through the drums especially when he hadn't been working on the rear or removed rear wheels etc ?
He didn't have an answer and ive never been to anywhere other than my local independent
(TAYLORS TYRES Redruth excellent) ever since

 

My missus phoned me from KwikFit after stopping for a puncture repair. Same story as stuartt5t30 - front pads very low. I told her not to accept their offer to replace and organised a set of pads for her to collect from the local Honda dealers (she had a CR-V at the time) when I got home from work I whipped a wheel of and the pads were less than half worn. I think we had the spares in the garage for about 9 months before they were needed...

 

Agree with all the above , stopped using the big chains as always the same old story brake pads , discs etc gets boring I always point people to the local independents

 

You guys were lucky.... I took my first ever car (C Reg Astra) into QuikFit for two front discs. They said come back in the afternoon, which i did. When i came back i was presented with a bill for over £300! Apparently the front pads were 'illegal' so were swapped 'for my safety' at the same time. Total balls as the front pads were not even half-way through. When i asked to see the front pads they'd removed they'd mysteriously vanished. I cant remember the outcome as it was a long time ago but i remember i was raging Never been back since nor will i ever.

While having a puncture fixed at my local kwik fit ( over 15 years ago) was told my brake pads on the front where down to the metal!

If this was the QuikFit in Pool it was the same one!

 

Just a quick warning

make sure your insurance knows of any changes from a standard vw.

 

I normally wouldn’t use them, but the deal on the tyres was actually very good.. what could go wrong I thought!
Would never have taken them at their word for anything else.
@john eng insurance are fully aware 😁👍🏻

 

I wouldnt take a 2nd hand pushbike into squit fit , total bunch of monkeys!
I used to work in the trade and have personally seen and heard of all the things you guys mention (and more) on a way too regular basis .
Wouldn't let them near anything of mine ever!!

 

I remember taking my Audi 100 Avant 5 cylinder diesel in there in the 90’s for a new battery. The standard one fitted was a monstrous 2 handle job that weighed a ton.

The fitter took it out and returned with a tiny square thing you could lift with your little finger!

I asked if he was just mucking about but no, he was seriously going to fit it.

Last time i visited a Kwik Fit.

 

Yes kwik fit pool

 

Wife’s Merc went into kiwi fit a couple of weeks ago for a new tyre and I asked them to do a front wheel alignment. I left the wife there as I had to go to work. They hadn’t started in her car when I left but 20 minutes later she messaged me to say they had finished and they were going to add the alignment bill to my bill to do my car the following day. I said to her there’s no way they have replaced a tyre and done the alignment in 20 minutes and she said that half of that time they were messing around swinging a hammer at each other. Let’s just say when I went the following day I didn’t pay for any alignment

 

Had same experience years ago - if your pads/shoes/discs or drums don't meet specification of new parts they deem them dangerous and will change them. They gave my Mrs a quote for £300 on her Mini Metro after a free brake check the once when there was nothing wrong with the braking system I suspect many people have fallen prey to this.

 

I wouldn't NEVER go near another Kwik Fit even if you paid me!
I was unlucky enough to get a bolt in the middle of my tyre on the way home from work last year - it was totally deflated and I didn't have a jack in the van.
As I was just round the corner from a Kwik Fit I thought I'd drop in and get the tyre repaired.
After 30 minutes of them messing me about trying to claim the bolt was too close to the edge of the tyre to be a legal repair (it wasn't - it was bang in the middle!!) and wanting to charge me for a new tyre and fitting, they then said the fitter had got it wrong and it was actually that the hole was too big to repair and they'd have to order a new tyre, keeping the van there for 2 days as the new tyre wouldn't arrive til late the following day.
I refused and said I'd take the van elsewhere.
By which point the tyre fitter magically reappeared and said they could actually fit a plug to repair it.
So they put the van up on the 4 post lift and said it would be 30-40 minutes.
To kill the time, rather than wait in their waiting room I went over the road to a coffee shop directly opposite. Luckily I had a good view of the bays so I could watch what was going on!
An hour later they hadn't even touched the van.
An hour and a half later they'd finally repaired the tyre but then dropped the van down off the lift - straight on to the levering arm of a trolley jack they'd left resting against the door of my van - shoving a great big gouge and dent in to the side of the passenger door.
By the time I'd managed to get back across the road to go check on the damage, the trolley jack was amazingly nowhere to be seen and the tyre fitter when confronted was absolutely adamant that the damage to my door was there when I dropped the van off!!!
I properly lost my sh*t at this point and demanded to see the manager who then tried to fob me off for all of 10 minutes until I told him I'd been sat watching them the whole time across the road, that I also noticed they had cameras covering the work bays so if they wished to prove their innoncent we could go watch it on their own CCTV!
Needless to say I walked out of there with a free tyre repair, their insurance details and after getting in touch with their head office got a fully resprayed door and a brand new set of 4 tyres (fitted elsewhere might I add!).

 

Massive companies are always going to have a minority of bad reviews. Just like T5 2.5 engines are a disaster... they're not.

Meanwhile, I can confirm as of 5 minutes ago, my neighbour says there is no such rule about aftermarket wheels and if the OP can tell us the branch he could possibly investigate.

He's a mobile fitter and just looks after our cars along the street so can't fault him.

 

Massive companies are always going to have a minority of bad reviews. Just like T5 2.5 engines are a disaster... they're not.

Meanwhile, I can confirm as of 5 minutes ago, my neighbour says there is no such rule about aftermarket wheels and if the OP can tell us the branch he could possibly investigate.

He's a mobile fitter and just looks after our cars along the street so can't fault him.

And no doubt if you wanna pay peanuts 4 ur tyres they’ll be a few monkeys fittin em.

 

In their defence our local branch when ever I needed the alignment doing always let me drive onto the ramps and set the ride height (air ride) before they started testing. They would then let me remain with them whilst they made any adjustments