Winter Tyre Hotel

[Sp!ke]

I caught an article the other day where Kwik Fit were announcing that they were the first major UK chain to offer storage of tyres like in other EU countries when swapping between winter and summer tyres.

Interesting to see the use of winter tyres gathering pace like this.

If you don’t have much storage at home – why not book in your summer tyres into the ‘Tyre Hotel’? Kwik Fit will label up your tyres and they will be safely stored till you make an appointment to refit them next year. Your original tyre set will be returned to you. This is common practice in mainland Europe.

Kwik-Fit Offers Tyres a Hotel Respite during the

I notice that both BMW and Volvo are also offering a winter tyre 'Hotel' service in the UK now. I wonder when Mecedes will get in on the act?

 

[mjbarnard]

Yes that would be really welcome. My wife drives a Volvo and the local dealership are going to store her tyres when she buys winter tyres from them.

I notice the Kwik Fit article refers to "corporate" customers and "fleets". Do you know if they will be doing the same for personal customers?

 

[Sp!ke]

I notice the Kwik Fit article refers to "corporate" customers and "fleets". Do you know if they will be doing the same for personal customers?

The KwikFit FAQ doesnt say anything about it being only for corporates.

See Kwik Fit :: Winter Tyres FAQ

 

[whitenemesis]

Quite coincidentally I was just speaking with MB customer services about this very thing!

MB have had many enquiries regarding summer tyre storage but are directing customers to their local dealership to see if they offer anything. MB are considering if this is something they should be providing to owners.

There is nothing currently, unless offered by the individual dealers but "watch this space"!!

I think with the likes of BMW and Volvo offering the service I can see MB jumping on the band wagon.

Anyone know what BMW etc.. are charging for storage? Or is it FOC?

 

[Sp!ke]

BMW UK Launches Winter Tyre Hotel Scheme

 

[clk270]

The Kwik-Fit service is only for corporate customers, although maybe your local depot might look on personal customers more favourably.

All the manufacturer schemes are fine, but you pay handsomely for the tyres/wheelsets in the first place. There are plenty of storage companies around the UK that will rent out a small enough space for 4 wheels at a reasonable cost. I'd imagine the dealers will also be charging for swapping wheel sets over too, i can't see them spending 30 minutes or more on each car for nothing. I'd also want to know how they guarantee you get your wheels back when they will have loads of similar wheels in store if uptake is high enough. After all, UK dealerships leave a lot to be desired on even the simplest workshop jobs !

 

[mjbarnard]

I doubt Kwik Fit would store wheels with tyres?

I have been looking at storage units (near west london) and they seem prohibitively expensive to me. I have been quoted £9 per week and £48 per month. I could almost discard the tyres and get new ones next year for that! Do you know anyone who stores tyres in one of those self-storage facilities?

 

[Spinal]

I use my garage to store tyres, but would love a proper storage facility! It would mean I can get more junk into the garage!

mjbarnard: In Italy, the people that store the tyres swap them out for free as long as the wheels are on tyres. That way they don't need to rebalance the wheels each year... They store tyres&wheels, not just tyres.

You can also get a surgard thing for £30 a month for their closet-sized rooms. If you share with a few people (it'll easily hold 5 sets of tyres if not more), you can divide the cost... still more expensive than most solutions, but if there is no alternative...
M.

 

[Druk]

I've recently had an email from local dealer offering four Hankook W300 winter tyres including free fitting and un-fitting (?) again in the spring. No mention of storage though. I was thinking of approaching them with a 'price-match' query since that was on offer only a couple of months ago for normal road tyres. Their Hankook price for X4 was £200 over Black Circles.

 

[moonloops]

Kwik Fit would be the last place on earth I would entrust anything to..

 

[OneCarefulOwner]

I notice there's no mention of the fees for this service... I have a storage locker that's currently holding 4 full sets of wheels/tyres and a couple of odd spares, and could easily house another 2 full sets if I had a stepladder, and if I didn't have all the other junk in there too I suppose It costs me £5 a week; I could house this stuff with family in their garages, but this place is really close by as opposed to miles away for my relatives!

 

[Chris Murray]

Mercedes already offer this, and even have an automated online tool provided by MB-UK to print labels for them. All the dealers need to do is actually read the bulletins they receive from MBUK!

 

[whitenemesis]

So it would seem, should customer services!! See my post #4

 

[Charles Morgan]

Like many huge companies, I suspect Mercedes has standard protocols and facilities across its business. As few in the UK have had winter tyres (unlike in Germany) I suspect it has never been promoted. It wouldn't surprise me if they have similar systems for winter tyres in Equatorial countries too......

 

[Chris Murray]

from an official MB document:
Customers may ask the Mercedes-Benz Official Workshop to store their wheels and tyres that are not in use. It is the
responsibility of participating Retailers to offer this service and ensure that the correct wheels and tyres are returned to the
customer, in the same condition that they were received.
You may wish to offer your customers the option of a delivery and collection service to allow storage at home or a
business address.
Tyres in storage must be labelled with the wheel and tyre condition and the customer provided with documentation as
evidence. Labels can be filled in online and downloaded from ESS to be placed in a clear plastic envelope and fixed to the
customer’s wheels.

 

[grober]

I'm not sure about changing only the "tyres " every winter ---- swapping the wheels +tyres as complete units fine. Every time a tyre is fitted the bead and side-wall is subjected to a degree of "stress" depending on the skill of the fitter. In an ideal situation this stress is only going to happen once in the useful life of the tyre---when its initially fitted. In the lower annual mileage scenario of the winter tyre swap this might happen 4/5 times.

 

[Sp!ke]

This time around I'm going to get some 4 season M&S tyres for the 201.

No need to change them at all then.

Kumho do them for £37 a corner - skinny 15" tyre prices rock.

 

[whitenemesis]

This time around I'm going to get some 4 season M&S tyres for the 201.

No need to change them at all then.

Kumho do them for £37 a corner - skinny 15" tyre prices rock.

 

[jefrs]

Me, I'm inclined to fit good rubber for the winter, not some cheapo nasties.

OTOH I thought the only tyres we get in the UK are "M&S" 4-season types, we don't get the continental summer tyres. So other than fitting some narrower tyres on a smaller wheel with a bit more clearance and rims less susceptible to damage. Please explain the logic of winter wheels in the UK?

 

[Sp!ke]

OTOH I thought the only tyres we get in the UK are "M&S" 4-season types, we don't get the continental summer tyres.

You couldn't be more wrong. Its very unlikely you've ever used 4 season M&S tyres - they are a very new tyre type never really been available in the UK before.

.. and yes, we do get the same continental style summer tyres here.

Oh and fwiw, Kumho get very very good reviews.