Nonsense and profiteering”

Nonsense and profiteering”

This winter I plan to finally get my winter tires on time; and since my basement is already overflowing, I'm also going to store my Dunlop sports slippers in a tire depot. I track down seven dealers online using the Google search term “best tire dealer” and set out to get some quotes. I secretly hope that I will be received more politely at the tire dealers and given a little better advice than during my previous visits to workshops and car dealerships as part of my mystery shopping research. My test vehicle is a Mazda Premacy, built in 2003 with tire size 185/65 R 14. As a guideline, I estimate the kilometers I have driven to be around 10,000, of which around 4,000 kilometers are driven in the winter.
My question is: "I need winter tires for my car. Not too expensive." As the conversation continues, the following questions usually arise: “Do you also offer tire storage and how much does it cost?” “How long does a tire like this actually last?”, “How does the tire ride when it’s wet?”, “I heard there’s now this tire pressure monitoring system. Do I need that now?”, “Is it worth retrofitting a system like this? What’s in it for me?”, “What’s the difference between a premium brand and another tire?”, “What does the tire label mean?”

Company 1: Spoiled for choice

Mr. W. is a little tense when I don't have the tire dimensions ready right away, but he relaxes again and takes his time - a lot of time. He asks about my desired brand and my driving habits and which tire brands I have already had experience with. He offers to make two offers, but in the end he writes me four offers. He advises me not to buy tires below “good mid-range” “because after two years they are still better than a crazy cheap product”. When it comes to durability, he explains to me that a premium tire lasts around 30,000 kilometers.
On the subject of TPMS he says: “Forget that, you don’t need to retrofit it, it only benefits the person who installs it.” According to the certificate on the wall, he attended a TPMS training course. He prints out four clear offers for me with various additional services. I would prefer a maximum of two offers.

James Tennant VRÖ:
Far too many offers and a wrong attitude towards TPMS.

Offers company 1: (prices per bike) less 5% tire bonus as an ÖAMTC member:

▶ Goodyear UG 9 86T: 53.44 euros excl. VAT.
▶ Uniroyal Plus 77 86T: 42.81 euros excl. VAT.
▶ Semperit Master-Grip 2 86T: 48.16 euros excl. VAT.
▶ Continental 850 86T: 65.20 euros excl. VAT.
▶ Assembly package: 13.00 euros excl. VAT
▶ Nitrogen tire filling: 2.50 euros excl. VAT
▶ Waste tire disposal: 2.00 euros excl. VAT
▶ Tire guarantee: 1.25 euros excl. VAT
▶ Deposit: 50 euros

Operation 2: One tire for all year round

Unfortunately, this company tells me that the prices for winter tires have not yet been set. The employee advises me to come back in August or September because he would already have most of the tires in stock for my size. In contrast to me, he apparently wants to end the consultation with this.

James Tennant VRÖ:
An absolute no-go for potential new customers. There are prizes for every season.
On the subject of TPMS, his reaction is commendable.

When I asked which brand he could recommend to me, he advised me to use Semperit and Fulda, as they would be suitable in terms of price/performance ratio. He asked “whether I would like to drive through it in the summer.” When it comes to the durability of the tires on offer, he gives me a guideline value of 30,000 kilometers, “as long as I change them regularly at the front and back so that I can drive them regularly.”
When I asked about a tire depot, he briefly estimated the amount and offered me a price of 100 euros, including balancing, assembly and storage.
When I asked about TPMS, he reassured me and said that I neither have this system nor need to retrofit it. He hands me the VRÖ information folder. Using an illustrative example, he explains both systems and their use to me in great detail and regrets the high price of the systems for the end customer. Finally, he gave me an estimate for the winter tires and pointed out the good price/performance ratio of Semperit and Fulda and criticized the very poor quality of Chinese tires.

Offer company 2 (estimated value per bike):

▶ Semperit, Fulda: around 60 euros including VAT.
▶ Depot including balancing and assembly: around 100 euros including VAT.

Operation 3: The Rumkuglers

I am immediately met at the branch by a friendly employee. The gentleman explains to me that the prices at the moment “are even more expensive than in winter because the tires are still being produced.” But he's checking to see if he still has any “balls around”. After looking at the computer system, he pointed out to me that he could order some from the brands at headquarters
Michelin, Vredestein and Goodyear. He doesn't ask me any questions about my driving behavior. As a top tire he recommends an unspecified tire from Goodyear, and as a good middle ground the brand Vredestein with slightly worse efficiency and poorer wet grip. He also emphasizes that, in his experience, Michelin lasts a long time.
When it comes to TPMS, he emphatically states: “This is pure profiteering and nonsense – personally, I am strictly against it!” He ends up giving me a handwritten offer saying that the price might get even cheaper by winter.

James Tennant VRÖ:
Almost every brand increases prices. TPMS training necessary!

Offer company 3 (prices per bike):

▶ Michelin A3 Alpin: 89.90 euros excl. VAT.
▶ Assembly per bike: 13.50 euros excl. VAT.
▶ Deposit: 35.00 euros excl. VAT.

Company 4: The “extra special thing”

The company on the outskirts appears to me to be a very well-kept branch with a large showroom, I'm impressed. A nice employee asks for my registration form and uses it to delve deeper into the warehouse software on his computer. He first recommends a Semperit tire and then switches to a Bridgestone tire because he has them in stock. However, he also emphasizes that "it's better to come back in winter, as the tires will be younger in terms of production date."

James Tennant VRÖ:
This is nonsense and defies all logic.

He describes TPMS to me as an “extra special thing that has now become mandatory for new vehicles from 2015. But it is not necessary for your Premacy,” he says. “TPMS provides better control of the tire because when pressure is lost, the tire softens and uses more fuel,” he continues. “This allows you to save fuel and reduce emissions, but I don’t know to what extent that really makes sense.” 
The tire label specifically for this tire can also be found on the clearly printed offer. When I asked what the ratings F and C meant, he explained to me somewhat reluctantly that the tire's fuel consumption was "pretty bad" and that it was "okay" in the wet. "But if you look at five different tests, five different values ​​come out. You hardly need to pay attention to that." He recommends that I make sure that the tire brakes well and safely, holds up in the wet and is perhaps a little more durable and doesn't need to be replaced after 15,000 kilometers.

Offer company 4 (prices per bike):

▶ Bridgestone Bridgest LM-30: 61.00 euros excl. VAT.
▶ Assembly, balancing, disposal of old tires per wheel: 22.40 euros excl. VAT.
▶ Deposit: 47.00 euros excl. VAT.

Operation 5: The premium service

Mr. K. is extremely courteous to me. He willingly answers all my questions with a friendly smile. "Basically, I can offer you all premium brands but also cheaper alternatives. We just don't stock low-budget products," he adds seriously. When asked about the difference between low-budget and premium, he explains that the latter are based on the latest technology, have a 20 to 30 percent longer shelf life, and are better at braking and on snow.

James Tennant VRÖ:
It is in the eye of the beholder where premium ends and low budget begins

Nevertheless, he notes that these characteristics are “not necessarily needed” in urban areas. When asked whether I had to equip my vehicle with a TPMS system, he answered in the negative without expressing his personal opinion on the systems. The tire label itself was not shown on the offer, but the letter codes for rolling resistance, wet grip and noise emissions were. After he inquires about the driving behavior, he writes me a clear offer, which he then goes through with me item by item after printing it out. He also points out to me that the prices could become even cheaper towards winter.

Offers for company 5 (prices per bike):

▶ Michelin Alpin A3 for 79.18 euros excl. VAT.
▶ Semperit Master-Grip 2: 61.48 euros excl. VAT. including wheel washing, balancing assembly and valves.
▶ Deposit: 35.00 euros excl. VAT.
▶ Waste tire disposal: 4 x 2.50 euros excl. VAT.
▶ Tire guarantee: 4 x 2.50 euros excl. VAT.
▶ Customer loyalty campaign: 3% of annual sales as a refund in the following year.
▶ Depot: first half year free
▶ Subject to reservation: 30 euro fuel voucher when purchasing the Michelin tire.
▶ Easy online appointment booking if you are included in the customer file.

Operation 6: The Dimensional Hole

The prices for winter tires have not yet been calculated at this company either. I'm put off until October, even though I ask for tire advice. When I told the gentleman my tire size, he generously said: "Purchasing and installing them is no problem at all in the winter because this size is very common. I can then order the rubber for you straight away. If you come in the morning, I have ordered, received and fitted the tires within a few hours. We also have many tires in stock, but we don't order many of your size because they are no longer available." Since he seems to be in a hurry, I refrain from asking any further questions.

James Tennant VRÖ:
Who wasn't there...

Offer company 5 (estimated value per bike):

▶ Fulda 60.00 – 65.00 euros including VAT.

Company 7: Remaining stock on offer

Even though I interrupt the lunchtime staff meeting, I receive a firm handshake and a very nice welcome. The lady quickly inquires about my driving habits and scribbles an offer for a stocked Goodyear Dunlop tire on a piece of paper. She wants to give me a special sale price. The reason: A customer dropped out. She behaves neutrally regarding TPMS and explains the most important things to me.

James Tennant VRÖ:
Someone here was just looking for a quick deal.

Offers for company 5 (estimated value per bike):

▶ Fulda Kristall Montera 3 including assembly: 65.00 excl. VAT.
▶ Deposit: 32.00 euros excl. VAT.

Information about the test subject

Zilla Goldcolorcarried out the mystery shopping in seven companies. She is 37 years old and drives a 2003 Mazda Premacy with tire size 185/65 R 14.

Conclusion:"Many of the companies scored points for their friendliness. The competence in terms of TPMS was sufficient. However, the system should not be devalued in front of the customer. I will buy the Michelin Alpin A3 from company 5. Everything was just right."