[Flintstone]

Unless you are prepared to pay a premium and then have to go to the trouble of buying online and then going to a local tyre fitter, the Continentals and Bridgestones are immediately ruled out. In my tyre size (225/50/R17), I now have the choice of Goodyear Vector 4 Gen 3 from NTS at £129 each or the Michelin CC from ATS at £136 each.
....
if I am going to go down the route of getting them delivered and then fitted by a local tyre place. It also seems that Michelin have a special offer on, which repeats every three months. Sadly the last one ended on 31 January.

Hi Jim.
I don't know what Camskill are offering? But...
Slightly more concerning though is the impression you seem to be giving in the two quotes above, that you feel the only way to buy tyres online is to get them delivered to your home, then arrange fitting locally yourself? Not sure if I'm reading you correctly, but that's what I'm inferring? If I'm correct - you're behind the times mate?

Just using BlackCircles as my example (Because as Bryetian reminded me a couple of weeks ago, Michelin own BlackCircles and ATS now), then:

• If you order online through BlackCircles, you can get them delivered direct to your local ATS.
• Just choose the "fully fitted" option when making your choice. That is the default when I look.
• You just rock up on the appointed day and hour to your ATS depot. Your tyres are waiting for you.
• They get fitted within a matter of minutes (OK, maybe 40-50 minutes for 4?)
• Away you go. with a smile from your ATS staff. All pre-paid via blackcircles.
• That's how did it last August, when buying tyres for my Cost Centre's Fiat.
• (She uses Bank of Dad! Because I'm a soft touch and do all her car maintenance jobs. Not least because she and her sister will the ones who choose my care home one day. )

For example, checking just now, I can arrange:

• 4 x Mich CC+
• 225/50 R17 V (98) (if that's your size and load rating?)
• for £117 each (£467.60 for the four to be precise)
• (That's with a 15% weekend discount, code "FLASH15" applied at checkout)
• fully fitted at the ATS 2 miles away.
• on Tuesday if I order today.

Maybe the prices differ in different parts of the country?

Reminder to self - don't forget to zero the transaction and order quantity before backing out of the web page in the other browser! Before I end up buying four tyres the wrong size for me!

 

[Flintstone]

I have now bought four Michelin CC+ from Black Circles to be fitted by the local ATS depot. Cost £467.60 (225/50/R17 98 V). The current 15% discount (FLASH15) runs out at 2359 on the 16th Feb. Thanks Flintstone for making me aware of this.

ps. The local ATS depot tell me that it is them that own Black Circles (not the other way round?) and it also looks as if the Club 60 offer may not be as attractive as it might appear.

You're welcome Jim.

Also agree your logic in reaching the purchase decision.
That is the same price I saw online. So perhaps their prices are genuinely "national"? (Unlike, motor fuel, insurance, gas, electricity, supermarkets, etc.)

Re. if "Club 60" is worthwhile? Maybe if the discounts through that are less temporary?

Urrell already explained who owns whom. That was covered in another thread not too long ago. When Bryetian updated me about BC being bought by the Michelin Man. Like your idea on the financial advice.

 

[Flintstone]

A sibling, the parent is Michelin.
"In May 2015 tyre manufacturer Michelin purchased the company for $75m. Michelin, which boasts 112,300 employees and operates 68 production plants in 17 countries, will also link Blackcircles with its popular distributor ATS Euromaster. "

I think one advantage of buying online is that the seller has a high turnover.

Methinks some of the reasons that the Michelin Man (or should that be "homme"?) was prepared to pay a handsome sum for the entire blackcircles business could have been:
a) The established (and loyal?) customer base that BC already had built by then.
b) No more expensive than building a comparable IT system from scratch, along with the procurement deals and systems.
c) Means that ATS can hold far fewer tyres in stock locally at fitting centres. Stock holding costs a fortune. Just get them delivered promptly from central warehouse.
d) Gives ATS instant access to the full online market and rival manufacturer supplies. Keeps individual ATS sites more viable.

And like The Hood said, customers benefit from less chance of being sold stock that have been sitting around in a fitting site's shed for a year or more.

Kwik-Fit have a similar arrangement for online purchase with fitting included at a nearby depot. Using their own web-site purchasing system.

 

[Flintstone]

Wheel theft is extremely rare nowadays.

Even in central Liverpool!

 

[Flintstone]

Catalytic converters are easier to steal for quick money.

MUCH more valuable than alloy wheels!