I always shop around online at sites like mytyres or tyreshopper. In then look online places like Kwik fit and see what they can do. I never just go directly to the shop.

Depending on brand and tyre performance and price differential I then decide. I always insist on at least B grade wet grip.

I like to support local business but at the same time I don't like paying more than I need for tyres or anything else. So I do my searching on line and print out the deals I am happiest with and take this to to local tyre fitters and ask if they can match or better the online prices. This has worked well for a good few years.

I get the impression most of the smaller independent tyre retailers buy their tyres from the same central wholesaler and all pay pretty much the same price.

Edited by CHarkin on 13/10/2019 at 10:37

I can thoroughly recommend DCM Tyres in Shaftesbury, Dorset and Total Tyres in Woodley, Berks. Both independents and both willing to repair punctures which I suspect the big chains wouldn't have: I get the impression that some of the big chain managers are basically salesmen on commission.

As CHarkin says, the independents are unlikely to be more expensive than the chains. They wouldn't last long in business if they were.

I've bought my replacement tyres or had repairs using every variation:

My first car's tyres were replaced back in 2002/3 by going direct to ProTyre's Enfield branch, back when they were a smaller outfit generally (their original branch in Micheldever had just won tyre dealer of the year apparently) and had a better reputation for customer service and price than it seems they do today.

They even wrongly quoted me £15 less for the tyres I went for, but honoured the quote. A good service all-around, though I did have to travel (then) 20 miles there and back to get the tyres - worth it though. A shame their reputation has gone downhill in the intervening period as they grew as a firm (presumably all the branches are franchises).

As you'll see below, I went to a local frnahcise to have a new set fitted on my current car and had a less satisfactory experience.

I used a local indie tyre fitter (very small) in my parents home town (I was still living with them at the time) a couple of years later for a tyre plug when I found a nail in my car's tyre tread blocks, causing a slow leak. Cost me £10 and worked a treat.

My current car had its first set of new tyres at the aforementioned local franchise of ProTyre in 2012, only open a couple of weeks. I'd sourced the tyres via Blackcircles, which were the cheapest, and this fitter was on their top-level of fitters. No problems with the online order, everything arrived at the dealer ok and I had them changed out about 3 days after ordering them.

Unfortunately, one tyre kept on going down after fitting (no problems on that score before), and they would not refit the tyre for free, saying it was because the wheels were 6yo and corrosion/feormation was to blame. I gave them one chance, paying another £10 ish, but the problem did not go away. I phoned my local Mazda main dealer I used for servicing, and they offered to do the same for free the same day - done and fixed in 15 minutes.

Needless to say, that experience changed my opinions somewhat. The ProTyre franchise soon stopped and is now an indie, though with essentially the same logos as before but with a slightly different name. Sounds to me like they quickly got a bad rep and were kicked out of their franchise (though I cannot prove anything).

Still, I stuck with both Blackcircles as I've never managed to source the tyres I want cheaper, especially when they have deals on, but the next time I swapped out the 2012 set of tyres, I bought them via BC and had them delivered to me at home, and then took them to my Mazda dealership to be fitted (who were a bit cheaper on the fitting than an 'approved fitter' via BC). I was already having replacement alloy wheels fitted there anyway, and they weren't charging me for the fitting of them, which tyre fitters would do.

The actual fitting was all fine, though the Mazda dealer ordered the wrong alloys (I accepted them with a nice £25 discount and no charge for the tyre fitting [£65 off in total]), but that's another story (I have talked about this on another thread a while ago).

I have a tyre dealer (was Kwik Fit, now Tyre City) just 150yds away from my home, though I'd only ever consider using them in a dire emergency. I just hear too many tales of woe to trust them for anything of significance, just minor things like a tyre plug.

I suggest checking the online prices for the major high street retailers, in the past I have found these to be better aligned with the usual online retailers with all the convenience of using a local fitting station. Do shop around as not everyone advertises all brands in all sizes.

This is especially the case when buying just the one tyre often in a distress or semi distressed situation, also there is the added benefit that they may use existing stocks rather than wait for the ordered tyre to be delivered.

Bought a lot of tyres at black circles online, and only have good things to say about them.