Video: Kwik Fit ‘apologises unreservedly’ following BBC investigation

The national fast fit chain has apologised after the BBC's Watchdog reveals tyre inflation deception

Video: Kwik Fit ‘apologises unreservedly’ following BBC investigation

The BBC has exposed Kwik Fit in an undercover investigation after customer complaints and a whistleblower who still works for the company raised concerns about the way the company sells tyre inflation services.

Complaints prompted Watchdog to launch an investigation, with the programme’s presenters asking: “They sell 5 million tyres a year, but are they inflating bills by charging for thin air?”

Undercover staff were sent on mystery shopping expeditions and found that nine out of ten were charged for nitrogen inflation without asking.

Of those that were charged for nitrogen, the programme’s experts suggested that only three actually had any nitrogen added to their tyres – just two of these had significant amounts.

Sales targets

The whistleblower claimed that staff were adding nitrogen inflation to bills in order to meet monthly commission-based sales targets.

Kwik Fit has said: “Our aim is to be transparent with our customers and provide them with the best possible service.

“We accept that in this case we have fallen short of the standards our customers expect from us and we apologise for that.

“In light of the findings, we are carrying out retraining to ensure that all our centre staff fully understand the benefits of nitrogen and ensure that all customers receive the standard of service which they would expect.”

This latest report marks the third time the fast-fit chain has been subject to a BBC investigation in the last five years.

Share your comments below the article. Are you surprised by the findings or is this to be expected from target-driven fast-fits?

28 Comments

  1. Normal compressed air comprises just over 78 % nitrogen so anybody paying more for pure nitrogen, whether requested or not, really is wasting their money.

    Reply
  2. Normal compressed air comprises just over 78 % nitrogen so anybody paying more for pure nitrogen, whether requested or not, really is wasting their money.

    Reply
    • Kwik Fit are absolute scammers, the only thing I go there for is an AC recharge once in a blue moon, and while the cars in I watch it like a hawk.

      Reply
  3. does this come as any surprise have they beenon watch dog before having to meet targets is not in the best interest of paying customers

    Reply
  4. does this come as any surprise have they beenon watch dog before having to meet targets is not in the best interest of paying customers

    Reply
  5. Am I surprised? Not in the slightest! This sort of thing becomes inevitable in any business which sets out to be price, rather than quality, led. And to then put staff on commission or targets really just makes it company policy to fleece the customer.

    Reply
  6. Am I surprised? Not in the slightest! This sort of thing becomes inevitable in any business which sets out to be price, rather than quality, led. And to then put staff on commission or targets really just makes it company policy to fleece the customer.

    Reply
  7. Not only do they charge for the nitro that’s not needed or wanted they force the managers to sell unwanted wheel balancing and wheel alignment that’s also not needed or wanted.
    There biggest target is what they call TAV
    (Tyre added value) they charge for wheel balancing valves also wheel alignment. By recommending tracking,nitro, removing the other wheels that don’t require tyres to re-balance at extra cost.
    The managers are set a target of £28.50 per tyre for every tyre sold.
    thats just 1 sales target, similar targets also exist for mot, servicing and every product and service they offer…

    Reply
    • With front tracking/goe starting from £45.its more than a day’s pay for some their own staff

      Reply
  8. Not only do they charge for the nitro that’s not needed or wanted they force the managers to sell unwanted wheel balancing and wheel alignment that’s also not needed or wanted.
    There biggest target is what they call TAV
    (Tyre added value) they charge for wheel balancing valves also wheel alignment. By recommending tracking,nitro, removing the other wheels that don’t require tyres to re-balance at extra cost.
    The managers are set a target of £28.50 per tyre for every tyre sold.
    thats just 1 sales target, similar targets also exist for mot, servicing and every product and service they offer…

    Reply
    • With front tracking/goe starting from £45.its more than a day’s pay for some their own staff

      Reply
  9. This isn’t the first time this company has been caught scamming the public and probably won’t be the last either, if any of us decent independents even accidentally did something like it we would be vilified in the press and lose a lot of customers because of it, will this lot suffer?, probably not!. A lot of the general public are a little like sheep, must keep going, their a national company, must be better than those rip off independents, they wouldn’t do it again. YES THEY WILL. They are driven by targets and profit. When will people learn?.

    Reply
  10. This isn’t the first time this company has been caught scamming the public and probably won’t be the last either, if any of us decent independents even accidentally did something like it we would be vilified in the press and lose a lot of customers because of it, will this lot suffer?, probably not!. A lot of the general public are a little like sheep, must keep going, their a national company, must be better than those rip off independents, they wouldn’t do it again. YES THEY WILL. They are driven by targets and profit. When will people learn?.

    Reply
  11. I agree with the last post , I am a independent garage in mid wales , I wont pay our staff on bonuses they have a fixed salary that way they are honest , we rely on return customer base , we mileage monitor every tyre we sell for future reference and its quite simple if its no good a product or not needed we don’t sell it to our customers, BUT you wont believe how many people are out there that will go for the cheapest quote they can get not looking into value or safety, I sacked a ex national employee once because he didn’t do a tracking on a car as was charged for and needed, when approached he said “I HAVE BEEN TAUGHT THAT IF IT IS GOING TO TAKE LONGER THAN 10 MINS, TO SPRAY IT WITH LUBRICANT AND SAY IT WAS DONE”, that’s not the way to do it.

    Reply
  12. I agree with the last post , I am a independent garage in mid wales , I wont pay our staff on bonuses they have a fixed salary that way they are honest , we rely on return customer base , we mileage monitor every tyre we sell for future reference and its quite simple if its no good a product or not needed we don’t sell it to our customers, BUT you wont believe how many people are out there that will go for the cheapest quote they can get not looking into value or safety, I sacked a ex national employee once because he didn’t do a tracking on a car as was charged for and needed, when approached he said “I HAVE BEEN TAUGHT THAT IF IT IS GOING TO TAKE LONGER THAN 10 MINS, TO SPRAY IT WITH LUBRICANT AND SAY IT WAS DONE”, that’s not the way to do it.

    Reply
  13. We all know if you go into quick fit for tyres or an exhaust you will come out with 4 new shock absorbers

    Reply
  14. We all know if you go into quick fit for tyres or an exhaust you will come out with 4 new shock absorbers

    Reply
  15. I’m not surprised by this scam, yet another in their history. Yet people flock to them, WHY?

    Reply
  16. I’m not surprised by this scam, yet another in their history. Yet people flock to them, WHY?

    Reply
  17. Few years ago,puncture, heavy rain, few yards from Kwikfit. Reluctantly I went there. I was seen by a very young man who didn’t see to have much idea of what to do. He kept going back to another mechanic for advice. First of all, I was told wheel also needed replacing, I had a look at it and said it didn’t; Mechanic very argumentative but stood my ground and said just needed tyre. I was offered top of the range Michelin for my Ka, which I said I didn’t need and said i knew which type of tyre I needed which eventually I was ‘allowed’ to have. the tyre I knew was right for my vehicle. Then I asked for the wheel to be balance which was done. All done and dusted, about to pay when mechanic said ‘Just a minute’ he went round to back of the car and leaned heavily on the boot. He said sorry love, but your shock absorbers need replacing; I can do them right now as it is a bit quiet being such a rainy miserable day. I leaned on them quite heavily too and said I didn’t think so, but would take them to my cousin who at that time had a garage. He then offered me a discount and yet another discount. I said definitely not and paid for the tyre. Maybe because I am a woman not in the first flush of youth so he thought he had found a ‘touch’. Next day took it to my cousin who said they were OK but maybe in year or so. Which is what happened, next time I took it in for service, I leaned on the boot as I always do and it didn’t give as easily as it had before. So had it done at my usual garage. My father’s family were all in the motor trade in one way or the other so I had always been told of simple checks I could make before putting car in for service.
    Having watched the Watchdog report and read many articles about this company, I think it is not necessarily the fault of the staff, get the impression that if they are not hitting their ‘targets’ by constant up-selling, an excuse is found to sack them for incompetence or something, so the staff are probably trying desperately to hang on to their jobs. Best thing is to avoid them all together. Normally with puncture I would call out Green Flag, but on that occasion rush hour and bad weather knew it might be long wait, so went to KwikFit – never again. If people started boycotting the company they would have to sort themselves out and make it a fair deal not only for their customers but for their staff who seem to be in fear of losing their jobs.

    Reply
    • I worked for Kwik fit for some time and can tell you it’s the people above putting all the pressure on for sales and you are compared to the centre that are doing the ripping off.
      Every third customer must have tracking/geo done to hit 35% target
      The staff are underpaid and only a number unless you are a yes boss man

      Reply
  18. Few years ago,puncture, heavy rain, few yards from Kwikfit. Reluctantly I went there. I was seen by a very young man who didn’t see to have much idea of what to do. He kept going back to another mechanic for advice. First of all, I was told wheel also needed replacing, I had a look at it and said it didn’t; Mechanic very argumentative but stood my ground and said just needed tyre. I was offered top of the range Michelin for my Ka, which I said I didn’t need and said i knew which type of tyre I needed which eventually I was ‘allowed’ to have. the tyre I knew was right for my vehicle. Then I asked for the wheel to be balance which was done. All done and dusted, about to pay when mechanic said ‘Just a minute’ he went round to back of the car and leaned heavily on the boot. He said sorry love, but your shock absorbers need replacing; I can do them right now as it is a bit quiet being such a rainy miserable day. I leaned on them quite heavily too and said I didn’t think so, but would take them to my cousin who at that time had a garage. He then offered me a discount and yet another discount. I said definitely not and paid for the tyre. Maybe because I am a woman not in the first flush of youth so he thought he had found a ‘touch’. Next day took it to my cousin who said they were OK but maybe in year or so. Which is what happened, next time I took it in for service, I leaned on the boot as I always do and it didn’t give as easily as it had before. So had it done at my usual garage. My father’s family were all in the motor trade in one way or the other so I had always been told of simple checks I could make before putting car in for service.
    Having watched the Watchdog report and read many articles about this company, I think it is not necessarily the fault of the staff, get the impression that if they are not hitting their ‘targets’ by constant up-selling, an excuse is found to sack them for incompetence or something, so the staff are probably trying desperately to hang on to their jobs. Best thing is to avoid them all together. Normally with puncture I would call out Green Flag, but on that occasion rush hour and bad weather knew it might be long wait, so went to KwikFit – never again. If people started boycotting the company they would have to sort themselves out and make it a fair deal not only for their customers but for their staff who seem to be in fear of losing their jobs.

    Reply
    • I worked for Kwik fit for some time and can tell you it’s the people above putting all the pressure on for sales and you are compared to the centre that are doing the ripping off.
      Every third customer must have tracking/geo done to hit 35% target
      The staff are underpaid and only a number unless you are a yes boss man

      Reply
  19. What a load of rubbish. I worked for this company for 12 years. All company’s are the same there are bad eggs in every company. Have you never had a cold burger from McDonald’s? Yet you may never use that branch again you will find one that is good. Don’t tar everyone with the same brush.

    Reply
  20. What a load of rubbish. I worked for this company for 12 years. All company’s are the same there are bad eggs in every company. Have you never had a cold burger from McDonald’s? Yet you may never use that branch again you will find one that is good. Don’t tar everyone with the same brush.

    Reply
  21. I took a real nice straight lined car that drove fantastic in for just an oil change and a new tyre. I just wanted a basic oil and oil filter change, so i paid £49.99 online. I also wanted a slow puncture sorted, so I took the car in and after being told I needed four tyres and the tracking out, I said no way mate this car has only just had its MOT like 30 miles ago, so how can this be true? So he said: “well it needs one done as its got the inside popping out and he showed me and the tyre was good as new but it did have something in the tread so I agreed he could replace two tyres, so I took two new tyres at a cost of £140, two new budget tyres and a number plate bulb that he said was a milky colour. I thought okay they know best, but I left with a car that could no longer drive straight (steering wheel no longer center). The car is no longer driving straight, why and how could this happen on a tyre change?

    I wish I never took the car into kwik fit. I’m not sure my car is even legal now, the steering wheel is at a 10 o’clock position when i’m going straight!!! I’m gutted, I’ve given good money to them.

    I’m going to trading standards about this and will post as many reviews as I can find regarding this (tracking scam) that kwik fit seem to do, also the extra parts that kwik fit always seem to add. I’m not going to let this lie, I cannot afford this sort of scam and it needs to be exposed. They have made my car horrible to drive and maybe even against the law to take on the road?

    Reply
  22. I took a real nice straight lined car that drove fantastic in for just an oil change and a new tyre. I just wanted a basic oil and oil filter change, so i paid £49.99 online. I also wanted a slow puncture sorted, so I took the car in and after being told I needed four tyres and the tracking out, I said no way mate this car has only just had its MOT like 30 miles ago, so how can this be true? So he said: “well it needs one done as its got the inside popping out and he showed me and the tyre was good as new but it did have something in the tread so I agreed he could replace two tyres, so I took two new tyres at a cost of £140, two new budget tyres and a number plate bulb that he said was a milky colour. I thought okay they know best, but I left with a car that could no longer drive straight (steering wheel no longer center). The car is no longer driving straight, why and how could this happen on a tyre change?

    I wish I never took the car into kwik fit. I’m not sure my car is even legal now, the steering wheel is at a 10 o’clock position when i’m going straight!!! I’m gutted, I’ve given good money to them.

    I’m going to trading standards about this and will post as many reviews as I can find regarding this (tracking scam) that kwik fit seem to do, also the extra parts that kwik fit always seem to add. I’m not going to let this lie, I cannot afford this sort of scam and it needs to be exposed. They have made my car horrible to drive and maybe even against the law to take on the road?

    Reply
  23. Kwik Fit are now guising under the name of Tyre City I tried to avoid them knowing how much they lie to achieve sales and ended up using them. They need to be hammered with a huge fine!! Nothing’s changed…it’s the same old scam the customer with no car knowledge for parts and services they don’t need. The powers that be need to punish them instead of putting up with the “My Bad, it won’t happen again, we’ll sort out our staff”. No, the corruption starts at the top! FINE them heavily!

    Reply

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