Recently we chatted to Win at FOXY Lady Approved Derek Campbell Tyre Centre in Stockton on Tees about tyre services and with women in mind.
So we asked her to tell us more. We started by asking Win how FOXY might help more women drivers run safer cars when too many clearly don’t realise that tyre safety is KEY and THEY are responsible for their tyres’ condition in between MOTs, nobody else.
Win believes that the most important thing is for motorists to find a good independent tyre supplier who can offer advice linked to driving need, car usage and budget.
So we wanted to know more about value for money safe tyre choices to chase risky part worn tyres out of the market…
What are our premium tyre choices?
(alongside big names like Pirelli, Michelin, Continental and Bridgestone etc)
“I offer many brands which are less expensive (than the well known premium tyre names…) and still very good. You don’t need to talk budget and mid range, but good, safe and less expensive. I understand that folk have much less disposable income and it is hard to decide on priorities from a limited family budget.
“Yes there are some very cheap brands out there which I would also never sell, just as I would never advise part worns as a reasonable alternative. My main brand sellers are Maxxis, Matador and Nexen. Nexen in particular are an OE (original equipment) tyre at very good prices.
“These brands are already very well established with my customers and are almost at the point of being so well known that customers are selling them to each other.”
What about budget tyres?
(for low mileage drivers)
“I also have good budget lines which offer good value for money and safety. Safety at a cost which will suit my customers pocket…. that is the most important factor. It is hard, I do understand that when there is so much conflicting advice out there…. but in the same way that I would never employ a builder, or an electrician or even a hairdresser without recommendation then you need to have the same approach regarding your car and your car tyres!”
How can we deter women from buying cheap part worn tyres with an unknown past?
“I had a lady the other day who though she had to go for partworns because they were the only thing affordable to her. She was astounded when she found out that new safe tyres were a fraction of her anticipation, and although she could afford to do two tyres I told her to wait a month, put her money on one side and then do all four when she would actually need four.
“I advised her against putting two new tyres on with the remaining couple that were just above the legal limit. Two new and two worn was not an ideal situation and she would be much safer changing all four when she had the money to do the job.
“She went away happy with the prospect of putting four on next month when she had the money.”
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Thank you for your advice Win. There are very good, safe and affordable tyre alternatives to part worn/part safe tyres.
And here we must return to Win’s first nugget of advice. You need to find someone locally you can trust to give the right advice, not just respond to an advert for cheap tyres you’ve never heard of.
Remember that our FOXY Lady Approved garages and tyre centres have signed the FOXY Lady Promise to ‘never overcharge, patronise or sell women anything they don’t need’. That means a business that pays its staff properly and isn’t expecting them to top up their wage (based on commission) by selling women something they don’t need, or isn’t the best deal for their circumstances.
By all means contact Win about tyres or pop in for a free tyre check to Derek Campbell Tyre Centre at Preston Farm Industrial Estate, Stockton-on-Tees TS18 3SE tel: 01642 853510.
