After Market Wheels - WARNING!

SheffieldSteel · Dec 27, 2023

I want to share with you my experience and it should be a warning to others considering purchasing after market wheels.

I bought a set of wheels and tyres from Rogue Alloys. Nice glossy wheels and big tyres. The problem came when I told my insurance company. They didnt have an issue with swapping the wheels, they just asked for details of the wheels, manufacturer and certificate of conformity stating that they are suitable for the van. Ha! I had none of these I thought but Rogue will have them. I was wrong and neither was I able get these details. I asked Rogue but got nothing other than changing stories about who was the manufacturer and impoter and that its hard to get the details story. To this day, I still.do not know other than they are made in China.

My suggestion to anyone looking to change the wheels...I would suggest finding the wheel that you like and then ask the company for the testing certificate. There has ro be some form of quality testing that conforms to eu or uk standards like with any product. I asked Rogue for this and they couldn't provide. Rogue told me that all they do is re sell them from JB Wheels. I asked JB Wheels for the certificate and got nothing. In the end, I wasted about 800 pounds which were the price of the wheels as I could reuse the tyres. I've wasted hours in time.

I've now bought Borbet wheels which are made in the EU and have all the relevant testing documentation.

We pay alot of money for these vans. Putting nice looking cheap Chinese wheels on doesn't make sense. In the end t's the wheels and tyres that keep us and others safe on the road.

You just need to do your own research.

RockinNRollin · Dec 27, 2023

Beyond the insurance side of things, poor quality wheels will likely buckle if they even just look at a pothole. They are also probably heavier than good quality wheels of the same size.

An expensive lesson but probably better to find out (albeit frustratingly) via insurance than having a wheel fail on you!

sidepod · Dec 27, 2023

SheffieldSteel said:
I want to share with you my experience and it should be a warning to others considering purchasing after market wheels.

I bought a set of wheels and tyres from Rogue Alloys. Nice glossy wheels and big tyres. The problem came when I told my insurance company. They didnt have an issue with swapping the wheels, they just asked for details of the wheels, manufacturer and certificate of conformity stating that they are suitable for the van. Ha! I had none of these I thought but Rogue will have them. I was wrong and neither was I able get these details. I asked Rogue but got nothing other than changing stories about who was the manufacturer and impoter and that its hard to get the details story. To this day, I still.do not know other than they are made in China.

My suggestion to anyone looking to change the wheels...I would suggest finding the wheel that you like and then ask the company for the testing certificate. There has ro be some form of quality testing that conforms to eu or uk standards like with any product. I asked Rogue for this and they couldn't provide. Rogue told me that all they do is re sell them from JB Wheels. I asked JB Wheels for the certificate and got nothing. In the end, I wasted about 800 pounds which were the price of the wheels as I could reuse the tyres. I've wasted hours in time.

I've now bought Borbet wheels which are made in the EU and have all the relevant testing documentation.

We pay alot of money for these vans. Putting nice looking cheap Chinese wheels on doesn't make sense. In the end t's the wheels and tyres that keep us and others safe on the road.

You just need to do your own research.

Gosh, imagine that? Who would’ve guessed?
The compliance you’re talking of is TUV rating(German version of DOT).
Only a very small handful of wheel manufacturers comply, the rest are junk.

Feels like this is something fairly fundamental you should have known?

Jimmylondon07 · Dec 27, 2023

Bit harsh Sidepod, if you go to a website that advertises wheel and tyre packages specifically for your type of van then I think you should reasonably expect that they would comply with local standards. You can’t know everything about everything.

On the TUV testing, perhaps it’s worth compiling a list of manufacturers that do have the necessary certificates. Sounds like Borbet do for a start.

pjm-84 · Dec 27, 2023

I looked at Rogue but noticed they had some bad reviews so steered clear.

Ch1pbutty · Dec 27, 2023

Jimmylondon07 said:
Bit harsh Sidepod, if you go to a website that advertises wheel and tyre packages specifically for your type of van then I think you should reasonably expect that they would comply with local standards. You can’t know everything about everything.

On the TUV testing, perhaps it’s worth compiling a list of manufacturers that do have the necessary certificates. Sounds like Borbet do for a start.

Don't write off the £800

If they advertised/sold them as suitable for your van, then the supplier should give you a refund as their advertising is misleading and the product that is not fit for purpose. Also potentially unsafe without TUV testing.

Grigio Van Grigio · Dec 27, 2023

Jimmylondon07 said:
Bit harsh Sidepod, if you go to a website that advertises wheel and tyre packages specifically for your type of van then I think you should reasonably expect that they would comply with local standards. You can’t know everything about everything.

On the TUV testing, perhaps it’s worth compiling a list of manufacturers that do have the necessary certificates. Sounds like Borbet do for a start.

Totally agree. How about a bit of kindness at this time of year @sidepod. Comments like that will just stop people posting things like this. And I’m sure this will be useful to a lot of people. Certification is not something you automatically think about. The focus is more likely to be on load rating.

Corradobrit · Dec 27, 2023

If OP paid with a credit card I would be initiating a charge back as thew wheels are not suitable for advertised purpose with insurance and liability implications.

Grigio Van Grigio · Dec 27, 2023

I’ve just been having a look at this and it seems that there’s no fixed regulation that wheels must satisfy to be sold in the UK. Equally, TüV (or other certification body) certification is not mandatory in the UK. I’ve had aftermarket alloy wheels fitted in the past (Wolfrace so a UK company) which didn’t have a certificate and neither did my insurance company ask for one. I would assume there needs to be conformity to the relevant safety standards and be stamped with the ECE mark. Perhaps your insurance company can tell you exactly what standards they’re looking for?

If anyone has the latest legal requirements for aftermarket alloy wheels in the UK, it would be useful if you could share this.

Velma's Dad · Dec 27, 2023

Corradobrit said:
If OP paid with a credit card I would be initiating a charge back as thew wheels are not suitable for advertised purpose with insurance and liability implications.

I agree if paid with credit card you might be able to get your money back. Although not sure the exact rules on that.

More generally I'm not sure you'd find it easy to claim against the seller because as far as I can see there's nothing much to base a claim on, other than one particular insurance company's requirements.

To be "unfit for purpose" (Sale of Goods Act etc) the wheels would probably need to be manifestly unsuitable or illegal for road use. However that would I'd guess be hard to prove because the Road Traffic Act (etc) doesn't require wheels to be tested/certified to TUV or any other standard.

Unless of course anyone knows different.

Unfortunately I think it would be risky to pursue a claim through the courts as you could become liable for the other side's costs if you lose. Personally I'd just put it down to experience but good luck.

Perfectos · Dec 27, 2023

EDIT: This thread needs to be read fully for the first three pages ,

it is not what it initially seems - The first poster appear to have omitted some important facts To suit his Narrative at the expense of the Named Company !

The wheels need to be load rated for the vehicle they are being fitted on.
presumably the vehicle details were provided to the seller?
the seller then specified which wheels and tyres were suitable for the vehicle?

the seller website requires the vehicle to be selected, the sellers website then presents the products “suitable” for that vehicle
i.e. the seller specifies the product suitable for a particular vehicle type Which are available to the buyer to order online. (the seller provides expertise)

the wheel the seller advised & sold a particular product specific to vehicle, subsequently the seller cannot substantiate the claim or expertise, the load rating a made up claim & there is an issue with this being misleading.

presuming the above is correct : In this instance, The seller is considered the expert, they gave advice on the suitable products for a particular vehicle, in this instance the seller cannot back up the safety load rating / testing to meet the required load rating ?

the “goods are not fit for the purpose they were sold for“. “Not as described “ U.K. consumer law .

Perfectos · Dec 27, 2023

For completeness, The company profess to be an Expert

Perfectos · Dec 27, 2023

Simply return the unused wheels to the company?
10% restocking charge

if they won’t take them back go small claims
Edit. = unless you’ve had twelve months use our of them before you decide you have an issue !

Velma's Dad · Dec 27, 2023

Perfectos said:
presuming the above is correct : In this instance, The seller is considered the expert, they gave advice on the suitable products for a particular vehicle, in this instance the seller cannot back up the safety load rating / testing to meet the required load rating ?

You're presuming too much. In the absence of a legal requirement to test/certify/mark a product, it isn't the seller's responsibility to prove to the buyer that a product is suitable for a particular agreed purpose or that it meets the advertised spec. To have a claim in law, the burden would be on the buyer to prove that it was not.

If a wheel is stated in advertising to have a load rating of (say) 850kg, but with no other certification, it would be pretty problematic to prove that it's not suitable for an 850kg application - unless of course the wheel had failed in which case it might be a bit easier to prove but still not guaranteed if the seller contested your claim (even certified wheels do occasionally fail for various reasons).

And of course it's not (AFAIK) a legal requirement for wheels to be sold with any kind of load rating at all. Even though you'd IMO be bonkers to put unrated aftermarket wheels onto a van, just for self preservation reasons let alone the insurance issues.

Which is all a long way of saying - get properly clued up before you contemplate buying aftermarket wheels. Despite modern consumer protection laws, there's still a big degree of caveat emptor, at least in the UK.

sidepod · Dec 27, 2023

Grigio Van Grigio said:
Certification is not something you automatically think about. The focus is more likely to be on load rating.

When did common sense go out of fashion?
If someone makes a claim on a certain specification then you ask to see their working.

Certification and load rating go hand in hand.
Anyone can say the wheels are suitable for your van but that only means they fit.
Unfortunately in this country it’s not illegal to sell stuff that’s not fit for purpose. It’s down to the muppets buying it to do their homework.

SheffieldSteel · Dec 27, 2023

sidepod said:
Gosh, imagine that? Who would’ve guessed?
The compliance you’re talking of is TUV rating(German version of DOT).
Only a very small handful of wheel manufacturers comply, the rest are junk.

Feels like this is something fairly fundamental you should have known?

I never mentioned any TUV, or DOT. You made that up. I'm passing on my recent experience. Take it or leave it if safety is not an issue to you.

Perfectos · Dec 27, 2023

Velma's Dad said:
You're presuming too much

Did you read the blurb on the supplier website ?

“Safest most reliable “ “ MOT & Insurance compatible, weight rated“

I would say unrated wheels on a 3 tonne van were not safe or rated for that van ?
if that cannot be backed up with a single piece of evidence by the supplier , then the supplier cannot claim the goods are fit for purpose they were intended to be used for.
They are not MOT & Insurance Compatible nor are they a weight rated as the seller claimed , because they cannot prove the wheels are compliant or “as described “ (weight rated & Insurance compatible)

Return the wheel for a Credit less 10%

Perfectos · Dec 27, 2023

A cautionary tale that will hopefully help out others,

The op:
“I want to share with you my experience and it should be a warning to others considering purchasing after market wheels.”

“My suggestion to anyone looking to change the wheels...I would suggest finding the wheel that you like and then ask the company for the testing certificate.”

the original poster had been kind / brave enough to share there experience on the forum & give some relevant advice, specifically to help out others whom may not have the knowledge of such things & help others avoid the mistake they made.

Reading the suppliers website, they make claims that they cannot substantiate in any way, that is deliberately misleading IMO.

The OP has Met with some harsh judgment here IMO.

edit : that harsh treatment appears to be well justified as the original poster has been economical with the truth , please read on , all will become clear later in this thread

Perfectos · Dec 27, 2023

This appears on Rouge Alloys website with amazing regularity when searching for T5/6/7 wheels :

“ these fully load-rated alloy wheels are built to handle heavy-duty tasks, with a weight capacity of up to 1250KG per wheel.”

If This cannot be backed up by any evidence, it is deliberately misleading to the consumer And is contrary to consumer law in the U.K.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a74d389e5274a3cb28677f4/oft1008.pdf

Perfectos · Dec 27, 2023

The flow chart taken from the link In The previous post gives a good indication of how the trader would be viewed by a court in a civil case (small claims) whilst the trader makes claims (material distortion) that cannot be substantiated in any way, despite knowing that this action would potentially change the consumers decision about a product !

Grigio Van Grigio · Dec 27, 2023

Perfectos said:
Did you read the blurb on the supplier website ?

“Safest most reliable “ “ MOT & Insurance compatible, weight rated“

I would say unrated wheels on a 3 tonne van were not safe or rated for that van ?
if that cannot be backed up with a single piece of evidence by the supplier , then the supplier cannot claim the goods are fit for purpose they were intended to be used for.
They are not MOT & Insurance Compatible nor are they a weight rated as the seller claimed , because they cannot prove the wheels are compliant or “as described “ (weight rated & Insurance compatible)

Return the wheel for a Credit less 10%

Their website actually says “Everything we provide will be MOT & insurance compatible and weight rated, therefore insurance will not be affected”. As the OP can’t get insurance due to the lack of evidence of conformity, I would argue they should get 100% of their money back as, in the OP’s experience, their insurance has been affected. You would hope Rogue Alloys would oblige to avoid any negative publicity.

Perfectos · Dec 27, 2023

Further page 34 -40 give practical guidance

Corradobrit · Dec 27, 2023

The load rating and any conformity ratings should be embossed in the casting. Any absence of this information should be viewed suspiciously.

Perfectos · Dec 27, 2023

Velma's Dad said:
You're presuming too much. In the absence of a legal requirement to test/certify/mark a product, it isn't the seller's responsibility to prove to the buyer that a product is suitable for a particular agreed purpose or that it meets the advertised spec. To have a claim in law, the burden would be on the buyer to prove that it was not.

If a wheel is stated in advertising to have a load rating of (say) 850kg, but with no other certification, it would be pretty problematic to prove that it's not suitable for an 850kg application - unless of course the wheel had failed in which case it might be a bit easier to prove but still not guaranteed if the seller contested your claim (even certified wheels do occasionally fail for various reasons).

And of course it's not (AFAIK) a legal requirement for wheels to be sold with any kind of load rating at all. Even though you'd IMO be bonkers to put unrated aftermarket wheels onto a van, just for self preservation reasons let alone the insurance issues.

Which is all a long way of saying - get properly clued up before you contemplate buying aftermarket wheels. Despite modern consumer protection laws, there's still a big degree of caveat emptor, at least in the UK.

Whilst you are correct it is not a legal requirement for Aftermarket wheels to be certified in any way when sold in the U.K.
A seller cannot make a claim that a wheel is “fully load rated” that cannot be substantiated In any way !

Fortunately in the U.K. we are very well covered by consumer law against unfair, false & misleading claims made by traders.

Perfectos · Dec 27, 2023

Corradobrit said:
The load rating and any conformity ratings should be embossed in the casting. Any absence of this information should be viewed suspiciously.

The issue may not be that the wheels have no formal load rating, (although this is where the op has found out about the issue, when doing the right thing by contacting the insurer, to advise of the modification).

as had been mentioned aftermarket wheels do not require and testing or certification To be sold in the U.K. (unlike wheels supplied with a new car! )

the issue is that the seller falsely claims in the sales blurb that the wheels are load rated, which they are not and cannot be claimed to be load rated without appropriate certification.

This claim and certification would require testing and certification of conformity.
the seller is unable to provided the certification and therefore is unable to substantiate the claim made in the sales literature. (despite specific claims the wheels are load rated, implying they have been tested and certified )

The Original poster may have made his decision to purchase the wheels based on the Seller very specific false claim / advertising :

” these fully load-rated alloy wheels are built to handle heavy-duty tasks, with a weight capacity of up to 1250KG per wheel.”

along with other claims on their sales site, advising all the products sold are fully complaint for U.K. insurance, which they clearly are not.

this practice is deceptive and deliberately misleading As defined by Consumer Law U.K.

Therefore a customer would naturally assume the Seller could substantiate the claims they have specified in the sales literature, which obviously they cannot!

After Market Wheels - WARNING!

SheffieldSteel

RockinNRollin

Where to next?

sidepod

Jimmylondon07

pjm-84

Ch1pbutty

Grigio Van Grigio

Corradobrit

Grigio Van Grigio

Velma's Dad

Perfectos

Perfectos

Perfectos

Velma's Dad

sidepod

SheffieldSteel

Perfectos

Perfectos

Perfectos

Perfectos

Grigio Van Grigio

Perfectos

Corradobrit

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