Disappointing experience, questionable business practices and terrible customer service
I recently had a thoroughly disappointing experience with Pneuwirbel that has left me frustrated and disillusioned. Initially attracted by their relatively well-priced tires, I placed an order and paid in advance. However, shortly after, I received an email informing me that the tire was unavailable unless I paid an additional 28.- . Reluctantly, after waiting five days for the requested refund that never came, I agreed to the extra charge, hoping to finally receive my tire. I wish I had read online reviews beforehand, as it seems this is a common occurrence with them.
The shipping process was another nightmare. Pneuwirbel only ships the brand I chose to their partner garages, and there was no shipping information or updates. I had to call the garage myself a week later to confirm its arrival. The garage then tried to charge me double the rate listed on Pneuwirbel’s website to change the tire or demanded 20.- to simply hand it over. Shockingly, they claimed they had no affiliation with Pneuwirbel and were unaware of why their name and address were being used. Not sure who to believe...
Despite filing a complaint with Pneuwirbel about the garage's unprofessionalism, I received a dismissive response advising me to read their terms and conditions and to have contacted the garage beforehand. Days later, Pneuwirbel suggested I just pick up the tire and go elsewhere. When I did so, the garage increased their fee to 30.- when I requested an invoice and were extremely rude throughout the interaction.
In the end, when I asked Pneuwirbel to refund the 30 euros the garage charged, they denied responsibility, stating I should not have paid it in the first place. This entire ordeal has shown me that Pneuwirbel’s business practices are highly questionable and their customer service is abysmal. For anyone considering purchasing from them, beware – you might end up paying more than expected for an incredibly frustrating experience.