I posted this on Boards earlier and forgot to post it here
When something does what it says on the tin, I am always willing to give praise, even if there are some failings, but in this case....catastrophic. Permission given by me to copy to other mototr forums so people don't waste their money.
Below are some email exchanges between myself and Prevent A Puncture (PAP). I have removed personal details and renamed the Garage that installed the fluid to "CarFix" and my name to Goz83. The email exchanges are NOT with the garage. I got the stuff installed, because like everyone else, I hate the thought of lugging the spare wheel out of the boot, especially when it's cold and raining. I got the PAP fluid in my Mitsi FTO and on the Opel Zafira, because the spare is under the body. The emails:
ME: Sent in first week of December (Dec 6th I think)
query submitted via the PAP website:
I had the solution put into my 4 new tires on both my cars (zafira & fto) during the summer. Within a fortnight, i got screw lodged into a tyre and the solution failed to work. The Carfix garage in Dublin put more solution into the tyre and I went on my way. Last week, I had a deflated front left tyre on the same car and the garage sorted that problem. Today (1 hour before my NCT) the front right driver tire is completely deflated. I have called Carfix and they are sending someone to sort the situation out, but i’m very annoyed and stressed about this now and will probably miss my test time. I have security valve caps on all tires, so this could not have been deflated by kids/teens. I paid good money for this stuff and it has failed 3 times on me, which is totally unacceptable. I have since learned that the CarFix garage no longer stocks the solution. Before I make an official complaint, I wanted to give you the chance to fix this.
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This mail is sent via Enquiries form on Prevent-A-Puncturehttp://www.preventapuncture.ie
Reply Sent after another email on 11/12/12
Dear Goz83
Firstly sorry for the delay in replying to your email but for some reason your email was spammed.
We are very concerned by your email and will endeavour to get to the end of the matter but in order for me to do this
I will need some further information from you in order to investigate your experience and I will send that request to you tomorrow.
I hope you were able to make it to your NCT appointment.
Thank you again for your email
Kind regards
Name Snip
Managing Director
Waraker Limited
Next Mail sent on 12/12/12
Dear Goz83
Following on from my email to you yesterday, I would be grateful if you could furnish me with the following:-
1/ Full Contact Details
2/ Make and Size of Tyres
3/ Copy of Installation Docket that CarFix provided you with.
4/ Advise if the Tyres were new or old prior to installation
5/ Advise if the Tyres in question were ever punctured prior to installation
6/ What steps were taken when removing the screw from your tyre.
7/ Registration of Car
8/ Copy of the Customer Care Sheet provided to you by CarFix
9/ Price paid to CarFix
10/ Date of Installation.
Upon receipt of the above information I will arranged to have this matter investigated without out any delay.
Thank you again for bringing this matter to our attention.
If you have any other queries please do not hesitate to contact me.
Kind regards
Name Snip
Managing Director
Waraker Limited
My Reply Sent 12/12/12
Hi Name Snip.
My wife is going into labour, so it may be a few days before I can get back to you with the documents.
Goz83
I followed up on 20/12/12 with info requested:
Hi Name Snip,
It's been a busy week. New baby arrived on the 13th, so this is the first chance I have had to get back to you. I will answer your questions, point by point insofar as it is possible.
1) Goz83. address and phone number snipped.
2) HI-FLY 805 91W. Size 215/45X17.
3) Attached photo of invoice/receipt to this mail. Apologies for the less than perfect quality, my wireless scanner is not working wirelessly at the moment. Tires installed October 17th 2011. Fluid installed March 29th 2012 costing €65.
4) Answered in 3.
5) No punctures prior, with the exception of one front tire, which was punctured and replaced with a new tyre in 2012 at same Garage (CarFix).
6) Noticed screw was in tyre when I arrived at my brothers residence, which is near the garage. I removed the screw with a pliers, by twisting it out in an anti-clockwise motion, so as to prevent a larger hole. The screw was a small one, about 1.5 inches long, but had pierced only halfway toward the outerside of the tyre. Air immediately began to leak from the tyre and I drove to the garage before the tyre could deflate. The garage was only a couple of hundred metres away, but there was still leakage when I arrived. The puncture was not prevented.
7) 97 car reg.
I do not recall receiving a customer care sheet. More fluid was injected into the tyre after it was repaired. CarFix contacted (presumably yourselves) to report the problem and the advice was to put in more fluid. I went on my way. This happened very soon after the fluid was put in and I have had two instances this December where my front tyres were deflating, or were completely deflated.
9) €65.
10) 29/03/2011.
I have covered less than ten thousand kilometeres and my tyres are in otherwise, perfect condition. We got our Opel Zafira done around the same time, but there have been no issues there. The tyres were new from the dealer.
I'm quite disappointed that I have had trouble on three occasions in eight months with the product failing. I seen it on Dragons Den and encouraged a few of my friends to get it done on their cars. I now look like a bit of a fool, because I am the one who has had the issues with the product.
Regards,
Goz83
I Followed up after hearing nothing by the 28th
Name Snip,
I have been very patient waiting on an answer from you. Has my query been put aside and forgotten about?
Regards,
Goz83
I got a reply the same day:
Hi Goz83
Thank you for your email.
I had a quick look at the email traffic between us and it would appear that the last email we received was advising us that your wife was due to have a new baby and that you would revert with the information once you were in a position to do so.
I really require this information in order for me to find out what happened, I need to know the amount of sealant installed, your type of tyres (Run Flats or Standard) the mileage on the tyres at time of installation and any other misc information that may be recorded and the information on the PAP installation record that CarFix should have provided you with and the information that they hold themselves is vital for me to get to the end of this issue.
I assure you that once I get this information I will give your query the importance that it requires.
If you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact me.
Kind regards
Name Snip
Managing Director
Waraker Limited
I then resent the email from the 20th
His reply on the 28th:
Hi Goz83,
Just got your email thanks, I will start to look into the matter. I there is anything that I require I will send you a mail and if you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact me.
Kind regards
Name Snip
Managing Director
Waraker Limited
On Feb 5th, I got this follow up
Hi Goz83,
Can you advise me if your tyres are Standard Tyres or Run Flat Tyres and can you also advise me if CarFix issued with a Prevent-A-Puncture installation docket?
I would be grateful if you could forward me the docket. Thank you for your help in this matter and for contacting us.
Kind regards
Name Snip
Managing Director
Waraker Limited
My reply same day:
Hi Name Snip,
The tyres were standard. I don't recall receiving a PAP docket. I'm sure if you contact CarFix, they will confirm that I got the PAP fluid installed. You need only mention my name and that I drive the FTO. I've been a regular there for quite some time and always look after my cars. I didn't want to complain to CarFix, because they simply installed the PAP fluid, which I assume, once trained, is difficult to get wrong.
Goz83
His reply same day:
Hi Goz83
Thanks for your email.
Prevent-A-Puncture is like a washing machine, if it is not installed properly it won't work.
The installation docket will tell me the amount of sealant that was installed into each tyre.
Can you tell me if your tyres are run flat of standard tyres?
Thanks again
Regards
Name Snip
My reply, same day:
Hi Name Snip,
As per my last reply, the tyres are standard. Thankfully I have had no issues with flats since I first wrote you, but I don't often have punctures anyway. It's certainly possible I received an installation docket, but I don't remember receiving one and I keep all receipts I receive for my car, in a folder. I don't have an installation docket for PAP in that folder.
Goz83
By March 3rd, I had given up hope and sent:
Hi Name Snip,
It has been almost three months since I first contacted you and a month since you last replied to my emails about the PAP fluid issues. I don't think my emails have received anything more than light humouring. I will be recommending against the use of PAP on several motor forums where I have memberships. I'm quite disappointed, because I was very impressed when I first seen the product on the dragons den. I don't recall seeking any refund, which is why I am surprised of basically being fobbed off. I don't want a reply, I just wanted to bring this complaint to a close.
Regards,
Goz83
I received a reply about a half hour later, which was about 11:30pm:
Hi Goz83
Thank you for your email
The delay in replying to you is simply because we have not fully established the events
You advised me that you did not have an installation document and you advised me to go back to the centre in question to get one.
I have done this, but to date they have not returned a copy to me.
I need this document to assertion exactly what the installer did, how much was installed, the name of the installer and what happened when you first called back to the centre.
As I advised earlier, the first I ever heard of your issue was when you wrote to us.
CarFix had never communicated your problem to us and we never advised them to insert extra fluid into your tyres as suggested in one of your earlier emails.
As I mentioned before if Prevent-A-Puncture is not installed in the correct manner it will fail to work and this includes the wrong amount of fluid inserted. My problem at the moment is without an installation docket I cannot tell the amount of units that were installed into each tyre
I would ask that you wait another seven days and I hope to be able to revert to you one way or the other.
Prevent-A-Puncture is the same as a washing machine, it may be installed by a fully trained plumber but if they cut corners or do not follow their training the machine will not work. It is not a manufactures problem but an installation issue.
We do not supply CarFix and it was a company decision to delist them for customer and brand protection reasons
I thank you for your patience and I assure you that I will be in contact with you shortly.
Kind regards
Name Snip
My response was sent after midnight.
From what I was able to see and what I remember is the installer syringing a green fuid from a container holding several litres of green fluid. Each time, the same amount of fluid was sucked into the large syringe device and was then injected into the tyres from via the air nozzle. The installer checked how much fluid the tyre needed before he began.
On a side note: Referring to the installation of PAP to that of a washing machine is not an accurate one as I would see. You've mentioned this before. I'm not the expert here, but I would have thought that the important thing is that the right amount of fluid is installed into the tyre and the tyre should be inflated to optimum pressure before being driven for several miles to allow the fluid to properly coat the walls of the tyres. I would say it's more akin to putting the right amounf of water into a home brew, rather than installing a washing machine. It's about measurement of a chemical/ingredient, rather than hardware installation, but that's just an observation from me.
It's possible that the issue is an installer one, but I don't think it's professional conduct to assume this without the facts being in place. I haven't had any issue since and like I said, I just want this closed. I won't be passing blame, i'm simply recalling my experience and I do appreciate your reply at such a late hour. However, I would prefer that I hear no more about this. I have given it plenty of time and my patience is as empty as my next set of tyres will be. Thanks again.
Goz83
Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 11:39 am
