Cheap Rims from Ebay - don't do it!
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,578
Likes: 7
04 S430 (sold),05 X5 4.4i, 02 325i, 87 560SL, 85 Alfa Romeo
Jschade,
Thankyou for actually reading my post - You hit the nail right on the head. If anything i was blaming myself for being tempted by the price and hoping to help others tempted to do the same as I had done. I was in no way stating indirectly or directly this is Ebay's fault (unless the two posters honestly believe that i think Ebay sent their QC department to LWT to check the rims and knew they were garbage prior to allowing the sale on ebay
). And technically - i saw the rims on Ebay, when to the LWT website, called them, and bought them directly at the "buy it now" price for those who who want to get technical.
If you're buying no-name rims, the lesson i've learned is be careful. The vendor i purchased from had good feedback (98.6%) and was using tires that tirerack rated highly, so i bought the set. Unfortunately it just didn't work out well for me.
Aceman
Thankyou for actually reading my post - You hit the nail right on the head. If anything i was blaming myself for being tempted by the price and hoping to help others tempted to do the same as I had done. I was in no way stating indirectly or directly this is Ebay's fault (unless the two posters honestly believe that i think Ebay sent their QC department to LWT to check the rims and knew they were garbage prior to allowing the sale on ebay
). And technically - i saw the rims on Ebay, when to the LWT website, called them, and bought them directly at the "buy it now" price for those who who want to get technical.If you're buying no-name rims, the lesson i've learned is be careful. The vendor i purchased from had good feedback (98.6%) and was using tires that tirerack rated highly, so i bought the set. Unfortunately it just didn't work out well for me.
Aceman
I guess the bottom line to all of this is that even when research is done, you can still be as risk of not having a good product.
This is why these forums play an important role in how we do things. Having inside info on who has the good products, as well as who has the bad ones out there (and there are plenty),helps us all in the long run.
I apologize if I seemed to lean more towards you bashing Ebay than warning about your experience about a poor seller, but as I stated, my comments on the matter were in general and not directed to you personally.
Getting away from that a bit, I think wheels being the most sought after accessory for cars, are a gamble either way when you are buying from online because even if they claim to be OEM or authentic, there is still a chance that deception can occur.I have learned to deal with wheels from people that I have first hand experience with. But this can only happen if you have taken risks an gotten burned a few times as I have, then you know what to look for, and which question to ask before you buy. Even then there is still an element of risk involved.....
I am no longer going with the "Stars" recommendation for tires either. Realizing that I own a Benz and not just "any" car, and getting 4 star rated tires and not being happy with them is the reason.
Some tires in certain sizes perfom better than the same brand in other sizes. therefore the reviews of these tires for noise and mileage etc.. oftentimes depends on the size tire and the application of the person making the review.
As an example I purchased a set and a half of highly recommended General tires. My thoughts, I would not recommend them to people who want a quiet ride because the 235 35 19 and 245 35 19 series are very noisy. On the other hand, the 275 35 19 are very quiet, but they only last about 7 to 8K miles,and are a pain to keep balanced.
So my point is, experience with specific size and brand will determine what tires work for me from now on. I can't exactly rely on the recommendations from the tire reviewers unless I know for sure the users were using the same size and application as I am when they posted those great reviews...
Last edited by my06clk; Feb 7, 2007 at 02:10 PM.
