By Fabian Ledgister, Staff Reporter
THE NEXT TIME you get a 'deal' on a used tyre, take due precaution as you may be the recipient of an old but deadly scam. Unscrupulous tyre repair shops are taking worn tyres and manually cutting the patterns deeper, so as to make the tyre appear less worn.
Though you may initially pay less than when purchasing a new tyre, you may just end up paying with your life. When 're-grooving' these tyres, conmen usually have to cut so deep into the tyre, the treading is left exposed.
"If the treading of the tyre is exposed, it means that the tyre is dangerously thin ... the simplest sharp object could burst the tyre," explains Orlando Ruddock, manager of Finishing Line Auto. Ruddock adds that at high speeds, this could easily result in a serious accident or possibly death to the driver.
One such victim of this tyre scam admitted that he was lured by the cheap price.
"The tyres looked fairly new, and it only cost $1,500 for the pair, so I bought it. It was my mechanic that showed me that they were re-cut and the bone (threading) was exposed ... Him seh mi coulda dead!" said the victim.
NOT FOR SALE
According to the Bureau of Standards, under no circumstances should used, blemished or second-hand tyres, be sold to operators of motor vehicles. "The practice of worn patterns of tyres being re-cut so that they appear to be less worn is called re-grooving. The Bureau of Standards advises consumers to avoid buying tyres which have been so altered," explained Mairy Sanz, team leader in the mechanical engineering department of the Bureau.
Regardless, the practice is still in effect at tyre shops across the Corporate Area, and in rural sections of the island. Police say this 'con' has existed for years, and blame its continuance on consumers who give the 're-groovers' a market for their deadly product.
"These tyre shops are supposed to repair tyres, not sell them ... The tyres they have are left behind because they are worn, but people are attracted by the cheap price, not realising that they're putting their lives at risk," explains a policeman.
The bureau says it regulates the quality of tyres being imported, but attests that though it is aware of the scams, it does not have the resources to control and prevent these activities.
"The bureau has consistently encouraged consumers to avoid buying
tyres which have been previously used, worn or been re-furbished. We further
advise that consumers not purchase tyres from traders that cannot prove compliance with the stated standards (JS 244: 1995)," advised Sanz.
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