Should a car dealer replace a tyre that doesn't match the other three?
– BH
No. While not an ideal state of affairs, the car you bought is road legal and is not deemed to be unsafe. You're correct that it is not best practice to mix tyres across an axle, and as a result, my suggestion would be to replace the odd tyre (or both front tyres, if the tread depth has dropped significantly on the Bridgestone) with matching rubber.
I've bought cheap used cars that have had four different brands of tyre – and while I always got them changed, I didn't deem it something I had to take issue with the seller over.
As the dealer says, it will still pass an MOT test, while you'd have a hard time proving in a court of law that the dealer sold you a car that was not fit for purpose.
Besides, if you took the matter further, the dealer could entirely reasonably point out that you should have checked that the tyres were matching when inspecting the car before purchasing it; you could even have suggested you wanted the tyre (or tyres) replaced as part of the deal.
My advice is to replace the Lassa tyre at the earliest opportunity, chalk this one up to experience – and, the next time you buy a car, check that the tyres match.
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BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Bristol's 'cheese-grater bridge' set to close for four weeks
A cycle and pedestrian harbour crossing in Bristol know as the "cheese-grater bridge" is scheduled to close for four weeks to allow for essential maintenance and strengthening Reach Bridge, in Temple Quay, will be completely closed to all users from 180ft (55m) long structure closed in 2017 for two years after a lorry driver attempted to cross it, causing "extensive damage" to the metal deck commercial property company that manages the crossing said maintenance works would ensure "the continued safety and integrity" of the 17-year-old bridge". Meads Reach Bridge is a pedestrian and cycle bridge designed to link a new mixed-use development at Temple Quay with the Bristol Temple Meads the closure, cyclists and pedestrians are asked to use either Valentines Bridge or Temple Bridge, located on Temple Way, as alternative Young Property Management Consultancy, who manage the bridge, said: "We appreciate the cooperation and understanding of all visitors and staff during these essential works, which are being carried out to ensure the continued safety and integrity of the structure."
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
The holiday car hire firm ‘stealing £1,000s from Brits with bullying tactics' as horrified tourists ‘assaulted' by staff
CUT-PRICE car rentals might be hard to resist but some bargain bucket deals are allegedly taking tourists for a ride. Angry British holidaymakers reeled in by prices as low as £7 accuse Croatian-based Carwiz of bullying sales tactics, fabricating damage, verbal abuse and even assault. 8 Online reviews of the firm's franchises seen by The Sun allege staff have forged documents, up-sold unnecessary insurance, and taken unauthorised payments from credit cards. Meanwhile 36-year-old Londoner Simone Baron caught a Carwiz rep on camera as he appeared to manhandle her from the counter, before telling her sister Nicole: 'F*** off.' Simone, who works for a tech firm, told The Sun: 'I know there are reputable companies out there, but clearly I went for one that isn't. 'The stress I felt in that Carwiz office and for days afterwards was off the scale. 'I won't be renting a car from them or anyone else ever again.' Carwiz operates in 450 locations worldwide, with franchises across Europe, Asia and as far away as Miami. The firm's latest franchise opened last month at London Heathrow, and the company claims to offer a "premium service, affordability, and a little bit of magic". But customers we spoke to branded Carwiz's franchises a racket. Simone claimed she was stunned when Nicole found a £7.68 deal on travel site with a hire firm operating a Carwiz franchise in Bucharest. The sisters jetted to the Romanian capital for a four-day spa break in late May with Nicole's daughters, aged two and three. Avoid being ripped off by car hire companies with these four top tips Simone said: 'A guy wearing the purple Carwiz top picked us up at the airport and took us to their office nearby. 'For the next two hours he tried to sell me damage waiver insurance at a cost of €200 (£173). I didn't need it as I was already covered, but he wouldn't take no for an answer. 'We'd been up since 2am, the kids were tired and hungry, and I was on the verge of just walking away and getting a taxi when he finally gave in and let us take our car. 'But before we drove to our hotel, I spent 15 minutes taking videos of all the existing damage. "I was obsessed with documenting every scratch and blemish I could find. I covered everything.' 'Joke' 8 8 Simone explained they drove for just 15 minutes a day from their accommodation to a luxury thermal spa complex on the outskirts of Bucharest. Their car was parked in the hotel's gated compound at night. 'I felt smug when we dropped it back because I knew I was returning it in the exact same condition,' Simone added. 'The guy started pointing out blemishes, but I had video proof for them all. 'Then he went straight to the front left bumper and said he'd found a scratch underneath the car. 'I burst out laughing because I honestly thought it was a joke, but then he said it was going to cost €400 (£350) to repair, and we'd have to sign some paperwork if we wanted our deposit back. 'He wouldn't give us the damage report to read, so I refused to sign and told him I wasn't responsible. 'When I reached over the counter to take my credit card back, he barged me out of the way and grabbed my arms. 'Nicole told him it was disgusting that he'd put his hands on me, but he just snapped back, 'F*** off'. "I was so angry, it was unlike anything I've ever encountered in all my years travelling. 'Even the kids were upset. For days afterwards, my two-year-old niece kept asking, 'What happened to you, Aunty? What did the naughty man do?' 'As far as I'm concerned, it was assault." Simone's deposit was returned in the following days, but on Friday June 6 the rental firm - trading as Premium Drax - took a payment of £359.71 from her Tesco credit card. 8 The cash was eventually refunded after she complained to Tesco Bank. 'I didn't admit to the damage and certainly didn't authorise the payment,' she said. 'I did get my money back, but I'll never know if it was taken from the rental firm or covered by my bank. 'I can't stand to think of this company profiting. They'll just keep doing it.' 'Scamming operation' Byron Hayes, 46, who works in finance, claimed he had a similar experience at a Carwiz franchise in Warsaw, Poland, after booking through Ryanair's website. The office was unmanned when he dropped off the car - and he said he woke the next morning to a €626.87 (£541) repair bill sent by email. 'It was for a tiny dent on the bonnet,' said Byron, from Dublin. 'I know for certain it wasn't there when I returned the car. 'They sent me a photo of the damage, but it didn't include the registration of the car, so there was no way I could validate that it was even the vehicle I'd rented. 'After several back and forth emails they eventually sent me a picture of the car with the registration I had rented - but it had no damage on it. 'They said this was a picture taken before we'd rented the car and that they had already sent us pictures showing the damage. 'I told them I wasn't happy with what they were providing and again asked for the correct documents. Then they went quiet on me and unblocked the deposit they'd taken on my credit card. I rent cars several times a year and I'm not the kind of person to duck out of responsibility. I have no problem with paying for damage I've caused, and have done so in the past. In this case I was completely blameless Byron Hayes 'I assumed the matter was closed, but three weeks later on the final 30-business day time limit for a merchant to charge your card, at five minutes to midnight, I had an email saying my card had been charged €626.87, plus a €10 (£8.64) currency exchange fee." Byron was able to recover the lost cash by claiming on insurance. He is now collecting customers' experiences of Carwiz to submit a joint complaint to the European Consumer Commission. He added: 'I rent cars several times a year and I'm not the kind of person to duck out of responsibility. I have no problem with paying for damage I've caused, and have done so in the past. 'In this case I was completely blameless. I thought perhaps it was just an issue with this one office and I'd been unlucky, but when I looked at the reviews for Carwiz it seemed to be happening all over Europe. "'They should be investigated." 'We didn't even use the car' 8 Council enforcement officer Tim Hunt, 51, and fiance Rachel Sim, 44, from Barry, South Wales, also picked up a rental from an office operating Carwiz's Bucharest franchise on April 14 this year. They ended up leaving the white Mercedes in their hotel car park for the entirety of their four-day trip - but were still charged over £1,100 for marks on the paintwork Tim says were already there. 'Taxis were so cheap in Romania, we didn't even use the car!' Tim said. When Rachel challenged the rep, he twice barked at her to "Get the the f*** out" of the office, which she recorded on camera. Tim alleged Rachel was also kicked in the shin. His card was charged £1,109 on April 22 after his return to the UK, and he was forced to claim on damage waiver insurance to recover the cash. 'It's almost like admitting you've done something wrong,' Tim said. 'And they're still getting the money. I was fuming!' He left angry reviews of Carwiz on LinkedIn and was subsequently messaged by the company's CEO, Krešimir Dobrilović, who threatened to sue him. Tim said: 'I told him to crack on. In the meantime, I've been in touch with to request they stop using Carwiz.' Tripadvisor reviews reveal other holidaymakers claiming to have almost identical experiences at Carwiz franchises in numerous locations, including Athens, Sicily, and Gdansk. 8 8 It's the same story on Trustpilot, where Carwiz has racked up almost 200 1-star reviews. Tourists complain of being stung in Croatia, Katowice and Crete. A recent survey by consumer advice experts Which revealed a shocking 42 per cent of car renters have been hit by bogus damage claims. They said the issue is 'well known' in the industry and advised taking full damage waiver insurance, inspecting the car inside and out and taking photos. Any damage report should also be photographed, they say. They also suggest demanding evidence of the damage and how repairs are calculated before escalating your complaint. The European Car Rental Conciliation Service can help resolve cross-border disputes. However, only participating companies are bound by the scheme and they tend to be bigger players such as Avis, Enterprise and Hertz. IT'S easy for rip-off car hire merchants to try to ruin your holiday. They can charge you a fortune to repair scratches and bumps, extortionate re-fuelling costs and ridiculous fees for insurance with their bullying tactics. But there are four easy ways to avoid being duped and your dream getaway becoming a holiday from hell. The Sun's Travel Editor Lisa Minot, reporting from Camp du Domaine, in Southern France, shares her top tips that will save you a fortune. Reputable hire companies If the price seems too good to be true, it is too good to be true. When you look at these rip-off merchants that we're seeing increasingly, people have used them because the price was so cheap. Look for reliable, established brands. Go for one of the big brands; it may cost you a little bit more, but in the long run it will work out much better. Insurance rip-off Next, look at exactly what you get included in the price. I never take the excess car insurance from the car hire provider. I always book my own. I've got an annual policy. It's much cheaper. You can buy excess car hire polices in the UK; they are effectively like travel insurance but they protect your car. Should you have an accident, it protects the no claims bonus, and they are very good value. They are accepted by every reputable car hire company; if they try to convince you that you can't use it and you have to buy theirs, that is wrong. There are some very high pressure selling techniques around at the moment, trying to up-sell you various different things. You have to be strong. You don't need to take a policy out, you've taken an excess care hire policy out in the UK. You could also get yourself an annual, or even a two-week excess waiver policy from a specific company in the UK, too. Document dents The one thing you must do when they hand over the keys to the car is make sure that you take as much video and photographic evidence as possible before you leave. Very often they will give you a form where you're meant to mark little crosses where you see dents, scratches and other problems. But do take photos and videos yourself; it's much more important because it's timestamped and means you have incontrovertible evidence to counter any claims, should they come about. It's really important, if you do see any damage on the car when you pick it up, to make sure you have alerted the hire company. You could say to them: "Look, I've noted this damage. Here's my photo of it. I'm going to be returning it with the same damage on the car, because this was here before I hired the car.' Fill up yourself The fuelling policy that your car hire comes with is really important, too. Make sure you choose to refuel yourself and a 'full to full' option. Don't leave it up to the car company to refuel your car at the end of your trip, because that means they are deciding what the price is. It gives you the opportunity to find a cheaper petrol station. Make sure you fill the car up - if you're having to drive five or 10 miles to get back to the care hire company, that's acceptable. We're seeing exactly the same with electric cars now. It's really important that you're in control of where you are recharging because the prices can vary drastically. Book smart Another top tip is make sure you book your hire car with a credit card, because it will give you much more protection than a debit card. But also it means the company will take your deposit, which they hold, from your credit card rather than out your spending money. A spokesperson for Carwiz told The Sun: "At CARWIZ, we categorically distance ourselves from any suggestion that unethical or aggressive practices are in any way part of our business model. "These are isolated incidents that in no way reflect the values, standards, or expectations that we support as a global brand. "We sincerely regret that the potentially injured client did not contact us immediately after the unfortunate event, in order to immediately determine all the circumstances, because it is our goal to prevent all such and possible future unpleasant situations. "Our franchise partner in Bucharest is operating another rental brand alongside CARWIZ from the same physical location. In several cases, vehicles and services appear to have been issued under a different brand identity, while still being processed within a CARWIZ-branded environment, including signage, uniforms, and physical premises. We fully understand how, from the customer's point of view, this leads to the perception that the service is being provided directly by CARWIZ. When staff in CARWIZ uniforms hand over a vehicle from a CARWIZ-branded office, the distinction between brands is understandably blurred, even if the booking, payment, and contract technically fall under a separate company or brand entity. "We are currently conducting a formal internal review and will take the necessary measures to eliminate all forms of dual-branding at CARWIZ locations in the future. "At CARWIZ International, we continuously monitor, audit, and improve our global network to uphold the standards our brand represents. We are committed to ensuring that every customer feels respected, safe, and well-served."
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Meet Britain's real-life SUPERVILLAIN: Eccentric millionaire lives in a bunker beneath a Cold War radar - and is convinced he's going to find UFOs
Some millionaires might be happy frittering away their hard–earned cash on speed boats, golfing holidays, and perhaps the odd football team or two. But William Sachiti is far from your run–of–the–mill businessman. Much more Blofeld than Bill Gates, Mr Sachiti has decided to use his millions in a far less conventional way. Naturally, that meant buying a Cold War RAF base and firing up the radar station to hunt for UFOs. From his 'supervillain lair' in the nuclear bunker beneath former RAF Neatishead, Norfolk, Mr Sachiti is building what may be the world's most sophisticated UFO–hunting machine. But don't let the secluded compound, legions of robots, and enormous leather swivel chair fool you – Mr Sachiti isn't taking his role as Norfolk's latest supervillain too seriously. 'I'm a bit of a hedonist,' Mr Sachiti told Daily Mail from the freezing cold control room beneath the radar station. 'There's no point being the richest man in the graveyard, I just want to have fun and let people track UFOs.' Mr Sachiti, 41, is a British Zimbabwe–born inventor and entrepreneur best known for making autonomous delivery vehicles for the RAF, robots for the NHS, and for a particularly unsuccessful appearance on Dragon's Den. In 2017, Mr Sachiti founded The Academy of Robotics with the goal of developing autonomous vehicles, robots, and AI systems. His crowning achievement was the creation of Kar–go, a company which, in 2019, made the UK's first roadworthy autonomous car. It was this goal, rather than the hunt for extraterrestrials, which actually led Mr Sachiti to make the unusual business decision to purchase a disused RAF radar station. During the height of Cold War paranoia, RAF Neatishead was a key part of the UK's air defence network, keeping a watchful eye out for a potential nuclear attack. However, by the 1990s, the main radar had been decommissioned, and in 2004, the decision was made to significantly scale back activity at the base. For almost two decades, the site lay unused as the hulking green mass of the radar slowly turned brown with rust. But with private roads safely away from the public and buildings ready to become workshops, the base was the perfect place for Mr Sachiti to test his robots. Who is William Sachiti? William Sachiti is the millionaire owner of the Academy of Robotics, a company dedicated to creating autonomous robots. Mr Sachiti was born in 1984 in Harare, Zimbabwe and came to the UK when he was 17. He appeared on Dragon's Den in 2009 with his company 'Clever Bins', but was rejected by all four dragons. In 2011, he founded the digital concierge service mycityventure, which was sold to SecretEscapes in 2014. His most successful venture is the autonomous car company Kar–go, which created the UK's first roadworthy self–driving car. Mr Sachiti purchased the site in early 2022 and converted it into the headquarters of The Academy of Robotics, where he now lives and works. When The Daily Mail came to visit Mr Sachiti at his home on the former base, the site seemed caught somewhere between a graveyard for ageing military equipment and the playground of an eccentric millionaire. A herd of Scottish deer happily graze amid the remains of concrete pillboxes, and the ground is littered with craters made, not by explosions, but by Mr Sachiti himself to form ponds for the flamingos he plans to introduce. 'When I moved in, I thought it was going to look like Tron, but it's starting to look a lot more like Westworld,' Mr Sachiti said as he gave a tour of the grounds. However, the property's most obvious feature is the enormous Type–84 radar that looms over Mr Sachiti's bungalow. This radar was once responsible for tracking and identifying every aircraft moving over the south of the UK, but it hasn't been used in over two decades. Mr Sachiti's conspicuously villainous office is located deep beneath this structure, down a pitch–black corridor lined with enough concrete and steel to withstand a nuclear blast. Although Mr Sachiti freely admits he doesn't 'know anything' about how radars work, what he does know about is making artificial intelligence. He says: 'I have all the documents of how the Type–84 was made and how all the tech works, so what if I fed all this into a super–intelligent AI and turn it into the world's best radar expert? And that's how I made RadarBot.' RadarBot is just one of the many AI assistants who keep Mr Sachiti company in his somewhat solitary existence at the base. As he talks, Mr Sachiti frequently pulls up various AI assistants to explain various topics and, in one instance, couldn't find the light switch since 'the AI normally does that'. At first, I couldn't see why Mr Sachiti, who has a wife and children and seemed extremely sociable, chose to live on the base by himself. However, it soon became clear that everything was not quite right at RAF Neatishead. As we walked around the grounds, we came across one of Mr Sachiti's beloved deer decomposing under a cloth. Just a month ago, Mr Sachiti explained, someone had broken into the compound and killed a number of deer, leaving their bodies on the ground. In another incident, just weeks before our visit, a workshop holding Mr Sachiti's self–driving car was broken into and vandalised. 'I get horrible messages, constant abuse, they shot my animals, and no one takes it seriously,' said Mr Sachiti. 'It does affect me, I don't have my staff here, I can't have my kids here. There's guns being shot on my property, how could I have my kids in the garden? 'I don't have investor days anymore because you never know who's coming or whether they're going to vandalise the place. I wish people would just call it out more when they see people being horrible online for no reason.' In that isolation, however, what Mr Sachiti does have is a nearly endless amount of time and energy to work on new creations and build his AIs. In fact, part of the reason he invited Daily Mail to the base along with a group of his investors and former RAF radar operators was to prove that this system really worked and that he hadn't just 'been spending too much time in the bunker'. 'There's no such thing as done when you're surrounded by a cluster of super–intelligent AIs and you're tinkering until three or four in the morning,' he said. It was in the depths of such an AI–powered late–night tinkering session that Mr Sachiti's UFO–hunting side–hustle began. Buying the base purchase had come with a catch: to get planning permission, he was required to conduct restoration and renovation on the listed buildings – including the Type–84 radar station. With RadarBot's assistance, Mr Sachiti soon had the Type–84's radar receiver up and running, but was stumped as to what he should actually do with it. That's when Mr Sachiti decided to post on Reddit to see what the internet thought. Whether it was a joke or not, the reply soon came back decisively: Mr Sachiti should hunt for UFOs. 'I think what happens when you work in tech for so long is that certain things become intuitive and just look like they should be possible,' said he said. 'Then when people say it's not possible, it just became a bit of a challenge.' Although it might sound bizarre, Mr Sachiti seems to have seen the prospect of turning the UK's Cold War defences into a UFO–hunting network as a nice way to wind down after work. 'Some people have that car they refurbish over the summer, this is my version of that summer car,' said Mr Sachiti. 'I thought, why not? Either it slowly dies or you do something crazy and a lot of people benefit from it'.' But, as seems to be the case with many of Mr Sachiti's pet projects, his experiments with AI and radar systems were soon going well beyond a simple hobby. Since he couldn't use the Type–84's radar illuminator, it being far too power hungry for civilian use, he was limited to the smaller, passive secondary surveillance radar (SSR). So, instead of using the radar itself as the illuminator, Mr Sachiti's solution was to build a computer program that could listen for the signals which are already out there. 'What I thought is that, instead of using something like a BBC broadcast for reflection, I could use a plane in the sky,' Mr Sachiti said. 'I know where its signal is at all times, so what if I use that plane as an illuminator? And the plane next to it, and the one next to that, or all the planes in the sky.' That gives you a near–perfect picture of everything that is moving in the sky in a 150 to 250–mile radius, to a tested accuracy of 250 metres. Using the rather ominously labelled 'Global Domination Mode' to use the signals from every plane in the sky, Mr Sachiti's radar should pick up every large drone flying above London over 100 miles away. What makes this so bold is that anyone with Mr Sachiti's software can either log in and use RAF Neatishead's SSR or grab a £20 Amazon antenna and scan their own 150–mile radius. In theory, the resulting network would be unjammable, undetectable, unspoofable, and almost impossible to trick with existing stealth technologies. With just 20–30 of these antennas placed strategically around the country, nothing would move in the skies above Britain without Mr Sachiti and his network of UFO hunters seeing it. If you want to hunt for UFOs yourself, you can now download this software for free from Mr Sachiti's website to build your own station or search using RAF Neastishead's Type–84. Mr Sachiti says: 'We essentially ended up in the world's biggest UFO database just for fun.' Asked whether he has considered that the software might have military applications, particularly the possible drone hunting capabilities, Mr Sachiti seemed unconcerned. 'I'm a bit of a happy hippy person, for me it's fun and I don't really ever want to make weapons of war,' says Mr Sachiti. 'This is legitimately a UFO hunting machine, but it could be used for other things which I don't have an interest in.' However, Mr Sachiti's decision to create a 'UFO hunting machine' might have been inspired by something more than a desire to have a bit of fun. He said: 'I remember being in Zimbabwe in Africa, watching Star Trek thinking, 'wow!', so my passion for tech came from literal Star Trek.' But it was also during his childhood in Zimbabwe that Mr Sachiti found himself close to one of the most well–documented UFO sightings in history. In 1994, over 60 children at the Ariel school in Ruwa, Zimbabwe, reported seeing a UFO landing in the school grounds. Many reported having encountered a 'being' and were plagued by a terror that would follow many for their entire lives. Mr Sachiti recalls: 'I was in primary school, at a school named Greatstone Park, and we had just had a hockey game with students from the Aerial school. 'Apparently, the school had just seen a UFO land, and it was the talk of all the schools everywhere. 'So in my youth, we were all drawing pictures of UFOs and aliens and things, and I think maybe that dropped a seed, and that's where it started. Personally, Mr Sachiti says that UFOs' '100 per cent exist' but that he isn't convinced that they are extraterrestrial in origin. He says: 'The next model going down from humans is a chimp, right? But although there's only a 0.3 per cent genetic difference, the smartest chimp on Earth doesn't even know we're here. 'It doesn't know about electricity, the Hubble Space Telescope, all this tech. So if there's a being that's as much smarter than us as we are smarter than chimps, we wouldn't even know it was there. 'Nature didn't evolve from snails, go up to chimps, then to humans and stop there. Nature went past that ages ago, we just can't see it.' However, despite his absolute conviction in their existence and having spent months building a system to find them, Mr Sachiti says he's not bothered about looking for UFOs himself. He said: 'A person who makes a shovel isn't going to go digging for gold. 'I've made the tool and it's my job to make it the best tool I can, and when they find aliens, I hope they'll tell me.' WHAT IS RADAR? HIGH-FREQUENCY RADIO WAVES DEVELOPED DURING WW2 TO AID FIGHTER PILOTS Radar is an acronym, which stands for Radio detection and ranging. It uses high-frequency radio waves and was first developed in World War Two to aid fighter pilots. It works in a simple manner, a machine sends out a wave and then a separate sensor detects it when it bounces back. This is much the same way that sight works, light is bounced off an object and into the eye, where it is detected and processed. Instead of using visible light, which has a small wavelength, radar uses radio waves which have a far larger wavelength. By detecting the range of waves that have bounced back, a computer can create an image of what is ahead that is invisible to the human eye. This can be used to see through different materials, in darkness, fog and a variety of different weather conditions. Scientists often use this method to detect terrain and also see to study archaeological and valuable finds. As a non-invasive technique it can be used to gain insight without degrading or damaging precious finds and monuments.
