eBay shoppers looking for a bargain are being warned to steer clear of second-hand tyres being sold on the site, after independent testing revealed that half of the used tyres listed on eBay are too dangerous for use and if fitted to a car could put lives at risk.
The warning follows research by Continental Tyres who commissioned technical specialists, to check the safety of the thousands of used tyres that are up for sale on eBay for as little as £5. Twenty used car tyres were purchased and tested to see how they performed in terms of legislation and safety.
Alarmingly, one in five were over the recommended age limit for tyres, meaning that they could fail or ‘blow out’ on the road, a further 20 % contravened the ‘Sales of Goods Act’ by not having a legally-required ‘E’ marking and none of the tyres fully conformed with regulation which says that they should be marked as part worn.
Even more shocking was that two of the tyres were well below the minimum tread depth and were even bald in places.
One tyre was found to have an illegal and dangerous repair and another had been stuck back together with superglue.
Many wrongly believe that buying second-hand tyres is a cheap fix, but what may seem like a bargain at the time could cost a lot more in the long run.
So please tread carefully!
FemaleFirst Jackie Violet