[warzilla]

What would you guys do?

So I brought tires from a fellow member on M3Post. They were Michelin PS2 tires, 19s.

The member is an active member on the forum (I'm not going to name names - at this moment), and had a good etrader record - hence why I was willing to buy these tires for $1200.00 from him. He is located in Atlanta GA, while I was in NJ.

The tires were advertised as pretty new and a few thousand miles on them at best. No issues or defects mentioned in the ad.

The transaction and delivery went smooth.

I get the tires, and they look fine (not mounted on wheels). I bring them to my tire shop (the one I've been going to for years for all my cars), and they mount the tires on my OEM 19 inch rims. Once they mount the tires on my rims, but not yet on the car, my main contact there calls me up. He tells me there are big bubbles on both rear tires. I come by and take a look and yes, theres a huge bubble on each rear tire, both in the inner side of tires. The weird part is that the bubble is in the same exact spot, symmetrically on each tire. My guess, the tires were on a car previously and hit something hard to cause them to bubble at the same spot?

Anyways, I tell the member about the tires and its been an ongoing conversation for months.

First he blamed the tire shop for the bubbles saying they mounted it wrongly and it cause the bubbles on the tires. After talking to my tire guy and asking around, it seems that its a stretch (but would like to get people's view here on this). From what I can tell looking on forums and talking to people that I know who know tires, this is very hard to happen, especially on both tires, and to happening on the same spot.

Then he told me that the Michelin company has a 6-year warranty and will cover the tires for the bubbles as a defect. I went to two separate authorized dealers who looked at the tires, the manufacturing dot dates on the tires and told me that Michelin would not cover these tires for the bubbles (tires were made almost 2 years ago).

So now I have no choice but to buy a new set of tires and told the member that I would like some re-imbusement to help me buy a set of tires (I was planning to buy a set of Hankooks which cost $900.00 at Tire Rack).

Now some things about the member. He has to this point been very communicative and responsive. He feels bad about the situation and initially told me he would be willing to send some money back to me if I went the route of buying new tires (have it in a saved email).

The issue as of now, since I made it clear I am going the route of buying new tires he is crying financial destitute (he is in grad school he claims) and says he has no money to give me but maybe an auto part he has laying around that he has been trying to sell to other members on this forum and maybe send back $100.00 for the mounting costs. I felt it was insultive.

I initially just asked for $300.00 to settle this, and with me selling the front tires (which are fine), I figure I can somewhat cover the cost of the new tires - which is all I want to do now. I'm not a unreasonable guy, and been trying to be fair as possible but I feel we are now at the end of the conversation.

So what would you guys do? Anyone with thoughts/opinions/solutions?