Are gravel drives paving the road to refunds?

HAVE suppliers mis-sold driveway gravel to millions of households up and down the country? According to reader Paul Kemp, and several experts I have spoken to, the answer could be “yes”. Paul ordered gravel for his Birmingham driveway from an online supplier.The advert clearly labelled the gravel he purchased as “driveway aggregates”. But since laying the surface in March 2019, he’s had two punctures on his car. On the second occasion, the tyre was just four months old. So Paul asked at the tyre centre how this could have happened. The first question they asked was, “Do you have a gravel driveway?”. They explained they often saw problems caused by the material.

Paul’s story caught my attention as I also have a gravel driveway, as will many other readers of this column.

I asked several car experts for their views and was astonished by the response. I was informed punctures can easily be caused by gravel driveways if you are not supplied with “constructiongrade” stones.

A quick internet search revealed many online suppliers advertise and sell non-construction grade gravel for use on drives. I then discovered a second issue with gravel – it can cause your car to rust.

This, I am told, is because dust and dirt collect in the stones then stick to the bottom of your vehicle. They naturally hold moisture and this promotes rust.

Furthermore, experts warn gravel contains chemicals or has a high iron content, which can also affect the underside of your vehicle.

So, have consumers been mis-sold gravel for their drives?

Where the material is not construction grade yet is described as “driveway aggregates” or similar, my view is potentially yes. Clearly, it could cause punctures and – contrary to the Consumer Rights Act – is not be “fit for purpose”. The rust issue is more difficult to pin down, but is an interesting legal argument.

Paul has asked for a refund from his supplier plus the cost of his tyres. We will see what transpires.