Just bought 4 Kumho Ecsta KU31 tyres from Black Circles and had them fitted at my local branch of ATS.
When I went to collect the car the fitter advised that whilst all tyres were labelled by Kumho as 205x50x16 he had spotted that one was actually a 205x45x16. Apparently he has had this problem before, mainly with Avon tyres, as a result he now always checks the markings on the sidewall when fitting any tyres.
I will now always check new tyres for correct size, irrespective as to what it is labelled, as not all fitters may be as diligent.
Full marks to ATS in Doncaster and many thanks to Black Circle for getting a replacement out next day.
I have yet to see a volume tyre with a wrong label on it. I have however seen the wrong tyres sent, sold to someone else, lost or damaged during fitting.
Nick - it surprised me that Kumho put the wrong label on, particularly since they also print the tyre size around the tread. However it was definitely wrong as I saw the label on the tyre myself.
As soon as the labeling legislation came into force, Europol started detecting Far Eastern tyres appearing on the market with counterfeit labels. A few years earlier, Michelin discovered counterfeit Michelin tyres on the market.