AutoSock, High Performance size 600, one pair,...

AutoSock were launched in Norway in 2002 after a long period of testing, evaluation and improvement. Sales have grown exponentially, with over 330,000 pairs sold around Europe last winter, mostly on recommendation. When you've had the opportunity to test them for real you'll soon realise why. Most people are not only surprised but astonished at the difference they make to general traction, cornering, and braking.

"This cheap alternative to snowchains or to winter tyres is staggeringly easy to fit... I used them while driving in the French Alps last week and can confirm they are absolutely superb." (Nat Barnes, AA Motoring Writer of the Year)

They're also now approved by many car manufacturers, including BMW, Fiat, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, and VW.

The bottom line is that AutoSock will provide a massive boost in all round confidence when driving on ice and snow, and hopefully "Get you home" or to wherever you're going, but don't overcook it, i.e. you should always drive with particular care in wintry conditions.

Each set contains:

• one pair of AutoSock
• a pair of disposable gloves to protect your hands and cuffs from e.g. wet and dirty car bodywork

Full instructions are shown on each bag which is also designed for easy and clean carrying of dirty AutoSock once you've taken them off the wheels (pull them off with the orange straps).

There's only one possible way to fit AutoSock, and no practice is required.

Please note that AutoSock will wear out with use, and that worn out AutoSock is not a guarantee issue! They'll get you moving and keep you moving - see the "Driving with AutoSock" page (one of the tabs above) for more information.

Please test them at the first good opportunity, and then pass the word!

We're also showing you a range of other winter motoring products which we're selling here at market leading prices, including a snow and ice windscreen protector at only £2.95, a telescopic snow shovel at £9.95, and a snow brush for £5.95 - all of these items are almost essential kit for winter weather.

AutoSock are taking robust action against patent infringement and want their customers to be aware of the situation; these notes are a summary of their recent statements on this issue.

AutoSock created and developed the "car snow sock" concept, and is the registered holder of all relevant patents. Their main European Patent is EP 1165329 which is operational in all European countries. They have similar patent protection in North America and Japan.

After the last two UK and Irish winters there are unprecedented numbers of copies in these markets; legal activity for patent infringement is either in progress or may be taken against many of these distributors and resellers, some of whom are household names and must have been very badly advised.

Some of the copies and counterfeits are relatively very cheap - as products can be if there are no research and development costs, and if materials and manufacture are of poor quality.

We hope that our potential fleet customers in particular will wish to be confident that the products they use have proper product liability insurance, as AutoSock has.

Some of the distributors of copy products seem to be taking leave of their senses and are making increasingly extravagant claims. These might include

• statements about German and Austrian testing agency approvals (TÜV and ÖNORM). Some do indeed have these approvals; some claim to have them but do not.
• statements about the patents they have registered. This is a "smoke and mirrors" trick, designed to deceive. We usually use a wrist watch as an analogy for this sort of activity: AutoSock has patented the bit of the watch that tells the time, the relevant bit; others have taken out irrelevant patents on e.g. the strap fixings, but they still attach the "patented" word to the whole product.
• Warnings to "Beware of copies!" (Some credit should be given to resellers who have at least attempted to write their own copy instead of lifting it from official AutoSock sites!)
• Warnings to "Beware of Chinese copies," apparently forgetting that their products are themselves made in China. There is nothing wrong with being "Made in China" - what is foolish is to presume that the factories who make and sell this stuff at knockdown prices are authorised to do so.

Recent EU court decisions include:

• A preliminary injunction against Siepa and its Austrian and German distributors by the Higher District Court of Düsseldorf, Germany. The penalty for a violation of the judgment is up to €250,000 per incident. Siepa brands include Goodyear and Fix&Go.
• An injunction against the Trendy distributor in Norway by the Court of Telemark. Trendy branded products have been withdrawn.
• A preliminary injunction against one embodiment of WeissSock by the Higher District Court of Düsseldorf. The penalty for a violation of the judgment is up to €250,000 per incident.
• A preliminary injunction against one embodiment of MultiGrip by the Higher District Court of Düsseldorf. The penalty for a violation of the judgment is up to €250,000 per incident.

AutoSock are a product that really make a difference every time you use them. Here's some recent feedback:

Sent: 04 December 2010

Thought others may benefit from my experience, should there be any doubts about purchasing Autosocks. There I was on a steep un-classifed road in deepest Wales, sliding backwards towards the drop off and stream below...imagine the panic. So the car does stop just before the plunge, but how to get out of this very precarious position? Enter the autosocks from the boot. 5 minutes of slipping on the road, struggling to stand up, whilst putting them on was the worst part. Set off, no spin, full grip, effortless. Just like magic. If you don't get some of these for the just in case factor then you will be stuck at the side of the road looking very glum....

Sent: 23 December 2009 19:30
To: InfoatTheRoofBoxCompany
Subject: Satisfied Customer

Hi everyone,

I would just like to say that I purchased a pair of autosocks for my Skoda Fabia in anticipation of the winter to come. Low and behold, today was the day of reckoning! I found myself caught in unexpected snow fall which left the roads barely passable even with 4x4's. I was actually on a steep hill amongst other failing traffic. I lost all traction and decided to fit the 'socks. Fitting was as easy as described and demonstrated by yourselves, so far so good. I proceeded to pull off, no wheel spin just forward movement. I drove for a further 7 miles home in bad conditions in and out of struggling vehicles whose drivers must think Skoda's are the winter car. Whilst stopped, some curious looks were thrown towards my front wheels. I have been driving for over 30 years and can honestly say they are the best motoring purchase I have made. I would recommend them to anyone as an emergency get you home aid, and in my opinion, they should be made compulsory carrying during the winter months. Please forward this mail to whoever you see fit.

Merry Christmas and thanks again.

Here are some notes about what to expect from AutoSock, and some tips about how to get the best use from them:

General driving tips

• First of all, please read the instructions, especially the comment “Avoid spinning the wheels, extreme braking and acceleration, since this could damage the product.”
• The usual rules of driving in snow apply, i.e. pull off slowly, stay in as high a gear as possible, “anticipate” even more than normal, avoid hard braking.
• The speed limit of 30mph / 50kph will seem quite fast enough on snow. It is a maximum speed, not a recommended speed!

How long will they last?

• Fundamentally, the more you drive on clear roads / gritted tarmac, the faster they will wear out and the sooner you will need to buy another set.
• They are a “Get you out of trouble” solution and are not intended for prolonged use. You will probably use them to get down to the gritted road, then you take them off ASAP it is safe to do so.
• From the instructions: “The wear limit is reached as soon as 50% of the white road-contact fabric is worn out and the underlying black safety material has become visible.”
• You will find that small holes start to appear as they become worn. This is no big deal and will not affect their performance until it becomes obvious that they are looking ragged and well worn – then they need replacing. If they are ripped, this is due to snagging on e.g. a loose mudguard, a loose screw on a wheel arch liner, some other third party influence. (If you hear them catching on something, stop and sort it out!)
• There are bands of Kevlar running across the AutoSocks; these provide overall strength, help to prevent the socks from splitting after misuse, and help prevent holes from spreading.
• Overall, use your commonsense about how long to use them, and of course and where possible you should avoid potholes, raised manholes etc.

Fitting them

• Fitting is very easy on most vehicles, more difficult on a few. The most difficult vehicles to fit are – no surprise – rear wheel drive cars with limited clearance. If you can’t get your forearms into the space between the wheel and the wheel arch, fitting will be difficult. But blame the car, not the AutoSock! If they are a very tight fit, too tight, please let us know because there is obviously a size issue that we need to learn about.

Specific driving tips

Some suggestions for situations where AutoSock are not making the difference expected:

• On a rear wheel drive car, uphill slope, sheet ice: You need some weight in the boot – it makes all the difference. Don’t just spin the wheels and trash the AutoSock.
• On a hill in really slushy snow. You may drive forward then slip. The AutoSock are sticking to the snow but there isn’t enough strength in the snow to hold the weight of the vehicle. Roll back down a few feet, compressing the snow and driving out the water. Then try again, moving further up the hill than before. Three steps up, two back.

Here is AutoSock's own short presentation (3.95MB):

AutoSock may now be used in France as an equivalent snow chain product. Here is an extract from the Gendarmerie web site which those going to France would do well to print out and take with them, just in case the local Gendarmerie questions this change in regulations:

Click here to visit the Gendarmerie website link

Here is an extract. We have moved the "Les chaussettes" section to the top of the list:

Pneus à clous, chaînes...tout ce que vous souhaitez savoir sur les équipements spéciaux avant de prendre la route.

Les chaussettes:

Elles sont autorisées et utilisables en présence du signal B26 si la marque qui les distribue a bien notifié sur l'emballage que leur produit est utilisable en présence de ce panneau. Equipé de chaussettes, un véhicule doit respecter une vitesse limite, fixée par le constructeur, de 50km/h. Afin d'éviter une usure rapide, elles ne doivent pas être utilisées sur sol sec. Ces équipements de substitution ne peuvent, en aucun cas, remplacer des chaînes traditionnelles dans des conditions extrêmes.

Les pneus cloutés ou à crampons:

L'arrêté ministériel des Transports du 18 juillet 1985 stipule que ces dispositifs peuvent être utilisés du samedi précédant le 11 novembre au dernier dimanche de mars de l'année suivante. Si les conditions atmosphériques l'exigent et après avis du directeur départemental de l'Equipement, les préfets peuvent modifier les dates de la période d'utilisation effective prévue ci-dessus.

La vitesse maximum de déplacement est limitée à 90km/h pour les voitures particulières équipées de pneus cloutés ou crampons, mais également pour les transports de marchandises d'un PTAC inférieur ou égal à 3,5 tonnes et pour les transports en commun de personnes.

Les chaînes:

Elles sont autorisées seulement sur les routes enneigées, quelle que soit l'époque. Elles deviennent obligatoires sur les tronçons de route enneigée munis d'un panneau « équipements spéciaux obligatoires » ( signal B26).

Les « pneus contact » ou « pneus neige »:

Leur utilisation n'est pas règlementée. Toutefois, sur les tronçons équipés du signal B26, si la mention « pneus neige admis » n'est pas précisée, le conducteur devra utiliser des chaînes.

Sources: Sirpa Gendarmerie

Delivery charges and arrangements:

We charge a contribution towards delivery costs, depending on what you order, where you live, and how quickly you want the goods.

For most UK addresses, the charge for our two to three day service is £5.50 (£9.50 for orders including a roof box) and our charge for Next Working Day deliveries is £8.50 (£12.50 for orders involving a roof box). AutoSock, and small spare parts, are charged £3.95 (1st Class post) or £5.50 (express courier, usually Next Working Day).

There are different charges for any delivery including a sea crossing, and deliveries to Skye - we will contact you with a quote on receipt of order.

Orders for Next Working Day delivery need to be received by 4.00pm.

There are no deliveries on Saturdays, Sundays or Bank Holidays. Next Working Day orders placed on a Friday will be delivered on the Monday, Next Working Day orders placed on a Saturday will be delivered on the Tuesday.

We are very flexible with our deliveries and will aim to deliver on a day and at an address which suits you. Goods can usually be left without signature - we prefer this with roof boxes. There's a "Special Delivery Instructions" box in the checkout area where we'll ask you to choose a typical instruction and then amend it to suit your particular requirements.

No retailer or courier company can ever "guarantee" a Next Working Day delivery. All courier companies occasionally have the same transport problems as can happen to everyone else, including snow blocked roads, closed roads, traffic jams, mechanical breakdown, an inability to find the delivery address, or to gain access to it if, for example, it's in a block of flats. We work with some of the best couriers in the business, and overall they provide an outstanding service.