YBstranded
New member
Similar to the popular gun shop/range horror stories threads you see on firearms sites...
Share some of the dumbest things you've seen, heard, or horrible service you've received at tire shops.
My latest was at the Walmart Tire Center in Clarkston, WA a week ago.
I had never used a Walmart Tire Center before. My preferred shop had gone downhill the past few years and they damaged my rims and improperly balanced my tires the last three times I used them, so I was looking for somewhere new.
Walmart ain't it...
Normally, a tire shop takes about 45 minutes to mount and balance four tires. WM took two hours, and mine was the only vehicle, and there were two "techs".
When I picked it up, they had neglected to wash off the tire gunk on the sides of the tires, scraped up my freshly plasti-dipped rims, left greasy hand prints on the door and door panel, and refused to inflate the new E-rated LT tires to the proper pressure, citing that they only go by the door sticker.
Then, when I left and finally was able to go over 45 mph, the steering wheel started vibrating and shaking from 50 mph to 65 mph.
Since I lived 50 miles from the tire center and didn't want to make another 100-mile round trip to have them damage my vehicle again, I took it to a local tire shop that balanced the tires properly and noticed deep gouges on the inside of the rim surface.
Rims might be physically weakened the gouges are so deep.
Sent an email to Walmart advising them of the poor service and asking for compensation for damages. We'll see how far that goes...
My former shop that I used was the Les Schwab in Moscow, Idaho. I had been going to them for tires and tire work since 1986.
They sold mostly Toyo tires and a couple of off-brands, but the prices were ridiculously high.
And the service had degraded quickly the past few years.
A couple of years ago, I bought a set of Cooper ST MAXX tires online and brought them to that shop for install.
The tire tech snidely mentioned that I should have gone with Toyo. I told him the Coopers were about $100 PER TIRE cheaper. He then said that was because Coopers were garbage.
I picked up my vehicle an hour later and headed home and discovered a bad vibration. Took it back and the tech remarked "see, I told you Coopers were crappy..."
I took it to the Pullman Les Schwab and they checked and said the tires were fine and just weren't balanced properly by the Moscow store.
I heard the other day that Les Schwab is discontinuing their relationship with Toyo and going to start selling... Coopers...
So, any good horror stories?
Share some of the dumbest things you've seen, heard, or horrible service you've received at tire shops.
My latest was at the Walmart Tire Center in Clarkston, WA a week ago.
I had never used a Walmart Tire Center before. My preferred shop had gone downhill the past few years and they damaged my rims and improperly balanced my tires the last three times I used them, so I was looking for somewhere new.
Walmart ain't it...
Normally, a tire shop takes about 45 minutes to mount and balance four tires. WM took two hours, and mine was the only vehicle, and there were two "techs".
When I picked it up, they had neglected to wash off the tire gunk on the sides of the tires, scraped up my freshly plasti-dipped rims, left greasy hand prints on the door and door panel, and refused to inflate the new E-rated LT tires to the proper pressure, citing that they only go by the door sticker.
Then, when I left and finally was able to go over 45 mph, the steering wheel started vibrating and shaking from 50 mph to 65 mph.
Since I lived 50 miles from the tire center and didn't want to make another 100-mile round trip to have them damage my vehicle again, I took it to a local tire shop that balanced the tires properly and noticed deep gouges on the inside of the rim surface.
Rims might be physically weakened the gouges are so deep.
Sent an email to Walmart advising them of the poor service and asking for compensation for damages. We'll see how far that goes...
My former shop that I used was the Les Schwab in Moscow, Idaho. I had been going to them for tires and tire work since 1986.
They sold mostly Toyo tires and a couple of off-brands, but the prices were ridiculously high.
And the service had degraded quickly the past few years.
A couple of years ago, I bought a set of Cooper ST MAXX tires online and brought them to that shop for install.
The tire tech snidely mentioned that I should have gone with Toyo. I told him the Coopers were about $100 PER TIRE cheaper. He then said that was because Coopers were garbage.
I picked up my vehicle an hour later and headed home and discovered a bad vibration. Took it back and the tech remarked "see, I told you Coopers were crappy..."
I took it to the Pullman Les Schwab and they checked and said the tires were fine and just weren't balanced properly by the Moscow store.
I heard the other day that Les Schwab is discontinuing their relationship with Toyo and going to start selling... Coopers...
So, any good horror stories?
I've never used big chain tire shop since (LOL). Small local tire shop (Tire City) is awesome.
