Bridgestone Retail Operations

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:
the transaction in question is less than 100$. Missing 4 months of payments is clearly the result of miscommunication and in no way is it a malicious avoidance of paying a fee. Please remove these charges as it is hindering my credit.
Sincerely
[redacted]

I recently had my car towed to Firestone in Virginia Beach, VA at [redacted] I paid over $1000 for the work that was done to my car.
When I went in on Tuesday get my car Brandon was very short with me when I would try to ask questions about the repairs and any warranties. Once I picked up my car on a Tuesday, the next day I was smelling fumes when I had the heat on. I called back up to Firestone and asked if I could bring tge car back and have them check for any leaks and check my exhaust. We had been having some bad weather I'm the area so I didn't get the car back up to Firestone until that Sunday. I arrived around 9:15am checked the car in and waited. A little after 11am Stephanie came to me and told me that my car would be next. However, an hour later my car still had not been checked, and I watched another customer come in and have their car pulled in to be serviced while I still waited (after I was told I would be next). I went to the desk and asked Stephanie if she knew how long it might be and she told me no. I waited another 2 more hours and watched 2 more cars be serviced before me and around 2pm I went to the desk and told Brandon to just give me my keys I would try another time. Brandon told me that my car was getting ready to be pulled in next. I asked if he was sure because Stephanie had told me that 3 hours ago. He said he was sure. However, at around 3:15pm he called my to the desk and asked if I wanted to make an appointment to come back the next day since they still had not gotten to my car, so I made the appointment. In my time sitting there I over heard a conversation about lifetime alignment warranty. This is something that was never discussed with me, as well as many other things. I couldn't make it in for the appointment that Monday so I rescheduled for that Tuesday. They finally looked at my car and quoted me over $1200 worth of work that needs to be done. After all that waiting they still charged me $9.99 for checking the car (which I paid with no complaints or hesitation). Not happy with the way I was treated but satisfied with the work I decided I would get the car fixed at Firestone again. Yesterday which was March 19th I called Firestone around 6:30pm to make an appointment for the work that they last quoted me. Brandon answered the phone, asked if I could hold, I said yes, but then the phone hung up. A few minutes later I called back, Brandon answered, asked if I could hold, I said yes. I was on hold for over 4 minutes, and when Brandon came back to the phone I told him I wanted to make an appointment. He initially started to say that he couldn't do that right now then he went on to ask if it was for the following day (Friday). I said no, I want to do it Saturday if you have anything available. He then tells me well I can't do it right now I'm the only one at the desk and I have 3 customers who I need to get out the door, can you try back in about 15 minutes. I said ok, but never called back. I just feel like I was being under appreciated as a customer from the very beginning. The time it took for Brandon to unprofesionally let me know he could not help me ,he could have used that time to make an appointment. I would have preferred to stay on hold and eventually have been helped than to be hung up on and put on hold just to get nothing accomplished. Bottom line, the customer service is awful, but I do want thank you Firestone because I have found a better place to repair my car, where they actually value me as a customer, and it is not as expensive.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/07/22) */
Mr. [redacted]'s complaint involves an alleged damage claim issue. This was turned over to our claims department for investigation. An independent inspector was sent out to determine if our store's service caused the failure. He indicated...

that our service did not cause or contribute to the failure. Additionally, Mr. [redacted] was informed prior to our service that he had a serious bearing issue and he refused service. The not on his invoice (which he signed) stated that this repair should be done as soon as possible. A review of the claims investigation supported the denial of his claim.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2014/07/22) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
Firestone operates service guarantee that states, " We promise that the services we perform will be fixed right the first time. If the automotive repair or service was performed improperly, then we will re-preformed the service at no additional charge." Firestone employee damaged vehicle while it was under direct supervision and care. A review of the evidence illustrates, the vehicle needed to be towed from Firestone (due to damage caused by Firestone) to dealership where items were repaired and replaced. Insurance estimate and photo illustrates damage. Dealership also wrote letter of support in favor of customer.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 13, 2014/07/31) */
As previously stated there was a pre-existing bad bearing that Mr. [redacted] decline replacement. It appears this bearing may have caused the axle damage. The independent inspector found no fault with our store's service. Our store manager had offered to replace the warped rotor for him but had to back off due to the insurance claim that was made by Mr. [redacted]. The warpage in the rotor could have been caused by the warehouse improper stocking or possible over torquing of lug nuts. No way to confirm since the dealer removed the lugs prior to finding the warped rotor. Torque cannot be confirmed. Since the rotor was found to be warped we believe that Mr. [redacted] should be reimbursed for that replacement in the amount of $143.70 plus tax. As for the axle damage there would be no assistance and his claim with us has been denied.
Final Consumer Response /* (4200, 11, 2014/07/24) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
No solution was offered by merchant.
Insurance took photos of damage while still at firestone. Insurance comprehensive claim was not possible due to Manager of Firestone location accepted fault and then changed his mind when informed insurance was involved. Insurance also provided estimate to repair. Firestone unwilling to make right. Firestone Manager also offered to exchange brakes with Dealership due to quality of brakes and refused to do so when insurance estimate was provided to customer. Vehicle was then towed on flatbed to dealership after insurance agent took photos. Dealership repaired vehicle and provided document detailing concurring opinion that it was fault of Firestone. Customer incurred repair cost. Insurance paid for rental. Dealership allowed Mr. [redacted] to take photo of damage caused by Firestone teammate. Mr [redacted] like any customer has right to get vehicle repaired anywhere they wish. Mr. [redacted] is still waiting on claim payment.

Ive been a loyal customer of Firestone for the last 10 years. They used to be a place that I could trust to give me a fair price and good service. The last 3 years has been the exact opposite. The extreme lack of customer service has been enraging. I understand that cars take a while to fix and look at. But it takes the company over 8 hours just to look at my car, after making an appointment 3 days before hand. They then messed up my cars brakes three times consecutively. Each time I had to take it back to Firestone and waste a whole day just for them to fix their problems. They also try to get you to buy parts for your car they deem "needs to be replaced" even though you had the parts replaced less than one month earlier. I recently filed a complaint with the 1-800 line about them not honoring their warranty. They said a regional manager will contact me within 24hrs. It took the said regional manager 48hrs to contact me. I then called him back the next morning since he placed a call with me after 5pm. I then had to continue to call the regional manager and send an email just so he would contact me back. After finally making contact 3 days later, the manager said he would contact me the following day after 12pm. Which he didn't, and I had to call him at 4pm. After talking to him at 4pm, he said he would have a resolution for me the following day by lunch time. I didn't hear from him again until later that day after I called the 1-800 number to have my issue addressed with the district manager. The issue still hasn't been resolved and I will no longer pursue resolution. I will no longer be a customer of Firestone and I will never recommend their services to anyone.

I took my vehicle to Firestone for object stuck in a tire. Was told the damage was to severe to be repaired. When I asked for cost to repair I was quoted 155.00 - I only paid 129.oo for set of tires 3 months prior. When I complained they dropped price to 122.95
After paying for the tire replacement I asked to see the damaged tire. The service manager got real nervous and delay bringing tire up front for my inspection. The pice of metal in the tire had only stuck in the surface of the tire tread. There was no damaged to the tire yet they told me the tire as damaged beyond repair. If I had not of asked to see the tire they would of gotten away with selling me a tire that I did not need. They were trying to screw me around. The only good thing they did refund my money but they are out a tire and will never get my business again.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 10, 2015/08/27) */
Contact Name and Title: D.[redacted] - AM Charlotte
Contact Phone: XXXXXXXXXX
Contact Email: [redacted]@bfrc.com
Case was forwarded to 3rd party inspection company that confirmed our oil change process has properly completed and the process...

did not create any damage to the vehicle. The General Motors Corporation recommends 5w-30 weight motor oil be used in the engine, which is what was used. If the customer feels that the oil itself created the issue with the engine problem he is experiencing, I would recommend contacting the Kendall Oil Company. I did contact Kendall's technical department (XXX) XXX-XXXX which confirmed changing from full synthetic to semi and even changing weights of the oil from 0w to 5w will not create an internal engine issue. We consider this case closed.

I took my truck in to get it serviced. I was also having issues with my battery. I got there at 9:15am because I had to charge my battery again. I chose to do the diagnostic service and they replaced the battery but also told me that the pitman idle and arm need to be replaced so I agreed to it. They did not get done with the work until 6:00PM. I was there about 10 hours waiting. They claimed that they could not get the old part off. For all parts and labor they charged me over$1,000 and when I researched the parts they were much cheaper. I felt I got majorly ripped off and I will never go there again. I noticed when I got home with my truck that my hood doesn't close like it should and heard something smack down when I was waiting for my truck in the back and the person I spoke to said it was nothing. It was something and I feel it was my truck hood which is uneven now. I feel they are all out to take all of your money and make recommendations that your vehicle doesn't even need. I shouldn't of had to wait so long there either. almost 10 hours? Give me a break. What a joke.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/04/29) */
Please have Mr. [redacted] visit one of our Firestone Complete Auto Care facilities in his area for a free tire inspection to determine if the tires fall within the warranty guidelines.

This complaint was sent to the Area Manager to review/resolve with customer. As of 11/20/15, he indicated in our internal system that he:
"TALKED TO CUSTOMER AND THEY TOOK CAR TO THEIR MECHANIC WHO FOUND THE RADIATOR TO BE CRACKED AND ALSO THE OVERFLOW TANK. REPAIRED BOTH AND IS GOING TO...

DRIVE TO SEE IF ANY FURTHER ISSUES. CUSTOMER IS GOING TO E-MAIL ME INVOICE AND I WILL REIMBURSE FOR COST OF REPLACEMENT."-Per the Area Manager, Nicholas [redacted].

Stopped in for a routine air pressure check. Employee seemed disinterested and rude.

My son took his vehicle to the Firestone on University Bv in Winter Park Fl on 12/23 for service. He had placed a $238 purse he had purchased for a Christmas gift in the trunk prior to leaving home. When he got home the purse was missing. He returned to the store and was told there was nothing that could be done. We have sought justice on social media and ask for a reimbursement for the theft. I own the vehicle he brought in and have used Firestone for all our vehicles, but not at this location. I will never use Firestone again.

Thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention. We appreciate feedback from our customers as we are then made aware of problems that we need to address going forward to better our business. We apologize for any inconvenience that we may have caused, and we would like to make things right...

as we truly value your business. An internal case was set up for the Area Manager to review and resolve. After further review, the Area Manager indicates that they are refunding you for the additional repairs needed in effort to resolve this matter. Again, we apologize for the trouble this issue has caused and we hope to see you back in the future!

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 10, 2015/06/18) */
The service manager has left mutilple messages for the customer to bring her car in so he can take a look at the brakes with no response. We had the same incident with this customer 2 years ago, and they also never brought the vehcile...

in at that time for us toinspect the car.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 12, 2015/06/19) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
This is not an acceptable answer. Both times I was told I needed new brakes, and both times I took my car for a second opinion and both times I was told by my [redacted] dealership that I do not need new brakes.
I do not have to bring my car in for a "re-inspection." The assertion that I do is contrary to good customer service. This branch should be thoroughly embarrassed that they've been caught yet again trying to sell expensive parts and services that are not warranted.
I spoke to a DIFFERENT manager there today who said he will refund the cost of my faulty inspection, as he should. However, I believe the Revdex.com needs to continue investigating this branch's nasty habit of providing deliberately false information to customers on a habitual basis. I am happy to provide a copy of my second safety inspection from [redacted] which was given a rating of PASS.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 15, 2015/06/22) */
We went ahead and refunded the customer their money. We still need a chance to inspect the vehcile which we have not gotten.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/09/18) */
This case was submitted to our claims department for resolution on 9/8/2015 - Case #XXXX-XXXXXXX-C.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2015/10/02) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the...

business.)
I submitted a claim to Bridgestone/Firestone corporate 5 to 6 weeks ago. We heard ONCE from a claim associate a week into filing the claim. We have not heard one word back since then. We have tried contact the claims associate but AGAIN, ZERO correspondence in return. My perception is that I am being ignored in an attempt that I will go away. This claim has not been taken seriously and this is not a resolution. I will be seeking additional course of action to expedite resolution of my claim.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2015/10/06) */
The claims advisor, Gil [redacted] was in contact with the customer on 10/05 and requested copies of invoices from the shops that have inspected the vehicle.
His email to the customer was as follows:
MR. [redacted],
I APOLOGIZE FOR THE LATE RESPONSE. THE LAST TIME WE SPOKE YOU STATED YOU WOULD SEND ME INVOICE FROM TWO DIFFERENT SHOPS WERE YOU HAD THE VEHICLE INSPECTED EXPLAINING THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. I HAVE NOT RECEIVED THE INVOICES. CAN YOU EMAIL THEM TO ME FOR REVIEW? THE NEXT STEP IN THE PROCESS WOULD BE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO A CERTIFIED SHOP SO AN INSPECTOR CAN VERIFY THE CAUSE OF FAILURE AND A REPAIR ESTIMATE CAN BE OBTAINED.
GIL [redacted]

My first problem came in the form of a lack of permission/being informed. It was not until AFTER I had paid for my repair that I was informed that a USED part had been placed in my vehicle. Granted, I was appreciative that the mechanic "Did it to save me some money", however, when I am not even given the choice or informed of such a development, that sets off a huge red flag in my mind. It made me think how many other people have they done this to? My second issue came when I drove my vehicle off the property. They very first time I braked, they was a noticeable grinding sound. I could feel it in my foot and hear it clear as a bell. And it did not stop after a little bit of driving. So I gave them a call that day and told them something was wrong with the repair. They said bring it in, so I did. This time I had a close friend/co-worker drive the vehicle back to the business, just to get a second opinion. He (my coworker) confirmed my suspicions. So once again, another red flag went off in my head. How could they have missed this if they supposed "test-drove" it? Or did they just back it out of the garage and call it good. My third issue was when they said I would have to PAY for a new part to be put in; the same part that they apparently did not put in correctly the first time. That was another red flag. They wanted me to pay AGAIN for a service I had already paid for and had not been done correctly. After stating my case, we came to a mutual agreement that the labor would be free, but the cost of the part was up to negotiations (whether I pay for it or not). It was not until I returned to work and looked on my invoice and when my coworker found Firestone's Fixed Right Guarantee on their corporate website. A promise that my repairs would be done correctly the FIRST time and if not, the service will be preformed correctly at no additional charge to me. Not once did this come up in my discussion with the mechanic. So does that mean that I personally have to bring attention to Firestone's own promise in order for it to be valid? That is several red flags there. Do they not stand behind their "Fixed Right Guarantee" promise? I'm sorry but that just seems dishonest and shady to me. I wish that was everything, but it is not. After leaving my vehicle to get it fixed right, I get call from Firestone, saying that they have more information. So when I call, it turns out that the USED part was fine, there was more than the initial repair that was supposedly wrong. Wait, so not only was my car making weird noises, but when I return it to them the part is not bad and they "find" more problems? Not only that, but the repair is over $1200 (double my original bill)? Where did this come from? I already spent almost $600 trying to get this handled. Now they want more money from me to fix repairs that just "suddenly" appeared? Did these problems not exist until after the repair? Where did all of this come from? If they would have test-drove my vehicle the first time, heard the noise and investigated properly, I just wonder how much quicker this would have been resolved. I had to wait almost a week to get all this resolved. Friends and coworkers had to give me rides to and from work every day and I live out of town from my job. So not only was I inconvenienced, but I had to be an inconvenience to close friends. I went to this company because it was a well-reviewed establishment and a name I thought I could trust. Now I am second-guessing everything and am pretty sure I will not be coming back to that shop. Though they did well to make me feel welcome, I left that establishment feeling cheated and exploited. If that is how they want to run their business, that's fine, but they wont be getting any more patronage from me.

On Sunday March 20,2016 I was at 6810 Loch Raven BLVD to get a wheel alignment, I do have lifetime warranty on maintenance as far as the wheel alignment is concerned however I drove in around 109 a.m. I was told I had 2 cars in front of me so I said ok you can call me when your done So they called my fiancé to tell her they were done but the battery was dead I said well can your charge my battery especially when I was told the headlights were left on of coarse the battery will be dead. They told me no we tried .But my truck was on the parking lot how it got there I don't know When they refuse to give me a jumpstart to my battery I flagged down a roadside assistance person asked if they would assist me they did truck started right up I really think Firestone's actions were unprofessional negligence poor customer service very unsatisfactory thought I let the Revdex.com know what I went through with Firestone where they stay say customers matter Not true.

Thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention. We appreciate feedback from our customers as we are then made aware of problems that we need to address going forward to better our business. We apologize for any inconvenience that...

we may have caused, and we would like to make things right as we truly value your business. An internal case was set up and the Area Manager or Store Manager should be following up with you to discuss a solution. We were informed that they did offer to have the State Police review their recommendations.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/07/22) */
Contact Name and Title: Dana [redacted] Area Manager
Contact Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX
Contact Email: [redacted]@bfrc.com
I refunded the amount requested to the customer and apologized. I could not verify the customer complaint of having to sign up...

for a credit card in order to inspect the vehicle nor that we would not give the vehicle back if they did not perform the repairs. The teammate involved said this is not what occured.

Thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention. We appreciate feedback from our customers as we are then made aware of problems that we need to address going forward to better our business. We apologize for any inconvenience that we may have caused, and we would like to make things right...

as we truly value your business. An internal case was set up for the Area Manager to review and resolve. The Area Manager has requested a refund for $180.78 in efforts to resolve this matter.