Bridgestone Retail Operations

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:
Sincerely,
[redacted]...

The business did not respond.  I received a phone message from the business with a call back number and made numerous attempts to call the person back but my return calls were not taken.  Firestone has a history of consumer abuse and their business is structured to make consumer contact difficult.  This transaction to which my complaint is directed is  a  crime, not simply a mistake or poor customer service.  The state attorney general has indicated they would be interested in details on this matter.  When the Revdex.com endorses a company with this integrity consumers become aware that the Revdex.com is certainly not looking out for them.

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 this matter directly with you.
Again, we apologize for the situation and we hope we can make things right!

On Feb 13, 2015 I went to a Firestone Repair Center, on Ventura Bl, in Encino, Ca to have service done on my car. I had Firestone replace my Transmission fluid, Brake Fluid and Radiator fluid. I waited for 2 to 3 hours approximately and it the lady at the front desk told me my car was ready. She went over everything that was done on my Vehicle and I signed the paperwork and left. On March 16 when going to work I was parking my car and noticed smoke coming from the engine. I turned off the engine and check the hood for extreme heat and before I could touch the hood I noticed fluid all over the ground coming from my Vehicle and then opened the hood and smoke started coming out from the engine. My first thought maybe it was the radiator fluid hose broke, but that wasn't the case. I touch the fluid on the ground and it was transmission fluid coming from my car that leak out. I noticed a trail of fluid from where I had stop and where I was coming from, so who knows how long it had been leaking and I drive 2 1/2 miles to work. I waited until Firestone was open for business and called and told the manager what had happened, so he told me to call a tow truck to have the car towed to him so then could look at it and find out what was the problem. Later that day I get a call from the manager and he told me that the clamp for the transmission fluid hose wasn't clamped on properly, causing it to leak out like it did. I ask the manager if there was any damage to my transmission and he told me that the place where the send my car for transmission service looked at it and found nothing. So I get my car back and drove home. When I was driving and turning left my car was taking to long to shift into 3rd gear and I thought to myself that doesn't sound or feel right. But the time I got back to firestone they were already closed for the evening and I had to work the next day. So I took my car to work and noticed the same thing, my car wasn't shift properly especially when I turn left. So I had a family member come over to my work and pick up my car and have it check out again. I told the manager what I was experiencing and it need to be looked at again. So The Manager sent my car to the transmission shop a few mile down the street. I get a call from Firestone Manager and he told me they found nothing and all the fluid was at the right level. So I take my car back and started to drive it and still notice the same thing still happening. I thought to myself, Firestone said the my car was fine so I believed them and continued to use my car with that same problem. Then I notice something else happening to my car. After the car is warmed up or hot my car would stall and turn off when I come to a complete stop, and when I started it up it took a bit for my engine to turn over. Mind you this has been happening for over a year since Firestone told me my car was ok. When I tried to sell my car and had it inspected the person who drove and tested my car told me that something isn't right with my car. It has to go to 3000 to 4000 rpm to get into 3rd gear when turning left. I mention to him that I just had the transmission service and Firestone told me everything was ok. The gentleman told me to take it back to them and have them look at it again. So I take it back to Firestone again and told them what was happening. So Firestone looked at my car and called me the next morning and told me everything was ok and there was nothing wrong. I mention to the manager did you drive the car when it was cold or did you wait until the car was hot. The manager told me they just turn on the car drove it around and came back and told me it was fine. I said the the manager you need to drive the car when it is hot this is when I am having the problems with the car stalling, and the shifting when I take off and turn left. So he kept my car and had it checked again. Five hours later at 3pm I get a call from Firestone and I spoke to the manager and he told me they had found something. My fluid was low and it wasn't changing gears properly. He said to me we don't do the service here and if I would be willing to take it to a shop they recommend to have it looked at. I asked the manager why would you tell me my car is fine and the fluid is at the proper level and then tell me now its low and you found a problem, he had no comment. So I took the business card and went to the transmission shop that was recommend. When I left my car over night I mention to the service person and told him what I had told the Firestone manager so he said he would check out my car tomorrow. Tomorrow comes and the service person calls me and tell me there is a problem with my car and that I need to have a service done on my transmission in order to see what was wrong. So I get a call from the transmission service person and he sent me a picture text of what was found. He told me that I was two quarts low and my pan was leaking. I asked him why would the Firestone Manager tell me everything is fine and you are telling and showing me there is a problem. The service person told me my car might not last another 10000 miles. So I told him to call the Firestone Manager that he is going to have to pay for it the service because I will not. So Firestone paid for the service and I am going to have my transmission check again to see if the pan is leaking. The bottom line is I paid for the service provided by Firestone and the straight out lied to me three times, and I am making payment on their card for something they didn't even do. This is not right and they need to be held accountable for what they do. I will not pay anything on a service that never happened but I was charged for. I am looking into a way to sue Firestone for their lies and incompetence, and failure to do their job, and claimed to do a job that wasn't really done. I don't recommend Firestone to anyone, they are a bunch of crooks and liars!!!!

We received confirmation that the customer was sent E-statements that were successfully delivered each month. 
See CFNA's statements below:
In April 2013 payment in full was received late, $19.00 late fee added.  9/9/16 He contacted CFNA we credited the fees and cleared the pay history because the balance was due to a late fee. He made a purchase on the same day 9/9/13 a  for $169.97 no payment received until 2/10/14. E-statements were successfully delivered each month to the same email  [redacted]@gmail.com since 1/2013.

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, we would like to refund the $79.99 to resolve this matter. We are processing the refund check today and you should receive it within 5-7 business days. Again, we apologize for the trouble this issue has caused and we hope to see you back in  future!

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 indicated that he has reached out to you and made arrangements for you to take the vehicle to another one of our locations. They will also be providing a rental while they get this issue taken care of. Please follow up with the Area Manger for any further questions/concerns. Thank you.

This firestone is a bunch of crooks! I took my vehicle to them in July for antifreeze leaking they charged me $700 to fix the problem. Now 6 months later I am having the same problem. Of course it might be same problem but they have a different $800 solution for it!! I feel they did not do a good examination the first time and I replaced an unnecessary part. Also, half the charges on the second invoice are the same as first ones I already paid for!! How many thermostats can a car need? This is my 6th car I've had and only 2nd that needed a thermostat and it needs a new one every six months, really.

Dropped off car for an oil change and a state inspection. Received phone call stating the windshield wipers needed to be replaced to pass inspection. Called back the store and stated that I had just replaced the windshield wipers. They quickly back peddled, stating that they were streaking and that it was an optional replacement. Upon picking up the car the cashier was on a personal call and failed to even acknowledge me. It was not until 10 minutes later did a another sales representative emerge from the back to cash me out. Over all very dissatisfactory service that left me feeling cheated and ripped off.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2014/02/18) */
Mr. [redacted] was contacted by our claims department and requested to have the vehicle examined by a shop of his choice to determine the cause of failure. On [redacted] 14th our claims department requested to know if the inspection had...

been performed yet. However, Mr. [redacted] has not responded yet. He can contact Mr. [redacted] at XXX-XXX-XXXX to discuss his claim or let him know when the car will be inspected.

Complaint: 11088097
I am rejecting this response because:
This information is not accurate...

in its entirety.  I was not reimbursed anything.  My mechanic was reimbursed in the amount of $1369.00 due to equipment replacement costs, prorated service hours, and discounted rental car fees.  I, the plaintiff, received nothing except my car finally being repaired, after sitting void of oil for more than a month.  If we're going to report on things, let's be honest about them, Firestone.
Sincerely,
Yvette [redacted]

I purchased 4 new tires at 109,000 miles with a 50,000 mile warranty. I went today to have them rotated and was told by the Firestone Manager that all 4 tires were bad. I told him I had 144,000 miles on my truck so I have warranty left on the tires, he just insisted on selling me 4 new tires telling me there was nothing he could with the tires I had purchased from them. He would sell me 4 new tires of "his choosing" for $846.00 which he called a deal. Which is NOT honoring the warranty at all which had 15,000 miles left on the warranty.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 6, 2015/08/21) */
Good Afternoon,
Firestone refunded the additional repairs provided at the other repair facility in good faith totaling $236. We also refunded an additional $264 as a customer satisfaction, totaling $500.
Mrs. [redacted] has...

received $500 in refunds from Firestone and we feel that we have met our obligation in this case. Our offer is fair given the circumstances and has already been received by Mrs. [redacted].

10/30/2016 Totally negative exp with Firestone on [redacted] in Leominster, Ma. Went in for oil change with son. Asked for copy of my invoice BEFORE work was to be done and the lady manager would not provide us with that copy.. I asked three times and the third time ended with her saying: "I don't need trouble with you". After this I was very irritated, loudly voiced my displeasure,and we took our keys and left for [redacted] in Leominster, who was more than happy to change our oil for less money and with a smile, no attitude and paperwork right up front. Told the lady manager back at Firestone I was going to call Firestone Customer Service and she said "Go right Ahead" so I did and it got me nowhere. Beware of this location, especially on weekends when the oddball managers are on. During the week Mike, the head manager is on duty and he's a decent guy, If you must shop at Firestone this would be the time to do it.

Call ahead for transmission flush and I took in my vehicle and they could not do the service and I would have to take it to the dealer. So I got my oil changed .2days later I'm at the dealer getting Sevice and they said my oil pan gasket is leaking a lot of oil. In 2 days I almost lost 2 quarts and my cv joint is torn . I'm glad I went to the dealer for quality service. I could have burned my engine by the end of the week. What I don't understand is why Firestone did let me know. I called and the main manager was supposed to call me , but never bothered to return my call. Firestone on culebra near 1604

I was travelling to Cincinnati OH for a wedding from Athens OH on Saturday (October first week 2015) and contacted Firestone in my area for an oil change and inspection. They asked me to come in on Friday morning. Luckily this was a holiday for me and went to Firestone as soon as they opened at 7AM. They told me my break pads were worn out and needed to be replaced. When asked if it was safe to drive long distance, I was told no and that I should at least fix the back pads immediately. It cost me a pretty penny to get this done. After they were done, I was driving back home and noticed that there was a weird "shaking" that I felt with driving. I called them immediately (while I was still on the road) and I was asked to bring in my car early the next day. Since I was traveling this was not possible and had to rely on a friend to take me up. This was a huge inconvenience. I am a PhD student and being the middle of the semester, it was really busy and it took me a while to find the time to take my car up to Firestone again. But I did as soon as I could and told the manager who was there my problem. I also said that I was not interested in doing business with them and that I only wanted to look at the problem and fix the problem they created. I also told them I had called the day I got it done and was told that they might have done it wrong and asked to bring it back the next day. The guy who I worked with was standing right there with the manager. The manager completely ridiculed me and told me "whoever told you that is an IT" and insisted that it was because I didn't fix my front break pads and that was creating an imbalance. So they made me get new brake pads for the front even though I told them I didn't want to get it done there. This took considerable amount of my day and I had to wait at Firestone all day. I am a student and cannot afford this. Anyways, I left the store and my car felt the same. I called Firestone yet again and told them the problem. They told me they were busy and I could not accommodate me. This whole thing was taking a toll on my schedule and mobility. I was not comfortable driving my car. Not only did the "shaking" continue but also I did not feel comfortable with the brakes. I felt like I had to hit the brakes a good distance before I wanted my car to stop and I was not comfortable driving others because of the risk involved. I was tired of dealing with Firestone at this point and finally took my car to another local place. The guys took a look and even drove the car around and almost immediately found what the problem was. When Firestone installed the brake pads, they put the new pads over the grit without cleaning off the bearings which caused the "shaking" because the gritty surface was coming in contact with the new surface of the brake pad. The mechanics also validated all the complaints I was having like driving on highways or the inefficiency of the brakes. They also said that this situation was very dangerous because the car was heating up and could blow up or create other complications. I insisted that they just fix this for me because I did not want to deal with Firestone ever again but the mechanics told me that I should take it back to Firestone because I had warranty on the brake pads and if I got it done with them, I was incurring more bills. I took it back to Firestone right after and I had to explain everything from the beginning. The manager I had dealt with before was nasty and even asked me "Why then did they not do it for you? It isn't that hard, they could clean it" I very gently told him that I was instructed to come there because of the warranty and that Firestone had messed this up in the first place. He told me he could not squeeze me in that day and asked me to come the next day. I dropped my car off the next day morning and had to walk over 3 miles in early November. I was told they would call me when my car was ready and never did. I called them around 4 and asked if my car was ready for pickup and they said it was ready a while back. When I got there, the manager did not even have the courage to talk to me or check me out but instead made someone else do it. It took over a month to get this resolved and more than a few visits. On top of that I had to deal with the outrageous attitude of the Firestone staff. I had been using Firestone for over 7 years and this was the last time ever I would deal with them. The lack of respect for the customers is outrageous. It makes me wonder if it was because I was a women, a minority, an international student that I have been taken advantage of. I complained about this to the corporate office and never even got an apology from them. I told them I did not feel like I needed to pay for the service they rendered when they did it wrong and caused me so much hardship.
P.S. To add a previous experience, at this same place about 5 years ago, I went to Firestone to get my tires rotated. I told them to please let me know if they were doing anything else because I wanted to be sure I knew what I was fiscally responsible for. Without even letting me know they did a wheel alignment and charged me for it. And it is not cheap! This was the same manager guy I dealt with. I was even roped into paying the full amount for a lifetime wheel alignment.

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. Someone should be following up with you to discuss and rectify this matter.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 15, 2015/09/04) */
Contact Name and Title: Brian [redacted] Area Manage
Contact Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX
Contact Email: [redacted]@tiresplus.com
We have had a third party idependant investigator review the damage claim by [redacted]. the investigator found that the...

damage was most likely casued by an impact with a pot hole or other pump in the road. based on the findings of this investigation we have denied Mr. [redacted] claim.

Firestone,

Have been a loyal customer for 3 years, and 3 months ago, credit service of Firestone reported a late payment to Credit Bureau without sending us a later notice. This has greatly impacting our credit rating unfairly. This is not ethical or legal way to treat a customer.
We were using auto care services, but have stopped using it since this incident.

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 indicated that he has reached out to you and apologized, provided tires at no charge and has done follow-up coaching with the teammates in efforts to resolve this matter. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to make this right. We truly value your business.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 10, 2015/10/09) */
The Area Manager attempted to call to resolve this with the boss. The Area Manager indicated the customer was not receptive when he offered to pay for the tire and hung up on him.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 12,...

2015/10/12) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I spoke with a manager twice on October 8, 2015. When he called me the first time (the call lasted 14 minutes) he told me that he didn't have all the facts and would make a second call. I had informed the manager that firestone.com's website stated that my tire size was 205/65R15 when the fact was that I had 215/55R16 tires on my vehicle. I had asked him for his expertise, what is the difference between what firestone claimed my tire size and what was on the car and he didn't answer. The second call lasted 17 minutes where myself and the manager were in dispute as to who was responsible for the initial tire size which proved incorrect. Firestone's website gave the wrong rim size which the manager refused to admit. The second aurgument was based on whether Firestone was responsible for putting tires on my vehicle that were not discussed . I had been given a quote for FR 710 tires and not the Firehawks that were mounted on my vehicle. The manager claimed that his staff had indicated that I was verbally informed of the Firehawk tires when I was not. I stated that I only authorized by signing the quote for FR 710 size 205/65R15, and when notified that my rim was 16 instead of 15. I was told that there would be an additonal charge for the 16's but I didn't sign anything for this size. The manager tried to convince me that I was not unfairly treated by mounting tires on my vehicle that I had not authorized, that I had to ask for my stem caps, that my keys were thrown at me and told to leave which forced me to drive away on the flat tire causing further damage to the donut rim. However, he was willing to pay for the replacement tire and not the tow cost. That is the reason that I ended the call. He was being ridiculously unyielding to my issue.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 14, 2015/10/14) */
I spoke to the Area Manager again today and he is going to issue a check to reimburse for the tire and the tow to resolve this complaint.
Final Consumer Response /* (2000, 16, 2015/10/22) */
(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)