Tire Express Auto Service Center Inc

Dear Ms***I am writing in response to your letter dated May 21, 2015, concerning a complaint submitted to you by *** * ***, ID ***. Mr*** came to us saying that the wheel on the right front was vibratingHe had tried to purchase a replacement for that wheel and had
found that the style of wheels on his car had been discontinuedHe thought that if he moved that wheel to the rear it would not be as noticeable and the ride would be smootherHe wanted the right front and the left rear demounted flipped and the wheel from the right front moved to the left rear.The wheels were 22” and the tires were low profile and therefore difficult to chanceWhile we change a lot of low profile tires without any problems, most tire shops, including ours, do not guarantee that low profile wheels can be changed without getting any marks on themThere is a sign on the bulletin board behind the sales counter stating that; and Mr*** specifically asked *** if we would guarantee that we could change the tires and wheels without marking them***'s reply was that we could change the tires and that we would be as careful as possible, but that we did not guarantee no marks on low profile tires and wheelsHe was given a price and he told us to make the change.It was Mr***’s choice to continue with the projectHe had been told point blank that we do not guarantee no marks on low profile tires and wheels.When the change was completed, the customer claimed that they had put one small mark on each wheel; however the marks were on a part of the wheel that we were not working on.Mr*** left without paying his bill and wanted us to replace his wheels.We fount out after that when our employee went to get his car to pull it into the shop, Mr *** confronted him a in the parking lot and told him that if he damaged his rims he would kill himHad we known that we would have refused to do the jobThere is not need to threaten our employees. him Had we known that we would have refused to do the jobThere is no need to threaten our employees.We feel no obligation to do anything furtherIt was stated that we do not guarantee perfection on low profile wheelsMr*** knew this and opted to have us make the changeWe were notpaid and our employee was threatened.If you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to contact usSincerely*** ** ***

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
I will start by saying if you can't do the work or you wont stand behind your work you should not be in business. I took my car to a car dealership where they were not comfortable changing my tires because they did not want to damage the wheels so they made several phone calls and found that [redacted] from Tire Express said he does the custom wheels all the time and it would not be a problem. I then drove to Tire Express and before any work was preformed I asked [redacted] to come out and look at my wheels, which we did. I specifically told [redacted] that a few other businesses would not do the work in fear of damaging the wheels and [redacted]'s response was "We just did that Cadillac Escalade over there it will not be a problem" there was never any talk of not guaranteeing anything. Then the technician that was doing the work went to pull my car in and I asked him his thoughts on working on my wheels and he said "we do it all the time, no problem", which I responded "I would die if you damage my wheels". No threat to an employee was made! They had many opportunities not to do the work if they couldn't handle it with care. The way they were damaged is the wheels were put on their tire machine upside down so they wouldn't damage the lip of the wheel, which in turn puts the chrome face down where they clamped the wheel in place, that is what damaged the wheels. The are damaged to the point that there is NO CHROME LEFT!!I looked at the wheels before I paid or even got in the car and seen the scratches at which point I asked [redacted] to come and look what they did. He basically responded "we tried" and maybe we shouldn't have done that job. I have priced replacing my 22" chrome wheels with new 22" chrome wheels at another local business that will cost me $1,810.48. I do not feel that a reputable business should be able to damage a customers property and pay no consequence for it. My wheels are no longer made therefore I have to replace all 4 wheels because of their neglect.The bill was not paid because [redacted] said he would check and see what he could do, he asked to give him 2 days to figure it out and he would call me. He never called, so I went back to see him to find out they are not willing to fix their mistake.Attached are some pictures of the scratches they put on the wheels and an invoice of the replacement wheels that Tire Express should pay for!  
Regards,
[redacted]

Dear Ms. [redacted]I am writing in response to your letter dated November 23, 2015, concerning a complaint submitted to you by [redacted], ID #[redacted].In reviewing Mr. [redacted]’s complaint, I see that he has left out many of the details concerning this event.When Mr. [redacted] called to ask about...

the price of the alignment and changing the bolts, he failed to mention he had installed a lift kit on the truck and that he had already tried to change the bolts himself but had been unable to do so. The labor guide we used to quote the price calls for the bolt removal to take a little over an hour to complete, but also states that this time estimate does not apply if the bolts are rusted and frozen in place. As Mr, [redacted] states in his complaint, he has automotive serviceexperience and in light of the fact that he stated he had already tried to remove the bolts himself, I'm sure that Mr. [redacted] was aware that this particular job was going to take longer than usual. The bolts were so rusted and gaulted into the truck frame that it took Matt G[redacted] the mechanic, 4 hours to remove the bolts. The labor rate for this job is $65.00 per hour. For 4 hours this amounts to $260.00. Our service manager did reduce the labor charge to $195.00 because Matt had to take a couple of breaks because his arms were aching from trying to loosen the rusted bolts. We also had to rebook some of Matt’s scheduled appointments so that he could have the time he needed to complete the work on Mr. [redacted]'s truck.Mr. [redacted]’s wheels were painted, gunmetal custom alloy rims. We have a large sign prominently displayed behind the sales counter that states “Tire Express is not responsible for any damage done to custom rims.” Our policy follows the same policy as most tire shops concerning custom wheels.They are difficult to change and the potential always exists to scratch these wheels. Mr. [redacted] said he was aware of the sign and its meaning before we began the work on his vehicle. He also stated that we did not use a torque wrench when tightening the lug nuts on his wheels. Our technicians use torque sticks to tighten the lug nuts which is just a more efficient way to tighten the lug nuts, but it’s also a process which Mr. [redacted] may not have recognized.Mr. [redacted] claims that the bolts on the top of his strut had been left loose causing a potential hazard, however, that was work that Mr. [redacted] had done himself when installing the lift kit on his truck. Our mechanic only worked on the bottom of the strut.Mr. [redacted] also complained about employees smoking in the sales and waiting rooms. While I am not sure what smoking in the waiting room would have to do with the service work we were performing, the sales room and the waiting room are the same room which is a smoke free zone. We have an absolute no smoking policy in this area. I am a non-smoker with allergies. Cigarette smoke is one of the things that most easily aggravate my allergies. As my primary work area is in the middle of this room and in light of the fact that I usually spend at least 11 hours a day there, I cannot allow either customers or employees to smoke there. Also, as many people now find smoke offensive and there are often children in our waiting area with their parents, we made the decision long ago not to allow smoking in our sales/waiting room. We ask that customers and employees that smoke do so outside. The few employees that we have that smoke do so outside or in one of the designated areas far from our sales/waiting area. At no time does the smoke “drift “ into the waiting area.He also states that our employees were smoking around oxidizing, dangerous and flammable chemicals. This is also false. The materials we store and use in our business are not dangerous chemicals. We have tires and auto service items such as motor oil, windshield wiper fluid and a small amount of anti-freeze, all of which are stored and labeled properly. We store several types of motor oil: a bulk tank stores the most common oil used, then we have several of the specialty oils that many of the newer cars require stored in 55 gallon drums. These are all delivered in new drums with large labels on the sides so the contents and specifications are all easily visible. The oil, as it is stored, is not flammable, it needs to be aerated first. We buy anti-freeze one case at a time (4 gallons), also in containers that are well marked. We usually have 10 to 20 gallons of windshield wiper fluid on the premises, all also well marked.There are older oil drums on the premises that house waste oil that we use in waste oil burners to heat our buildings. The labels are taken off of these barrels and they are all relabeled as waste oil. There are also two barrels with the lids cut off that we use to put scrap metal parts like brake rotors and drums taken from some of the service work we do. This is all then recycled. We have pictures of these drums that we can produce if needed. In our business we have no need for chemicals.Mr. [redacted] also states that we were charging him for 7 hours of labor when in fact he was charged for 4 hours. Our service manager adjusted that by $65.00 to allow for the time our mechanic needed for breaks because the bolts were rusted so badly, so in reality he only paid for 3 hours of labor. He was still unhappy with the charges, saying he would only pay the bill if we lowered the labor charges further. He felt we should adhere strictly to the estimate, however with as badly as the bolts were rusted and gaulded, that was an unreasonable expectation. After some further discussion we agreed to lower the labor charges another $50.00.In response to the desired settlement, we have already given Mr. [redacted] an initial cost reduction of $65.00 and an additional reduction of $50,00. The rim has only a minor cosmetic mark on the paint in one spot. It does not need to be taken out of service. It can easily be touched up with matching paint.Mr. [redacted] has also [redacted] in three conversation we have had with him he has threatened us verbally.If you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us.SincerelyPaul ** N[redacted]

TIRE EXPRESS[redacted]Revdex.com of Western Pennsylvania [redacted] [redacted]May 3, 2015Dear [redacted]I am writing in response to your letter dated April 22, 2015, concerning a complaint submitted to you by [redacted], ID...

#[redacted] brought us 4of his tires that he wanted mounted on wheels that were also his. Neither the tires nor the wheels were purchased from us. The tires were actually several sizes smaller than should have been mounted on the rims that he brought with him. We explained that to him, but he said the car that they would be mounted on was a “show car”. They set these cars up with very large rims and small tires to give the appearance that the car has almost no tires on it, just very large rims. It is supposed to give the car an exotic, eye catching look. Our understanding was that the car was a “show car”, and that it would not be on the roads. Assuming that it was a “show car” we would not have expected him to be driving the car 65 miles per hour on the highways with such small tires on such large rims.We did nick the bead, which we discovered the second time [redacted] brought the wheel back. At that time we applied a bead sealant, again thinking that it was a “show car” and it would not be on the highway. Under those circumstances the bead sealant should have worked.When [redacted] brought the flattened tire back and told us what had happened. I inspected the tire and rim. The tire had a nick in it, but the wheel had no visible damage. I offered to replace the tire. I originally thought that I would be able to locate a replacement tire, but none of our suppliers had that tire available. As [redacted] had not originally purchased the tires from us, I suggested that he contact whomever he had originally purchased the tires from to get a replacement tire and I wouldreimburse him. He purchased the tire, brought it in and we mounted it on another wheel that he had, charged him nothing for that and reimbursed him for the cost of the tire. He also wants the wheel replaced, but on inspection the wheel showed no damage or any reason for the wheel to be replaced. We were under the impression that this was a “show car” only. I am certainly glad that [redacted] had above average driving skills, but we had never expected that car to be on a highway. We have mounted tires for several other people that have show cars and have never had any problems. Those cars are usually transported to shows on trailers.We have already replaced the tire and, while we feel that the wheel was not damaged we are willing to reimburse the wheel and the fees as a gesture of good will. We are sorry for the misunderstanding, but we assumed that the car was a show car only.If you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us.Sincerely[redacted] [redacted]

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, but I do have a few words to put in before this is over. I never, and I repeat, NEVER told Tire Express that this car would not be on the highway. Yes, this car goes to shows and is in one currently, but I DROVE it there. I never said anything about it being on a trailer. Even if it was, the tire went flat in a matter of hours while sitting in my garage, so it didn't matter anyway. Also, I don't know how much you guys know about tires, but when there is a tear in the bead the tire is junk. It has nothing to do with the width, diameter, size or wheel- a tear in the bead instantly destroys the tire and 100% compromises it's ability to hold air. I am absolutely appalled that Tire Express KNOWINGLY gave me a tire back with a tear in the bead, expecting it to be okay. As I've been learning in my Safety Science courses, that would be a case of Gross Negligence. They knew it was dangerous, but they wanted to save a few bucks by not replacing it. Also, they did not put bead sealant on the tire. They spread this special chemical used for rusty steel wheels that is corrosive to the skin and paint, and it does not assist in holding air for alloy wheels such as mine. This damage 100% compromises every last bit of integrity of the tire. Tire Express should have IMMEDIATELY shown and/or informed me of the damage and offered to replace the tire, as it is beyond repair and the fault of whomever mounted the tire. A tear like this in the bead is due to an improperly lubricated tire being mounted. The machines that mount tires put a lot of stress and force on the tire, and if there is no lubrication it will cause damage like this. The damage had nothing to do with wheel or tire size, and everything to do with a tire being improperly mounted and severely damaged, yet still given to the customer as "perfectly fine".On a side note, my wheel was not "perfectly fine". When the tire went flat, the wheel came in contact with the ground and scuffed up both the inside and the outside. Since the weight of the car was forced upon the bare wheel, there is a possibility of hairline fractures throughout the wheel that the naked eye cannot see. Also, as stated above, the car is driven to shows all around the state, and why should I have to display my car with a scratched up wheel because of someone else's negligence? These wheels were in perfect cosmetic condition, and I work very hard to keep them that way.Yes, the tire size is slightly smaller than what is recommended, but it is 100% functional and works just fine as it should. I just took a 5 hour drive this weekend across the state and not a single tire had any issues. This was not a wheel size or tire size issue. This was damage inflicted to a tire by the tire mounting machine, and the shop trying to cover up their mistake to save a few dollars at the expense of my safety. I have friends who have had flat tires on the highway and rolled their cars several times because of it. I have attached a picture of the tire with the damage (and my car too so you can see what they look like on the vehicle). The cut is about 4" long. Again, this is not something that could simply be "missed" or "looked over by accident" when the shop had my tire FOUR times. This is gross negligence, and I will never be taking my vehicles to Tire Express again, and I am letting all of my friends know about the incident. After all, nobody should have a flat tire on the highway due to the negligence and lack of integrity of a shop trying to save a couple bucks.If you have any further questions or need more information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Regards,
[redacted]

Review: On November 14, 2015 I scheduled an appointment at Tire Express in Indiana Pennsylvania. I requested four tires to be mounted and balanced, an alignment, and the installation of three lower control arm bolts. I asked about pricing and was told that installation of the lower control arm bolts would be, and I quote, "a couple dollars." On November 18, 2015 I reported to an appointment at 9:30 AM at Tire express in Indiana Pennsylvania. I noted while in the waiting room that almost every working employee had a cigarette in their mouth, including the ones working in the maintenance shop around oxidizing and flammable chemicals. The smoke filled the waiting room and bothered my asthma, so I went for a walk. I returned at roughly 12:00 and my 2012 Nissan Frontier was still sitting on a vehicle lift as the mechanic working on it walked in and out of the break room, and even assisted on other customers' vehicles. As a former worker in the automotive service industry, I understood that no one liked to be bothered about completion time, so I sat quietly in the waiting room for another hour. Nothing was said to me about the status of my vehicle. I went on another walk as the cigarette smoke filled the waiting area once more. When I returned at approximately 14:40, my vehicle was being brought into the tire shop to mount the tires. Instead of opening the tail gate, I watched as the dirty mechanic reached over the bedside of my vehicle and rubbed grime from his job into my imperfection free paint. Finally the mechanic wrapped up the job. I noted that he did not use a torque wrench when placing the lug nuts on my vehicle. In haste, as it was now 15:45, when I typically leave for work, I approached the counter. Paul, the owner printed out a receipt and told my my total was 355 dollars. I chuckled, thinking he was making a joke, as an alignment was 39.99 and four tires mounted and balanced was roughly the same price. He was not joking. I asked him where the extra two hundred and fifty dollars came from. He told me it was for "seven hours of labor for the bolt installation." I respectfully told him that I would not be paying that amount as I witnessed that mechanic work on other vehicles during that time frame. He told me there was nothing he could do. I insisted that I have years of experience in this field and understand that he is trying to take advantage of me. He told me that he would lower the price to $145 dollars of labor to install the three bolts. In haste and already late for my job, I quickly wrote a check for the amount of $278.

The next morning when I woke up and had time in the daylight to examine the work performed, I noticed that on two of my wheels, the tire technician had gouged a large chunk from one wheel and then ran a deep gouge around the wheel in a perfectly circular pattern, irrefutable evidence of damages caused from a tire machine. The second damaged wheel has a smaller gouge which will eventually oxidize and peel due to the climate in Indiana Pennsylvania and the chemicals used to treat the roadway in the winter time. I posses high resolution pictures prior to getting this work done proving that all four wheels are totally spotless and free of any damages. I had to report to work early, so I called tire express and told the owner that I would be in on November 20, 2015 for his review of the damages caused by his business.

I returned to tire express today, November 20, 2015 and respectfully issued my concerns, and was told by Paul that he would "get back to me," after I presented him with an invoice from the Nissan dealership, signed by the service tech, displaying the cost of a new wheel. I do not feel confident that the owner has any desire to actually aid me. After leaving the shop, I needed to run an errand which required me to drive on the highway. I felt a slight knocking coming from the driver's side front. When I arrived back home I inspected the area only to find that the drivers' side front strut was never bolted back into its mount, the nuts were simply sitting on the studs, only turned down 2-3 threads, leaving 3/4 of an inch of play in the strut assembly. This could have proven disastrous had I hit a large bump at speed. With ill trust of the company I called Tire Express and explained what had happened, Their response was that they did not touch the strut, which is impossible and a blatant lie because they installed the three lower control arm bolts, which requires at least partial removal of the strut assembly to be done properly.

I personally secured the strut assembly to my vehicle. I am beyond displeased and downright fearful to drive my vehicle as their gross negligence not only caused obvious damage, but their carelessness could have injured myself and others.Desired Settlement: My desired outcome is as follows:

Although two wheels were damaged, only one is damaged beyond a repair I could perform myself. I require one brand new in box wheel from Nissan.

I require a refund for only the labor to install the three lower control arm bolts, as the installation left my strut assembly completely disconnected from the strut mount.

I require the cash amount to mount and balance the new wheel at the Nissan Dealership, as Tire Express is forbidden to come in contact with my vehicle again.

I require the cash amount for a front end evaluation and alignment at the Nissan Dealership as the alignment was performed with a loose strut assembly, which inevitably would give the improper caster angle.

Business

Response:

Dear Ms. [redacted]I am writing in response to your letter dated November 23, 2015, concerning a complaint submitted to you by [redacted], ID #[redacted].In reviewing Mr. [redacted]’s complaint, I see that he has left out many of the details concerning this event.When Mr. [redacted] called to ask about the price of the alignment and changing the bolts, he failed to mention he had installed a lift kit on the truck and that he had already tried to change the bolts himself but had been unable to do so. The labor guide we used to quote the price calls for the bolt removal to take a little over an hour to complete, but also states that this time estimate does not apply if the bolts are rusted and frozen in place. As Mr, [redacted] states in his complaint, he has automotive serviceexperience and in light of the fact that he stated he had already tried to remove the bolts himself, I'm sure that Mr. [redacted] was aware that this particular job was going to take longer than usual. The bolts were so rusted and gaulted into the truck frame that it took Matt G[redacted] the mechanic, 4 hours to remove the bolts. The labor rate for this job is $65.00 per hour. For 4 hours this amounts to $260.00. Our service manager did reduce the labor charge to $195.00 because Matt had to take a couple of breaks because his arms were aching from trying to loosen the rusted bolts. We also had to rebook some of Matt’s scheduled appointments so that he could have the time he needed to complete the work on Mr. [redacted]'s truck.Mr. [redacted]’s wheels were painted, gunmetal custom alloy rims. We have a large sign prominently displayed behind the sales counter that states “Tire Express is not responsible for any damage done to custom rims.” Our policy follows the same policy as most tire shops concerning custom wheels.They are difficult to change and the potential always exists to scratch these wheels. Mr. [redacted] said he was aware of the sign and its meaning before we began the work on his vehicle. He also stated that we did not use a torque wrench when tightening the lug nuts on his wheels. Our technicians use torque sticks to tighten the lug nuts which is just a more efficient way to tighten the lug nuts, but it’s also a process which Mr. [redacted] may not have recognized.Mr. [redacted] claims that the bolts on the top of his strut had been left loose causing a potential hazard, however, that was work that Mr. [redacted] had done himself when installing the lift kit on his truck. Our mechanic only worked on the bottom of the strut.Mr. [redacted] also complained about employees smoking in the sales and waiting rooms. While I am not sure what smoking in the waiting room would have to do with the service work we were performing, the sales room and the waiting room are the same room which is a smoke free zone. We have an absolute no smoking policy in this area. I am a non-smoker with allergies. Cigarette smoke is one of the things that most easily aggravate my allergies. As my primary work area is in the middle of this room and in light of the fact that I usually spend at least 11 hours a day there, I cannot allow either customers or employees to smoke there. Also, as many people now find smoke offensive and there are often children in our waiting area with their parents, we made the decision long ago not to allow smoking in our sales/waiting room. We ask that customers and employees that smoke do so outside. The few employees that we have that smoke do so outside or in one of the designated areas far from our sales/waiting area. At no time does the smoke “drift “ into the waiting area.He also states that our employees were smoking around oxidizing, dangerous and flammable chemicals. This is also false. The materials we store and use in our business are not dangerous chemicals. We have tires and auto service items such as motor oil, windshield wiper fluid and a small amount of anti-freeze, all of which are stored and labeled properly. We store several types of motor oil: a bulk tank stores the most common oil used, then we have several of the specialty oils that many of the newer cars require stored in 55 gallon drums. These are all delivered in new drums with large labels on the sides so the contents and specifications are all easily visible. The oil, as it is stored, is not flammable, it needs to be aerated first. We buy anti-freeze one case at a time (4 gallons), also in containers that are well marked. We usually have 10 to 20 gallons of windshield wiper fluid on the premises, all also well marked.There are older oil drums on the premises that house waste oil that we use in waste oil burners to heat our buildings. The labels are taken off of these barrels and they are all relabeled as waste oil. There are also two barrels with the lids cut off that we use to put scrap metal parts like brake rotors and drums taken from some of the service work we do. This is all then recycled. We have pictures of these drums that we can produce if needed. In our business we have no need for chemicals.Mr. [redacted] also states that we were charging him for 7 hours of labor when in fact he was charged for 4 hours. Our service manager adjusted that by $65.00 to allow for the time our mechanic needed for breaks because the bolts were rusted so badly, so in reality he only paid for 3 hours of labor. He was still unhappy with the charges, saying he would only pay the bill if we lowered the labor charges further. He felt we should adhere strictly to the estimate, however with as badly as the bolts were rusted and gaulded, that was an unreasonable expectation. After some further discussion we agreed to lower the labor charges another $50.00.In response to the desired settlement, we have already given Mr. [redacted] an initial cost reduction of $65.00 and an additional reduction of $50,00. The rim has only a minor cosmetic mark on the paint in one spot. It does not need to be taken out of service. It can easily be touched up with matching paint.Mr. [redacted] has also [redacted] in three conversation we have had with him he has threatened us verbally.If you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us.SincerelyPaul ** N[redacted]

Review: Business agreed to rotate tires on my vehicle. In doing so they damaged two of my custom wheels and refusses to make it right. The wheels are no longer made so I'm asking to replace the wheels but can not get any satisfaction. I was told they tried to be careful but it happens. The wheels are scratched to the point that the chrome is gone in the spots they scratched them. I spoke to two employees prior to letting them do the work and they said the do it all the time and don't have any issues. After they scratched the first wheel why continue to scratch another?Desired Settlement: Replacement by covering the cost of new wheels that will be purchase at a different facility.

Business

Response:

Dear Ms. [redacted]I am writing in response to your letter dated May 21, 2015, concerning a complaint submitted to you by [redacted], ID [redacted]. Mr. [redacted] came to us saying that the wheel on the right front was vibrating. He had tried to purchase a replacement for that wheel and had found that the style of wheels on his car had been discontinued. He thought that if he moved that wheel to the rear it would not be as noticeable and the ride would be smoother. He wanted the right front and the left rear demounted flipped and the wheel from the right front moved to the left rear.The wheels were 22” and the tires were low profile and therefore difficult to chance. While we change a lot of low profile tires without any problems, most tire shops, including ours, do not guarantee that low profile wheels can be changed without getting any marks on them. There is a sign on the bulletin board behind the sales counter stating that; and Mr. [redacted] specifically asked [redacted] if we would guarantee that we could change the tires and wheels without marking them. [redacted]'s reply was that we could change the tires and that we would be as careful as possible, but that we did not guarantee no marks on low profile tires and wheels. He was given a price and he told us to make the change.It was Mr. [redacted]’s choice to continue with the project. He had been told point blank that we do not guarantee no marks on low profile tires and wheels.When the change was completed, the customer claimed that they had put one small mark on each wheel; however the marks were on a part of the wheel that we were not working on.Mr. [redacted] left without paying his bill and wanted us to replace his wheels.We fount out after that when our employee went to get his car to pull it into the shop, Mr [redacted] confronted him a in the parking lot and told him that if he damaged his rims he would kill him. Had we known that we would have refused to do the job. There is not need to threaten our employees. him Had we known that we would have refused to do the job. There is no need to threaten our employees.We feel no obligation to do anything further. It was stated that we do not guarantee perfection on low profile wheels. Mr. [redacted] knew this and opted to have us make the change. We were notpaid and our employee was threatened.If you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us. Sincerely[redacted]

Review: I drive a show-car, and I have wide, low-profile tires on it that not every garage has equipment for. I went to tire express, showed them what I needed to have done, and they told me they could do it - no problem. I got my tires back, which were all brand new, and put them on my car and took it for a drive. At the end of the day, I noticed one tire was a little bit low on air pressure. I filled it up and went to bed. The next day, the tire was very low on pressure again. I took it back to tire express and told them it was low on air. They kept it for the day and told me nothing was wrong with it, so I picked it up again. The next day it was low again, so I took it back for the 2nd time.The next day it was 100% flat and had fallen off the wheel. I took it in and told them it was still flat. They told me that they would take the tire off, check it again and add some sealer to keep it air tight. I picked up the tire the next day, this time they charged me $13 since they took the tire off, which I was annoyed at since it was their fault in the first place that it wasn't holding air. I filled it up to the running pressure, drove about 45 minutes away, and the tire was very low on air. I filled it up again, made it about 75% of the way home and the tire blew out while I was going 65mph. Luckily I am a good driver and know how to handle situations like this and was on a straight road, otherwise I could have easily wrecked my car. Do to the tire being low profile, the wheel scraped the pavement repeatedly, both scratching the outer lip of the wheel (which has no damage at all before) and probably bending/cracking the wheel. I missed a school meeting while I threw my spare tire on at 11:00 at night in the pouring rain on the side of a highway. The next day I went back to tire express and told them what happened, but remained professional about it. I explained to them that after 3 times of me bringing my tire in, not only did it leak but this time it happened on the highway, causing a huge hazard and destroyed my new wheel and tire. I told them since it was their fault for not fixing it right the first 3 times that they should buy me a new wheel ($150 including shipping) and a new tire ($80). The manager then started to argue with me, telling me that I did not have a traditional style tire and that it was my fault that the tire had leaked air, because I should have bad bigger tires on the car. I informed him that if it was that big of an issue, he should have never agreed to place the tires on the car in the first place. He started getting mad at me, and I finally got him to agree to pay for a new tire, but he told me the wheel was my responsibility. He called me later that day and told me he couldn't find the right tire size, and it was up to me to find it myself if I wanted it done. So I had to spend my day calling every tire place in the area to find a tire. I finally found a dealer, and had to drive about 40 minutes round-trip to pick it up.

I then took the tire that had gone flat over to another tire shop for an un-biased inspection, and they found that the tire had a HUGE chunk ripped out of the bead. The bead is the inside part of the tire that attaches it to the wheel, and it is critical that there are no holes in it. The other tire shop informed me that the chunk ripped out was definitely from a user error when installing them. I took the tire back over to tire express, showing the manager the giant torn piece. He told me there was no proof that they did that and that it was MY fault for buying such small tires. He then reluctantly said that he had seen a small mark the 2nd time they had the tire, but it "wasn't something to worry about." So now I have to purchase a new wheel, I missed a class meeting while changing my spare tire on the side of a dangerous and busy highway in the rain, and I had to both find the replacement tire and pick it up. I think it is very neglectful of Tire Express to not assume liability for this incident. These were brand new tires, and the big chunk that was cut out had been like that the entire time- that was the reason the tire was loosing air constantly and why they couldn't fix it. So I basically paid Tire Express $13 to have a flat on the side of the highway, and for them to tell me that it was my fault due to my wheels and tires not being a traditional size. I have talked the highest person in authority at the company, and he said he will not compensate me for anything.Desired Settlement: I would like to be compensated for the original purchase price of my wheel ($150), the $13 they charged me to "fix" the tire, and the original mounting fee of $15, along with the $10 I spent this morning in gas money to pick up the other tire. I'm not a sue-happy person looking for reimbursement for "pain and suffering" or anything, but I am severely angry at how they treated me and the situation. This was a reputable garage that lots of people recommended, and they handled the situation very poorly. I don't like being told it's my fault, especially when my life was in danger due to their negligence. The manager also didn't seem the slightest bit worried or concerned, and showed no remorse towards any of this.

Business

Response:

TIRE EXPRESS[redacted]Revdex.com of Western Pennsylvania [redacted]May 3, 2015Dear [redacted]I am writing in response to your letter dated April 22, 2015, concerning a complaint submitted to you by [redacted], ID #[redacted] brought us 4of his tires that he wanted mounted on wheels that were also his. Neither the tires nor the wheels were purchased from us. The tires were actually several sizes smaller than should have been mounted on the rims that he brought with him. We explained that to him, but he said the car that they would be mounted on was a “show car”. They set these cars up with very large rims and small tires to give the appearance that the car has almost no tires on it, just very large rims. It is supposed to give the car an exotic, eye catching look. Our understanding was that the car was a “show car”, and that it would not be on the roads. Assuming that it was a “show car” we would not have expected him to be driving the car 65 miles per hour on the highways with such small tires on such large rims.We did nick the bead, which we discovered the second time [redacted] brought the wheel back. At that time we applied a bead sealant, again thinking that it was a “show car” and it would not be on the highway. Under those circumstances the bead sealant should have worked.When [redacted] brought the flattened tire back and told us what had happened. I inspected the tire and rim. The tire had a nick in it, but the wheel had no visible damage. I offered to replace the tire. I originally thought that I would be able to locate a replacement tire, but none of our suppliers had that tire available. As [redacted] had not originally purchased the tires from us, I suggested that he contact whomever he had originally purchased the tires from to get a replacement tire and I wouldreimburse him. He purchased the tire, brought it in and we mounted it on another wheel that he had, charged him nothing for that and reimbursed him for the cost of the tire. He also wants the wheel replaced, but on inspection the wheel showed no damage or any reason for the wheel to be replaced. We were under the impression that this was a “show car” only. I am certainly glad that [redacted] had above average driving skills, but we had never expected that car to be on a highway. We have mounted tires for several other people that have show cars and have never had any problems. Those cars are usually transported to shows on trailers.We have already replaced the tire and, while we feel that the wheel was not damaged we are willing to reimburse the wheel and the fees as a gesture of good will. We are sorry for the misunderstanding, but we assumed that the car was a show car only.If you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us.Sincerely[redacted]